I want to switch to metal halides. 300 gallon tank help

[Miami Reef]

I have a 300 gallon tank. 7 feet long and about 30” tall.

I currently have Ai Hydra led’s but I want metal halides.

How many watts do I need? How many units? Where do I buy these lights from? Do I need to worry about buying the wrong temperature (color) lights?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

3x 250 watt radiums. You can also run a couple 80watt t5. The radiums are 20k.

the Hydras a nice lights many people have success with them. You may want to consider supplemental t5 lighting before ditching them and buying halide.

 

[Miami Reef]

3x 250 watt radiums. You can also run a couple 80watt t5. The radiums are 20k.

the Hydras a nice lights many people have success with them. You may want to consider supplemental t5 lighting before ditching them and buying halide.

You’re right. I’m keeping the LED’s.

 

[rezaktp]

You will be creating a lot of heat with halides, if in a canopy you will need to remove the heat and will need a chiller

 

[ChuckTownReefer]

Your not going to be able to get the bulbs in the near future. If you look now there pretty limited on availability. If I were you I would get led lights that run a more metal halide spectrum. And not to mention you would probably kill all your coral in the switch. If you would like to know what led lights have a somewhat halide spectrum just let me know.

 

[Smite]

I loved my halides 3x250w radiums on my 180g tank. I swapped from (5) g3 pros (radions) flawlessly with no losses so I'm not sure I understand the statement above. I'm in SoCal and never ran a chiller, I used a fan and my house AC was set at 75F. Tank would rarely hit 80F. I planned to down grade my system and swapped back to g5 blues again with no casualties. I miss my MH and am seriously considering going back to them on my current upgrade if I can find the right reflectors.
Hamilton stepped up their game and have a great variety of bulbs, I don't see them stopping production at anytime. I think people think MH are gone just because BRS stopped carrying them.

 

[ChuckTownReefer]

I loved my halides 3x250w radiums on my 180g tank. I swapped from (5) g3 pros (radions) flawlessly with no losses so I'm not sure I understand the statement above. I'm in SoCal and never ran a chiller, I used a fan and my house AC was set at 75F. Tank would rarely hit 80F. I planned to down grade my system and swapped back to g5 blues again with no casualties. I miss my MH and am seriously considering going back to them on my current upgrade if I can find the right reflectors.
Hamilton stepped up their game and have a great variety of bulbs, I don't see them stopping production at anytime. I think people think MH are gone just because BRS stopped carrying them.

BRS says things to sell you a product every week its something new and they controdic them selves almost every week.
The reasoning behind T5s and halide bulbs being discontinue is because of whats in them. The UK has already started to pass laws or something to that nature because of the harsh chemicals/materials thats are in the bulbs. And the whole green plant stuff is another reason that halides/T5s are on there way out. But there's going to be knuckle dragging reefers who think the future isn't real. Halides and T5s are not economical or good for the environment because you have to replace the bulbs so often and they consume so much electricity which isn't green lol . A new name brand led fixture has a life span of a minimum of 5 years.. but do what you want its your tank your money And all the information I've said in this has came from people in the industry in the UK and in the States.

 

[Nami]

Chuck, i have always admire the look of a shallow lagoon under the sunny sky. So far from videos, the tanks that look like that is lit by some sort of halide.

Is it just a matter of setting the LED channels to whiter/warmer spectrum or is there a specific LED light bradn?

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Get the halides. If thats what u want. Get em. Lol.
Get the exp 1st hand.
My opinion.
D

 

[ChuckTownReefer]

Chuck, i have always admire the look of a shallow lagoon under the sunny sky. So far from videos, the tanks that look like that is lit by some sort of halide.

Is it just a matter of setting the LED channels to whiter/warmer spectrum or is there a specific LED light bradn?

All the big brand leds will do what you want. The only i would avoid is the ecotech x15/xr30 g5 blue. Because it has no whites. The new kessil A500 was designed to be the MH of leds look it up. Its a very powerful led and kessil is known for there shimmer. But look up the kessil A500.

 

[A. grandis]

I have a 300 gallon tank. 7 feet long and about 30” tall.

I currently have Ai Hydra led’s but I want metal halides.

How many watts do I need? How many units? Where do I buy these lights from? Do I need to worry about buying the wrong temperature (color) lights?

How wide is the tank?

 

[A. grandis]

You will be creating a lot of heat with halides, if in a canopy you will need to remove the heat and will need a chiller

This is the classic excuse to run halides. Placing a simple fan between the fixture and the water surface brakes the heat transfer and solve most of the problems. If you need a chiller in Florida you need a chiller. There is absolutely no comparison to metal halides. The qualities of halide lighting makes a huge difference in any system!

 

[A. grandis]

Your not going to be able to get the bulbs in the near future. If you look now there pretty limited on availability. If I were you I would get led lights that run a more metal halide spectrum. And not to mention you would probably kill all your coral in the switch. If you would like to know what led lights have a somewhat halide spectrum just let me know.

That's a rumor! Halides are being produced normally arounf the globe for the aquarium trade and will not stop! This rumor is going around for more than a decade. Pure LED marketing strategy! I personally talked to Radium, ATI and Hamilton. Halides and T5s will continuing being produced normally!

 

[A. grandis]

I loved my halides 3x250w radiums on my 180g tank. I swapped from (5) g3 pros (radions) flawlessly with no losses so I'm not sure I understand the statement above. I'm in SoCal and never ran a chiller, I used a fan and my house AC was set at 75F. Tank would rarely hit 80F. I planned to down grade my system and swapped back to g5 blues again with no casualties. I miss my MH and am seriously considering going back to them on my current upgrade if I can find the right reflectors.
Hamilton stepped up their game and have a great variety of bulbs, I don't see them stopping production at anytime. I think people think MH are gone just because BRS stopped carrying them.

