Some thoughts on MH vs T5....

[SunnyX]

Ok, I have used MH's for years on my past TOTM's, and am currently using T5's. I have been using T5's for about 1.5 years now and I would like to share with you what I have found.

The one thing with T5's is that they operate much differently then the sun or MH, which are both single point sources of light. In nature corals only receive 2-3 hours of direct intense lighting to any one side of the coral. With MH, even though it is hitting the coral longer then it would in nature, it is not as intense and only a small portion of the coral is exposed to the full power. With T5, the corals are fully exposed to intense light all around as opposed to a single direction. This is good because you tend to get fuller, and more even growth pattern. The bad side of this is the coral has a hard time coping with so much light attacking it from many angles.

In my opinion, the growth and coloration I am having with T5's is better then what I had with MH. After my new tank settled in the growth was as good and in some cases better then when I was operating 400W MH's.



Now, two things that I believe T5's have MH's beat on, without a doubt, are:

-Color Options

T5's have given me the EXACT color I have always been after. I can add as many blue bulbs as i would like, and I don't have to worry about diminished PAR as Grim has already pointed out. If I think the tank looks too blue, I can swap out a bulb for a white one and vice versa.

and.....

-Coral Placement

This, I believe is the greatest thing about T5's. In the past, with MH, I had to constantly move corals around so that they were DIRECTLY under the MH bulb. This became tedious and many of the corals on the outside of the bulb were always darker in color and lacked proper growth. This gave some of the corals a funny and unnatural looking growth pattern. Now, with T5 I can place my corals ANYWHERE across the tank with no worries. It makes my life easier and my corals happier.

At the end of the day if you are happy with what you are using then stick with it. I wanted a better way of growing and coloring my corals so T5 was the natural choice. After looking at the MANY T5 tanks in Europe I knew I had to have them.

So, after using T5's for an extended period of time now I don't think I could ever go back to MH.

The shimmer is nice and all, but I can never give up the color and growth patterns found in T5's.

What do you think?

What in your experience make one more favorable then the other?

Remember, both lighting systems work so please don't bash either one. :p

 

[thewackyreefer]

I have been using a MH + T5 combo on my tanks since I started and I've found exactly what you stated above "I had to constantly move corals around so that they were DIRECTLY under the MH bulb" to be true.

Time to switch to a T5!

 

[Troylee]

Really depends with what your after... I have used both and just recently aquried a par meter and the numbers I pulled with 10ks on hqi ballast will blow away t5s all day long.. But on the bad side like you mention that's below the bulb a foot off center either way and it changes by a couple hundered... I know what your saying and couldn't agree more... But I'm a mh user and prolly always will be untill I get enough loot for my led fixture...;) either way there both great bulbs...

 

[chefmike]

Switched over to T5's when I moved from a 120 to a 180....I have a 6ft long tank with a 5 foot long t5 fixture...in less than 1 month I have seen a huge increase in color, polyp extension and growth...I'm sure its not all the lights doing as I also upgrade skimmers, added several features to keep water parameters extremely stable, etc. Either way I am sold on the t5s for all the reasons previously mentioned plus less heat and power consumption..win, win as far as I'm concerned

I do miss the shimmer though...I heard somewhere that LED's can help with that, anyone?

 

[Troylee]

LEDs can help for sure... There is actually a bulb that's a retro for t5 t8 andt12 flourecents.. I have a few of the t12 that I got as a demo to play with there pretty cool and just run rite off the ballast for flour. You just pull a bulb and add one for instant shimmer and good color... There not high power thou so growth and par are really out of the question... A little off topic sorry sunny but trying to help you t5 guys out here I can post some pics and info in a seperate thread if ya like..;)

 

[soccerbag]

I've been on the T5 train for a little over a year now and love them. I have a Sfiligoi 12x54w Stealth fixture as I wanted a sleek look. I switched over from 2 400w 14K's and have never looked back. I have a 31" deep tank and can grow SPS anywhere in the tank. I can't add much more than what's already b een mentioned above. I just love my T5's and wanted to put in my 2 cents.

 

[naldopr]

I don't use t5 but many of my friend does and it seen that they are always looking for a bulb combination they spend so much money switching from mh to t5 and then replacing bulbs every 6 month I just don't see the economical part of switching.
and sunny on my honest opinion I still like more your old tank than the current system nice but the 250 still my favorite lol

 

[Paul_N]

I don't use t5 but many of my friend does and it seen that they are always looking for a bulb combination they spend so much money switching from mh to t5 and then replacing bulbs every 6 month I just don't see the economical part of switching.

