Should i get a T5 lighting or a metal halide for my saltwater reef tank?
I have a 75 gallon bow front saltwater aquarium. I’m planning to start a reef tank. Should I get a T5 or a metal halide? I heard that T5 is fine for the height of my tank plus a metal halide tank is pretty expensive. Any suggestions?
If I get T5 lighting will I be able to keep many varieties of corals/clams or only a few since it is not as strong as metal Halide?
A 75g bow front is pretty deep and although T5 will work, the PAR available at the bottom of the tank is not going to equal that of the metal halide.
If you have room to put the halides about 8 inches off of the surface of your tank then the heat will not really be an issue and may remove the need for you to run a heater as long as you have adequate flow (20x the total volume including the sump).
The halide bulbs are expensive vs. the T5 but 8 T5 bulbs vs. 1 halide bulb? The costs are not that far apart after doing the math.
They both require ballasts to run so you really are better off in my opinion to run the metal halides. You can get a 250w pendant style halide unit with ballast and a bulb used in the hobbyist selling forum of http://www.reefcentral.com for about 150.00 so they are not that expensive plus with 250w halide over your tank, you can keep any type of coral/clam that you want.
I would look into an LED fixture before making my decision. They are low heat, low power consumption, no bulbs to replace for about 10 years or more, etc, etc, etc.
Lots of people say that metal halides are the best lighting available as they are pretty much the closest thing to the actual sun. Metal halides give off a desired shimmer effect as well. Under a metal halide, you can keep lots of varieties of corals/clams, depending on the wattage.
T5 lighting is basically the next best thing. If you’re keeping a reef tank then I think a T5 lighting would suffice, because metal halides can be expensive.
Metal halides can cause a raise in temperature as they can be quite hotter than the T5’s. I think it’s all a matter of personal preference, whether you prefer that shimmery look of the metal halides versus the normal look of the T5 lighting.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:17 pmReferences :
6-8 t5 bulbs with individual reflectors would basically equal a standard 250 watt halide unit.
Sunlight supply co. makes just such a t5 light that I happen to own.
T5’s are much cheaper run and replace, and don’t put out nearly the heat of a halide lamp (more efficient)
March 11th, 2010 at 2:49 pmIf you still want that shimmery look I suggest adding a strip or two of white LEDs, they’ll get kinda close
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Get the halide (250W++) if you want high light coral like most Acropora, but if you only want moderate light corals (many of the brains, torch corals, frogspawns, many other LPS and a wide range of softs) then the T5 is just right and will save you on bulb costs and higher power bills. Many people prefer the LPS and softs since they have more movement in the tank. Many SPS are OK under the T-5s, there are just a few that you would be limited on.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:31 pmReferences :
Me.
as bg said if you can get 8 bulbs or so you should be just fine with t5
some of the sps experts in my local reef club are running on t5 lighting no issues
March 11th, 2010 at 4:09 pmReferences :
A 75g bow front is pretty deep and although T5 will work, the PAR available at the bottom of the tank is not going to equal that of the metal halide.
If you have room to put the halides about 8 inches off of the surface of your tank then the heat will not really be an issue and may remove the need for you to run a heater as long as you have adequate flow (20x the total volume including the sump).
The halide bulbs are expensive vs. the T5 but 8 T5 bulbs vs. 1 halide bulb? The costs are not that far apart after doing the math.
They both require ballasts to run so you really are better off in my opinion to run the metal halides. You can get a 250w pendant style halide unit with ballast and a bulb used in the hobbyist selling forum of http://www.reefcentral.com for about 150.00 so they are not that expensive plus with 250w halide over your tank, you can keep any type of coral/clam that you want.
I would look into an LED fixture before making my decision. They are low heat, low power consumption, no bulbs to replace for about 10 years or more, etc, etc, etc.
March 11th, 2010 at 4:37 pmReferences :