T5 or MH or LED

tankmates · 12/25/2011, 02:46 PM

Hi All, I am looking to change my lighting, right now I run a 72" coralife MH fixture with 3 x 250 W (20k radium bulbs) and 2 x 96 w actinics florescent lights. My tank is about 29" deep and lights sit 12" above water surface.

Here is what it is, my SPS dies off everytime I add them in few days, water parameters are not bad, nitrates at 8ppm and phosphate at .08ppm

I plan to have it SPS dominated tank (longer terms and am considering 60" ATI t5 power module lights with 10 x 80k lamps, if you prefer t5, do let me know what combination i need)

My softies are doing great under my current lighting. I also looked at vortech radion lights and Aqua sols...

I want this one time investment only..or you think my current MH is good enough.....any help appreciated.

rtparty · 12/25/2011, 03:51 PM

Your current lighting isn't the problem. It will keep SPS just fine!

When were all the bulbs replaced? What are your other parameters in the tank? Please include Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium. It doesn't matter what your N and P04 are at if those other 3 are not stable and are out of whack.

Are you running carbon? Sofites use toxins to ward off other corals. In our small, enclosed systems those toxins can wreak havoc on SPS. I like to run carbon 24/7 on my tanks.

Are you light acclimating your corals or just throwing them in the tank wherever you want? They should be placed on the bottom of the aquarium and slowly moved up over time.

Again, I bet something else is your culprit.

scarface70706 · 12/25/2011, 04:20 PM

If you want a new set of lights go LED! 1) save on PG&E bill 2) everything stays cool so no need for a chiller 3) led bulbs last longer 4) have more control with the intensity then your average lights now days. 5) some fixtures have dimming effects for sun set and sun down 6) growth patterns are the same as MH 7) LED fixtures look more sleek and modern compared to MH, T5, VHO, & PC.

im sure theres more but these few things ive came up with sold me on LEDs. its just a matter of time and $$$ and i will have mine some time soon.

RubberFrog · 12/25/2011, 05:25 PM

led if you are concerned with being "hip".

tankmates · 12/25/2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scarface70706

If you want a new set of lights go LED! 1) save on PG&E bill 2) everything stays cool so no need for a chiller 3) led bulbs last longer 4) have more control with the intensity then your average lights now days. 5) some fixtures have dimming effects for sun set and sun down 6) growth patterns are the same as MH 7) LED fixtures look more sleek and modern compared to MH, T5, VHO, & PC.

im sure theres more but these few things ive came up with sold me on LEDs. its just a matter of time and $$$ and i will have mine some time soon.

well, I have heard great successful stories as well as people who swear by t5 's and MH....so confused

tankmates · 12/25/2011, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtparty

Your current lighting isn't the problem. It will keep SPS just fine!

When were all the bulbs replaced? What are your other parameters in the tank? Please include Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium. It doesn't matter what your N and P04 are at if those other 3 are not stable and are out of whack.

Bulbs are 2 months old. Alkalinity at 11DKH (my kent marine salt mixes at 7.5DKH), calcium at 480 and Magnesium at 1500

Quote:

Are you running carbon? Sofites use toxins to ward off other corals. In our small, enclosed systems those toxins can wreak havoc on SPS. I like to run carbon 24/7 on my tanks.

Yes, I was running carbon and GFO 24 x7 but i had problems with phosphate so thought that might be my carbon is leaching phosphates and took carbon reactor off one week back. GFO is still running 24 x 7

Quote:

Are you light acclimating your corals or just throwing them in the tank wherever you want? They should be placed on the bottom of the aquarium and slowly moved up over time.

tries both, the one added to bottom also met the same fate as the ones on the top

Quote:

Again, I bet something else is your culprit.

rogergolf66 · 12/25/2011, 07:19 PM

Well I agree lighting in this case has nothing to do with why ur sps r dieing so quickly

pwoller · 12/25/2011, 08:13 PM

Its not your lighting but if your going all sps t5's work really well.

James77 · 12/25/2011, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankmates

well, I have heard great successful stories as well as people who swear by t5 's and MH....so confused

ANY of the lighting in the poll you gave will have success stories. Halides have been around for many years and have produced some fantastic results. T5s are newer, but have proven themselves. LEDs are new and "unproven", though people have been reporting excellent results with them.