I called @Bulk Reef Supply and the guy said Ryan didn't have a direct line. I asked to speak to a supervisor or a buyer and he insisted to know the reason for the call. Long story short I asked him why they stopped selling halides and he said it was because they weren't selling them. I told him how many people I know that had to import Giesemann Spectra from Germany because they stopped selling them. Told them that Hamilton is selling halide gear like mad and they actually had to restock, producing them as I write here, to be able to supply the demand now. Told them how much ReefBrite is selling and how the public aquariums are going back to halides after non published research and observations.
Halides are still the very best one can offer to their reef tanks. Quality above anything!

 

[A. grandis]

BRS says things to sell you a product every week its something new and they controdic them selves almost every week.
The reasoning behind T5s and halide bulbs being discontinue is because of whats in them. The UK has already started to pass laws or something to that nature because of the harsh chemicals/materials thats are in the bulbs. And the whole green plant stuff is another reason that halides/T5s are on there way out. But there's going to be knuckle dragging reefers who think the future isn't real. Halides and T5s are not economical or good for the environment because you have to replace the bulbs so often and they consume so much electricity which isn't green lol . A new name brand led fixture has a life span of a minimum of 5 years.. but do what you want its your tank your money And all the information I've said in this has came from people in the industry in the UK and in the States.

That could be true about BRS.
Not true about the halides/T5s, those are rumors. I personally contacted Radium in Germany and they confirmed metal halides sold for specific purposes will be produced normally and they have absolutely no plans to stop. The laws will be only for bulbs used for commercial and houses purposes. ATI told me the same for T5s.

 

[piranhaman00]

Also, these new leds use more energy than my T5s, all those big fixtures use 200 watts for a 24x24" area. Not really that much energy savings.

 

[rtparty]

The misinformation in here is crazy! You'd think some users were secretly one of the LED manufacturers.

A watt is a watt. LEDs aren't magical in this area. PAR per watt barely favors LEDs but that's only if you don't account for spectrum. LEDs don't sniff the the same spectrum as halides or even T5s. The smoothing used by these companies is borderline criminal. Sadly I've seen some halide and T5 companies start this deceitful practice as well. There is no need for it either. Just post your spectral plots and let them speak for themselves. Of course, LEDs would take a major hit here.

Heat is one of the biggest lies we've ever been fed about halides. Reef Brite's new stuff is warm to the touch. I can leave my hand on my reflector indefinitely and won't get burned. My tank hasn't gone up in temp and neither has the room the tank is in. I monitor all of this 24/7. According to the LED companies, my temperature should have sky rocketed going from 180w of LEDs to 500w of halides and 100w of T5s.

My corals took time to adjust. It's been a slow process but they have never looked better. I'd almost forgotten the amazing growth SPS could have under proper lighting. So no, you won't kill everything switching. You could if done wrong but that goes for everything in this hobby.

What the OP wants is 3 250w Reef Brite pendants and ballasts. Run some Hamilton 20k bulbs and you're set. I prefer single end

 

[piranhaman00]

The misinformation in here is crazy! You'd think some users were secretly one of the LED manufacturers.

A watt is a watt. LEDs aren't magical in this area. PAR per watt barely favors LEDs but that's only if you don't account for spectrum. LEDs don't sniff the the same spectrum as halides or even T5s. The smoothing used by these companies is borderline criminal. Sadly I've seen some halide and T5 companies start this deceitful practice as well. There is no need for it either. Just post your spectral plots and let them speak for themselves. Of course, LEDs would take a major hit here.

Heat is one of the biggest lies we've ever been fed about halides. Reef Brite's new stuff is warm to the touch. I can leave my hand on my reflector indefinitely and won't get burned. My tank hasn't gone up in temp and neither has the room the tank is in. I monitor all of this 24/7. According to the LED companies, my temperature should have sky rocketed going from 180w of LEDs to 500w of halides and 100w of T5s.

My corals took time to adjust. It's been a slow process but they have never looked better. I'd almost forgotten the amazing growth SPS could have under proper lighting. So no, you won't kill everything switching. You could if done wrong but that goes for everything in this hobby.

What the OP wants is 3 250w Reef Brite pendants and ballasts. Run some Hamilton 20k bulbs and you're set. I prefer single end

People really want their expensive LEDs to be the best ever!

 

[zalick]

Your not going to be able to get the bulbs in the near future. If you look now there pretty limited on availability. If I were you I would get led lights that run a more metal halide spectrum. And not to mention you would probably kill all your coral in the switch. If you would like to know what led lights have a somewhat halide spectrum just let me know.

?????? No and no.

Bulbs will be readily available for years to come.

Very easy to switch. I ran halides for years and just switched back to halides from kessil a few months ago. No harm to anything.

@Miami Reef - you will NOT regret switching to halides. The suggestions above are great. 250w is perfect for you a system. If your house is over 75deg in the summer you might need a small fan to cool. You could use 10k or 14k bulbs and your corals would grow like crazy. Then can use the AI to supplement the color spectrum you prefer.

I have a 6ft 300g and I use 2 - 250w halides with 3 mitras LX7 to supplement for color spectrum as needed. I currently run the halides 4hrs per day with the mitras off during peak sun time. The mitras on morning and evening.

halides are the real deal for growing coral. If someone tells you not to get halides and that LED are superior, ask them if they’ve run halides.

 

[Kfactor]

All the big brand leds will do what you want. The only i would avoid is the ecotech x15/xr30 g5 blue. Because it has no whites. The new kessil A500 was designed to be the MH of leds look it up. Its a very powerful led and kessil is known for there shimmer. But look up the kessil A500.

But the spot light affects lol