Alternative for Metal Halide?
- Thread starter denman
- Start date
littlebuck
Active Member
well you can get power compacts, VHO work well but for the prices its better to get MH that way you dont have to upgrade down the line. What are you looking at spending on lighting?
X
xrobbx03
Guest
T5 is a step down from MH and is better than VHO and PC
zman1
Active Member
However, efficiency is the key and not output, is what you are saying...
HO stands for HIGH OUPUT and VHO stands for VERY HIGH OUTPUT.
You have to watch T5's just like T12's they come in NO (Normal Output) versions as well.
As an example:
T5 48" HO 54W 4100K - Lumens = 5000
T12 48" VHO 110W 4100K - Lumens = 6200
VHO puts out more lumens or light intensity
HO stands for HIGH OUPUT and VHO stands for VERY HIGH OUTPUT.
You have to watch T5's just like T12's they come in NO (Normal Output) versions as well.
As an example:
T5 48" HO 54W 4100K - Lumens = 5000
T12 48" VHO 110W 4100K - Lumens = 6200
VHO puts out more lumens or light intensity
X
xrobbx03
Guest
Originally Posted by zman1
However, efficiency is the key and not output, is what you are saying...
HO stands for HIGH OUPUT and VHO stands for VERY HIGH OUTPUT.
You have to watch T5's just like T12's they come in NO (Normal Output) versions as well.
As an example:
T5 48" HO 54W 4100K - Lumens = 5000
T12 48" VHO 110W 4100K - Lumens = 6200
VHO puts out more lumens or light intensity
well thats not what i have ready anywhere about T5 vs VHO. T5 puts out far more lumens then VHO. T5 would be an alternative to a MH setup but u would need more bulbs. I will let you kno i currently have VHO and going to change those to actinics and put in 4x39 HO 10k T5 bulbs and i will let you kno on the difference.
However, efficiency is the key and not output, is what you are saying...
HO stands for HIGH OUPUT and VHO stands for VERY HIGH OUTPUT.
You have to watch T5's just like T12's they come in NO (Normal Output) versions as well.
As an example:
T5 48" HO 54W 4100K - Lumens = 5000
T12 48" VHO 110W 4100K - Lumens = 6200
VHO puts out more lumens or light intensity
well thats not what i have ready anywhere about T5 vs VHO. T5 puts out far more lumens then VHO. T5 would be an alternative to a MH setup but u would need more bulbs. I will let you kno i currently have VHO and going to change those to actinics and put in 4x39 HO 10k T5 bulbs and i will let you kno on the difference.
unleashed
Active Member
lighting overveiw range is listed from lowest lighting output to highest
[hr]
florescents NO=normal output 15-40w last 6-18 months* 3,000°-20,000°K; actinic Wide range of colors, sizes; aesthetic; efficient; cool; inexpensive Not ideallysuited forphoto-synthetic plants or invertebrates Mini or micro reef with lowlight corals and plants;fish only;use actinic for dawn to dusk with metal halides
T5 HO=hi output florescents 24-54w last 16-24 months 6,000°-11,000°K; actinic Longevity, high intensity, small size, cool running Not ideally suited for aquariums more than 24" deep Reef less than 24" deep; freshwater planted; use actinic for dawn-dusk with metal halides
VHO=very high ourput 75-165w last 4-18months* 10,000°K; actinic Large selection of sizes;longer bulb life than standard fluorescent Higher heat - may require a chiller Reefs less than 24" deep; use
actinic fordawn-dusk with metalhalides
PC=power compact 9-96w 14-24 months 5,000°-10,000°K; actinic Longevity;high intensity; wide spectrum
range;compact May producehigher heat -may requirea chiller Reef lessthan 24" deep;
freshwater planted;use actinicfor dawn-dusk with metal
MH= metal halide 175-1000w last 6 to 18 months 4,000°-20,000K° Highestintensity;wide spectrum
range Higher heat - may requirea chiller; possible UV radiation Reefs or freshwater
more than
24" deep;
photosynthetic
corals and
invertebrates
I hope this lighting chart helps as you can see No other lights come even close to MH in lighting output.also please notice all other lighting choices also state with use in conjunction with MH lighting for coral reefs not as a replacement for them
[hr]
florescents NO=normal output 15-40w last 6-18 months* 3,000°-20,000°K; actinic Wide range of colors, sizes; aesthetic; efficient; cool; inexpensive Not ideallysuited forphoto-synthetic plants or invertebrates Mini or micro reef with lowlight corals and plants;fish only;use actinic for dawn to dusk with metal halides
T5 HO=hi output florescents 24-54w last 16-24 months 6,000°-11,000°K; actinic Longevity, high intensity, small size, cool running Not ideally suited for aquariums more than 24" deep Reef less than 24" deep; freshwater planted; use actinic for dawn-dusk with metal halides
