see u say mh are more expenisve but here a 4bulbed t-5 light is about 230 bucks and then u have to pay for the bulbs which are about 40 bucks each maybe more that puts it in about the $400 region which u could get about any mh set up from 400watts to 75watts replament bulbs that i use are $100 to $112 bucks 4 replaments t5s would be over a 200 bucks
T5 Lighting questions
- Thread starter returnofsid
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Scooterman
Well-known member
You have to consider apples to apples when they do these testing, like using a high quality reflector like a LIII & same for the T5. Also you should consider the highest PAR values like in Sanjays testing the XM10k on a PFO HQI ballast, and then you will see different results. I've read long & many a pages myself. The people who normally use these normally driven T5's don't necessary keep sps or the keep them in the upper region, MH you can punch deeper & with a good reflector plenty wide enough. You have to read both side thoroughly both have good & bad points. I would suggest searching back at all of the information Boomer posted about these, there is real documented information & reasoning. Again I have no bad to say about using T5's but in the upper end of performance MH has more to offer.
Cwazy Clown
Koi
dude i would rather just buy a mh. or just build one out of a hood, reflx, bulbs, and ballast. plus caps. JMO
"see u say mh are more expenisve but here a 4bulbed t-5 light is about 230 bucks and then u have to pay for the bulbs which are about 40 bucks each maybe more that puts it in about the $400 region which u could get about any mh set up from 400watts to 75watts replament bulbs that i use are $100 to $112 bucks 4 replaments t5s would be over a 200 bucks"
Your missing the biggest advantage to t5. You wont have to buy a chiller like with MH. And if you live in an area where you have to use a chiller anyways, youll be able to use a much smaller one with T5's. The price of a chiller + over a hundered a year to operate makes the MH MUCH more expensive.
T5's will ALWAYS be cheaper in the long run. The bulbs only need to be replaced once a year or once every year in a half, same as with MH's.
Your missing the biggest advantage to t5. You wont have to buy a chiller like with MH. And if you live in an area where you have to use a chiller anyways, youll be able to use a much smaller one with T5's. The price of a chiller + over a hundered a year to operate makes the MH MUCH more expensive.
T5's will ALWAYS be cheaper in the long run. The bulbs only need to be replaced once a year or once every year in a half, same as with MH's.
Morgan you are a lil' off the mark on your prices. I can get a 6 bulb system for $300.00 and the bulbs are less than $20.00 each. Also, I do believe they have a longer life span so only need to be changed every 12-18 months, as apposed to every 8-12 months for MH or PC. I do realize that a T5 fixture would run me about the same price as a MH fixture. But with a MH fixture, I'd still have to add something for actinics. To get a fixture that's a combination MH and PC or MH and T5 or MH and anything at all that offers actinics would be WAY more expensive. Then if I go MH, I'm still having to worry about a heat issue. I've already battled that last summer with only PC lighting running. If I were to go with MH, I'd either need to get a 48" fixture, which would run me about $700 or more....or I'd have to go with at least 2 pendants and still have to supplement with some kind of flourescents for actinic. However, I do understand part of what you're saying and I do realize that MH have advantages that T5 don't have and I really would like the glitter effect of MH but just can't afford the amount of MH lighting I'd need, nor can I figure out a way to combat the heating issue without added expense.
Scooterman
Well-known member
Consider heat from 6 or 8 ho t5 & you have almost as much that is a wash.
You don't need supplementation unless your going for color & you had so many color ranges in mh you can find something you like. The length of time to replace the t5 would depend on if it was overdriven & the type of corals you keep. One last thing, long florescent tubes are surcharged when shipped, that can get expensive. I'm just throwing out all the available options rather than one-siding, I like the T5's & they have their place.
You don't need supplementation unless your going for color & you had so many color ranges in mh you can find something you like. The length of time to replace the t5 would depend on if it was overdriven & the type of corals you keep. One last thing, long florescent tubes are surcharged when shipped, that can get expensive. I'm just throwing out all the available options rather than one-siding, I like the T5's & they have their place.
ReeferPatt
Well-known member
Here are some par readings that Grim took not to long after the thread was started.
ATI
Sun Pro 357
Aquablue 336
Blue Plus 311
Actinic 137
D&D/Giesemann
Midday 325
Aquablue 324
Actinic Plus 264
Pure Actinic 157
UVL
Aqua sun 345
Actinic White 293
Super Actinic 210
AquaZ
Sun Pro 285
Ocean Pro 323
Blue Pro 266
Helios
Daylight 309
Super Blue 225
Current Sun Paq
Daylight 10K 272
Blue 252
GE Daylight 340
I myself do not use t5's. I run a single 400w in a lumenarc III. No canopy, I have 2 120mm fans that blow from back to front directly below the pendant. No chiller, during the summer the tank runs around 81 with lights on and I live in Texas. I keep my house around 77 deg. in the summer. Right now the tank runs 78 deg. during the winter months.
