Switching back to metal halide

[Bufu11]

Hey guys, thinking of switching my 125 mixed reef back to halides. Was thinking 2x400 watt. Anyone use the 400w grow light ballast with decent hood/bulb. I am in Canada, and haven’t had much luck with options for anything halide on any Canadian reef supplier. What’s everyone using in the 400w size?
Thanks,
-Jon

 

[MartinM]

Hey, 400w on that would be way overkill unless you plan on keeping croceas on the bottom of the tank or want to suspend the lights 100cm+ up!

I have 2x250w+4x24” T5’s Giesemenn Spectra’s on my 200x80x60cm tank (by volume, close to twice as large as yours) and there aren’t many spots that get less than ~225 PAR…on the sand.

3x150w should be plenty. If you call Giesemenn, they’ll make something to order for you. If you’re using a standard 125, I’d go with the 72” Infiniti (3x150w) for. Pair them with an IceCap electronic ballast and you’ll have a silent, cool-running, sleek fixture.

Btw, 1x150w halide puts a minimum of ~200 par on the sand at the outer edges of my red sea 200, and 800+ in the top middle.

 

[Bpb]

I second that 3x150 watts would illuminate a standard 125 a lot more efficiently than 2x400 watts. Can’t help with Canadian distributors though

 

[blasterman]

Get good reflectors.

 

[A. grandis]

I would use 2 X 250W halides over a 125gal., if about 48" long.
Here:

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www.reefsupplies.ca

 

[Kfactor]

i got the reef brit hybrids the only place that would order me them is bayside corals coby is awsome to deal with

 

[oreo54]

Hey guys, thinking of switching my 125 mixed reef back to halides. Was thinking 2x400 watt. Anyone use the 400w grow light ballast with decent hood/bulb. I am in Canada, and haven’t had much luck with options for anything halide on any Canadian reef supplier. What’s everyone using in the 400w size?
Thanks,
-Jon

What are you switching from?

 

[A. grandis]

i got the reef brit hybrids the only place that would order me them is bayside corals coby is awsome to deal with

Great! One more for the list!!! Thanks very much, Kfactor.

Bayside Corals

Here at Bayside Corals we pride ourselves on providing the healthiest livestock possible from the common fish and corals to the rarest of the rare.

www.baysidecorals.com

 

[bobnicaragua]

Reef brite ballasts are now switchable between between 175 and 250 watt. That'll give you options with your mixed reef, especially if you ever make changes with supplemental lighting.

 

[Bpb]

Reef brite ballasts are now switchable between between 175 and 250 watt. That'll give you options with your mixed reef, especially if you ever make changes with supplemental lighting.

If I were investing in a brand new halide setup on anything 24” or less front to back it would unquestionably be a reef brite system

 

[infinite0180]

Hey, 400w on that would be way overkill unless you plan on keeping croceas on the bottom of the tank or want to suspend the lights 100cm+ up!

I have 2x250w+4x24” T5’s Giesemenn Spectra’s on my 200x80x60cm tank (by volume, close to twice as large as yours) and there aren’t many spots that get less than ~225 PAR…on the sand.

3x150w should be plenty. If you call Giesemenn, they’ll make something to order for you. If you’re using a standard 125, I’d go with the 72” Infiniti (3x150w) for. Pair them with an IceCap electronic ballast and you’ll have a silent, cool-running, sleek fixture.

Btw, 1x150w halide puts a minimum of ~200 par on the sand at the outer edges of my red sea 200, and 800+ in the top middle.

How high off the water are your spectras?

 

[minus9]

I'm really considering going back to halide and the only fixture I like is the Reef Brite, but need to figure out if one will cover my tank or if I need two lower wattage bulbs? Tank is 36x36x16. Thinking about using some of my Kessil's in the corners angled in with 55 lenses if I can get by with one fixture? Running 9 lights over my tank isn't that efficient. I love the look, but I don't think I'm really saving any money on electricity?

