Lights

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Batman222b

Member
So I thought I understood lighting to some extent, but now I need some more info. Is there a difference between T5 and metal halide? I’m looking to add some tube lighting to my tank...maybe. Also curious if this is a good idea as I read this type of light is phasing out. Want to do it so I can get good growth on SPS. Currently have Chinese black boxes, but adding AI Hyrdas 1st gen to my 75 gal tank in a few weeks. Still trying to figure out how to use those. Thinking about 2 hanging fixtures with 2 bulbs/ fixture. 48” long lighting.
Also if anyone can point me in the right direction where I could get some cheap, that would be great!!!!
Thought adding the tube lighting would also help.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!!!!
 
oceanfreak09

oceanfreak09

Active member
Batman222b said:
So I thought I understood lighting to some extent, but now I need some more info. Is there a difference between T5 and metal halide? I’m looking to add some tube lighting to my tank...maybe. Also curious if this is a good idea as I read this type of light is phasing out. Want to do it so I can get good growth on SPS. Currently have Chinese black boxes, but adding AI Hyrdas 1st gen to my 75 gal tank in a few weeks. Still trying to figure out how to use those. Thinking about 2 hanging fixtures with 2 bulbs/ fixture. 48” long lighting.
Also if anyone can point me in the right direction where I could get some cheap, that would be great!!!!
Thought adding the tube lighting would also help.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!!!!
Click to expand...
Metal halide is not tube lighting at all. It comes in either a mongol screw in bulb or a double ended bulb that snaps into place and would need a ballast to power it and a fixture to hold the bulbs. These fixtures come with special glass for the high uv. They come in 150 watt, 250 watts and I’ve even seen higher. What is cool and special about the metal halide is that it gives a shimmery affect from the light cutting through the waves/Current. (so have a powerhead pointed at the surface to give that effect)Definitely a really cool look. The only downside is they cost more to run energy wise.

The tube style light would be ho which is outdated and I don’t even see anymore or like you mentioned their are t5 which come in lots of different colors/ spectrums.
With leds taking over because of the energy savings I don’t know how long these other options will be available.


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Batman222b

Member
So can you get halide still or are they hard to find? Costly?

Think T5 is a bad option then?

Thanks for the clarification!!!!
 
oceanfreak09

oceanfreak09

Active member
Batman222b said:
So can you get halide still or are they hard to find? Costly?

Think T5 is a bad option then?

Thanks for the clarification!!!!
Click to expand...
I’ll check into it and get back to you. I was on Bulk reef supply and wanting to order some t5 bulbs myself and it said out of stock when normally they have 500 to 1000 available. They had a email me when availed prompt which I am going to check back and select that prompt. I’ll let you know if I have any luck.


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Batman222b

Member
Sorry. Another question. Would a t5 fixture be the same as the basic shop lights...the white hanging lights that use Fluorescent bulbs?
 
oceanfreak09

oceanfreak09

Active member
Batman222b said:
Sorry. Another question. Would a t5 fixture be the same as the basic shop lights...the white hanging lights that use Fluorescent bulbs?
Click to expand...
No t5 are high output and have a spectrum that can keep corals. Shop lights may be ok for a refugium but not as a main light source for a reef tank.


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oceanfreak09

oceanfreak09

Active member
Batman222b said:
Thanks. What kind of lights are you running?
Click to expand...
-On my 150 gallon tank I run 4 t5’s ati blue plus and 3 sb reef lights leds.
-on my 180 gallon I run 6 bulbs of t5’s over four feet of it with ati coral plus, blue plus and purple plus bulbs. And then at one end(a 2 foot section I run 2 Chinese black box leds.


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oceanfreak09

oceanfreak09

Active member
oceanfreak09 said:
-On my 150 gallon tank I run 4 t5’s ati blue plus and 3 sb reef lights leds.
-on my 180 gallon I run 6 bulbs of t5’s over four feet of it with ati coral plus, blue plus and purple plus bulbs. And then at one end(a 2 foot section I run 2 Chinese black box leds.


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Oh yeah and my cube has two Chinese black boxes but I’m gonna bust out my old 250 watt metal halide cause I have a new bulb I never used. Just for old time sakes. Miss that shimmer effect.


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Sawdonkey

Sawdonkey

Premium member
There’s a lot to unpack here. You already have Chinese black boxes and this alone would likely grow SPS just fine, but I don’t know enough about your tank. So what’s the issue that you’re trying to resolve?

Metal halides, I’ve never used them, but the people who have been in it a long time often swear by them. The give off a powerful and well distributed light. They are inefficient and produce a lot of heat.

I’ve only used T5s for a short time, but they are more efficient than halides and also give off a flood of light that is well distributed and helps to eliminate shadows.

You know LEDs...
 
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Batman222b

Member
I tried to grow some SPS in the past using the black box....with no luck. Got some Hydra's for cheap. Was going to use T5 lights as well....wanted to know thoughts.

Know where to get T5 fixtures and lights for cheap?


Thanks for the reply!
 
Sawdonkey

Sawdonkey

Premium member
Batman222b said:
I tried to grow some SPS in the past using the black box....with no luck. Got some Hydra's for cheap. Was going to use T5 lights as well....wanted to know thoughts.

Know where to get T5 fixtures and lights for cheap?


Thanks for the reply!
Click to expand...
There’s a lot more to growing SPS than just lights. I imagine your black boxes are sufficient.

Tell us about what went wrong and why you think it’s your lights. How old was your tank? What’s were your NO3 and PO4? What was your alkalinity?

If you want new lights because you want a new look, then go ahead and buy something. If you just want to be able to keep SPS, then I think you’re likely misdiagnosing your problem.
 
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Batman222b

Member
Read the Chinese black box don’t support SPS growth. Read that Halide and t5 in combo with Decent LED lughts support good coral growth for SPS and LPS.
 
Sawdonkey

Sawdonkey

Premium member
Any of those three lighting technologies, singly or combined, can grow SPS with the right conditions. What black boxes do you have? They aren’t all the same.

My old tank was grown completely under black boxes (ocean revive)

 
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Batman222b

Member
That’s an awesome tank! That’s what I’m shooting for...on a smaller scale. That opens so many other questions for me..but I’ll curb the ADD for now.
I have 2 Light time tunnel lights. Got them from Amazon when I started.
 
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