ATI
Sun Pro 357
Aquablue 336
Blue Plus 311
Actinic 137
D&D/Giesemann
Midday 325
Aquablue 324
Actinic Plus 264
Pure Actinic 157
UVL
Aqua sun 345
Actinic White 293
Super Actinic 210
AquaZ
Sun Pro 285
Ocean Pro 323
Blue Pro 266
Helios
Daylight 309
Super Blue 225
Current Sun Paq
Daylight 10K 272
Blue 252
GE Daylight 340
I myself do not use t5's. I run a single 400w in a lumenarc III. No canopy, I have 2 120mm fans that blow from back to front directly below the pendant. No chiller, during the summer the tank runs around 81 with lights on and I live in Texas. I keep my house around 77 deg. in the summer. Right now the tank runs 78 deg. during the winter months.
ReeferPatt
Well-known member
^^^^^ I use no supplemental lights, just the MH. If you plan to go mostly sps then MH will be your best bet. Otherwise overdriving the T5's would be your best bet. I don't know if the Tek is overdriven. If your running a mixed tank just keep the sps in the upper half of the tank. Sps is not all about lighting. There are plenty of other things to consider, water quality, flow, lighting. The first two are every bit as important it no more.
I have a 5 bulb unit from aquactinics and it puts 0 heat into the water. Its an aluminium hood with an intake and an exhaust fan. The air it blows out is hot, but it all gets exhasuted away from the tank. Unfortunetly the cheapest I can find this hood since the company went wholesale is $325(It used to be $289).
I used:
1 x uvl aqua sun
1 x UVL SA
2 x ATI aquablues
1 x ATI blue+
This gives a 14Kish look overall Id say. It really pops greens, reds and blues.
Reeferpatt-
Our problem here in the NW is that no one has AC. During the summer peoples houses are usually at the mercy of the heat wave.
I used:
1 x uvl aqua sun
1 x UVL SA
2 x ATI aquablues
1 x ATI blue+
This gives a 14Kish look overall Id say. It really pops greens, reds and blues.
Reeferpatt-
Our problem here in the NW is that no one has AC. During the summer peoples houses are usually at the mercy of the heat wave.
ReeferPatt
Well-known member
That's understandable, I'm originally from Ventura, Ca. No air there either, during the summer months it sometimes would reach the 90's. Since I quit using a canopy I've found it much easier to control the tank temp. I doubt I'll ever use one again. The tank is able to breath so to speak and alot easier access when needing to reach into the tank.
LOL Now I've also found an Aqua Medic MH 48" (total) 650W w/ ballast fixture that uses 2X250W MH for regular lighting and 1X150W blue MH for actinics. I may be able to get into this fixture for under $250.00. LOL now I really don't know what to do!!!
Scooterman
Well-known member
Well now I think you should have a better idea of whats what either that or we just made it more difficult to decide!
ReeferPatt, thanks for the PAR reading, comparing to 600+ PAR on some of the high end mh, these can produce a more spread of PAR but not punch as deep, this is all good information to have!
hmm i know what u mean my pricing is in australian money which has no real refereance to u but from my point of view its a big deal i would love to run sum t-5s on a softy tank but would just be better to get a mh im not talking about a enclosed unit i was just talking about a pendent light setup
i dont really think the antincs are nesscery but are nice i run a 400watt light over a 48" tank by 14" by 18" deep this is more then enough light for this tank if ur tank is 2 foot wide then i can see how one pendent wont be enough
i dont really think the antincs are nesscery but are nice i run a 400watt light over a 48" tank by 14" by 18" deep this is more then enough light for this tank if ur tank is 2 foot wide then i can see how one pendent wont be enough
Yikes, you don't get too much heat from the 400W? I guess with one pendant hanging above the tank, it might not be such an issue. If I were to go MH, I think I'd probably go with 2X250W pendants.
monkey5150
Member
OK Following this as thread as a spectator (since I have nothing to offer as I am mulling over the same decision) WHAT HAPPENED?? I hate cliffhangers???
And on this weeks 24.....What did Sid do?
And on this weeks 24.....What did Sid do?
Week 24?? Hmmm, I thought I'd only been debating with myself for less than a week. I'm still debating....the saga continues.
It seems that somewhere in the past, I've read quite a few negative things about Aqua Medic lighting. Not sure if I'm remembering correctly or not though. Any comments on their specific lighting?
