Metal Halides - Back to the Future?

[pigmo]

hi folkys, just wanted to start documenting an experiment. i have a decent enough sps frag tank, with nicely colored stuff.

our current setup uses:

- radion g4s
- t5s
- reefbrite blue strips

so maybe a bit over half the acros look ok, like this:

BUT even cooking at 700 to 900 par with this 'new tech' setup, some pieces are not at an acceptable coloration - like aussie green and aussie light brown. thanks @Biggles !

so back to the future... METAL HALIDES here we come! welcome to jurrasic park!

i just made my brother install a 250w 20k radium on my secondary frag tank, so i can see what happens... especially in my new 1000 par high area. i'll kinda run radion blues channels as well. crash n burn!

just sharing ;Clown

i'll try and share results now and then. here's the experiment tank...

 

[MTBake]

This should be interesting. The side lit by Radions looks dim to the eye in your pics. How does it compare in person?

 

[Backreefing]

That’s a lot of frags WEW

 

[pigmo]

This should be interesting. The side lit by Radions looks dim to the eye in your pics. How does it compare in person?

that tilted radion on the right is on all blue channels at 100% intensity... to the eye it looks like weak sauce!

the stuff on the left is at 220 - 150 par, it's like reading a phone under midday sun ;Cat

 

[MTBake]

that tilted radion is on all blue channels at 100% intensity... to the eye it looks like weak sauce

Exactly what I thought when I saw your pic

I really like metal halide myself. It's been my main lighting for over a decade now. The LEDs (kessil) are supplemental light for me.

 

[pigmo]

help, they don't make me anymore!

 

[pigmo]

That’s a lot of frags WEW

don't you dare dis a girl's shoe collection!

;Cat

 

[jda]

Eventually, lower that halide down so that the light does not spill... you can get a lot more light into that tank.

 

[pigmo]

Eventually, lower that halide down so that the light does not spill... you can get a lot more light into that tank.

jda, you're on death metal halides, right?

 

[jda]

Not sure what "death" means, but I have used MH for a long time. If you mean listening to music while using metal halides, I got a new album a while back from Sleep which is more a stoner metal halide deal.

 

[C. Eymann]

I will have a hard time ditching halides, been using them since 2002, but my next reef will more than likely be lit with a t5/led hybrid, if I still lived in Kansas city, I'd probably be using halides+ Orphek strips but here in Florida, I feel heat and or my A/C - electric bill will to much.

 

[pigmo]

wait....

is a photon is a photon is a photon

still the same photon when traveling at a different wavelength?


@Dana Riddle

 

[jda]

I am sure that it is... although since photons are both theoretical and infinite, it is unlikely that even the very same bulb or LED likely ever produced two identical photos and using this to say that light type A equals light type B is just foolish. This is one of my favorite red herrings and mis-used-isms of reef lighting since it is truly just parrots copying parrots since probably nobody on this board is all that well versed on quantum mechanics.

It is a fun joke though... so well done.

 

[pigmo]

wait again...

i heard ecotech designed radions to mimic a 250 watt 20k radium, hence the play on names?

;Clown

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Interested to see future results from this. I am still using MH myself and always have. I have had ok color from sps in every reef I have had and often wonder(ed) if my lighting was not that great. In the past I used 2 Reef Optics III pendants with 14k Phoenix and several different 20K bulbs fired by Icecap 250w ballasts. Currently using PFO pendants and ballast with ebay 20k bulbs and also used 14k Phoenix. Considered adding t5 but the cost of bulbs is not appealing. Have long considered switching to LED but 8-10 years ago LED was unproven and not highly accepted. Plus the high initial purchase price along with any given LED fixture being outdated after a few years,m etal halide never had that issue. I am again considering switch to LED but going with a lower priced BB. I want better color, less heat, less power usage, no bulb replacement and not having a huge buzzing magnetic ballast would be a plus.

 

[pigmo]

Interested to see future results from this. I am still using MH myself and always have. I have had ok color from sps in every reef I have had and often wonder(ed) if my lighting was not that great. In the past I used 2 Reef Optics III pendants with 14k Phoenix and several different 20K bulbs fired by Icecap 250w ballasts. Currently using PFO pendants and ballast with ebay 20k bulbs and also used 14k Phoenix. Considered adding t5 but the cost of bulbs is not appealing. Have long considered switching to LED but 8-10 years ago LED was unproven and not highly accepted. Plus the high initial purchase price along with any given LED fixture being outdated after a few years,m etal halide never had that issue. I am again considering switch to LED but going with a lower priced BB. I want better color, less heat, less power usage, no bulb replacement and not having a huge buzzing magnetic ballast would be a plus.

i think radion blues are the default industry standard for higher end coral vendors in the US, like if you don't have them, your corals will never bounce back the same colors.

but that isn't to say mh corals don't have these nice enzyme-reflecting pigments, it's just that they're not excited by certain wavelengths and thus don't bounce back crazy colors. or rather they're drowned out by the other wavelenghts - like we all know our corals glow better at night under blues - less intereference.

or it could be that LEDs themselves induce certain corals to produce wacky nice colors, which is something that's commonly batted around.

chicken or the egg?

in any case, one's corals may have those wacky colors, but you need to excite them with the 'proper' wavelenght/colors... i think.

*pffffew, what a wacky topic... i just started this experiment so i have limited 1st hand experience... anyone?

i heard that there is a blue light of ? nm that's standard in the medical field, used to excite certain biologicals, anyone know any details about this?

 

[DesertReefT4r]

i think radion blues are the default industry standard for higher end coral vendors in the US, like if you don't have them, your corals will never bounce back the same colors.

but that isn't to say mh corals don't have these nice enzyme-reflecting pigments, it's just that they're not excited by certain wavelengths and thus don't bounce back crazy colors. or rather they're drowned out by the other wavelenghts - like we all know our corals glow better at night under blues - less intereference.

or it could be that LEDs themselves induce certain corals to produce wacky nice colors, which is something that's commonly batted around.

chicken or the egg?

in any case, one's corals may have those wacky colors, but you need to excite them with the 'proper' wavelenght/colors... i think.

*pffffew, what a wacky topic... i just started this experiment so i have no 1st hand experience.

i heard that there is a blue light of ? nm that's standard in the medical field, used to excite certain biologicals, anyone know any details about this?

I wonder about the same thing. Is the LED causing the corals to devolpe crazy color pigments or does the LED cause a reflection in pigments that are already present in the corals.??

 

[jsvand5]

If I was starting my 210 over again I’d be getting three 250w halides to light it (still may if I find a nice deal on some used units). I currently have LED with supplemental T5s. I like it but the halides just makes everything look more natural. Nothing is more ridiculous looking to me than the hour at night after my white lights turn off and only the blue channel of the LEDs is on.

 

[Magellan]

I bet the MH side colors up better. I have an “old” metal halide lit JBJ, every coral I’ve gotten from the LFS has gotten more color after some time in my tank.

 

[Breadman03]

10k 400 watt Hamilton and 2xG4 Pros over my 150 Deep Dimension. The halide is hibernating while the fresh reboot stabilizes, but it will end up doing the heavy lifting. I need to get my canopy built to minimize light spill.