Been away from the hobby for 4 years, what has changed in lighting?

rireuter · 12/13/2014, 12:41 PM

My wife wants me to set up a tank in our living room, so what has changed in lighting? Before i ran ATI T5 fixtures and i enjoyed the colors. I also had a rimless tank, this time it will be a large, 300 gallonish SPS dominated reef with a canopy. Are LEDs still not what everyone was hoping for, or do they actually work and look good now? Thinking of a MH retro this time seems how i'll have a canopy. Should i supplement with T5 or LED? I have never ran MH so i don't know who makes the best reflectors and what not. Sounds like Radiums are the bees knees. If i wanted to do a MH retro with radium bulbs whats the best reflectors and ballast? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

dwebster86 · 12/13/2014, 12:46 PM

For mh. M80 ballasts. Hamilton makes them

Wazzel · 12/13/2014, 01:56 PM

For Mh and T-5 not much has changed. A few better reflectors but the lamps and ballast are still the same. LED is there but they are much more complicated to operate properly. It has some issues unique to them that may cause you problems.

M80 ballast for the radiums. I am not sure what the current good MH reflectors are since I run LED.

dailydriven911 · 12/13/2014, 01:58 PM

If you go the LED route look at Kessil. They have the most natural looking shimmer and color IMO. I like the Radions but you get a bit of a disco ball effect with them and most other LED's.

dwebster86 · 12/13/2014, 02:57 PM

I think Lumatek? is good reflectors? Least thats what I've read. may have the name wrong. I'm just buying an all in one MH/T5 fixture.

ca1ore · 12/13/2014, 05:01 PM

LEDs are now a viable lighting alternative; and large tube VHO/HO are 'obsolete'. Other than a few tweaks here and there, other lighting alternative remain essentially the same.

rireuter · 12/13/2014, 09:21 PM

Thanks for the input. Looks like i'll either be running ati fixtures again or MH retro pendants.

12/13/2014, 12:41 PM	#1
rireuter Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 266	Been away from the hobby for 4 years, what has changed in lighting? My wife wants me to set up a tank in our living room, so what has changed in lighting? Before i ran ATI T5 fixtures and i enjoyed the colors. I also had a rimless tank, this time it will be a large, 300 gallonish SPS dominated reef with a canopy. Are LEDs still not what everyone was hoping for, or do they actually work and look good now? Thinking of a MH retro this time seems how i'll have a canopy. Should i supplement with T5 or LED? I have never ran MH so i don't know who makes the best reflectors and what not. Sounds like Radiums are the bees knees. If i wanted to do a MH retro with radium bulbs whats the best reflectors and ballast? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

12/13/2014, 12:46 PM	#2
dwebster86 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Shreveport, LA Posts: 220	For mh. M80 ballasts. Hamilton makes them __________________ 180g 30g Frag Current Tank Info: 180g In Progress

12/13/2014, 01:56 PM	#3
Wazzel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Houma, LA Posts: 4,743	For Mh and T-5 not much has changed. A few better reflectors but the lamps and ballast are still the same. LED is there but they are much more complicated to operate properly. It has some issues unique to them that may cause you problems. M80 ballast for the radiums. I am not sure what the current good MH reflectors are since I run LED. __________________ Mark Beware the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it's a train. Current Tank Info: 120, LED, Bare Bottom, SPS/LPS

12/13/2014, 01:58 PM	#4
dailydriven911 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bonney Lake, WA Posts: 550	If you go the LED route look at Kessil. They have the most natural looking shimmer and color IMO. I like the Radions but you get a bit of a disco ball effect with them and most other LED's. __________________ Red Sea Reefer 170, Kessil A360N w/ controller, MP10wes, RKL, BM Curve 5, Aquamaxx Reactors

12/13/2014, 05:01 PM	#6
ca1ore Grizzled & Cynical Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stamford, CT Posts: 17,319	LEDs are now a viable lighting alternative; and large tube VHO/HO are 'obsolete'. Other than a few tweaks here and there, other lighting alternative remain essentially the same. __________________ Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs

12/13/2014, 02:57 PM	#5
dwebster86 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Shreveport, LA Posts: 220	I think Lumatek? is good reflectors? Least thats what I've read. may have the name wrong. I'm just buying an all in one MH/T5 fixture.

12/13/2014, 09:21 PM	#7
rireuter Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 266	Thanks for the input. Looks like i'll either be running ati fixtures again or MH retro pendants.