Probably a "No brainer" but...
- Thread starter caz2022
- Start date
1guydude
Well-Known Member
power compacts are week sauce man! Im just sayin from wat ive heard....you can keep softies under em. However with the MH you can prob keep everything. For almost $300 you should be able to find an alright new unit though.....hmm i guess im not that much help lol. Lets hope someone else chimes in!
btldreef
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/386500/probably-a-no-brainer-but#post_3395384
power compacts are week sauce man! Im just sayin from wat ive heard....you can keep softies under em. However with the MH you can prob keep everything. For almost $300 you should be able to find an alright new unit though.....hmm i guess im not that much help lol. Lets hope someone else chimes in!
This isn't true in this instance. The PC's are being used as actinics and to add a little color to the halide bulbs.
I ran halides with PC actinics for a long time and had no issues. Save your money and get the cheaper unit, you'll be fine. The T5's just suck more electricity and you don't need the extra par unless you have a really deep tank, the halides are enough.
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/386500/probably-a-no-brainer-but#post_3395384
power compacts are week sauce man! Im just sayin from wat ive heard....you can keep softies under em. However with the MH you can prob keep everything. For almost $300 you should be able to find an alright new unit though.....hmm i guess im not that much help lol. Lets hope someone else chimes in!
This isn't true in this instance. The PC's are being used as actinics and to add a little color to the halide bulbs.
I ran halides with PC actinics for a long time and had no issues. Save your money and get the cheaper unit, you'll be fine. The T5's just suck more electricity and you don't need the extra par unless you have a really deep tank, the halides are enough.
1guydude
Well-Known Member
Quote:
However with the MH you can prob keep everything
Sry i should have said this before i said that bout the pc's.....even using them as the actinics, wont they be over powered by the Mhs and ull just see the Mh light at the floor of the aquarium?
LOL i agree to disagree
However with the MH you can prob keep everything
Sry i should have said this before i said that bout the pc's.....even using them as the actinics, wont they be over powered by the Mhs and ull just see the Mh light at the floor of the aquarium?
LOL i agree to disagree
gemmy
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/386500/probably-a-no-brainer-but#post_3395460
Sry i should have said this before i said that bout the pc's.....even using them as the actinics, wont they be over powered by the Mhs and ull just see the Mh light at the floor of the aquarium?
LOL i agree to disagree
Have you run PC with 250 halides? The daylights are going to be the halides and the actinic are going to be supplemental and aid in the dusk/dawn effect. Whether the OP gets the PC or the T-5's the main lighting for the tank will be the halides. I would have to say the OP would be better off saving his money and getting the halide/PC combo.
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///forum/thread/386500/probably-a-no-brainer-but#post_3395460
Sry i should have said this before i said that bout the pc's.....even using them as the actinics, wont they be over powered by the Mhs and ull just see the Mh light at the floor of the aquarium?
LOL i agree to disagree
Have you run PC with 250 halides? The daylights are going to be the halides and the actinic are going to be supplemental and aid in the dusk/dawn effect. Whether the OP gets the PC or the T-5's the main lighting for the tank will be the halides. I would have to say the OP would be better off saving his money and getting the halide/PC combo.
btldreef
Moderator
I used to leave my PC's on with the halides, just for the extra color, and no, the MH's didn't over power them. But again, I was using just for color. I also used the PC's just for the daylight and dusk effect. A lot of people only run them for the daylight and dusk effect, but I had 10K's, so the little extra blue I would get out of the PC's was worth it. I got to have the 10K growth with a little touch of blue. I was using the 460nm actinics to get the extra "royal blue" look out of them.
This was my schedule:
8am - PC's on
11am - MH's on
6PM - MH's off
9:30/10PM - PC's off
I ran the PC's longer at night because I wanted to be able to enjoy the tank.
This was my schedule:
8am - PC's on
11am - MH's on
6PM - MH's off
9:30/10PM - PC's off
I ran the PC's longer at night because I wanted to be able to enjoy the tank.
btldreef
Moderator
What do you have now for lighting?
Definitely move down light sensitive corals.
If you have pieces that you can't/don't want to move, placing a sheet of glass at the top of the tank helps cut down on the halides strength.
On my one tank, I went from the 14G BioCube lighting to a 150watt HQI bulb. To help make sure nothing fried, I put one layer of egg crate, then a sheet of acrylic and then another layer of egg crate. After two weeks, I removed the top layer if egg crate. Then I waited a month to remove the acrylic, and then another month for the last egg crate. I was using it to grow out SPS at the time, had their been fish, I probably would have kept the last layer of egg crate on the tank, but I didn't like the little extra loss of light it was giving.
Definitely move down light sensitive corals.