Lighting is not the cause of your coral deaths. If it was caused by lighting, phosphates, nitrates it would be a gradual die off or bleaching, and even then, it would most liekly survive though not thrive

What happens when you say they are dying? Are they bleaching? Is there any polyp extension whatsover?

What is your salinity at?

SWSCJ · 12/27/2011, 08:50 PM

Currently on my 450 ( 96"L x 30"W x 36D )

Hamilton Cebu Sun 3-400W 14k MH 4-80W T5s 18 LEDs

8" above tank, no chiller

Water parameters just as important as lighting

tankmates · 12/28/2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James77

ANY of the lighting in the poll you gave will have success stories. Halides have been around for many years and have produced some fantastic results. T5s are newer, but have proven themselves. LEDs are new and "unproven", though people have been reporting excellent results with them.

Lighting is not the cause of your coral deaths. If it was caused by lighting, phosphates, nitrates it would be a gradual die off or bleaching, and even then, it would most liekly survive though not thrive

What happens when you say they are dying? Are they bleaching? Is there any polyp extension whatsover?

What is your salinity at?

i agree, they start to bleach first, then i see algae over those and they bleach and loose tissue and all is left is pale skeleton with algaeon those.

h20cooled · 12/29/2011, 02:07 PM

I've ran T5's, MH, and just recently switched over to a DIY LED setup from ReefLED.com, I have to same these LED's blow everything else I have used away. They put out no heat so I don't need a chiller, I can move them around, add or subtract to them, and turn up or down the amount of light with just a simple turn of a switch. I have a mix of softies, LPS, and SPS and everything looks great, the SPS came from tanks with T5 or MH setups and they have not lost any color and actually look better. Everything is growing great too.

I will agree that your current problems are not lighting though.

BerriersReef · 12/29/2011, 05:27 PM

I like a mixture of T5s and LEDs.

grigsy · 12/29/2011, 11:24 PM

I agree with what Ryan said. The lighting isnt the problem. 3 x 250 watt Radium MH bulbs is awesome.

I bet its more to do with your Calcium level myself.

You have a good lighting system right now and plenty of light for SPS.

I would disagree with a few of Scarfaces's points.

First, I use halides and do not use a chiller. Most people I know that use halides do not use a chiller.

Also, with LEDs, your heater is on a lot more than you may want. So, you are using a lot of electricity there that you need to account for.

Also, there are plenty of sleek looking metal halide or T5 fixtures on the market right now. ATI has a sleek housing, Currents MH systems have sleek housing, Hamilton's fixtures have sleek housing. A few Sunlight fixtures have sleek housing.

Last, I find halides to give better growth versus LEDs.

But, back to the original question - why are the SPS dying off after tankmates after a few days - it's more likely to do with your water quality than your current lighting system.

tankmates · 12/30/2011, 10:20 AM

pics I took of my SPS, which have been in tank for about 2 months. I don't think the water chemistry is too bad, I checked it again today- .08ppm phosphate, 8 ppm nitrates, 480 calcium, 1400 magnesium , 8.1 PH, 11 DKH alk

though I do have some red slime algae growing up. I am firing up a bio pellet reactor today so hope to reduce the phosphates and nitrates to 0 in coming 2 months. see pics of how my acros look

View Poll Results: which light would you recommend for my setup
T5	12	23.53%
MH	17	33.33%
Led	22	43.14%
Voters: 51. You may not vote on this poll

12/25/2011, 02:46 PM	#1
tankmates Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 124	T5 or MH or LED Hi All, I am looking to change my lighting, right now I run a 72" coralife MH fixture with 3 x 250 W (20k radium bulbs) and 2 x 96 w actinics florescent lights. My tank is about 29" deep and lights sit 12" above water surface. Here is what it is, my SPS dies off everytime I add them in few days, water parameters are not bad, nitrates at 8ppm and phosphate at .08ppm I plan to have it SPS dominated tank (longer terms and am considering 60" ATI t5 power module lights with 10 x 80k lamps, if you prefer t5, do let me know what combination i need) My softies are doing great under my current lighting. I also looked at vortech radion lights and Aqua sols... I want this one time investment only..or you think my current MH is good enough.....any help appreciated.