VHO=very high ourput 75-165w last 4-18months* 10,000°K; actinic Large selection of sizes;longer bulb life than standard fluorescent Higher heat - may require a chiller Reefs less than 24" deep; use
actinic fordawn-dusk with metalhalides
PC=power compact 9-96w 14-24 months 5,000°-10,000°K; actinic Longevity;high intensity; wide spectrum
range;compact May producehigher heat -may requirea chiller Reef lessthan 24" deep;
freshwater planted;use actinicfor dawn-dusk with metal
MH= metal halide 175-1000w last 6 to 18 months 4,000°-20,000K° Highestintensity;wide spectrum
range Higher heat - may requirea chiller; possible UV radiation Reefs or freshwater
more than
24" deep;
photosynthetic
corals and
invertebrates
I hope this lighting chart helps as you can see No other lights come even close to MH in lighting output.also please notice all other lighting choices also state with use in conjunction with MH lighting for coral reefs not as a replacement for them
X
xrobbx03
Guest
this is what i saw on another thread: In listing least to best.
NO<- normal output. some soft coral but really only good for fish only tanks
HO<-- High output. most soft corals
pc<-- power compact most soft corals some lps. no sps or clams
VHO<-- Very high output. most corals otehr then some sps and clams IMO
T5<-- just about any coral you want depending on the wattage, reflector, and ballast
MH<-- metal halide. any coral you want as well as clams
NO<- normal output. some soft coral but really only good for fish only tanks
HO<-- High output. most soft corals
pc<-- power compact most soft corals some lps. no sps or clams
VHO<-- Very high output. most corals otehr then some sps and clams IMO
T5<-- just about any coral you want depending on the wattage, reflector, and ballast
MH<-- metal halide. any coral you want as well as clams
zman1
Active Member
Attached is a comparison from Westinghouse for T12HO, T8, and T5HO. Couldn't find one for T12VHO to T5HO. To be fair T5 are much more efficient and a better buy for your running cost based on Lumens per Watt. If you are willing to pay more operating cost, then T12VHOs have more Lumens output than T5HO's and MH more than VHOs. Also, to be fair, you need to take into account that because the manufacturer indicates T5 last 20k hours this is also what they say for VHOs. This picture came from a PDF where they are trying to sell and promote T5s.
They had a couple graphs as well, where they conveniently left out the T12HO on one and included it on the other where the T5HO outperformed the T12HO. Again, it's shame they didn't have T12VHO to T5HO comparisons.
They had a couple graphs as well, where they conveniently left out the T12HO on one and included it on the other where the T5HO outperformed the T12HO. Again, it's shame they didn't have T12VHO to T5HO comparisons.
sharkbait9
Active Member
So then what and where do hqi lights stand? and what are they? i thought that they are mh lights?
sharkbait9
Active Member
ok so hqi is mh do they penatrate just as deep or what? how high should hqi/mh fixtures be hung or stand off the tank
unleashed
Active Member
the big difference with SE MH and HQI are the protective covers for them HQI has no UV protectants to the bulb them selfs you must use a UV lense to sheild the rays it gives off the same intense lighting as a tanning bed bulb would and without the sheild can cause blindness and release of harmful UV rays.SE have a UV housing wrapped on the bulb already and do not require a sheid to prevent UV leakage.do not for any reason handle these bulbs bare handed touching the glass residue left from your finger prints can cause damage the protective outer casing and can cause the bulb to explode.
No other lighting gives the equivelent amount of lighting as MH does.
information i posted above was not printed by a hobbiest it was listed from a lighting retail source distributed by manufacterers of lighting.one would think they know what each light is capable of doing and intended for
No other lighting gives the equivelent amount of lighting as MH does.
information i posted above was not printed by a hobbiest it was listed from a lighting retail source distributed by manufacterers of lighting.one would think they know what each light is capable of doing and intended for
hrlygma
Member
In defense of T5 lighting, I just looked at another forum *Link Removed* and there was a photo of the most beautiful reef tank I'd ever seen. It belongs to a man in Switzerland, and he uses only T5 lighting because he feels MH lighting is too harsh. Granted, he runs just over 800 watts, but his system is still cheaper than MH, and his tank was spectacular.