Am I crazy for thinking MH + t5 ?

[DSC reef]

I loved me my Geisemann Spectra. Wouldn’t do anything else. Wife had stadiums and we switched and are much happier. Not hating on LED. Just love what I see.

Tank looks great servillius!

 

[bsagea]

MH and T5's are the best IMO. Great growth, color and pop in the tank. Two of our three tanks are lit that way. Third is straight T5's. Good color and growth in that tank but the MH / T5 combo is the best
bsa

 

[PANONHAS]

I have a 250 DD 60x36x27. I previously had 2 Orpheks over it. I then had 3 Radion XR30 Pros, and after i had a 60” ATI Powermodule hybrid. They were all great lights but for what ever reason I wasn’t happy with them. I purchased a 36”Hamilton technology light fixture. I really didn’t think that it would cover the 60” tank. Well it actually did cover the entire tank even though the light wasn’t as bright as I would like. It was 2x175Watts. I decide to buy 2-400 Watt Dimmable ReefBrite ballasts and 2-400 Watt 20K Radiums. All I have to say is wow. The tank looks amazing with them. Th shimmer is incredible and a beautiful blue color. I am using 2 Ati Purple T5 as well as 2 Hamilton blue, I love th color it emits. I control the radium via Apex. Start them up at about 250Watts and let them increase to 400 after. I have to same I am very happy with Hamilton Technology. I think it’s a great light and there is no light spill. The shimmer is much more natural than any led light.

 

[Robert Vacchiano]

Have a 300 deep demension with 3 250 watt halide and 2 vho growth is great a buddy has a 185 with kessels 4 of them they look like night light compare to my halides

 

[nervousmonkey]

I have a 250 DD 60x36x27. I previously had 2 Orpheks over it. I then had 3 Radion XR30 Pros, and after i had a 60” ATI Powermodule hybrid. They were all great lights but for what ever reason I wasn’t happy with them. I purchased a 36”Hamilton technology light fixture. I really didn’t think that it would cover the 60” tank. Well it actually did cover the entire tank even though the light wasn’t as bright as I would like. It was 2x175Watts. I decide to buy 2-400 Watt Dimmable ReefBrite ballasts and 2-400 Watt 20K Radiums. All I have to say is wow. The tank looks amazing with them. Th shimmer is incredible and a beautiful blue color. I am using 2 Ati Purple T5 as well as 2 Hamilton blue, I love th color it emits. I control the radium via Apex. Start them up at about 250Watts and let them increase to 400 after. I have to same I am very happy with Hamilton Technology. I think it’s a great light and there is no light spill. The shimmer is much more natural than any led light.

Wow, great looking tank! Those Reef Brite dimmable ballasts are amazing aren't they? And add 2 400W 20K radiums and that tank is amazing in pictures, but I bet the pictures are nothing like real life. It is amazing to me what happens when switching from LED back to MH, it all looks like diving on a reef. No comparison. I love LED's because I can make them do anything, except make them look like my tank is a real reef. The halides are the only light source that can do that, with no messing around for months on end. I bet that you can grow anything with them.
The tank I have with the RB MH 250W 14K's grow anything. I have zoas that are growing on the back wall from a rock that is 6" from the wall; the zoas just grew stalks to find new space to live on, and they are multiplying on the back wall. I didn't mean for that to happen, and don't normally like stuff on the back wall of my tanks, but that shocked me and showed me how amazingly well corals like halide lighting, even corals like zoas that aren't "supposed" to like super bright light.
This is a great thread, I am really enjoying the conversations here

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Have a 300 deep demension with 3 250 watt halide and 2 vho growth is great a buddy has a 185 with kessels 4 of them they look like night light compare to my halides

sounds sweet!! what fixture are you using? or is it diy hood?

 

[Richyreefer]

Has anybody here suggested the Hamilton Cebu 60" 3×250W + 4t5 along with Reefbrite strips? They work great for me! I did need to add a chiller this summer though.

 

[Black Pearl]

72 inch spectra 400w radiums with reef Brite fan runs in summer, temp 76.6-78 I wouldn't trade them for nut-in

 

[Black Pearl]

Better pic

 

[A. grandis]

All I have to say is that I really miss my halides with the T5s now!!!!
I do love my ATI all T5 fixture, but the halides are the very best!!!
No question about it!
Love'em!
Best lights ever!
Great tanks guys! So beautiful...
Grandis.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

If metal halide is your preference go with 3-250 watt double ended HQI and 4-T5. A 72 inch fixture will work just fine. If you live where the weather is hot you will definitely need a chiller and if the chiller can be plumb into a garage or room you don't use is best otherwise your air will work harder. If you have high electric rates they can be expensive to run. Lights and chiller will be 1200-1500 watts. I had always used MH for 20 years but now on very limited income and live in an area where it can reach 120+ degrees in the summer. I run 2 Orphek V2.1b on a 72x30x27 tall they use total 270 watts and no chiller. They are as bright as my MH were. If I had the money I would try their ver4. If you have not purchased I would try to look at as many tanks with various lighting. A lot of the pros have gone to LED and Fraghouse Corals uses Orphek V2.1b

 

[A. grandis]

Old style that never dies! The real deal!

Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

And for the T5 lovers:

ATI double dose!!! Haha!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

And...
... want some newer videos?...
...for those who would like to see some serious collector's sticks under the blues...

Mr. Fox's systems:


Fun fun fun!!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

Just two more... shall we... to remember the good times of WWC:


Serious lights for serious tanks! ;Happy
Lots of class!
Aloha!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

Ok, sorry! I promise this will be my last one for today.
" In my opinion..."

I need some sleep.
Enjoy, my friends!
Grandis.

 

[MarsRover]

I'm all about MH. I have 1250W of MH and will soon be supplementing with LED for night, dawn, disk lighting. A 1kMH will
Cost you per hour whatever your electric company charges you for a kWh. In Los Angeles, tier two consumers pay about $0.19 per kWh. Run your 1kW MH for and hour costs you $0.19 in electricity. Run it ten hours a day, that's less than $2 a day. I stopped eating breakfast and lunch at work everyday to easily save that and now I eat healthier because of it. I don't drink Charbucks but if you do, think how much a coffee there runs you. Thinking about going solar too which will be even better! #sustainablereef

 

[dricc]

what about the heat from the giesemann spectra is it necessary to use a chiller?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

You should discuss this with @mcarroll. He's got some interesting takes on it!

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I'm all about MH. I have 1250W of MH and will soon be supplementing with LED for night, dawn, disk lighting. A 1kMH will
Cost you per hour whatever your electric company charges you for a kWh. In Los Angeles, tier two consumers pay about $0.19 per kWh. Run your 1kW MH for and hour costs you $0.19 in electricity. Run it ten hours a day, that's less than $2 a day. I stopped eating breakfast and lunch at work everyday to easily save that and now I eat healthier because of it. I don't drink Charbucks but if you do, think how much a coffee there runs you. Thinking about going solar too which will be even better! #sustainablereef

You know that is funny, stopped eating breakfast and lunch at work now your healthier. I am a fan of MH but I would not rule out LED. The first time I went into a place that sells frags (not going to give the name as they are well known) their comment was we get good color but not growth under LED. They had a small Chinese low watt fixture about 3 feet above the corals while they had 400 watt MH lower. There was a time that I would say to the wife I spent a couple grand and it was no big deal, but today because of health reasons my income has been cut by over 80 percent. Everyone looks at electricity rates but you need to include your taxes to figure cost. Every dollar I can save in expenses helps me justify staying in the hobby. It also stops me from making changes just to change.