I'm only a few weeks in, how do you like the switch long term?
So far so good. I’m 10 months in. Intensity is stronger, and I keep some nutrients in the water, and maintain calcium and alkalinity through a calcium reactor, so the building blocks are all there, therefore growth has improved. I’ve had two large colonies topple over under their weight recently.
Heat hasn’t been a factor. I run a canopy which the t5’s completely “sealed off” the top of, as they covered the footprint exactly, the halide reflectors leave openings as vents. My temps have actually DROPPED about 1 degree going from 8x54 watt t5ho to 2x250 watt MH with 2-75 watt blue led strips run at 50%.
Truthfully. I care about acropora primarily. And we know acros do well under MH (of course they can thrive under any type, but just saying, they like MH, it’s easy). So I had zero concern about switching.
My primary reason though was I got the setup for free. 3-like new coralvue lumen bright pendants with 2-like new Hamilton m58 ballasts and 1 like new luxcore 250-400 watt ballast. I sold my sunpower for $250, as well as a couple acro packs and went and bought myself 15 bulbs to cover bulb changes for some years to come. Electricity is basically a wash, so it was just a convenient change to make. Anyone who is offered a quality metal halide setup would be foolish not to accept it unless you’re in a place with absurdly high electrical costs like on the west coast. I couldn’t imagine going out and spending $2000-3000 on lighting to replace what is working perfectly and essentially didn’t cost me anything. To save what? Maybe $10 a month on electricity?
