Thinking of going to MH

[jdeb101]

Thinking of switching out my 36" T5 6-bulb fixture for a MH or MH/T5 combo fixture on my 95 wave front tank. Coloration and growth on most corals has been pretty weak and I think it's due to lack of PAR.

My knowledge with MH is pretty minimal since I've mostly run T5's on my tanks since day 1. I know that I at least want a hangable fixture, and leaning towards a MH/T5 combo so I can play around with coloration.

I can't spend a lot on this, however I don't want to dish out cash on something that's junk and/or won't give much better results than the T5's currently on my tank.

A quick search on eBay and I found this. The pricing is very attractive, but again I don't want some junk that won't help much and burn my house down.

Suggestions??

 

[PThanh1968]

Just point out the MH light on the link would not work for you. 36" with 1 bulb will not cover 48" L tank, plus your tank has center brace. You need 48" light with 2 bulbs (maybe 175W each).

 

[jdeb101]

Just point out the MH light on the link would not work for you. 36" with 1 bulb will not cover 48" L tank, plus your tank has center brace. You need 48" light with 2 bulbs (maybe 175W each).

Agreed, however they also make a 2 bulb fixture for still pretty low price. Thanks.

 

[Jim Tansey]

MH is a great light but T5s also have a great track record with corals, I think I would look else ware for a fix.

Jim

 

[s_kelley]

I'd be Leary of those Chinese halides, I thin I read that they are prone to fires, forget the brand name, odyssey maybe?
Someone else prob will chime in.
did you try looking at individual reflectors w/bulbs, one for each side of the tank? People have them for sale often and usually for short money. Or are you strictly looking for a single fixture?

 

[nemodan]

Light is a factor on growth and color, but tank parameters are more important for color, and I am thinking about SPS.

Are you talking about SPS ?

 

[Blitzburggirl]

Forgive me for asking, but I'm new here... So I don't know you or your setup.. What type of corals/animals are you looking to keep? Or keeping that aren't pleasing you? I personally love halides.. But they aren't for everyone or every set up. Some of the best growth I've seen on coral and colors was under a few T5 fixtures.

I've always overdone light according to most reefers, but I like 20k MH. I don't really care for zoas or a lot of LPS.. But love light hungry nems and sticks. So it worked for me. I like my house cold and didn't mind the power consumption (hey... They reduced my heat bill with 4 400w halides over a 180!!)

When I went to a smaller tank, heat became a problem and I went to LEDs and T5. Will heat be a problem for you? Do you have a canopy or open top? If your house is much more than 72 heat becomes a problem usually. That's a stability issue... How deep is your tank?

Typically color and growth is best tweaked by seriously getting your parameters in check and maintaining them tightly. Alk/calcium was always a struggle for me, but when it was good... Ohhhhhh man!!! No matter what light. A reputable and appropriate T5 can do wonders.

Side note : Make sure you don't put a MH bulb over your brace. A: wasted light B: cooked brace means bowed tank!!

 

[this is me]

With the amount of current and the heat the MH is drawing and producing, I would be very careful on which fixture to get. I don't know those Ebay fixture well but there are plenty of used MH fixtures for sale for not much more than that.

 

[jdeb101]

With the T5's I'm currently using I'm getting roughly 150-175 par at highest level of tank and below 100 in sand bed. I have a mixed reef, and while the weak colors are mostly with my SPS, some other coral such as my chalice, gorgonia, acans, etc also have poor coloration. Growth is mix as well... chalice, caps, and some SPS show decent growth whereas some of my zoas, shrooms, and other SPS have shown about 0% growth for 6-9 months now.

As for params, my temp is kept pretty stable with apex controller at about 78 degrees, nitrates and phosphates have always remained undetectable on my system (I assume the hair algae that my tank loves to grow eats it all up?). I dose Seachem reef builder and reef advantage to maintain my alk/calc/mag levels. I dose for alk every other day so it does swing .7dkh between that time. Is that too much? Calc is pretty much maintained around 410-420 and I dose twice a week to maintain that.

I would also guess my system is an ULNS as I have 6 fish and undetectable phosphates and nitrates. I try feeding variety and spread out, usually anywhere from once to three times a day. Regularly fed frozen mysis or brine, LTR frozen once a week, Ocean Nutrtion flake and pellets very little here and there, acropower and BRS reef chili once a week.

Again, the weak par with my lighting was my assumption on why I'm getting poor coloration, but perhaps you guys have other reasons to believe?

 

[this is me]

If you believe your tank is ULNS, then the stronger light will just bleach out your corals even more. Light penetration is better through low nutrient than high nutrient. Getting good colors in all your corals in the tank is truly challenging and one that requires a lot of observation and adjusting.
For me, getting good colors on my SPS and LPS is always a challenge. Some SPS can tolerate LPS condition better than others and vice versa.

 

[jdeb101]

If you believe your tank is ULNS, then the stronger light will just bleach out your corals even more. Light penetration is better through low nutrient than high nutrient. Getting good colors in all your corals in the tank is truly challenging and one that requires a lot of observation and adjusting.
For me, getting good colors on my SPS and LPS is always a challenge. Some SPS can tolerate LPS condition better than others and vice versa.