If you have pieces that you can't/don't want to move, placing a sheet of glass at the top of the tank helps cut down on the halides strength.
On my one tank, I went from the 14G BioCube lighting to a 150watt HQI bulb. To help make sure nothing fried, I put one layer of egg crate, then a sheet of acrylic and then another layer of egg crate. After two weeks, I removed the top layer if egg crate. Then I waited a month to remove the acrylic, and then another month for the last egg crate. I was using it to grow out SPS at the time, had their been fish, I probably would have kept the last layer of egg crate on the tank, but I didn't like the little extra loss of light it was giving.
caz2022
Member
Well I lost out on the MH/PC unit-I was gone over the holiday and the guy sold it on me 
I have decided NOT to give up though-I will be upgrading to MH asap! I currently have a 54wx4 T5 unit.
The tank is a 75.
Stock list:
1 Yellow Tang
2 Occ. Clowns
1 Mandarin
1 Torch Coral
5 Xania stalks
1 Monti Cap
1 Frag of Pink Birds Nest
Some PSP (I think since its not very green)
Some Green 'shrooms
4 Purple and Green 'shrooms
typical CUC
I have decided NOT to give up though-I will be upgrading to MH asap! I currently have a 54wx4 T5 unit.
The tank is a 75.
Stock list:
1 Yellow Tang
2 Occ. Clowns
1 Mandarin
1 Torch Coral
5 Xania stalks
1 Monti Cap
1 Frag of Pink Birds Nest
Some PSP (I think since its not very green)
Some Green 'shrooms
4 Purple and Green 'shrooms
typical CUC
btldreef
Moderator
yes. Sorry I was so short with my response earlier, I was having some issues with my phone.
I think with the 2 250 watts plus 4 54watt T5's, you'll bake your tank. 2 250's is a lot of power with the T5's even on a 75G if you really think about it. I mean, I had 3 250's over my 155custom, and that was a 30" deep tank, and I still had some corals that fried. It was supposed to run with 4 96 watt PC's, I only ran two just to have the dawn and dusk look before the halides came on. One of the other major concerns with the 250's is heat. I could bet money that you'd need a chiller if you went with the 250watt setup. Even with the 150 watt setup, you might want to try 2 of the T5's instead of all 4 on and see how it is.
I think with the 2 250 watts plus 4 54watt T5's, you'll bake your tank. 2 250's is a lot of power with the T5's even on a 75G if you really think about it. I mean, I had 3 250's over my 155custom, and that was a 30" deep tank, and I still had some corals that fried. It was supposed to run with 4 96 watt PC's, I only ran two just to have the dawn and dusk look before the halides came on. One of the other major concerns with the 250's is heat. I could bet money that you'd need a chiller if you went with the 250watt setup. Even with the 150 watt setup, you might want to try 2 of the T5's instead of all 4 on and see how it is.
caz2022
Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/386500/probably-a-no-brainer-but#post_3398997
yes. Sorry I was so short with my response earlier, I was having some issues with my phone.
I think with the 2 250 watts plus 4 54watt T5's, you'll bake your tank. 2 250's is a lot of power with the T5's even on a 75G if you really think about it. I mean, I had 3 250's over my 155custom, and that was a 30" deep tank, and I still had some corals that fried. It was supposed to run with 4 96 watt PC's, I only ran two just to have the dawn and dusk look before the halides came on. One of the other major concerns with the 250's is heat. I could bet money that you'd need a chiller if you went with the 250watt setup. Even with the 150 watt setup, you might want to try 2 of the T5's instead of all 4 on and see how it is.
Its funny you should mention running just 2 T5s. I was just looking a 54Wx2 T5 setup to run with a 150W MHx2. It would be 2 independant units. Would you put the 2 antics in front of the MHs or behind them?
Originally Posted by BTLDreef http:///forum/thread/386500/probably-a-no-brainer-but#post_3398997
yes. Sorry I was so short with my response earlier, I was having some issues with my phone.
I think with the 2 250 watts plus 4 54watt T5's, you'll bake your tank. 2 250's is a lot of power with the T5's even on a 75G if you really think about it. I mean, I had 3 250's over my 155custom, and that was a 30" deep tank, and I still had some corals that fried. It was supposed to run with 4 96 watt PC's, I only ran two just to have the dawn and dusk look before the halides came on. One of the other major concerns with the 250's is heat. I could bet money that you'd need a chiller if you went with the 250watt setup. Even with the 150 watt setup, you might want to try 2 of the T5's instead of all 4 on and see how it is.
Its funny you should mention running just 2 T5s. I was just looking a 54Wx2 T5 setup to run with a 150W MHx2. It would be 2 independant units. Would you put the 2 antics in front of the MHs or behind them?
