T5's Ho Or Halides

[ever818]

I NEED SOME HELP ON Lighting MY 100 GAL TANK 60X18X24

SHOULD I GET 8 80W AT 60" T5 HO OR

3 250W DE METAL HALIDES W/2 VHO ACTINICS 140 W EACH



R T5'S BETTER THAN HALIDES N DO THEY GIVE A BETTER COLOR

 

[raskal311]

Depends on if you want to buy a chiller or not. If you dont mind a chiller I would always pick MH over T5. But 3x250MH + 2x140VHO is a lot of joice. I would just get a higher k MH bulb and forget about VHO.

 

[818]

He has a Chiller.

I would also pick MH.

3 14k's should be the crisp blue you want if you dont want to run VHO's.

Either that or your VHO's werent blue enough with those 3 MH's u have. It looked a little to yellow.

HTH

Sam

 

[NALCOMIS]

t5 bubls are about 25-30$ each x8 so $200 -280 every 8-12mos or 3 mh $50 each x3 every 1.5 years $150... 640w t5 or 750w mh

I have both set ups, I like em both!

not much help here, sorry

oh and the tank temps are the same for me, no chillers. 80-82 deg

 

[bassnman11]

The nice thing about T5 is you can adjust the tank color by changing 1 or 2 bulbs, not 3 like halides. You can also set them up in banks so you can run 2,4,6 or all at a time. Your chiller will run a lot less, which can be a big deal with the power hikes.

 

[Fridmani]

I would get both...I have DE MH's with T-5 Actinic supplementation. You get the best of both worlds. Also, since your tank is 24" deep, T-5's may not provide you enough intensity for certain corals.

 

[billyzbear]

Everything I have read says yoy can have SPS with 6 rows of t-5's. T-5 bulbs will last 18-24 months. Mh is 12 months, some say 9 months. t-5's will run cooler and use less watt's.
Right now I use both, for my new tank it will be 6 4'bulbs on a 6' long tank. I'm mostly into LPS but want some SPS. In the middle 2' I'll have 6 rows.
Search in the lighting area here and read up on t-5's before you buy anything.

 

[chalowolf]

T5 grow sps with less color than with MH. Also T5 make the corals grow long and narrow. MH makes them grow compact and more full.
If you want quality go with the MH. If you want quantity go with the T5.
Badmort had T5 and switched to 2X250 HQI for his 150g. I had the privliage to see his tank with T5 and MH . What I liked about the T5 is that they were cool to the touch.

 

[raskal311]

Is T5 really that much cooler then MH? I mean your talking about spreading the heat through a much larger surface area and more bulbs so if you add it all up tank vs. tank is it that much less heat?

 

[simon.007]

I am not having any luck with SPS under T5s. Under MH 400W they love it


Simon

 

[Frankysreef]

mh all the way.. I run 4 250 se 20k helios, and that is all I need.

 

[salt e]

i vote for MH... but i really have no idea cause i haven't got mine yet .... but they make the water look cool (not sure if T5's give the same water shadow effects....anyone know?)