12/25/2011, 03:51 PM	#2
rtparty Raise The Reef! Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Utah Posts: 7,404	Your current lighting isn't the problem. It will keep SPS just fine! When were all the bulbs replaced? What are your other parameters in the tank? Please include Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium. It doesn't matter what your N and P04 are at if those other 3 are not stable and are out of whack. Are you running carbon? Sofites use toxins to ward off other corals. In our small, enclosed systems those toxins can wreak havoc on SPS. I like to run carbon 24/7 on my tanks. Are you light acclimating your corals or just throwing them in the tank wherever you want? They should be placed on the bottom of the aquarium and slowly moved up over time. Again, I bet something else is your culprit. __________________ Ryan Click on my user name and check out my homepage! Current Tank Info: 50g Cadlights/Giesemann Spectra (250w Radium, 2 ATI Blue Plus, 2 ATI Actinic)/2 x Vortech MP10wQD/Skimz SN123/Eheim Compact 3000+

12/25/2011, 07:19 PM	#7
rogergolf66 im an addict lol Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Land o lakes, FLorida Posts: 12,930	Well I agree lighting in this case has nothing to do with why ur sps r dieing so quickly __________________ Goal levels: salinity 35ppt, temp 78-79, alk 8-9, cal 430-450, mag 1310-1400 po4 .03, no3 1-3 Current Tank Info: System 1... 100 gal Zoa tank I built, 30 gal Ric Yuma shroom tank, 30 gal mix tank my sons,40 gal softie tank, 40 gal nem tank, two 40 gal LPS tank. System 2... 240 gal SPS display attached 100 gal frag SPS only tank.

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12/25/2011, 04:20 PM	#3
scarface70706 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,364	If you want a new set of lights go LED! 1) save on PG&E bill 2) everything stays cool so no need for a chiller 3) led bulbs last longer 4) have more control with the intensity then your average lights now days. 5) some fixtures have dimming effects for sun set and sun down 6) growth patterns are the same as MH 7) LED fixtures look more sleek and modern compared to MH, T5, VHO, & PC. im sure theres more but these few things ive came up with sold me on LEDs. its just a matter of time and $$$ and i will have mine some time soon.

12/25/2011, 05:25 PM	#4
RubberFrog Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 286	led if you are concerned with being "hip".

12/25/2011, 08:13 PM	#8
pwoller Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 1,163	Its not your lighting but if your going all sps t5's work really well.

12/27/2011, 08:50 PM	#10
SWSCJ Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 26	Currently on my 450 ( 96"L x 30"W x 36D ) Hamilton Cebu Sun 3-400W 14k MH 4-80W T5s 18 LEDs 8" above tank, no chiller Water parameters just as important as lighting

12/29/2011, 02:07 PM	#12
h20cooled Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Milwaukie, OR Posts: 1,016	I've ran T5's, MH, and just recently switched over to a DIY LED setup from ReefLED.com, I have to same these LED's blow everything else I have used away. They put out no heat so I don't need a chiller, I can move them around, add or subtract to them, and turn up or down the amount of light with just a simple turn of a switch. I have a mix of softies, LPS, and SPS and everything looks great, the SPS came from tanks with T5 or MH setups and they have not lost any color and actually look better. Everything is growing great too. I will agree that your current problems are not lighting though.

12/29/2011, 05:27 PM	#13
BerriersReef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 24	I like a mixture of T5s and LEDs.

12/29/2011, 11:24 PM	#14
grigsy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 2,307	I agree with what Ryan said. The lighting isnt the problem. 3 x 250 watt Radium MH bulbs is awesome. I bet its more to do with your Calcium level myself. You have a good lighting system right now and plenty of light for SPS. I would disagree with a few of Scarfaces's points. First, I use halides and do not use a chiller. Most people I know that use halides do not use a chiller. Also, with LEDs, your heater is on a lot more than you may want. So, you are using a lot of electricity there that you need to account for. Also, there are plenty of sleek looking metal halide or T5 fixtures on the market right now. ATI has a sleek housing, Currents MH systems have sleek housing, Hamilton's fixtures have sleek housing. A few Sunlight fixtures have sleek housing. Last, I find halides to give better growth versus LEDs. But, back to the original question - why are the SPS dying off after tankmates after a few days - it's more likely to do with your water quality than your current lighting system.