I'm in the process of replacing my canopy with 8020 and raising it, but also want to reduce the amount of power bricks. I hate the flat look of T5, so it's halides with led supplement or four 500x's high up in each corner angled in.
Also like the twin arc bulbs 10k/20k idea.

 

[Bpb]

I'm really considering going back to halide and the only fixture I like is the Reef Brite, but need to figure out if one will cover my tank or if I need two lower wattage bulbs? Tank is 36x36x16. Thinking about using some of my Kessil's in the corners angled in with 55 lenses if I can get by with one fixture? Running 9 lights over my tank isn't that efficient. I love the look, but I don't think I'm really saving any money on electricity?

I'm in the process of replacing my canopy with 8020 and raising it, but also want to reduce the amount of power bricks. I hate the flat look of T5, so it's halides with led supplement or four 500x's high up in each corner angled in.
Also like the twin arc bulbs 10k/20k idea.

Always been a big fan of your tank, and I think no matter what lighting you choose you’d have success based on your skills alone. But…..

On the idea of having soooooooo many fixtures and wires and such…that is the Achilles heel of the form factor obsession that has been ever so present among manufacturers. Yeah. They’re small and cool looking. But when sps growth form matters, you have to use a million of them. Negating any aesthetic benefits of a small form factor. Then suddenly tank-covering t5 banks, large wide led panels, and big metal halide reflectors aren’t quite so obtrusive….when you have 1/10 the number of power sources you have to run.

 

[minus9]

Always been a big fan of your tank, and I think no matter what lighting you choose you’d have success based on your skills alone. But…..

On the idea of having soooooooo many fixtures and wires and such…that is the Achilles heel of the form factor obsession that has been ever so present among manufacturers. Yeah. They’re small and cool looking. But when sps growth form matters, you have to use a million of them. Negating any aesthetic benefits of a small form factor. Then suddenly tank-covering t5 banks, large wide led panels, and big metal halide reflectors aren’t quite so obtrusive….when you have 1/10 the number of power sources you have to run.

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated. I really love Kessil's, but agree on their shortcomings. I've always thought if they made a panel style fixture with multiple clusters spread out and with an arc with the front and back slightly angled in, it would fill in those gaps, but developing it is another story. If I can get the Reef Brite fixture and not add much heat (I can live with a degree or two,maybe?) then it makes so much more sense to me. I really love smooth skin acros and halide is the king in that realm, so my decision might already be made. In the 90's I ran a 150w iwasaki 6500k over my 15g and it was so natural looking, but that was before sps were a thing and most of them were brown with purple tips. Also, I think it's funny that led's have a "photo" mode, really? I thought the whole point of lighting was to provide the animals with the fuel they need, not put on a Vegas show. Sorry, didn't mean to go there, but it's hard not to these days.
Time for a frosty mug full of hops.

 

[Bpb]

Thank you for the kind words, much appreciated. I really love Kessil's, but agree on their shortcomings. I've always thought if they made a panel style fixture with multiple clusters spread out and with an arc with the front and back slightly angled in, it would fill in those gaps, but developing it is another story. If I can get the Reef Brite fixture and not add much heat (I can live with a degree or two,maybe?) then it makes so much more sense to me. I really love smooth skin acros and halide is the king in that realm, so my decision might already be made. In the 90's I ran a 150w iwasaki 6500k over my 15g and it was so natural looking, but that was before sps were a thing and most of them were brown with purple tips. Also, I think it's funny that led's have a "photo" mode, really? I thought the whole point of lighting was to provide the animals with the fuel they need, not put on a Vegas show. Sorry, didn't mean to go there, but it's hard not to these days.
Time for a frosty mug full of hops.

