t5 or mh

[harrisagogetter]

Just wondering if i shouldn't go with t5's. I have 2 250watt de hqi over the tank and was just wondering which would be better?Is there a system for the t5, that used less energy but close to the same wattage or am I lost?


Will the t5 give me that same amount of light as the 500 watts that i am currently using?


any help is appreciated
AAron

 

[barron]

Personally, I have never seen a T5 tank that was as nice as a halide. Many would argue, but outside of heat, there is little to ever complain about on halide lighting

 

[Ah64av8tor]

It all depends on the type of Ballast, bulb and reflectors you use. I don't think that 500watts of T5s will give you the same results on a SPS tank as the HQI.

Do like I'm doing and go with both, but only running the HQI for a few hours a day.

 

[harrisagogetter]

from what i understand with the ballasts from a t5 you can only go up to a certain wattage? Is this correct. I was thinking of individual reflectors for the bulbs so that more light penetration will be good right?

PS I plan on using icecap for the bulbs and reflectors and ballast

 

[Ah64av8tor]

I have Icecap T5 and HQI and swear by their product. You will get the best performance from the Icecap setup.

The IC ballast will drive the 54watt HO T5 bulb around 90watts but with the reflector it is supposed to put more light in the tank than a 110watt VHO.........but it still wont look like the HQI.

 

[Agu]

The discussion needs to have your intended species to to be relevent.

SPS and clams that need high lighting do best under intense MH, everything else does better under other/lower lighting imo/ime.

Also the glimmer lines from MH can't be matched by any fluoros.


jmo,

 

[harrisagogetter]

I am not really interesed in keeping any sps. But a clam or two may be in the future. Maybe I will just add some t5's to hit the rest of the day and keep the hqi's on for a few hours each day. That may be the way to go without killing evrthing then I would have plenty of light to deal with no matter what the situation.

thanks agu

Also you have pm