Just out of curiosity how often do you T5 guys switch out your bulbs?

 

[johnanddawn]

good post sunny
- the turning point for me was a couple years ago when i saw a pic of iwan's tank for the first time and that was it - i knew i was changing over - it was just a matter of time and funding

i've been T5's for 15 months now and before i made the switch i ran half of my old display with MH and half T5 for a while to experiment with them

i really like T5's and will never go back

my biggest gripe with T5's is the actinic spectrum. I've said this in a different thread somewhere, but i miss the actinic glow of VHO actinic supplementing MH. The T5 460 blues just don't give that and if you've never had VHO/MH i don't think you can appreciate what i mean. With MH your not really worried about PAR and the actinics were mainly asthetics and they really gave a nice dusk/dawn effect.

to solve this problem i've been experimenting with LED's, and have found two things:
1) if you want shimmer white LED's will do that for you - but i didn't care about that, so even though i have some, i have taken them out
2) if you want actinic glow blue LED's can do that - and it works well. i have two power brights right now and am going to double that (or try a different brand like the new ecoxotic - still deciding)

FOR ME i have think i have found the perfect light in running T5's and supplimenting with LED's

 

[xrayrider]

I am not sure what you people are talking about. I use 3 250 watt Radiums with 3 VHO super actenics, over a six foot long 135 gallon tank. I have not switched to T5 setups despite the lower heat and power consumption. Why? The reason the power bill and heat into the tank is less, is because the bulbs are not using as much wattage. You can't get even close to the PAR I get at the top of my tank with a T5 set up. There just isn't enough wattage in use. The PAR is even worse at the sand level. I don't see how a lighting set up that is putting out 1/3 the PAR is going to give you better color and growth. You also loose the natural shimmer halides provide. Our local club has a PAR meter. The numbers the T5 people pull are way lower than mine. I have yet to see a T5 lit tank that looks brightly lit to me. I bought a Anemone from someone locally that sold it to me as a Long tentacle. It was purplish brown and had very long tentacles. After a month in my tank, it turned out to be a Rose Bubble tip Anomone. It's colors were completely faded from lack of light. The tips are now fat and bubbled lup ike they should be. It is a beautiful bright glowing orange. The anemone's tentacles were stretched way up, trying to get to the light. I sold a clone after it split to another person with T5 lighting, and it has turned back into a brownish purple color with long tentacles in there tank. The only thing T5 lighting is good for is Actenic Supplimentation, and I like VHO better for that. It just does not put out enough PAR to outgrow Halide lighting. You can't upgrade your skimmer, add a calcium reactor, and increase your flow at the same time you change to T5 lighting, and then give the lighting the credit. Use a PAR meter and then tell me it is just as good. Don't compare T5 lighting to crappy Chinese halide bulbs either. I will only use Radiums, or maybe XM 20K if I need something fast and I can't find Radiums. I can believe that T5 lighting will grow SPS, but they will never out grow Halides with VHO.

 

[eggie]

Just out of curiosity how often do you T5 guys switch out your bulbs?

I change mine every 8 months so my corals dont have a big impact

 

[john90009]

Lol with t-5 my corals grow the wackiest. Corals grow insufficiency little twigs at the base then once they get up a few millimeters grow super thick.Every time a fish swims near the frags get broken and fall into the sand of in between the rocks. My upscals microladus also tries to grow away from the light and has all zig zag horizontal branches. If i get a top down box id show you this. Im planning to switch back to metal halides but with vhos. With a proper a good reflector dont you get the same if not alittle lower par like 6 inches to the left or right of the center of the bulb? Also if you run vhos or t-5 doesn't it help balance and add to the par readings further away from the bulb?

 

[naldopr]

I change mine every 8 months so my corals dont have a big impact

eggie I have been trying to see photos of your tank like your avatar can you post some I can't find them in the other forum
thanks:wink:

 

[modifyd]

This sounds like the T-5 people in your club might not have enough bulbs, the better fixtures provide plenty of PAR. My Aquatenics constellation has 14 bulbs over a 6" tank. My corals had a growth spurt when I switched from my halides, no other change other than that. So I believe T-5 can do a great job, I had to move some SPS to the sand bed compared to mid tank with my halides.

