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02/03/2008, 10:06 AM
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#1 |
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Registered Member.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 135
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Metal Halides Suck...
... up a lot of electricity?
Also, how much will they increase my water temperature? I'm in the process of choosing between MH's or T5's for a 125g. I live in the tropics, and am afraid that I won't be able to have MH's without a chiller. I currently have a sumpless 29g and the temperature gets as high as 85 during the day with PC's. I've never seen it lower than 80. |
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02/03/2008, 10:08 AM
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#2 |
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Reef Chemist
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Arlington, Massachusetts
Posts: 86,233
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Metal halides have similar electrical efficiency to fluorescents of various types.
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Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef |
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02/03/2008, 10:17 AM
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#3 |
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Premium Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Newburgh, IN
Posts: 1,763
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Watts are watts,
a 250w MH uses the same amount of electricity as 250w T-5's. A MH tends to fell more hotter than a T-5 dew to it's much shorter where a T-5 is longer and can disperse the heat at a faster rate, (more surface area). As with any lights fans help a bunch. Set them up blowing across the top of the water or your bulb. |
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02/03/2008, 10:24 AM
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#4 |
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Registered Member.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 135
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Well, I guess I would need 3 x 250w MH's for my tank. How much am I looking to spend here? Give or take a few.
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02/03/2008, 10:28 AM
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#5 |
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Premium Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Newburgh, IN
Posts: 1,763
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3x250=750
You will use 750 watts per hour. See what your electric company charges per kwh. (killo Watt hour). |
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02/03/2008, 10:45 AM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
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why three--is it longer than four feet
I use the coral life fixture which has 2, 150 watt mh's and 2, 96 watt attinics
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I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock |
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02/03/2008, 11:11 AM
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#7 |
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Registered Member.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 135
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Yes, it's 6 feet long.
My original plans were to get a 75g, and I read a lot about T5's and ended up buying a TX5. Didn't do much research on MH's because of the heat issues and because setting up MH's on a 48" was a lot more expensive than just buying a T5 fixture. Not sure if thats the case with a 72" tank... The T5 fixture I like (Constellation) goes for $1k, and not to mention the fact that I'll have to change 14 lamp every year! |
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02/03/2008, 11:13 AM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Va.
Posts: 4,400
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FWIW, I use T-5 only on a 125 gal. I get full coverage, enough to keep clams and any sps I want. It's an 8 bulb set up, 432 watts total. No chiller and no fans, temp stays at 77 deg year round.
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Semi-aggressive mixed reef w/ shallow sand bed 96x30x27 310gal custom acrylic w/ ext. "fail safe" overflow 125gal sump/cryptic fuge w/ 6" DSB 3 400w Plus Rite 20k MH in Lumembrights 2 250w Plus Rite 20k MH in spider reflectors VHO actinic supplementation 2 Tunze wave boxes 2 Tunze 6060 in Tunze Rocks 2 Tunze 6125 Reeflo 250 skimmer Hammerhead return on OM 4 way Aqua controller lll Leviton power panel Deltec Eco-Cooler Randy's Two part 6.5 kw generator |
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02/03/2008, 11:23 AM
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#9 |
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Registered Member.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 135
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Where did you get your fixture? Or is it a retro kit?
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02/03/2008, 02:34 PM
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#10 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Va.
Posts: 4,400
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I used the retro kits from Hellolights.
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Semi-aggressive mixed reef w/ shallow sand bed 96x30x27 310gal custom acrylic w/ ext. "fail safe" overflow 125gal sump/cryptic fuge w/ 6" DSB 3 400w Plus Rite 20k MH in Lumembrights 2 250w Plus Rite 20k MH in spider reflectors VHO actinic supplementation 2 Tunze wave boxes 2 Tunze 6060 in Tunze Rocks 2 Tunze 6125 Reeflo 250 skimmer Hammerhead return on OM 4 way Aqua controller lll Leviton power panel Deltec Eco-Cooler Randy's Two part 6.5 kw generator |
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