Cheap shimmer... Changes everything..

For my upgrade to 125, I had decided on metal halides in addition to my 4 x 54w t5. I decides on mh because I need more intensity for sps etc. I also wanted "shimmer" on my new tank. I bought 2 175w mh pendants that now I'm rethinking. I bought off eBay a 6w 48- led standard bulb replacement. Just to see what it could do. I just got it and tried it out, immediate perfect shimmer. The lamp was $8 shipped and now I'm thinking about getting 4 or 6 12w (dbl wattage) bulbs and adding more t5 lamps and icecap ballast. What are your opinions?

 

If you're set on the shimmer, I would go with T5's and supplemental LEDs. Depending on your budget I would look into all LED's, there are some good kits out there now, the upfront cost would be more but they pay for themselves over the years.

 

I don't have an opinion becasue I have got just T5's but I would like to know if you would share the link for the LED's because I would like to get some for my tank.

 

That's what I'm thinking. At $9 a bulb and their efficiency etc it makes good sense. I'm sure enough that with some overdriven t5's I'll have the power needed for whatever I want to do, so the LEDs could be for effect alone if they didn't add anything.


The bulbs are on eBay. Do a search for Led light bulb 110v There are tons of them.

 

do the LED have to be a specific wattage each to produce the shimmer effect? or are you wanting higher wattage for added growth?

 

Not sure if they'll help with growth at all. They're 6 to 12 watts each. The 6 is plenty for shimmer from what I've seen. Maybe if they're aimed at something they'll help with growth.

 

I wouldn't overdrive t5ho with an icecap ballast. Normally driven t5ho will make the color you want, and last longer than when they are overdriven by IC ballasts.

IC got really lucky when they tried running t5ho with their vho ballasts. At first IC touted the extra wattage they run at with their ballasts, and eventually people caught on to the big negatives that OD'ing t5ho bulbs causes.

 

ok.. so you think just regular t5 will produce sufficient light at the bottom?

 

Just curious what the kelvin is on these? are they 10k?

 

If your talking about the LEDs, I'm not sure but they seem to be the usual led bluish color.