I am not sure what you people are talking about. I use 3 250 watt Radiums with 3 VHO super actenics, over a six foot long 135 gallon tank. I have not switched to T5 setups despite the lower heat and power consumption. Why? The reason the power bill and heat into the tank is less, is because the bulbs are not using as much wattage. You can't get even close to the PAR I get at the top of my tank with a T5 set up. There just isn't enough wattage in use. The PAR is even worse at the sand level. I don't see how a lighting set up that is putting out 1/3 the PAR is going to give you better color and growth. You also loose the natural shimmer halides provide. Our local club has a PAR meter. The numbers the T5 people pull are way lower than mine. I have yet to see a T5 lit tank that looks brightly lit to me. I bought a Anemone from someone locally that sold it to me as a Long tentacle. It was purplish brown and had very long tentacles. After a month in my tank, it turned out to be a Rose Bubble tip Anomone. It's colors were completely faded from lack of light. The tips are now fat and bubbled lup ike they should be. It is a beautiful bright glowing orange. The anemone's tentacles were stretched way up, trying to get to the light. I sold a clone after it split to another person with T5 lighting, and it has turned back into a brownish purple color with long tentacles in there tank. The only thing T5 lighting is good for is Actenic Supplimentation, and I like VHO better for that. It just does not put out enough PAR to outgrow Halide lighting. You can't upgrade your skimmer, add a calcium reactor, and increase your flow at the same time you change to T5 lighting, and then give the lighting the credit. Use a PAR meter and then tell me it is just as good. Don't compare T5 lighting to crappy Chinese halide bulbs either. I will only use Radiums, or maybe XM 20K if I need something fast and I can't find Radiums. I can believe that T5 lighting will grow SPS, but they will never out grow Halides with VHO.

 

[mpoletti]

Like Sonny said, they both work and its just personal opinion. I've ran both and I switched back to halides and vhos as there is nothing like it IMO 1smile1

 

[Dylan]

I've gotta say that, in some tanks, metal halides are too difficult to use, while T5s can be a perfect fit.

On a 30 breeder, that is 36"x18"x12", two 70w halides aren't very strong, two 150w halides may be too much, and it'll just get annoying. But, a T5 fixture would be a perfect fit.

 

[mr_X]

i have used, and use both on different tanks. i love the shimmer halides produce. it looks just like the natural reef. i do agree that placement is an issue when using halides.
i have t-5s over my main tank now and my sps has never looked so good. i don't just mean because the lamps make them appear better, i mean because the sps corals responded to the new light positively. the lps however, have all lightened up.
150 watt HQI over a 17" deep tank and the sps browned out with ushio 14k.
2 x 150 watt halides are not too much for a 30 breeder, unless you keep nothing but lps.
i have a single 250 watt pendant over a 30 breeder now and nothing is suffering.

btw- heat issues: my tank is the exact temperature it was when i used halides. it was no cooler since the t-5 switch.

i used to say that after about 24" deep, t-5s are useless, but now i find this to be false. they can do everything halides can, except the shimmer.
i'm going to take PAR readings today. i'll post the results.


btw- you don't have to change out your t-5 lamps every 6 months unless you overdrive them. you can get a year out of them no problem.

 

[TJ15]

I had used T5 bulbs and switched to metal halides.

I am much happier with Metal Halides.

 

[88K5]

For 3 year I operated metal halides on my 400 gallon 60" X 44" X 33". I ran (4) 400 Watt MH and 8 VHO's. I wasn't until I had a chiller crash that I removed removed my lighting and switched over to two 4ft 8 bulb t-5 Tek fixtures.

I made the switch from MH to T-5 to eliminate the chance of having another catastrophic event repeating itself.

Over the coarse of the last year my we have seen an average of $160 savings monthly due to the lights energy conservation and the absence of a chiller which is no longer needed.

I have had to make some changes in the placement of livestock which was not as much of a concern with the MH's. Being a 33 inch tank the T-5's do not penetrate down to the sand bed like the MH's used too. I missed the shimmer the T-5's made however I have been able to regain that effect using LED light strips.

I have found that the coloring of my coral is unquestionably better however the growth of my SPS has slowed. LPS has seemed to respond better to the T-5's and my softies are unaffected.

 

[addicted4life]

I have used T5's for 3 years over all my tanks. I read and read and read on RC before I ever started my first saltwater systems. What sold me is that I have the same intensity lighting from the far left to the far right side of my tank. I do not have 2 or 3 spot lights to share. My lights stay on much longer every day, run much cooler, and is easier on my electric bill. I have never owned a chiller.