Well-controlled quantitative studies on growth of corals under MH vs LED?

[Bpb]

In 11 years I have given about equal time to all 3 (t5, mh, led), and I cannot make any definitive statements. There are things I like about each, and no matter what I’m using, when I see a great tank in person using something else it always makes me miss something I used to use. That’s life though right? For many of us, the grass is always greener on whatever side we aren’t on, eventually. I think more often some of us just get bored and try to justify a change. I’m guilty of it. Less so with wanting the newest (zero interest in gen6 radions), but just craving something fresh.

I can look back at photos of my tanks from over the years and say “man it sure was happy under X lights” but the difference from one to another seems negligible. Tank maturity, health of rock, and how solid I was on maintenance had a far greater impact than my lighting, I am convinced.

I use LED presently. Happy enough with it from a par/coverage/aesthetic standpoint to where I can’t justify changing. I’m not broke, but certainly can’t justify the thousands it would cost for something different. Just for the sake of sheer boredom.

Money being no object, I’d like a mh/t5ho combo again with unlimited supply of bulbs. I just like the look of it. But I’m not a mh supremacist by any means.

 

[zheka757]

I'm switching from leds to MH. already have lights just haven't had time to install them yet.
i should add why im switching, my tank is 30'' deep and im in process of rescaping my tank and im planning on keeping sps mostly. the new scape wont be as tall as my current scape, so most of corals will be deeper from lights