mh vs t5

[nycbob]

i recently upgraded my lighting to the t5 8x54w from 4x54w. i am thinking of maybe getting the sunpod 2x150w. wise choice? will i get faster growth and better colors than what i hv now? never had mh b4, but someone offered me that fixture 1/2 off barely used.

 

[teen]

tank size and dimensions?

 

[nycbob]

72 bowfront 48 long, depth probably 24. i never had mh, and never really like to deal w the heating issue. but this mh has less watts than my t5, so i figure maybe heating might not be an issue, since its not a problem now.

 

[dragonzim]

Even though the MH has less watts than your T5 setup, it will still produce more heat.

 

[saltn00b]

as long as it is individually reflected, T-5 will produce more PAR than 150 W MHs.
wattage does not heat your tank, what does is light energy and inefficient lightbulbs / technologies. MHs are very inefficient as they give off lots of heat radiation. this, along with strong light energy exciting the particles in the water causes dramatic heat increases. T-5s are very efficient, and even better when a cool breeze is blown over the bulbs, but even they can heat up the water with pure light energy alone. this can always be countered by fans in the right places.

 

[nycbob]

i pk up the sunpod mh anyway today. it was too good a batgain to pass up. got it for $250

 

[bullitr]

i heard from my lfs ( great guy) that in euro they grow acros and i was in different website and the tank of the month was not even running a mh all t5's and growing lots of acropora's . whats you take on this.i am getting another 400 watts mh again soon so is it better or i need 10 t5 to duplicate a one 400 mh ?

 

[chilwil84]

t5s dont need to be matched on watts to equal mh it is more of a situational thing. odd shaped tanks can get better coverage by mh just as deep tanks do. with larger tanks 6-8 bulbs across is enough to equal many mh setups

 

[bullitr]

Originally Posted by chilwil84
t5s dont need to be matched on watts to equal mh it is more of a situational thing. odd shaped tanks can get better coverage by mh just as deep tanks do. with larger tanks 6-8 bulbs across is enough to equal many mh setups
well i though so ,i have a cube tank and 30" high so t5 are not for me. but might be great for others thank you

 

[saltn00b]

30" is pretty much the max height for T-5. but yes there are many strict SPS tanks running on T-5 only getting amazing growth. i just posted T-5 growth comparison of corals in my tank over the last 6 months thread in DiY section.