Would a metal halide be overkill?

[Uroplatus]

Okay so I bought a used 45 gallon cube and right now I have two of these
I was wondering if a metal halide would be overkill? I don’t have a ton of money to spend on lights

 

[vanpire]

Like others said. You can get a very high quality MH for cheap. Not as cheap as a few years ago as people were giving them away. A fan will be fine for most people. If u are patient, you could get a lumenbrite mini reflector, bulb and and ballast for less than $500 brand new and average about half of that used (but new bulb).

If u are a snorkeler or diver, hard to get used to seeing a reef with LEDs. At least for me.

 

[Uroplatus]

I am missing where people are hating on the colors of MH. What often gets mentioned is the ability to adjust colors using LED that you dont have as much freedom with MH. In any case I think MH are fantastic. Still use one on a shallow frag tank.

I still would argue it is not the best choice on a "budget" which it sounded like was a concern for the OP, and it certainly can cause heat issues depending on the setup and the ambient temperature in your room.

Thank you for your response, it’s not so much that I am on a budget, it’s just that I see people pay big bucks for leds, I don’t understand leds therefore I don’t like spending a bunch of money on something that I don’t understand. I know a halide would cost me at least $400+

 

[mdb_talon]

Thank you for your response, it’s not so much that I am on a budget, it’s just that I see people pay big bucks for leds, I don’t understand leds therefore I don’t like spending a bunch of money on something that I don’t understand. I know a halide would cost me at least $400+

Gotcha. If that is the case and you just trying to see if it works I still with saying it definitely can work and can work as well as led. My recommendation was really based off cost and the longterm cost for MH I find to be high relative to LED (unless you are one of those who feels the need to buy the latest LED fixture every three years).

If you prefer MH though I say go for it you can definitely make it work and have a beautiful tank.

 

[Imaexpat2]

I love me some halides as I am a old school reefer and they were the shiznick back in the day for a serious reefer. However with todays LED technology, Halides are slowly going the way of the dinosaur, just not as fast as VHO's and Power Compacts.

A 250 watt 14K on a electronic ballast wouldnt be over kill per se' but it would be a lot if you dont have SPS corals. Unless you got an enclosed canopy a halide shouldnt give you over heating issues in my experiences and I was using them still up until about 2017 on Nanos. They do use a heck of a lot of juice from the wall outlet though!!! Bulb changes need to be made about every 10-12 months and run about 50-100 bucks each depending on the brand.

I have went with Kessils and just recently tried some Reef Brite LED strips. The Kessils are pretty idiot proof and give you the color and shimmer you get with Halides but at a fraction of the power consumption. Seriously though....get you a good quality LED fixture and call it done!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

MH is a great light and sad to see its decline in this hobby. I love the bright colorful shimmering effect on my tank, it makes the tank look alive.

Frankly, I think blue tanks are ugly and sleepy looking (just my opinion)

 

[X-37B]

Quite a few local radion reefers are switching to the OR3 light bars with incredible results.
The OR3 uses the same 5 watt led chip that the Atlantic does and it runs at 2.5 watts or 50%.
If I was to go all led I would use them from the results I have seen.
1 bar = 2T5's.
You could start with 1 blue plus and 1 reef day and add as needed.
The one thing I like about them is there is nothing to adjust. They are on and off.
Here is my 120. I only run 1 blue plus for dawn and dusk.
These throw alot of light and are priced right.
This one is 12" off the surface. Any closer and the spread becomes very narrow.

 

[Pntbll687]

Glad to see there are those who are still using MH.

I switched from LED to MH back in the summer. I found an old MH/PC fixture from coralife for $100. I swapped out the bulbs, and my tank has never looked better. The MH are only 150w, but I'm an LPS guy, so everything is doing awesome under these lights.

