OK...so PC's suck.

OK, so I am going to ditch my dual 48" PCs when I go coral. That is a ways off......three or four months at least. I need a good skimmer, RO/DI unit and a suitable fuge first (in that order).

Soooooo. T5s sound good. Low heat...good penetration. What are the differences between these and MH? If I am going to do this, I am going to do it right. Period. I do not want to play the would-a, could-a, should-a game later on. That is a game you cannot win. I want to be able to put anything into my tank and not worry about. I also want my aquarium to be bright. That is the one thing I like about my current set up. There is much light.

Let me know.....Thanks in advance.

 

I have a 72 gallon bow front and I'm running CURRENT USA 48" T5's with 4 bulbs...
The brightness is amazing... the fans work great in a canopy with them located in the back... and built in timers with moon lights make it the complete package. It's a total of 216watts... just under 3watts per gallon...
I don't think it's ideal for sps but when you factor my tank temp. raises only slightly with them on...
I think t5's are a great option for your tank size.

 

i would say metal halide provide brighter light then t5s, but they also create alot more heat(so you may need a chiller or if your kinda cheap clip on fans from walmart). i have experience with vhos(4 over my 90g), mhs(a 150 over a nano), and limited t5(bought a strip as a backup in case a bulb burns out). I think metal halides are the ONLY choice if you want the very best viewing experience. They will be able to handle ANY coral. They create a sunlight on water effect which amplifies the beauty of the tank. In my opinion Metal Halides are only second to the tropical sun.

 

When it comes down to it MH has a loyal following because they've been in the game way longer than T5HO. They do produce the ripple effect which T5 can't do. However as far as lighting measurement goes if you have enough T5 bulbs there isn't anything you can't keep. Just FYI a 48" 216 watt (4 bulbs) T5HO fixture is equivalent to a 400 watt MH bulb.

I can give you a laundry list of facts about either lighting, both are excellent, but at the end of the day it's really a matter of personal choice. Some of the aquarium hobbies greatest SPS tanks are strictly T5 lighting, while others are MH.

 

T5's can produce a ripple effect if you have quality reflectors, T5's are just as dependant on those as they are on good bulbs

I'd get atleast a 6 or 8 bulb fixture for anything over 60g though and you can determine if you want 39w or 54w from there, just go with a good quality fixture if you want T5 not a cheapo one cause it'll just disappoint you in the end

MH you really cant go wrong just make sure to add a pair of acintics into the mix as well, weather it be PC/T5 or VHO

The setup I'm looking at building out for my 75g is a pair of 150w MH with 2x 48" 54w T5 460nm acintic with some nice reflectors behind them

 

Ya look at Reef Central's tank of the month..All SPS and his lights are all T5.

I actually just made the switch on my tank. I have a 25 x 25 x 18 cube tank.

I was running a 250watt DE 14,000k MH and two 65 watt true actinics.
I just wasnt happy with the lighting coverage and I didnt like all the shaded areas.

Now im running Ten 24watt T5 bulbs...a combo of Ati bulbs and KZ bulbs..

All I can say is wow!!! The colors look amazing. I do miss the shimmer from the halide,
but I didnt like the shaded areas and I think T5 lets you add the exact spectrum of light
you want. I have 2 KZ Figi purple bulbs right over my Orange monti cap and the color is
awesome!! Plus the Heat issue is now gone and im using less energy.