ninjamini
Active Member
There seems to be a lot of confusion on this board about lighting and what's best for coral growth. Let me try to sum it up as best as I can to see if I understand. Please note that I am no expert.Metal Halide: The best light source for coral growth. However it runs hot and probably will need a chiller. It is also the most expensive to run.
T5: The next best thing to MH with close results. But not really the right type of light for SPS or clams. Runs much cooler than MH and its also cheaper to run.
PC: Good light for shrooms, polips and softies but don't try the stoneys under this light as they will not do well. Low power consumption and low heat.
Florecent: Ignore this option for a reef.
In addition to the type of light you must also focus on the wavelength of the light produced. The produces all wave lengths of light and there is a visible spectrum (all the colors in the rainbow and white) and an invisable (X-ray, UV ray...). We measure the frequency in degrees of Kelvin.
6500 Degrees Kelvin: Is the best light frequency for coral growth. It does not foster the bright color growth that we like to see. It is also very white and looks bad in the tank.
10,000 degrees Kelvin: The most used frequency when combined with Atinic lights. Still kinda white but with the addition of the atinics it gives good growth and good color. It also makes for a nicely lit tank.
14,000 degrees kelvin: Most often used when the use of Atinic is not possible. Provides good color in the corals and a good look but does not foster the best coral growth.
20,000 degrees kelvin: Most often used when the use of Atinic is not possible. Provides a very blue color that some people like and other do not. It does provide good coral color but does not foster the best coral growth.
Conclusion and the questions:
The best combination is Metal Halide & Atinic
The next best combination is T5 & Atinic.
Rate the MH/Atinic for its effectiveness. 1 not effective through 10 super duper effective. Do the same for T5/atinic and PC's.
Is it worth the heat issues and excess power consumption to use MH or are T5s good enough without the trouble.
Lastly, I dont get how people say they use more energy. If you have 2 lights that use the same watts don't they consume the same power? Is it that the MH/atinic light uses more watts? For example 90 gallon tank, 48" fixture 2x150 MH + 2x96 Actinic = 492 watts. Compared to a T5 fixture which I guess has less watts.
How do I convert 492 watts by 12 hours into $$$ per month?
T5: The next best thing to MH with close results. But not really the right type of light for SPS or clams. Runs much cooler than MH and its also cheaper to run.
PC: Good light for shrooms, polips and softies but don't try the stoneys under this light as they will not do well. Low power consumption and low heat.
Florecent: Ignore this option for a reef.
In addition to the type of light you must also focus on the wavelength of the light produced. The produces all wave lengths of light and there is a visible spectrum (all the colors in the rainbow and white) and an invisable (X-ray, UV ray...). We measure the frequency in degrees of Kelvin.
6500 Degrees Kelvin: Is the best light frequency for coral growth. It does not foster the bright color growth that we like to see. It is also very white and looks bad in the tank.
10,000 degrees Kelvin: The most used frequency when combined with Atinic lights. Still kinda white but with the addition of the atinics it gives good growth and good color. It also makes for a nicely lit tank.
14,000 degrees kelvin: Most often used when the use of Atinic is not possible. Provides good color in the corals and a good look but does not foster the best coral growth.
20,000 degrees kelvin: Most often used when the use of Atinic is not possible. Provides a very blue color that some people like and other do not. It does provide good coral color but does not foster the best coral growth.
Conclusion and the questions:
The best combination is Metal Halide & Atinic
The next best combination is T5 & Atinic.
Rate the MH/Atinic for its effectiveness. 1 not effective through 10 super duper effective. Do the same for T5/atinic and PC's.
Is it worth the heat issues and excess power consumption to use MH or are T5s good enough without the trouble.
Lastly, I dont get how people say they use more energy. If you have 2 lights that use the same watts don't they consume the same power? Is it that the MH/atinic light uses more watts? For example 90 gallon tank, 48" fixture 2x150 MH + 2x96 Actinic = 492 watts. Compared to a T5 fixture which I guess has less watts.
How do I convert 492 watts by 12 hours into $$$ per month?