 

[rtparty]

After talking to a few insiders, halides aren't going anywhere any time soon (even if some of the large retailers got rid of their supply.) The halide companies can't even make them fast enough to catch up with demand. Your serious coral farms are running halides still because nothing replicates the sun better or grows corals faster. Faster growing corals is exactly what this hobby needs. Start giving out frags to new reefers again instead of slapping a fancy name on it and trying to take advantage of the next generation of reefers.

I remember back in the day, I kept a frag rack full of green birdsnest at all times. Gave them away or asked for $5 per frag. Took them to my LFS for credit. That is EXACTLY what we need to start seeing again. Hobbyists supplying the hobby instead of the ocean supplying us.

 

[A. grandis]

I love me some halides as I am a old school reefer and they were the shiznick back in the day for a serious reefer. However with todays LED technology, Halides are slowly going the way of the dinosaur, just not as fast as VHO's and Power Compacts.

A 250 watt 14K on a electronic ballast wouldnt be over kill per se' but it would be a lot if you dont have SPS corals. Unless you got an enclosed canopy a halide shouldnt give you over heating issues in my experiences and I was using them still up until about 2017 on Nanos. They do use a heck of a lot of juice from the wall outlet though!!! Bulb changes need to be made about every 10-12 months and run about 50-100 bucks each depending on the brand.

I have went with Kessils and just recently tried some Reef Brite LED strips. The Kessils are pretty idiot proof and give you the color and shimmer you get with Halides but at a fraction of the power consumption. Seriously though....get you a good quality LED fixture and call it done!

Not overkill. We can have 250W 14K over that tank to maintain any type of coral, clam, zoanthid, and anemones at it's optimum with halides, not struggling... it's just about the adaptation and playing with photoperiod/ nutrients. What really matters in artificial light over a reef tank is the combo of qualities from the light, to be used! That is serious reefing, as you've mentioned. Many people leave their halides for 12 yours too and have their tanks in amazing balance. It's mostly about adaptation and nutrient control. The electricity will be used to proper feed the system! It's not a waste as some have been preaching to promote LEDs. To save electricity, getting lower powered LEDs instead, is to compromise in what you are offering to your system in quality and energy needed. With halides you are using the electricity to power a top quality light system to better resemble what the sun does over the natural reef. That is exactly what our reef aquariums need in the first place. The results will be amazing and the health, growth and colors of the organisms will be compared to what we find in nature. There is absolutely no comparison between any LED system in the world and a good halide system any time.

Tullio Dell Aquila & Dr. Sanjay's views ( a thread for METAL HALIDE lovers)

I've been very busy lately with basically no time to post, but just had to open this thread. Title says it all... yes, this thread is to talk about metal halides! The maker of a video called "Are Metal Halides Making a Comeback? "New" Review of an "Old" Product" (linked bellow), Mr. Keith...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[A. grandis]

MH is a great light and sad to see its decline in this hobby. I love the bright colorful shimmering effect on my tank, it makes the tank look alive.

Frankly, I think blue tanks are ugly and sleepy looking (just my opinion)

Many actually agree that extra blue tanks are unnatural to say the least. It became a trend in our hobby that should be rejected IMO. Nothing wrong in observing the tank under blue light during "sunrise/sunset" hours, but problem is when they like to keep that pleasure for the whole day. I don't think it's healthier that having a "white" spectrum to imitate what nature offers.
The number of metal halides users are actually increasing in the past couple of years. People are realizing the unique benefits of them and hopefully we should see some new manufacturers offering upcoming options.

 

[A. grandis]

After talking to a few insiders, halides aren't going anywhere any time soon (even if some of the large retailers got rid of their supply.) The halide companies can't even make them fast enough to catch up with demand. Your serious coral farms are running halides still because nothing replicates the sun better or grows corals faster. Faster growing corals is exactly what this hobby needs. Start giving out frags to new reefers again instead of slapping a fancy name on it and trying to take advantage of the next generation of reefers.

