T5 vs Metal Halide oddity advice

pmangels17 · 08/09/2012, 04:44 PM

Has anybody had luck with SPS using this fixture? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...m?pcatid=23758
Also, has anybody used a hardware store $25 metal halide work light with a better bulb and found good results with SPS?
Finally, can you use a lower wattage MH bulb than the fixture is rated for? For example, a cheap 250 or 500 watt metal halide work light with a 175 watt or 200 watt bulb?

sirreal63 · 08/09/2012, 05:32 PM

Coralife makes cheaply made equipment and charges way too much for the lack of quality. There are better fixtures to spend your money on.

Most of those shop type lights are not MH, if it is then it will depend on the ballast within the light. Running a bulb on the wrong ballast will destroy the bulb.

You cannot use a bulb of a different wattage than the ballast is intended for, they tend to not last very long at all.

pmangels17 · 08/09/2012, 05:37 PM

so then what is the cheapest wat to light for SPS in a 29 gallon?

sirreal63 · 08/09/2012, 05:45 PM

Cheap and sps should not be in the same sentence. If you get the Coralife unit, get the 24" ond and replace the bulbs with ATI ones, the stock bulbs blow, but by the time you add 4 new bulbs in, you are up to a $300 dollar investment, after shipping. I hate to suggest the Chinese LEDs but if you are on a budget they would do the job much better than the Coralife T5.

pmangels17 · 08/09/2012, 05:50 PM

what about a couple PAR38 LED's from coral compulsion>

sirreal63 · 08/09/2012, 06:01 PM

Perhaps, I know some people use par 38's with success. What is the rest of the setup going to be?

pmangels17 · 08/09/2012, 06:30 PM

2 36 watt coral compulsion PAR38's for lights. Thats it. 10gal sump/fuge, 2 maxijet 900's and a koralia nano 450 for circulation, sufficient heater, bak pak skimmer (hanging in sump). Single overflow (drilled) that will be the slotted PVC type because it's cheaper and i feel better than the overflow box because it lets me get the water level above the black trim. I think the coralife 30 in quad will do for now if for the first year or so I just keep LPS and zoas so the tank gets established (my plan anyway) and when the time comes to change bulbs I'll buy ATI's and start heavy SPS, but for the first year I might try a couple of the less light-intensive montis and acros.

08/09/2012, 04:44 PM	#1
pmangels17 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 29	T5 vs Metal Halide oddity advice Has anybody had luck with SPS using this fixture? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...m?pcatid=23758 Also, has anybody used a hardware store $25 metal halide work light with a better bulb and found good results with SPS? Finally, can you use a lower wattage MH bulb than the fixture is rated for? For example, a cheap 250 or 500 watt metal halide work light with a 175 watt or 200 watt bulb?

08/09/2012, 05:32 PM	#2
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	Coralife makes cheaply made equipment and charges way too much for the lack of quality. There are better fixtures to spend your money on. Most of those shop type lights are not MH, if it is then it will depend on the ballast within the light. Running a bulb on the wrong ballast will destroy the bulb. You cannot use a bulb of a different wattage than the ballast is intended for, they tend to not last very long at all. __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

08/09/2012, 05:45 PM	#4
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	Cheap and sps should not be in the same sentence. If you get the Coralife unit, get the 24" ond and replace the bulbs with ATI ones, the stock bulbs blow, but by the time you add 4 new bulbs in, you are up to a $300 dollar investment, after shipping. I hate to suggest the Chinese LEDs but if you are on a budget they would do the job much better than the Coralife T5. __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

08/09/2012, 06:01 PM	#6
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	Perhaps, I know some people use par 38's with success. What is the rest of the setup going to be? __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

08/09/2012, 05:37 PM	#3
pmangels17 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 29	so then what is the cheapest wat to light for SPS in a 29 gallon?

08/09/2012, 05:50 PM	#5
pmangels17 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 29	what about a couple PAR38 LED's from coral compulsion>

08/09/2012, 06:30 PM	#7
pmangels17 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 29	2 36 watt coral compulsion PAR38's for lights. Thats it. 10gal sump/fuge, 2 maxijet 900's and a koralia nano 450 for circulation, sufficient heater, bak pak skimmer (hanging in sump). Single overflow (drilled) that will be the slotted PVC type because it's cheaper and i feel better than the overflow box because it lets me get the water level above the black trim. I think the coralife 30 in quad will do for now if for the first year or so I just keep LPS and zoas so the tank gets established (my plan anyway) and when the time comes to change bulbs I'll buy ATI's and start heavy SPS, but for the first year I might try a couple of the less light-intensive montis and acros.