Looking For Lighting

Well I am a T5 guy so I will give you my side of the argument.

Yes T5 is cheaper to run, less heat. Another nice thing is you can change the color spectrum by changing out 1 bulb.

If you really want the shimmer you can also install a powerbrite module. I have heard really good feedback from them.

The only thing I would worry about is 30 inches is pretty deep. As long as you keep your high need lights up you should be ok.

 

I would go with 2 250 metal hilides 10,000k and two 48" vho accentic bulbs you will get more watts then t-5 with less bulbs to replace every year

 

Posted By ninjazx777 on 06/16/2009 12:15 PM
I would go with 2 250 metal hilides 10,000k and two 48" vho accentic bulbs you will get more watts then t-5 with less bulbs to replace every year
Not true,
8 bulbs overdriven by an icecap ballast will get you 560 Watts.
8 T5 bulbs would be the same if not less then 2 good MH bulbs.
I keep a selection so I can change the color from whiter to bluer whenever I want. 

 

you can run 8 t5's off one icecap?

 

no, you will need 2 660's

 

ok thats what i thought, i was going to really happy if i could do it off one cause then i'd just scrap my halides haha

 

660 is the standard ballast that runs T5 bulbs. It is made by Ice cap. There is good information on their site www.icecapinc.com.

Last year that the fall fest icecap sold them to members for $105 each.

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Current_USA_PowerBrite_LED_Lighting_System_Linkable_LED_Light_Fixtures~vendor~Current_USA~idProduct~CU01643~idCategory~FILTFILDLK.html

have to get the main module then you can add additional links to them

i have an ice cap i was going to use for VHO's with my halides on my 120, i might just scrap that idea and go with all T5's too

 

yes yes it adds up quick, wait till you start pricing plumbing supplys, some of it is outrageous! i'm going to have over a hundred bucks in just valves and unions let alone the piping i need. good luck with your build though, like i said before take your time and plan it out well. it will save you time and money in the long run

 

If I could just ask a question here I would appreciate it. Remember I am a beginner and I have a brain disease so I screw up on details once in a while but have always been very good with eletronics and computers. I have the dual T5 fixtures with the one blue one white bulb on both our 20 gallon and 75 gallon. Now, the 20 gallon I think is fine, but I need to get a lot more wattage on the 75 gallon tank. I really like the coralife fixture that has the dual VHO's with the lunar lighting and was thinking about that but is there a lot cheaper way to accomplish the same thing?

 

If you want one in a self contained nice package it will probably run you $300-$400 for a 48" tank.

 

Remember folks its not wattage we are most concerned with, its PAR. PAR tells you more about how much usable light will penetrate deeper. If you have things high T5s are awesome, if not then they aren't as good as Halides. Any disagreement there?
Also, as far as annual cost .....  2 halide bulbs will run $100-$200 depending on what you like. With 8 T5 bulbs aren's you looking at a minimum of $160 bulb replacement costs every year? T5s work great but is there really much savings besides in heat?

 

I am not saying MH is bad, I used it for a couple years.

Price on bulb are about the same if you replace them annually. Most really good T-5 bulbs are between $14 - $25 each. Really good MH 250's are $80 - $100 each.

I know my light bill is much lower since I have went with T-5's.

If anyone is on the fence there is a good thread on RC about t5 Q&A under the equipment section.

There are alot of really nice SPS tanks with nice montis growing on the bottom of T-5 tanks.

There are so many things in this hobby that works great for alot of people. There is no right or wrong, just a matter of preference.

 

No for deeper tanks a MH will have more penetration. That is why I was concerned when I thought your tanks was 36D instead of 24.

Unless your house is not airconditioned you probably wont have to run a chiller if you use t5 that is cooled properly.