I remember back in the day, I kept a frag rack full of green birdsnest at all times. Gave them away or asked for $5 per frag. Took them to my LFS for credit. That is EXACTLY what we need to start seeing again. Hobbyists supplying the hobby instead of the ocean supplying us.

Exactly! The coral farmers tend to follow the money trend and to promote LEDs to customers is to promote slower growth, so the reefers won't trade. Blue LEDs will show the so called "better colors" and that is easy to spread as a "plus". Besides, they (coral farmers, traders, stores) like to save electricity because in their cases, having LEDs at 100% far from their system will MAINTAIN their corals relatively well growing to the selling point, and it works for their application in the short period of sales! They promote the LEDs to have more discounts from those LED companies the next time they need some more. I do not blame them. Too bad people try to follow their "magic" over their reefs at home. And that is a snow ball... making lot's of profits and even opening new stores. People need to understand that a nice clean white looking pdf with some suggestive scientific words aren't the truth when practically what our reef boxes need something with better qualities, like halides and T5s!

 

[speedstar]

I run a DE 250W over my IM-40 no issues it grew corals great all frag started.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I’ve about 4 month old tank and today I swapped out a 4 bulb T5, replaced with a Hamilton pendant witch a 250W 14k Phoenix bulb.

tank is an IM40-ext

i will be programming the Apex to shut off the light and heater if it gets to warm. Tank is the basement and it’s winter so I likely won’t see any issues until summer.

12 years ago when I last had a tank I had amazing colour and growth under a 48” coralife with x2 150w, and two PC actinics which is why I’ve decided to use MH. I like the ease of use although I am concerned about future bulb availability. Might have to stock up.

One concern is water evaporation although that can be solved with a larger ATO container.

Also I am thinking of supplementing with a kessil 160, or similar for a dawn dusk effect and the ability to have a longer viewing schedule...

My water is a little cloudy (kalk precip), although I’m looking forward to the tank in a few weeks once the bulb burns in and colours up.

 

[oreo54]

If u are a snorkeler or diver, hard to get used to seeing a reef with LEDs. At least for me.

Wrong LED's..

 

[Bpb]

Wrong LED's..

Are those available for purchase anywhere? In the states? I’ve seen that video posted a ton. But no information on where or when it will be available

 

[Bpb]

Single 250 watt Phoenix would do wonderfully. Not overkill.

 

[oreo54]

Are those available for purchase anywhere? In the states? I’ve seen that video posted a ton. But no information on where or when it will be available

Last I knew Japan only. They do that..

I've seen pricing..so pretty sure they are available.


Oh and there was a German Coral farm/retailer that was using them a year or so ago.
It's a history I haven't really followed though.

Found it..


Older:

Kyocera releases aquarium LED light in this summer | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Kyocera is Japanese company that is well-known for copier machine and ceramic products, and more recently smartphones. I did not know that they have a business for LED light until recently.

reefbuilders.com

 

[mandarin417]

I am a big fan of MH. How do you guys manage the blinding light with a suspended pendant and sitting in a nearby chair with the light spill?

 

[Bpb]

I am a big fan of MH. How do you guys manage the blinding light with a suspended pendant and sitting in a nearby chair with the light spill?

To me a canopy is a must for all light sources. I find t5 and LED to be just as guilty of light pollution. I already am kind of bothered by the amount of light that illuminates the room just from the tank, when all primary light source is canopy contained. Part of why I prefer lower kelvin more daylight centric spectra. I despise the blue room phenomena of a reef tank

 

[mandarin417]

To me a canopy is a must for all light sources. I find t5 and LED to be just as guilty of light pollution. I already am kind of bothered by the amount of light that illuminates the room just from the tank, when all primary light source is canopy contained. Part of why I prefer lower kelvin more daylight centric spectra. I despise the blue room phenomena of a reef tank

Thanks for the note back. I have the narrow beam reflectors on my Kessil A360X lights so there is no light spill sitting in a chair nearby. The Refi LEDS also are configured to minimize light spill. I am just not a canopy guy. I like the open top look.