Lighting Expert Please

[saltfan]

Originally Posted by fanker
u wouldnt need 8 bulbs of t-5s to compare to 3 vhos, 4x54w of t-5s wouldnt even come close to 4x110 of vho, and it would be less heat, they are a smaller diameter bulb so not as much heat. and the reason vho are never talked about is because they have the lowest par rating
Lowest par rating of what here sir?
I have finally researched this enough to give everyone involved a DEFINATE ansewer that they can understand. Instead of just throwing around talk, I will now throw around numbers that people can sink their teeth into, then go look at the darn bulbs themselves.....Here goes...!!!
ONE T-5 54w lamp 85CRS 4750LUMENS 6500k
ONE VHO60w lamp 75CRS 3500LUMENS 6500k
Bulb for bulb T-5 is better yes. When you get into the higher wattage output range, T-5 is not however, going up against a 160watt unit.
CRS= The higher the number, the truer the color
Lumens= Visible lamp output when first used.....
Lamp for lmap in the lower wattage range, T-5 is better, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to MH, not in the same ballpark, so don't even try to compare them. PC and VHO in the same wattage or close, will not compare in the higher range though, as you get to 160w lamp the CSR does not change much but the LUMENS does go up quite a bit for the VHO.......

 

[ninjamini]

Originally Posted by SaltFan
...T-5 is better, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to MH, not in the same ballpark, so don't even try to compare them........
Man this stuff gives me a big monster headache. I'm just going with MH. Its easier.
Here is what we need. Someone who will take a tank and partition it into two sides. One side get MH and one gets T5. The divider must allow water to pass but not light. Take a bunch of corals and frag them into 4 peices. 2 go on each side. 6 months later lets look at the results.

 

[wattsupdoc]

OK here it goes... Awhile back I posted some threads along these lines. There were some debating involved.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/215354/hey-all-you-lighting-experts
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/215230/help-me-lamp-my-t5-hos
I dont know where fanker gets his par rating from. I think it was another message board. Maybe -- I dunno. I personally cant find anything there about this. Let alone anything that can be trusted as from a reputable, non biased tesing party. I myself am a T5 user and I believe in them. However, I'm not sure that they are superior to MH's. On the other message boards there are alot of users who are getting the same results as those with mh's. Why arent there any here who have the years of experience with them?

I believe they get acosted by some users here who will not sway that they are as good as they are. Even when the facts point out that they are, if properlyconstructed, superior to say.... VHO.
The bottom line about it is this...
Get what you feel comfortable with, what will give you the lighting that you will enjoy looking at, what you can afford, and what you believe will let you keep what it is that you want.
Remember that lighting is only 3rd in the sceme of things. Feeding, flow, then lighting.

 

[viper_930]

Originally Posted by zanoshanox
I believe his information is based on the TEK t-5 fixtures. He also had a nova retro that was pretty bright. I dont know the actual PAR ratings myself but I did see the TEK's in person and they're pretty bright.
Brightness doesn't mean the lights have a high PAR rating.
I'm usually side with the metal halides in debates like this. I have nothing against T-5 lights, but I just think many people don't realize that corals can use a lot more light than they think. Sure, 300 watts of T-5 HOs could have the same PAR as 300 watts of halides (depending on bulb, ballast, and reflector choice) and both setups could support many corals, but they could still benefit from having more light. I see a lot of pics of tanks only using T-5 lights with SPS corals, but who's to say the corals won't be brighter and grow faster under more light?

 

[fanker]

ok maybe this thread will help, please dont erase this because they are not selling anything, its just another forum but if u want to learn about t-5s than this is the tread, its 101 pages of t-5 questions and answers
*Link Removed*
*Links to other forums is not allowed. Plus, that forum has links to its sponsors who do sell*

 

[tx reef]

In my opinion, T5s are just another flourescent technology.
PCs, VHOs, T5s, whatever.
None compare to MH, period.
I have nothing against T5, except that I feel they are over rated. I hear alot of screaming about brightness and PAR, but I want numbers. I will never believe that a flourescent bulb can match a MH.
Besides, you don't get the shimmering effect that MH give.

 

[fanker]

what and pc and vho arent over rated? ill get u numbers

 

[fanker]

hers the par for 54w t-5s
ATI Brand
Aquablue 322
Blue Plus 311
Actinic 142
Sun 340
UVL
Actinic White 294
Super Actinic 212
Aquaz
Ocean Pro 329
Blue Pro 249
Sun Pro 306
D&D Guisemann
Aquablue 302
Actinic Plus 248
Helios
Daylight 10K 325
Super Blue 245
Current Sun Paq
10K daylight 301
Blue actinic 252
GE Daylight 319
ill try to get par for mh

 

[tx reef]

In my opinion, all flourescent lights are over rated.

 

[fanker]

ok this is the guy i get my numbers from he has a tester and this is what he got.
me: is it true that t-5s are stronger than a 150wmh with a crappy reflector?
him: They are stronger than a 150 watt halide. My 150 watt halides did like 90 UMOL's with the halide unit sitting right on the tank. a 4x54 watt Normally driven T5 with IC reflectors was in the 130's.

 

[ninjamini]

Originally Posted by fanker
They are stronger than a 150 watt halide. My 150 watt halides did like 90 UMOL's with the halide unit sitting right on the tank. a 4x54 watt Normally driven T5 with IC reflectors was in the 130's.
MH: .6 UMOL's per watt
Y5: .6018518 UMOL's per watt
Now I don't know what the hell a UMOL is or why we care but you get the same umols per watt either way. Why are you comparing 216 watts or t5 to 150 MH???? Also these lights are about the same cash. $200 for a 4x54 watt T5 or a 150 MH fixture.
What is the point of it all?
*Edit*
I just don't get it. It looks to me that there is no real research into the differences between these lights. So were all just talking out our buts.
Like I said I am going to use the light I think looks good on top o'the tank.

 

[viper_930]

fanker, I saw that same post on the other forum, but he didn't say what brand of bulbs, ballast, and reflectors he used on both the halide and the T-5. A T-5 light watt-for-watt can be stronger than a halide, but it also can not depending on how good the equipment is.

 

[acrylic51]

Vipers correct in what he's saying......It isn't true that clams and SPS can't be kept under T5's........as far as MH, it really depends on bulb, ballast combination to come up with a good par reading.......Is he guy doing the test analizing PAR or Lux?