oceana
Active Member
As stated above the Ge site and such studies are not using the bulbs we use in the hobby. The numbers are much different when used in our application.
You simply can not make a statement saying T5 Vs MH. It’s like saying my apple taste just like a grape. They just can’t be put up against each other.
Everyone talks about the power cost. But no one talks about the fact then when bulb replacement time come the t5 user is replacing several bulbs while the mh guy replaces one. The cost becomes very similar over the term of one year.
IE: I have lots of tanks. They are all plumbed together to make one large system. On some of the tank there are t5 and others having mh. The difference in color, growth and health is night and day. The MH wins by several hands. If it did not I would use T5. In order to speak about what is better and what is not I think it is important that HANDS ON research is done in a controlled study. Heck you can’t even use separate tanks because the make up of the tanks could be slightly different causing different results. That’s why systems like mine which are all made up of the same temp and same body of water work great for comparisons.
I have both I can afford what ever lighting system I want. I chose MH because it gives the highest quality results year after year. Once it does not or once something comes along that will prove to be better I will change. The only reason to choose t5 over mh is because the user has space or heat issues and simply can’t use mh.
In short MH is simply better BUT not always best for all applications. They both have there place but you can NOT compare the two. If there is any local person that would like to swap some corals and see whom ends up with more growth and color feel free to let me know. PS: I have done this before and both people that did it now own MH.
As for the WPG thing being dumb that’s very true and I think you will find that the only people really using that are new to the hobby and have not figured that out yet.
You simply can not make a statement saying T5 Vs MH. It’s like saying my apple taste just like a grape. They just can’t be put up against each other.
Everyone talks about the power cost. But no one talks about the fact then when bulb replacement time come the t5 user is replacing several bulbs while the mh guy replaces one. The cost becomes very similar over the term of one year.
IE: I have lots of tanks. They are all plumbed together to make one large system. On some of the tank there are t5 and others having mh. The difference in color, growth and health is night and day. The MH wins by several hands. If it did not I would use T5. In order to speak about what is better and what is not I think it is important that HANDS ON research is done in a controlled study. Heck you can’t even use separate tanks because the make up of the tanks could be slightly different causing different results. That’s why systems like mine which are all made up of the same temp and same body of water work great for comparisons.
I have both I can afford what ever lighting system I want. I chose MH because it gives the highest quality results year after year. Once it does not or once something comes along that will prove to be better I will change. The only reason to choose t5 over mh is because the user has space or heat issues and simply can’t use mh.
In short MH is simply better BUT not always best for all applications. They both have there place but you can NOT compare the two. If there is any local person that would like to swap some corals and see whom ends up with more growth and color feel free to let me know. PS: I have done this before and both people that did it now own MH.
As for the WPG thing being dumb that’s very true and I think you will find that the only people really using that are new to the hobby and have not figured that out yet.