Understood, better light penetration through an ulns, however even still doesn't par levels at 175 at highest point seem on low side?

 

[Blitzburggirl]

I'll be very honest here. I see you're not a new reefer, so I think you will take it the way it is intended. Honestly.... I have studied PAR readings, and forgot PAR readings. I have studied spectrums with certain bulbs and... well.. whatever. Forgot those too. Your corals tell the truth. The rest is subjective- right?

Soooo all this PAR stuff.. it's important, but what is most important is environment. Caps are so strange. Sometimes they are like weeds and soooo forgiving. I had a lyng sy.. forgive the spelling please.. that was 100% happy and growing when I was neglecting my parameters and probably a t my lowest light ever in any system. Then I put my alk and calcium (insane swings in the course of a day!!!! ) to the grindstone... and guess what!? Die off!! But my huge happy LTA and Haddoni seemed super happy and touching in the immediate vicinity.. Was the die off due to chemical warfare? I will.never.know.

When you you described your dosing.. I was kinda jealous.. wish I was that good!! Do you do that as a result of testing, habit, or a combo of both, or ... you know.. like ... label directions?

 

[CoralJunkie]

What fixture and bulbs are you currently using?

 

[Enterprise]

I was going to ask the same thing. There is a big difference between a nice ATI or Giesemann and all the rest with reflectors. Bulbs are a big difference as well. I used a single 6.5k daylight bulb mixed in with 4 Blue+ and a Fiji Pink when I had a 6 bulb ATI. That was for a Clam and SPS tank with some Acans.

 

[CoralJunkie]

Yeah,back in the day I'd run 2 blue+ and 2 coral+ and that grew everything fast and colorful. Chalice would double in size in a month.

 

[reef87]

Yeah,back in the day I'd run 2 blue+ and 2 coral+ and that grew everything fast and colorful. Chalice would double in size in a month.

back in your day, they did not have coral+. I believe the coral+ just came out 4-5 yrs only.

 

[jdeb101]

When you you described your dosing.. I was kinda jealous.. wish I was that good!! Do you do that as a result of testing, habit, or a combo of both, or ... you know.. like ... label directions?

When I first started up this tank earlier this year is when I played close attention to dosing. After a week or so of continuous testing I determined that was what my tank consumed, and therefore according to the label from seachem additives that is how I determined how much/often to dose.

What fixture and bulbs are you currently using?

Fixture is a Sunlight Supply Tek Elite 36" 6 bulb fixture. Each bulb has it's individual reflector made of high quality reflective aluminum. I believe some of the more top end T5 fixtures out there produce more par by overdriving the bulbs, this fixture however does not do that.

Bulbs I've used ATI for years... currently for the dawn/dusk I have 2 blue+, and then middle 4 bulbs consist of coral, blue+, actinic, and aquablue special bulbs. Lighting schedule is the 2 outer blue+ go on from 12pm to 10pm, 4 middle bulbs go on from 1pm to 9pm.

 

[wpeterson]

I'm not sure this will help your coral, but it's definitely an effective way to heat your house during the winter.

 

[reef87]

I think in this hobby, whatever works for you then keep doing it. What works for others might not work for you.and.vice.versus.


Sent from my GT-I9192 using Tapatalk

 

[nemodan]

With the T5's I'm currently using I'm getting roughly 150-175 par at highest level of tank and below 100 in sand bed. I have a mixed reef, and while the weak colors are mostly with my SPS, some other coral such as my chalice, gorgonia, acans, etc also have poor coloration. Growth is mix as well... chalice, caps, and some SPS show decent growth whereas some of my zoas, shrooms, and other SPS have shown about 0% growth for 6-9 months now.

As for params, my temp is kept pretty stable with apex controller at about 78 degrees, nitrates and phosphates have always remained undetectable on my system (I assume the hair algae that my tank loves to grow eats it all up?). I dose Seachem reef builder and reef advantage to maintain my alk/calc/mag levels. I dose for alk every other day so it does swing .7dkh between that time. Is that too much? Calc is pretty much maintained around 410-420 and I dose twice a week to maintain that.

I would also guess my system is an ULNS as I have 6 fish and undetectable phosphates and nitrates. I try feeding variety and spread out, usually anywhere from once to three times a day. Regularly fed frozen mysis or brine, LTR frozen once a week, Ocean Nutrtion flake and pellets very little here and there, acropower and BRS reef chili once a week.

Again, the weak par with my lighting was my assumption on why I'm getting poor coloration, but perhaps you guys have other reasons to believe?

I will provide my guess , at least with the SPS......Based on your description they are starving and are pale.

- 0.7 dkh swing every other day I will be in panic, BUT if your SPS are not S/RTN , do not modify it.

- 6 fish for a 95 G tank with P.0 and N.0 is too low. Or you start to feed those 6 fish like dinosaurs or you start to buy more fish (not all together to avoid stress in the tank). I have 15 fish in a 90G total volume system.

Questions:

What is your dkh ?
How old are the T5 you have now ?
What T5 combo you have ?

Cheers
Daniel
Ps: That was my opinion (starving ) based on my experience with SPS. That do not mean you have to take it and start buying fish. But if you are worry of pale color in SPS, I will suggest you use those key words, and read what you find.

Cheers again