Lighting

The benefits of metal halides are the shimmer, color (good color is very possible with t5s as well, don't get me wrong, it's just not quite as easy as putting in a great bulb) and being able to cram an incredible amount of light into a small package.

T5s are a great potential package, and I think probably the right one until we see luxim's new lighting hit the market (which will make every current reef lighting option completely obsolete)

http://gizmodo.com/369372/luxims-250w-tic+tac-sized-bulb-blows-away-400w-leds

 

Wow!  Cool link Ryan!  Those are def. going to be the next step in reef lighting!  I can't believe they're getting that much light out of one tiny LED!
Here's a video.  LINK

 

The street lights are 400w MH bulbs. There are actually quite a few people that use 400 w MH bulbs over there reef tanks. /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif

 

If you are concerned about costs or heat, then T5's are the way to go and corals will probably grow great under them, but they can't duplicate the "shimmer" of metal halides. The only way to get nearly the best of both worlds (currently) is to go with LED, and you're talking a MAJOR investment.

One important note about T5's is that you need to be sure and get individual reflectors on every bulb. That makes a big difference.

-JB

 

Streetlights, I believe, are mercury vapor. That or high pressure sodium. Cheaper for the output, with total disregard for color. You see that lighting in greenhouses much more than metal halide. I may be talking out of my ***, I'm only about 80% certain.
Don't feel like looking it up this time - I'm in the middle of fragging.

 

I like the T5's but I have had problems with the unit(Corallife) itself getting to hot and starting on fire and also been shocked by mine a acouple of times.  Water and electricity definetly dont mix but the coralife is escpecially  unsafe after one drop of water.  I have a couple of buddy's who have had similar incidents. 

 

Becareful looking at the price while shopping for T5's. Not all T5's are created equal. There are a good bit of variables that can make them or break them. I have a Nova extreme T5 fixture that I feel can barely light my 55. I also have a T5 retro-fit with SLR's driven by an ice-cap 660 ballast on my 90. Both have 4 lamps but the retro-fit one throws off atleast twice the light. T5 lamps probably only last a year versus the 2 years some companies advertise.
The only issue I have with Metal halides is the heat they give off. With out a chiller in the summer it'd be hard to keep the temp down with MH. The MH lamps do give the shimmer and cast a beauty I do not think is obtainable with T5's.
The cost between them after setting up is pretty comparable. 2 MH lamps is close to $150 while 4-6 T5's lamps are close to the same.

 

We are working on making a new, less expensive LED system, but it won't be ready for at least a month.

 

Posted By brettstout on 03/31/2008 8:33 PM
We are working on making a new, less expensive LED system, but it won't be ready for at least a month.
"We"....Who is we?  Do you work/own a lighting company or is this a DIY project?

 

Posted By got2lb on 03/31/2008 3:14 PM
Wow!  Cool link Ryan!  Those are def. going to be the next step in reef lighting!  I can't believe they're getting that much light out of one tiny LED!
Here's a video.  LINK
The new Luxim bulb is not an LED

 

Posted By CyberJester on 04/01/2008 8:15 AM
Posted By got2lb on 03/31/2008 3:14 PM
Wow!  Cool link Ryan!  Those are def. going to be the next step in reef lighting!  I can't believe they're getting that much light out of one tiny LED!
Here's a video.  LINK
The new Luxim bulb is not an LED
You're right it's a plasma lightbulb but it's the size of a led

 

i have the current nova extreem t5ho with 4 t5 bulbs and it's ok for my tank, but if i would have known then what i know now i would have gotten a different t5 fixture. i believe t5 is a very good option for lighting, it's just a matter for combining the right bulbs, ballasts, and reflectors.

 

If you do decide to go with the current usa route, they have an ebay account where they sell their fixtures that were sent back for cheap. I would go with the IceCap though, everybody seems to love them.

 

Posted By calebjk on 04/01/2008 9:09 AM
i have the current nova extreem t5ho with 4 t5 bulbs and it's ok for my tank, but if i would have known then what i know now i would have gotten a different t5 fixture. i believe t5 is a very good option for lighting, it's just a matter for combining the right bulbs, ballasts, and reflectors.
  Not sure how old your lamps are in the nova extreme but when you replace the lamps get better ones.  I had to use my nova extreme for a bit on my 90 when I blew up a icecap ballast.  I changed the lamps to the ones for my retro-fit and it probably doubled the light out put on the nova.

 

Posted By vvolfe1 on 04/01/2008 3:35 PM
Posted By calebjk on 04/01/2008 9:09 AM
i have the current nova extreem t5ho with 4 t5 bulbs and it's ok for my tank, but if i would have known then what i know now i would have gotten a different t5 fixture. i believe t5 is a very good option for lighting, it's just a matter for combining the right bulbs, ballasts, and reflectors.
  Not sure how old your lamps are in the nova extreme but when you replace the lamps get better ones.  I had to use my nova extreme for a bit on my 90 when I blew up a icecap ballast.  I changed the lamps to the ones for my retro-fit and it probably doubled the light out put on the nova.
that's what i'd like to do. the fixture will be a year old in august, so i plan on getting some better bulbs then. what bulbs do you recommend?

 

Posted By calebjk on 04/01/2008 9:09 AM
i have the current nova extreem t5ho with 4 t5 bulbs and it's ok for my tank, but if i would have known then what i know now i would have gotten a different t5 fixture. i believe t5 is a very good option for lighting, it's just a matter for combining the right bulbs, ballasts, and reflectors.



While i am very pro the use of the Luxim plasma bulbs, I don't think they are going to be the "best" answer for aquarium lighting, they lack certain benefits that you can get from LEDs, they are terrific lights but lack a few of the benefits you can get from LEDs, most importantly in my openion, is the ability to dim. But, they are certainly a viable upgrade from simple "on/off" unadjustable input MH and Flours. I have not yet read any data on the heat issue when dealing with the plasma bulbs either. They are not really designed for aquarium use, more of an industrial and streetlight application where heat isn't as much of a factor. Just my thoughts, and definitely open for debate of if anyone has any info that might sway my opinion I am very open to hearing it.

 

Posted By brettstout on 04/02/2008 10:32 AM
While i am very pro the use of the Luxim plasma bulbs, I don't think they are going to be the "best" answer for aquarium lighting, they lack certain benefits that you can get from LEDs, they are terrific lights but lack a few of the benefits you can get from LEDs, most importantly in my openion, is the ability to dim. But, they are certainly a viable upgrade from simple "on/off" unadjustable input MH and Flours. I have not yet read any data on the heat issue when dealing with the plasma bulbs either. They are not really designed for aquarium use, more of an industrial and streetlight application where heat isn't as much of a factor. Just my thoughts, and definitely open for debate of if anyone has any info that might sway my opinion I am very open to hearing it.
I thought that I read somewhere that they would be dimmable.   Also, I thought part of the "Magic" behind them being so bright is that they convert more energy to light than heat vs other bulbs, so they might actually be better on both of those fronts.
-JB