I have a photo mode on mine. But I created it manually. White red and green set to 100%, blues and violets set to 30%. Backwards from what most people do. I would absolutely not hesitate to run 6500k or 10,000k halides right now if I lived in a cooler and dryer climate

 

[minus9]

I have a photo mode on mine. But I created it manually. White red and green set to 100%, blues and violets set to 30%. Backwards from what most people do. I would absolutely not hesitate to run 6500k or 10,000k halides right now if I lived in a cooler and dryer climate

That's cool, I know it makes taking and sharing photos a lot easier and I would probably use it myself, but it seems like the "new" led on the block uses it as a major selling point, kinda funny where we've come in this hobby (and society), but I know social media is here to stay and I've totally embraced it, but there's something lost in the process.
I'm torn between sticking to 6500k or the twin arc bulb 10/20k. Splitting the time from 10k first, then 20k. It's kinda what I'm doing with my Kessil's, peak hours get the whiter look, then slowly ramp down to blue. If I can do halide / kessil I'd be very happy with that look.

 

[MartinM]

If you’re into aesthetics, check out Giesemann. If you don’t mind bulky/ugly or want some bolt-on LEDs, reefbriteis an option. Btw the icecap ballasts are triple switchable, reefbrite is only double. Also not sure if you can get reefbrite everywhere, seems like only the USA, which leaves out the other 159 countries…

A 6500k bulb will look very yellow. 14k I’m most brands looks crisp white. (Phoenix 14k appears somewhat violet). 20ks are similar to your typical led look (any color you want, as long as it’s blue…).

I bought and tried almost every led there is on the market, including a lot of stuff that’s not available in the USA that I haven’t seen here on this forum. My conclusion? Metal halide. Which was because I can’t stand the static effect from LEDs not under a single lens, which narrows the brands down to Red Sea, Kessil, and one Volx bulb. Out of those, the Red Sea is virtually 100% blue, The Kessil is a tiny pocket lol which means I would need a lot of them are for a decent coverage and the intensity drops off too much past the first 20 cm of water, and same for the Volx 201. I also love the MH shimmer that I’ve been seeing for the last 25 years. There’s also a lot of research that shows Coral and other aquatic photosynthesis organisms use light outside of the PAR range. With a MH/T5 combo I’m covering 300-900+, rather than 400-700.

 

[A. grandis]

If you’re into aesthetics, check out Giesemann. If you don’t mind bulky/ugly or want some bolt-on LEDs, reefbriteis an option. Btw the icecap ballasts are triple switchable, reefbrite is only double. Also not sure if you can get reefbrite everywhere, seems like only the USA, which leaves out the other 159 countries…

A 6500k bulb will look very yellow. 14k I’m most brands looks crisp white. (Phoenix 14k appears somewhat violet). 20ks are similar to your typical led look (any color you want, as long as it’s blue…).

I bought and tried almost every led there is on the market, including a lot of stuff that’s not available in the USA that I haven’t seen here on this forum. My conclusion? Metal halide.

It would be interesting to contact Tullio about sending ReefBtite equipment directly to anyone's doors worldwide. That might be a possibility.

 

[minus9]

If you’re into aesthetics, check out Giesemann. If you don’t mind bulky/ugly or want some bolt-on LEDs, reefbriteis an option. Btw the icecap ballasts are triple switchable, reefbrite is only double. Also not sure if you can get reefbrite everywhere, seems like only the USA, which leaves out the other 159 countries…

A 6500k bulb will look very yellow. 14k I’m most brands looks crisp white. (Phoenix 14k appears somewhat violet). 20ks are similar to your typical led look (any color you want, as long as it’s blue…).

I bought and tried almost every led there is on the market, including a lot of stuff that’s not available in the USA that I haven’t seen here on this forum. My conclusion? Metal halide.

Thanks! Almost forgot about Geisemann.

 

[jda]

What is the tank size? Also, you want open too with a sleek fixture, pendants to go into a hood or behind a wall or otherwise do not care about aesthetics? Mixed reef or high light specific stuff?

Recommendations will be different for each of these answers.