The Dead Horse.. T5HO or MH.. Grim are you out there

fishnfst · 08/12/2006, 12:41 PM

Ok I have a 18H currently.. I am using a 150w de mh 14,000k coralife bulb in it in a coralife pendant.. I'm wanting to move everything over to a 20L.. The difference in height of the tanks is 6inches..

In my 18H I had not been able to get anything directly under the light high in the tank.. Everything seemed to favor the sand bed or way off to the sides.. I have a small acro frag and a small mille frag that someone gave me to try and see if they could take more light.. They are on their way up my rockwork to see if they can make it to the top..

I have zoos, shrooms a couple of misc xenias, clove polyps, GSP,Candy cane, gonipora, hammer, RBTA and 2 Blasto Merletti's..

I am hoping to add a few clams somewhere down the road..

My question is which of my two lighting fixtures should I use?? Should I stick with the 150w pendant or should i use my 4x24w sunlight supply fixture? If I use the pendant I am going to try and retro my setup into a halogen light fixture for the rectangular reflector.. The 18H is only 20"long and the 20L is 30" long.. Will either of my lights reach the ends of the 30" tank? Here is a pic for comparison...
The t5 setup has:
1 ati blue special.. looks like 12k to me
1 narva blue 2
2 ge 6500k

I can switch the 2 6500's out for two more 12000 and see how it looks as well...

I'm hoping to use the t5 fixture due to its lack of heat and overall efficiency.. If it won't sustain my livestock though I will scratch this whole idea....

fishnfst · 08/12/2006, 02:24 PM

Forgot to add the third option.. I also have a 2x65w pc fixture.. It has a dual daylight 10k/12k and a pure actinic bulb... It does not seem as bright to the eye as the t5ho fixture though...

fishnfst · 08/14/2006, 05:02 PM

Come on guys.. Grim are you out there????

CapnKick · 08/14/2006, 05:59 PM

I used to use a 55W 12,000K and 55W actinic on my 20g with LPS and shrooms. It worked fine as long as I changed the bulbs every 8 months or so. I'd be cautious putting SPS or clams under that little light, or at least put them mid- to high-up in the tank. I had a brown SPS frag that lived forever in the tank (at least 2 yrs), but never grew very much!

CapnKick · 08/14/2006, 05:59 PM

Oh yeah, the bulbs were PC from www.ahsupply.com.

fishnfst · 08/14/2006, 07:27 PM

So you think that the 130watt pc fixture would be better than the 96watt t5ho fixture?

CapnKick · 08/14/2006, 07:33 PM

I have no experience with T5s, just wanted to let you know my experience with VHOs. It sounds more and more like T5s are the way to go...unless that would be too much light.

fishnfst · 08/14/2006, 07:38 PM

Can you tell the difference in the pics? It doesn't seem quite as bright as the mh but it is definitely more dispersed.. The mh has a spotlight effect.. That might just because I have it in a pendant... The glare is because that one rock is really white....

The Grim Reefer · 08/14/2006, 07:39 PM

The T5's will be more than enough. I would add a UVL actinic white and Super Actinic to you aquablue and blue.

CapnKick · 08/14/2006, 07:41 PM

Hard to tell. The T5 pic looks nice though. I have two 250W DE MHs above my 120, and it looks like there's a lot of fallout from them on the sides of the tank. And that's with rectangular pendant reflectors (PFO mini-pendants).

What about the heat consideration? I'm surprised the MH doesn't heat up the small tank too much. I guess the open top helps with that.

fishnfst · 08/14/2006, 08:00 PM

That is the other reason I wanted to go the the t5's You see that big 9" fan right over my overflow.. Without that and 3 hours into my light cycle the tank is up to 84 degrees from 78...

Thanks Grim... The UVL super actinic and actinic white what approx kelvin are they? I wanted to try and find something locally... I purchased that narva blue2 and the ati blue spezial locally... The ati is a very white bulb .. Not very blue in my eyes... Is there anything I could substitute the uvl for.. If not I will order them...

The Grim Reefer · 08/14/2006, 08:09 PM

If you cant get UVL lamps stick with ATI if you can get them. A GE 6500, Aquablue and 2 blueplus looks nice.

fishnfst · 08/14/2006, 08:41 PM

What is the ATI Blue Special that I bought???? Looks really really white... Somewhere in the 12000K color range... I have plenty of the ge 6500's....

fishnfst · 08/14/2006, 09:08 PM

Does anyone have a link to more info on the ati bulbs??

The Grim Reefer · 08/14/2006, 11:22 PM

The aquablue is a 60/40 actinic daylight mix. They call it 11000K.

