Lighting question

[ems101]

Hey I am trying to make the jump to corals... I have had a FOWLR for approx 5 yrs now no big problems. I want to upgrade my lighting and have been doing research...
Question. SHould I go with MH and t5? Just t5? I have 125G 6' long 24" deep setup. I want to DIY the canopy dad an electrician... Cost is not much of an issue but if I can save money I will
thanks

 

[fanker]

i think 3 250w mh and some t5 actinics will work well like 4 54w t5s. but it depends on what u wanna keep. u can go t5 either way but if u want easy coral than like 10-12 36" t5s will be able to keep most anything with sps on top

 

[ems101]

thanks for the input. I have not yet made a decision on what I would like to keep but in all honesty, I will probably go with simple stuff. I really like the look of MH but hear it's a real problem with water overheating and water evaporation and I just am not sure the look will equal the extra work. Any ideas? comments?

 

[salt210]

with the evaporation you can have an auto top off system and for temp just run some fans over the water surface

 

[fanker]

well with all the t-5s u would have to put in there it will be onlt a little less heat. depens on what u wanna keep and what u wanna spend. with a 6' tank ull need 3 250w cause mh is more of just a spot light so they only ray out 2' so 3 will cover it and get 14 or 20k and u can be sat without more t-5s

 

[ems101]

thanks. i have 2 250W MH at the moment and will try it with 4 54w t5's. I know I should have 3 MH but will see what happens with the ones i have at the moment. thanks for the replies. I will probably only be going for very easy corals for now anyways. kinda ease my way in.

 

[culp]

Originally Posted by fanker
http:///forum/post/3029304
i think 3 250w mh and some t5 actinics will work well like 4 54w t5s. but it depends on what u wanna keep. u can go t5 either way but if u want easy coral than like 10-12 36" t5s will be able to keep most anything with sps on top
T5 Actinics are no good.
you should go with 3 250w metal halide with 2 72" VHO Super Actinics with a Ice Cap 660 ballast.

 

[fanker]

Originally Posted by Culp
http:///forum/post/3031452
T5 Actinics are no good.
you should go with 3 250w metal halide with 2 72" VHO Super Actinics with a Ice Cap 660 ballast.
no good? haha ya ok. why would u have some one waste there money on vho? no par and a constant bulb change. and idk what u r talking about but t-5 actinics lok kway better than vho now

 

[culp]

Originally Posted by fanker
http:///forum/post/3031720
no good? haha ya ok. why would u have some one waste there money on vho? no par and a constant bulb change. and idk what u r talking about but t-5 actinics lok kway better than vho now
first off actinics bulbs do not have much par what so ever. and second many people will agree with me that T5 kill VHO on every thing but for Super actinics.

 

[fanker]

actually t-5 actinics have good par. but if he wants to waste his money on something that is not going to do anything but make it blue.