Recommend a good T5/halide DIY kit

[Samper]

I'm building a hood for the aquarium that I'm setting up soon. I think I'm going to DIY the lighting because I can't afford a aquaspacelight or anything....unless any of you have one laying around that you'd sell. Anyway who makes some good kits that I could incorporate into my hood?
I'm looking for good reflectors. 2 250w DE bulbs and ballasts for the halides and 4 55w T5's with ballasts and reflectors. Price in the $500 or lower range.
Is this possible?

[The R/C Man]

Hey Samper!

I don't have a clue... My DIY lighting consists of buying the reflectors and ballasts individually. The biggest part is doing the hood. The PFO ballasts for the 250W MH are about $279 (duel version). So if you add a couple 2 bulb T5 set ups at $105 each you already broke out of your price cap. I have yet to finish my set up. Since it is so expensive I have had to buy the items over time..... Still spending... :P

[Samper]

I think this is what I'll end up doing. I might only be able to light one side of my tank for a while but...that's fine with me. I'll slowly upgrade the hood until it's acceptable. Thank you.

[charlie]

Have you thought of just using something like a couple of 20K MH only?

[jkeithh1969]

I was getting ready to ask almost the same exact question. I know I need to upgrade my lighting from the 2 175 watt MH's to 250 watt and now 1/2 of my VHO ballast has gone out. I am trying to find a retro kit that will allow 2 250 watt MH plus T5's since so many people seem to prefer them now over VHO's.

[charlie]

My personal preference would be VHO, but that is just me. I don't think they create as much heat as the T5 lites, but I may be wrong about that.

[jkeithh1969]

This is what makes this hobby so frustrating sometimes. I have other people telling me that T5's are cooler and have better PAR values than VHO.

[charlie]

This is what makes this hobby so frustrating sometimes. I have other people telling me that T5's are cooler and have better PAR values than VHO.

Well blow me down!!!!! I guess I should do a little more research into T5's


I am not really concerned with PAR values for VHO tho, I just use the actinics for dawn-dusk.

[jkeithh1969]

Several people on another site say the T5 PAR values are even better than MH...not sure if that is true or not...or even where they got that info.

[charlie]

I have heard that also, but I think I will stick with my MH. The amount of bulbs I would have to put over my 300 would be cost prohibitive, I think.

I have also read where the bulb life is not that good, have you heard that?

[jkeithh1969]

No, they didn't discuss the bulb life, but I can do some digging. I know several of the people on the other board (local Louisiana reef forum) have ditched their halides in favor of all T5's and they have large tanks...anywhere from 125 to 400 gallon tanks. They said their corals really came alive after switching and they didn't have to worry as much about heat issues. I'll see if I can do some digging for info.

Samper,
Sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread.

[Samper]

I run 6 55w t5's over my other 75 gallon and have no complaints. I like halides for sps. I have par values somewhere from 3 month old bulbs. I'll try to dig those out. I think they last a little longer than halide bulbs but they don't have the punch.

[charlie]

Samper,
Sorry I didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Oooooppppps

[charlie]

I run 6 55w t5's over my other 75 gallon and have no complaints. I like halides for sps. I have par values somewhere from 3 month old bulbs. I'll try to dig those out. I think they last a little longer than halide bulbs but they don't have the punch.

I feel the same about the halides for sps. I had PC's before I went to MH. Be interesting to to see the PAR values.

[jkeithh1969]

I tend to also like the halides because I just really like the shimmer lines which they say you don't get with the T5's

[Samper]

charlie I don't mind at all.

[dobly_1999]

I have a 90 gal with 2-250W MH and 2 T5s 55w from speciality lightening. I am thinking of get another 2 T5s with more white. I am thinking of running the t5 during the hours I am not home, 10am to 4pm, then turning off the whites and runing the 2 T5 actinics and 2 250w MH for the shimmer. I am doing mostly a SPS tank.
Here is a picture of my tank with 2 T5 actinics and 2 250W MH.
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/...4smalledit.jpg

[charlie]

That may be a big change for your sps. If it was me, I would do that, but slowly over the period of 2-3 weeks, just to see what the effects would be. JMHO

Nice tank by the way, got any specs on that one?