T5 over MH

[magglite]

COULD IT BE TRUE??

I have heard that T5 HO could take the place of MH lighing for tanks up to 25" tall. If you have T5 54W each your able to grow anything the MH could.

Does anyone know any different?

[razorfingerz]

no way.. MHs are sooooo much brighter..

[charlie]

I think if you had enuf of them, yeah, you might be able to do that. Personally, I am a Metal Halide guy. JMHO

[Poseidon]

You tell me:



MH or T5?

I was a hardcore MH guy, but decided to give T5 a try. That picture is with 4 bulbs overdriven on an IC ballast with a mix of Tek2 and SLR reflectors. I made the switch in the middle of August, and I have 2 corals that lost some color initially but are starting to color back up.

Here is the best part, watt consumption down from 610W to 384W. (I have added a 5th bulb, true actinic from D+D, for color, and dusk till dawn effect.)

Oh, that is a 90 gallon tank, 48x24x18W, with a 4" DSB. I can place SPS from top to bottom, as a matter of fact I find some corals do better lower, like my Tyree Purple unknown.

[Reefland]

Your tank looks sweet Mike!

[radar]

That has to make a good case for t-5. I assume each bulb has own reflector. What do you mean by over driving.

[Poseidon]

Thanks Scott!

Radar,

As for overdriving, and IceCap 660 ballast force feeds the bulbs to 80W rather then 54W.

I'll have to take an updated full tank shot, that one is a couple months old now...

[Poseidon]

Hot off the camera Sensor!



This is from just a few minutes ago!

[charlie]

Can you send me that??

[Poseidon]

LOL! What the PICTURE!? Sure, I'll e-mail it right over!!!

[charlie]

Yeah, the picture................................. I already have enuf tanks!!!!!

[Poseidon]

Actually on closer inspection, I think my stylo is getting BURNED! It is in the top center of the tank, in the top pic it is very RED, in the bottom picture, I have lost some color, and I have managed to bleach the tips!

I have another coral that is losing the tips too, I need to trim it back!

[magglite]

Thanks everyone for posting. Im sure everyone is going to like what works for them, but with the new technology I was interested if anyone had luck with the T5 over the MH. looks like Poseidon is having success with the T5.

as Poseidon was saying the power and heat from MH over the T5 is much better but, Im sure there are draw back on the T5 that you dont get with the MH.

Poseidon...how is your clam doing under the T5?

[charlie]

I am sure you are right!!! I am not sure what Mike is doing, as far as individual reflectors for his lites. I know that if you do use the individual reflectors, the T5's are quite effective.

[Poseidon]

Im sure there are draw back on the T5 that you dont get with the MH.

Glimmer/shimmer lines. I miss them!

[Poseidon]

I am sure you are right!!! I am not sure what Mike is doing, as far as individual reflectors for his lites. I know that if you do use the individual reflectors, the T5's are quite effective.

I have 3 TEK 2 reflectors and 2 IceCap SLR reflectors. The Icecaps are smaller, and I can better fit them over the tank. I like the TEK2's better though.

[charlie]

OK, now you have bought it!!! we need a pic of your lites. Looks like we are gonna get camera happy today

[Poseidon]

Here is one from when I had "just" the 4...



The middle 2 are on the TEK2's the outside on the IceCap SLR's. I can't get a good picture of all 5, because the fifth is attached to the canopy, not the door that opens. The fifth bulb is the same "pale blue/purple" as the bottom bulb in this picture. It has a TEK2 reflector.

The fifth bulb is also on its own timer so I have dawn/dusk effect now again.

[radar]

Having just upgraded my lights to mh and am now using my 660 for actinics I am a little sad not to have at least considered this option.I guess I should have tried using this computer sooner. Until I found reef land I was sure this thing was useless.

[Poseidon]

Having just upgraded my lights to mh and am now using my 660 for actinics I am a little sad not to have at least considered this option.I guess I should have tried using this computer sooner. Until I found reef land I was sure this thing was useless.

That is funny! Your IC 660 is a great ballast, I have 3 of them! 1 is broken, 1 is in use, and the other is for backup....

I'm going to get the broken one sent in for repair soon though, and then I will have at least part of my lighting set up for when I add another tank!