08/12/2006, 12:41 PM	#1
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	The Dead Horse.. T5HO or MH.. Grim are you out there Ok I have a 18H currently.. I am using a 150w de mh 14,000k coralife bulb in it in a coralife pendant.. I'm wanting to move everything over to a 20L.. The difference in height of the tanks is 6inches.. In my 18H I had not been able to get anything directly under the light high in the tank.. Everything seemed to favor the sand bed or way off to the sides.. I have a small acro frag and a small mille frag that someone gave me to try and see if they could take more light.. They are on their way up my rockwork to see if they can make it to the top.. I have zoos, shrooms a couple of misc xenias, clove polyps, GSP,Candy cane, gonipora, hammer, RBTA and 2 Blasto Merletti's.. I am hoping to add a few clams somewhere down the road.. My question is which of my two lighting fixtures should I use?? Should I stick with the 150w pendant or should i use my 4x24w sunlight supply fixture? If I use the pendant I am going to try and retro my setup into a halogen light fixture for the rectangular reflector.. The 18H is only 20"long and the 20L is 30" long.. Will either of my lights reach the ends of the 30" tank? Here is a pic for comparison... The t5 setup has: 1 ati blue special.. looks like 12k to me 1 narva blue 2 2 ge 6500k I can switch the 2 6500's out for two more 12000 and see how it looks as well... I'm hoping to use the t5 fixture due to its lack of heat and overall efficiency.. If it won't sustain my livestock though I will scratch this whole idea....

08/14/2006, 05:59 PM	#4
CapnKick Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 189	I used to use a 55W 12,000K and 55W actinic on my 20g with LPS and shrooms. It worked fine as long as I changed the bulbs every 8 months or so. I'd be cautious putting SPS or clams under that little light, or at least put them mid- to high-up in the tank. I had a brown SPS frag that lived forever in the tank (at least 2 yrs), but never grew very much! __________________ Curator of the North Point Marine Aquarium & Bar Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 29G sump/refugium, 2x250W DE MH, 4x110W VHO, AquaC EV180

08/14/2006, 05:59 PM	#5
CapnKick Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 189	Oh yeah, the bulbs were PC from www.ahsupply.com. __________________ Curator of the North Point Marine Aquarium & Bar Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 29G sump/refugium, 2x250W DE MH, 4x110W VHO, AquaC EV180

08/14/2006, 07:33 PM	#7
CapnKick Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 189	I have no experience with T5s, just wanted to let you know my experience with VHOs. It sounds more and more like T5s are the way to go...unless that would be too much light. __________________ Curator of the North Point Marine Aquarium & Bar Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 29G sump/refugium, 2x250W DE MH, 4x110W VHO, AquaC EV180

08/14/2006, 07:39 PM	#9
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	The T5's will be more than enough. I would add a UVL actinic white and Super Actinic to you aquablue and blue. __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting

08/12/2006, 02:24 PM	#2
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	Forgot to add the third option.. I also have a 2x65w pc fixture.. It has a dual daylight 10k/12k and a pure actinic bulb... It does not seem as bright to the eye as the t5ho fixture though...

08/14/2006, 05:02 PM	#3
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	Come on guys.. Grim are you out there????

08/14/2006, 07:27 PM	#6
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	So you think that the 130watt pc fixture would be better than the 96watt t5ho fixture?

08/14/2006, 07:38 PM	#8
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	Can you tell the difference in the pics? It doesn't seem quite as bright as the mh but it is definitely more dispersed.. The mh has a spotlight effect.. That might just because I have it in a pendant... The glare is because that one rock is really white....

08/14/2006, 07:41 PM	#10
CapnKick Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 189	Hard to tell. The T5 pic looks nice though. I have two 250W DE MHs above my 120, and it looks like there's a lot of fallout from them on the sides of the tank. And that's with rectangular pendant reflectors (PFO mini-pendants). What about the heat consideration? I'm surprised the MH doesn't heat up the small tank too much. I guess the open top helps with that. __________________ Curator of the North Point Marine Aquarium & Bar Current Tank Info: 120G reef, 29G sump/refugium, 2x250W DE MH, 4x110W VHO, AquaC EV180

08/14/2006, 08:00 PM	#11
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	That is the other reason I wanted to go the the t5's You see that big 9" fan right over my overflow.. Without that and 3 hours into my light cycle the tank is up to 84 degrees from 78... Thanks Grim... The UVL super actinic and actinic white what approx kelvin are they? I wanted to try and find something locally... I purchased that narva blue2 and the ati blue spezial locally... The ati is a very white bulb .. Not very blue in my eyes... Is there anything I could substitute the uvl for.. If not I will order them...

08/14/2006, 08:09 PM	#12
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	If you cant get UVL lamps stick with ATI if you can get them. A GE 6500, Aquablue and 2 blueplus looks nice. __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting

08/14/2006, 08:41 PM	#13
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	What is the ATI Blue Special that I bought???? Looks really really white... Somewhere in the 12000K color range... I have plenty of the ge 6500's....

08/14/2006, 09:08 PM	#14
fishnfst Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,110	Does anyone have a link to more info on the ati bulbs??

08/14/2006, 11:22 PM	#15
The Grim Reefer Ready for some NOBALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Kingman Az Posts: 25,259	The aquablue is a 60/40 actinic daylight mix. They call it 11000K. __________________ America, the way it outta be! Current Tank Info: 120 Starphire with Illudium Q-288 Photon Regurgitator DIY LED lighting