PONDERING HALIDES LAST GASP and subsequent time travel

[MickeyCT]

Well I'm definitely feeling old reading this. My tank has been up for 15 years this month and I'm still using the same MH fixtures and ballasts I started with. I did switch out VHO's for LED's a few years ago. I have done some cost and energy usage comparisons several times over the years and I never found that LED's really used less energy if you get the number of units to equal the light output of the halides. Plus, with LEDs my heaters will need to run more. I'm in the Northeast and find that heaters run 10 months of the year, obviously more frequently in winter. Heck, on those really hot spring or fall days I'm running a chiller during the day and heaters in the middle of the night if I want to maintain the temp within a degree or two. I finally decided to let the temperature swing 3-4 degrees to avoid that.

I think I'll be with MH until I can't get them any more.

Mickey

 

[Biglurr54]

Been in the hobby for too long. When I built my dream tank I went with 400w lumatek Cozumel sun reflector and radium bulbs with some diy led actinics. I never liked any of my LEDs tanks. They looked wrong and you can't take pics of them.

I get blue color with my led bars and I get great pop. I pull alot more colors out too. I like buying frags from people with LEDs and then sending them a pic in 6 months.

I see the draw for led on narrow tanks but anything 24 inches or wider crosses into halide territory still. LEDs cost too much for too small of an area. Specially compared to halides.

Let's keep halides around!

 

[Richard Severns]

I'm running a coralife fixture with 2 each, 150de and 96w honestly can't remember how long I've been running it, had to put 2new ballast on for PC's, I've noticed how hard it's getting to get parts for it, it's over a 150,and all but one coral has had really good growth, I really dread the day they go out for good

 

[TaylorPilot]

MH FTW. I don't care what anyone says. Things just LOOK better under MH, and isn't that the point of this whole hobby, to enjoy the view. I have heard LED are better for multiple reasons. They run cooler, use less power, smaller form factor, more adjust-ability, etc...but I have never heard anyone say they look better. It is the difference between MP3 and LP. Convenience vs quality...hype vs gold standard...I have heard the Giesemann Megachromes are nice bulbs.

 

[Silent]

For some people they definitely think leds look better. Just look at all the saturated overly blue photos if you are trying to buy a coral. The photos look horrible.

 

[Biglurr54]

I tried the megachrome bulb when I first started my tank. I changed it out for a radium to shift more blue. I'll have to dig the bulb out and throw it back in and see how things look.

I agree, I do not like the look of led lit tanks. Photos are terrible and they don't look great in person. The cost savings isn't there either. Most led options needed to cover the same as my 400w halide exceed 400w and you have hot spots to deal with. Then you have the cost. My halide set up cost about the same as 1 of the 4 led fixtures required to light my tank.

The upside to LEDs is that they look nicer, physically. The big reflectors look bad compared to the sleek LEDs.

I think tank width is where halides come into play. My 400w halide can support SPS in a 36x36 box. Most LEDs can support SPS in a 24x18 box. LEDs could be more advantageous if you have a narrow tank and not when you have a wide tank.

My tank is 36x36x31 and 1 halide fits the bill perfect and I have no heat issues. If it was 48x24x24 I would have to use 2 250w halides and no longer have the cost advantage and I would most likely have heat issues. But for larger tanks, halides become extremely more advantageous.

 

[TaylorPilot]

@Biglurr54 which model of the megachrome did you use? I had the 14500k DE with two blue plus T5 before. It was very bright and crisp. I think I may have liked the 17500k bulb a little better. I really don't like these super blue tanks. A tank should be nice and bright.

 

[Biglurr54]

@Biglurr54 which model of the megachrome did you use? I had the 14500k DE with two blue plus T5 before. It was very bright and crisp. I think I may have liked the 17500k bulb a little better. I really don't like these super blue tanks. A tank should be nice and bright.

I had the 17500k. It wasnt as crisp. It may have been because my tank was going through the uglies though! I will pull the bulb out and see how it looks now that the tank is matured and full of coral instead of algae. I am running the radium with RB leds and some uv leds for extra pop. I think the megachrome would produce a bit more par.

 

[Oldreefer44]

MH FTW. I don't care what anyone says. Things just LOOK better under MH, and isn't that the point of this whole hobby, to enjoy the view. I have heard LED are better for multiple reasons. They run cooler, use less power, smaller form factor, more adjust-ability, etc...but I have never heard anyone say they look better. It is the difference between MP3 and LP. Convenience vs quality...hype vs gold standard...I have heard the Giesemann Megachromes are nice bulbs.

Well, now your going to hear it. Went from Hamilton Belize which had 2 t5's and moonlight LED's to Atlantiks. I Like the colors much better with the LED's along with the practically unlimited ability to adjust them. Nothing against halides as it is just a matter of preference.

 

[justingraham]

The only thing that stinks about halides in my humble opinion is if u want to try a different bulb for me anyway it’s a hundred dollars for two bulbs

I have an 8 bulb t5 fixture over my frag tank that I’m slowly loving more and more

 

[Battlecorals]

The only thing that stinks about halides in my humble opinion is if u want to try a different bulb for me anyway it’s a hundred dollars for two bulbs

I have an 8 bulb t5 fixture over my frag tank that I’m slowly loving more and more

Agree! in fact, it was the recurring cost of things like halide bulbs, that encouraged me to ever try selling a frag years ago.

 

[justingraham]

Agree! in fact, it was the recurring cost of things like halide bulbs, that encouraged me to ever try selling a frag years ago.

Well praise be to halide bulbs without them battle corals would not exist

 

[Battlecorals]

Well praise be to halide bulbs without them battle corals would not exist

Well yeah for the most part. but make no mistake, lol I still love my T5s and LEDs as well

 

[NanoDJS]

since the day I took down the OG 400w Radiums I have missed them and searched for a light that comes close, I have radions , Primes, black boxes ,T5s , and my new lights are as close to full blown radium I have seen since the original AI Prime non HD those I would call a 150de 18x 18 replacement , the new redsea90 I would call a 250 SE 24x 24 replacement imho , and you can get the 15k or 20 -23k that we would need to change bulbs 3 times a day for with ramping and scalability especially in shallow tanks super flat par distribution and waaaay cheaper to run / operate , my corals have never been as happy since I had MH , just my 2c

 

[topjimmy]

Im waiting for the fixture that has leds, t5s, and miniture metal halides (like a 75w version) to be made. I would try that.

I sort of built that. I have a Hamilton Belize sun fixture, two t5 one 250w my and I replaced the LED " moonlight" with blue acro star boards. Best of three world's.

 

[Bpb]

Here’s a question I haven’t seen someone ask you. What’s your replacement schedule been like on your led panels you’re running or the ones you ran in the past? Are you still working with the original ones you started with or do you swap those every couple years to keep them running reliably?

 

[Battlecorals]

Here’s a question I haven’t seen someone ask you. What’s your replacement schedule been like on your led panels you’re running or the ones you ran in the past? Are you still working with the original ones you started with or do you swap those every couple years to keep them running reliably?

Great question I have had two photons out of 14 (I think) running, quirk on me and were fixed under warranty. I think in both cases the small circuit board needed to be replaced. The first one i sent in and logan fixed it for me. The second he sent the board and i fixed it here. It was super easy. So as of today, i have not had to put out a single penny for any LED related issues. ad not even though about it till now.

All of my older photon V2s are over my back up system. The oldest is at least 5 years old now maybe 6 even still going strong. I haven't had to replace a fixture yet.