Not happy with my lighting. Want to upgrade.

Discussion in 'Metal Halide Aquarium Lighting' started by tatted4ever, Dec 17, 2009.

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  1. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    ......
     
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  3. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    Im not sure exactly the bulb combination yet. But that does have some good value to it.
     
  4. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    the cost wont be tooo bad....

    I am keeping the ballast and moonlights from fixture. Just need new bulbs (that time soon anyway) and the benefit will be excellent. Im always gazing at my lights thinking how much better they can be. Hate that.

    the 250 mod cost will be about the same as this without the cost of the canopy.
     
  5. wiigelec

    wiigelec Fire Shrimp

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    Strange, it doesn't work in my original post but it works from your quote ...
    :confused:
     
  6. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    your right it does... thanks
     
  7. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Most folks are not too concerned with par coming from supplemental atinics. In most fixtures, the fluorescents are supplemental, and are not primary for par. I know there are good PAR T5 lights out there, but don't see it being apples to apples.

    So speaking for actinic on the above example, I find it very hard to believe T5s put out 4X the par, or even light for that matter, watt for watt compared to PC. PAR is a measure of spectrum, not output.
     
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  9. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    I hope Im not running up my electricity bill for color on my tank ;)
     
  10. horkn

    horkn Giant Squid

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    See, that is where folks are worng about using t5ho with Mh. T5s with Mh do add PAR, and the results are a lot more than simply a pleasing aesthetic result.

    There is a huge reason that the tanks that are lit by both t5ho and Mh are the best colored and growing.

    Mh are only on for so many hours, but the t5s are on much longer, adding growing time to the tank, versus when pc's and VHO are used where those 2 options only provide looks, and not growth.
     
  11. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Yes well you would still have to convince me we are talking apples and apples. A true 420/460 actinic in PC and T5.... I doubt PAR would be 4X.

    And I'm not at all saying T5 isn't superior. It's just that T5 has a crap ton more bulb options. So most seem to want color and growth and choose bulb combos for that reason. So if we are going to say a 54w T5 puts out twice as much as a 96w PC, I just want to be sure we are talking apples and apples.
     
  12. tatted4ever

    tatted4ever Clown Trigger

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    I almost burnt my grilled cheese cause of you two.....;)

    From what I know anthing can be supported by t5's.... not the case for pc's.....

    So I wanna have my 12 hour duration of lighting for growth... which horkn mentioned...

    Plus the combintion of the t5's/mh's vs pc's/mh's is no match... lightweight vs heavyweight IMO