which lights to supplement MH?

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xnikki118x

Guest
Hi everyone. I'm glad to see this forum is still here and active! I posted here a lot a number of years ago but got away from the forums. I have a 29 gallon reef tank that I started in 2004. It's been moved twice and has, of course, housed a lot of livestock over the years. I have a custom-built wooden canopy that houses a single 250-watt metal halide bulb and two compact flourescent bulbs. The CF fixtures were actually secondhand and sent to me by a member here back in 2005. The fixtures have just died--I think I got pretty lucky that they lasted so long!
The last few times I've needed to replace my CF bulbs, they've been harder to find. I'm thinking of just getting T5 bulbs and fixtures...is this the way to go now? I'm just assuming that people are moving away from compact flourescents now since they've been so much harder for me to find. I used to just buy actinic CF bulbs since I have the metal halide. Can I do this with T5 lights?
This is my lighting setup:

Those hooks held the CF bulbs.
Is my only option to get something like this http://www.**************.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+23590&pcatid=23590 and have my husband take it apart so that it fits inside my canopy? I'm not sure what my options are at this point, but whatever I do, I have to do it quickly. I don't have a lot in the way of livestock but I have a few LPS and I know they need more than just the halide.
Please pardon my ignorance about all of this. I appreciate any guidance.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
My .02 cents. Go with LED's they cheaper to run, cooler and last longer. 1 fixture will work on your tank look into Reefbreeders or Apollo Reef just name two.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Im with mr limpid. At this point it may be better to invest in leds rather than a florescent fixture. Halides put off a lot of heat and use a lot of electricity. Leds use much less electricity and put out as much light as a metal halide. Most current led fixtures boast up to ten years of use without bulb changes. Plus led fixtures will give you that shimmer that you fell in love with with halides.
Even a cheap reefbreeders unit would be a good choice. Not all led fixtures are equal. Some are for fish only and some are for reefs. Get some guidance before making your final decision.
 
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xnikki118x

Guest
I'm definitely on board with using less electricity! I'm concerned about the start-up cost though. Money is tighter right now than usual. My 8-week-old little girl spent some time in the NICU (thankfully she's fine now, a real champion!) so we owe a lot of money in medical bills right now, and I've only been back at work for two weeks after an unpaid 6-week maternity leave. It's always something, isn't it?
The fixture I linked to above (http://www.**************.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+25222&pcatid=25222) seems to be suitable for reefs. What do you think? I keep softies and LPS, but I never got into SPS corals and wouldn't really miss them if I couldn't keep them. There is so much mixed information out there in LEDs for aquariums, I don't even know where to begin.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
"ch fixture measures 16" long x 8.5" wide, x 2.5" tall, and covers a 24" cube or 30" long tank"
If you have a standard 29g tank, your tank dimensions are 30x12x18. In that case, this fixture is plenty small enough to fit inside your existing canopy WITHOUT the halide. The halide would be completely gone - and this fixture will replace your entire lighting system.
If your just looking to supplement your metal halide, a couple of "reefbright" strips might be up your alley.
If you want to completely replace your halide system and switch to something more modern and economical - go with the reefbreeders unit.
 
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xnikki118x

Guest
It is a standard 29 gallon. I was looking for something to fit in with the halide where the CF bulbs used to go, but if the LEDs can replace both the actinics and the halide, then I'm going to go with that!
Reefbrite's TECH LED seems to be exactly what I was looking for, but apparently no one carries their product within 50 miles of me and they don't seem to be able to be ordered online. The Reefbreeders unit sounds amazing though. Thank you so much for suggesting that! My husband was thinking about getting a T5 fixture and taking it apart to fit the lamps into my canopy with the existing halide. This will be much better and I can get the halide ballast off my living room floor!
 
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