T5 or MH for a 150 gallon

Jamhvacr · 07/01/2011, 05:10 AM

Hey all! I'm looking for educated recommendations for a 150 gallon i would like to get. I'm torn between a 125 or a 150, both 72" long tanks. The 125 is 22"deep and the 150 is 27" deep. I plan to keep sps in the tank i get eventually. I would really like to go with a aquaticlife T5 fixture but for the 150 i'm concerned it will not penentrate the 27" adequately. Does anyone know how deep T5's will penetrate? Any other comments on the issue are welcomed :-)

Thanx!!!

alton · 07/01/2011, 05:48 AM

MH or LED on the 27", MH or LED on the 22". I have all three, I like the colors I get from T5HO, but the LED and MH give me better growth. If you decide to go with T5 get a 60" 6 lamp fixture on the 22" tank.

salsipuedes · 07/01/2011, 08:26 AM

I'd bite the bullet and go LED. no problem penetrating either depth with optics, plus its dimmable , and no heat (well minimal heat) no changing of bulbs every 6-12 months, lower electric bill, no need for a chiller (probably). Just saying, I would personally go LED if i were setting up my 125 again, or a 150 for that matter. actually if I were setting up a tank again, it would be a minimum width of 24 inches, unlike the 18 inches of either the 125 or 150... i guess thats a 180- 210? either way... seems to me like LEDs are the future and the future is now. But if u dont go with leds, I had amazing growth with 3x175 watt mh bulbs (iwasaki 10k - par equal or better then most 250watt se mh) and 4, 36 inch ati blue+ bulbs ran on an icecap 660 ballast so they are driven at 60 watts each, not 39. Everything I had in that tank with that lighting combo flourished!!

07/01/2011, 05:10 AM	#1
Jamhvacr Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Dover, PA Posts: 22	T5 or MH for a 150 gallon Hey all! I'm looking for educated recommendations for a 150 gallon i would like to get. I'm torn between a 125 or a 150, both 72" long tanks. The 125 is 22"deep and the 150 is 27" deep. I plan to keep sps in the tank i get eventually. I would really like to go with a aquaticlife T5 fixture but for the 150 i'm concerned it will not penentrate the 27" adequately. Does anyone know how deep T5's will penetrate? Any other comments on the issue are welcomed :-) Thanx!!!

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07/01/2011, 05:48 AM	#2
alton Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Zuehl, Texas Posts: 4,460	MH or LED on the 27", MH or LED on the 22". I have all three, I like the colors I get from T5HO, but the LED and MH give me better growth. If you decide to go with T5 get a 60" 6 lamp fixture on the 22" tank.

07/01/2011, 08:26 AM	#3
salsipuedes Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 209	I'd bite the bullet and go LED. no problem penetrating either depth with optics, plus its dimmable , and no heat (well minimal heat) no changing of bulbs every 6-12 months, lower electric bill, no need for a chiller (probably). Just saying, I would personally go LED if i were setting up my 125 again, or a 150 for that matter. actually if I were setting up a tank again, it would be a minimum width of 24 inches, unlike the 18 inches of either the 125 or 150... i guess thats a 180- 210? either way... seems to me like LEDs are the future and the future is now. But if u dont go with leds, I had amazing growth with 3x175 watt mh bulbs (iwasaki 10k - par equal or better then most 250watt se mh) and 4, 36 inch ati blue+ bulbs ran on an icecap 660 ballast so they are driven at 60 watts each, not 39. Everything I had in that tank with that lighting combo flourished!!