Does T5 lighting look better than MH with T5 or VHO supplement?

[chris009]

Another questions as well. Is it possible for me to keep high light coral/inverts with a 8 bulb, 54 watt T5 TEK fixture? I'm finding that figuring out what type of lighting to get is the hardest thing to make a decision on with information seeming to promote both as being better. One person said that corals have a more pastel coloring with T5, which seems more appealing that MH. Is this true?

 

[farslayer]

Not sure about pastel coloring, but the MH bulbs I have are 14K and the corals look a nice blue (as does everything else). Look at a few different setups if you can.

 

[saltn00b]

if you go T5, go with a brand like tek or aquactinics where the bulbs are individually reflected with qaulity reflectors, otherwise T5 is fairly useless. T5 can grow the most demanding of corals, as long as the tank is not over 30" deep. you will not get the "shimmering" of MHs, but in contrast, you dont need a chiller and you can replace bulbs every 2 years not 6 months. well worth the trade off IMHO. the larger the rig, the more light combinations you have to work with to get the EXACT coloring you want.

 

[chris009]

So, since I am using a 90 gallon tank, the T5 lighting will be just as effective as metal halide? Does anyone know any distinct differences between the appearance of these two lighting systems? Is one brighter than the other? Does one have faster growth rates of coral? Would either of these look better on my 90 gallon? Or would they both, with the appropriate bulbs, be able to look the same?

 

[saltn00b]

aesthetically, you wont get the shimmer effect with T-5s that halides get. however because you can mix bulbs to a greater degree, you have more options to get the right color you are looking for. on the same token, you can include more red spectrum Kelvin bulbs that are supposed to help with growth and coloration, without getting too red because the other bulbs will balance it out.

 

[reefraff]

Unless you have a standard height canopy on the tank there is no reason why you can't use either type of lighting.
You need to at least look at a tank using halide lamps before you decide. Some people (not me) fall in love with the shimmer lines and just have to have it. In that case you gotta have halides.

 

[gatorwpb]

The shimmer effect looks more natural to me. More like the natural reef in the ocean.
T-5 gives you flexibility. To me, MH with T-5 actinic supplemented looks the best. Some people like VHO supplements over T-5, but I have not tried VHO act.

 

[joncat24]

Originally Posted by GatorWPB
The shimmer effect looks more natural to me. More like the natural reef in the ocean.
T-5 gives you flexibility. To me, MH with T-5 actinic supplemented looks the best. Some people like VHO supplements over T-5, but I have not tried VHO act.
that gets my vote!!! The shimmer of the halides is awesome and a must have IMO. And with t-5 alongside you can get whatever color you want.