T5's instead of MH's.

I am a total newbie to all of this and am trying to research the best lighting for my tank. I dont know anything about what an lps or sps is yet but I am looking for a lighting situation that will accommodate any decision I make. I am trying to avoid MH's due to the initial cost + annual replacement cost because it looks to me like the initial cost of a t5 fixture is cheaper along with the annual replacement cost as well. So my question is, with my tank (72 gal bowfront, 48"L x 18"W x 22"H) can I run a t5 tek light in place of a MH fixture and still have an efficient amount of light to be versatile when it comes to what I decide to keep in the tank? If so, can I get by with 6 bulbs or do I have to use 8?

 

this is a tough choice and one i am currently dealing with. my girlfriend has acquired the exact size tank you have specified and cant decide on MH of T5. personally i would go with t5 since they consume less energy and produce less heat. however MH are just so damn cool with the sparkles and such. here is the problem with this size tank. going with t5 (from sunlight supply tek lights of course) are wide on a bowfront since you probably want 6-8 bulb config. if you dont mind them hanging over on the sides then i say go with tek 5. if this bugs you (the hanging over and such) then go with MH but be ready to deal with the heat. i installed a 36" Aqua Medic Ocean Light T5/Metal Halide Combo Series on a tank a little larger than the one we are discussing and am very impressed. this is just food for thought though so let me know what you think.

 

I'll second the problem with the bowfront tank. i have a 46G tank which means I only have 11" if width to work with. After that the tank curves and it would be hard to get more lighting in there. You can see my sig for what I'm currently running. After doing MUCH research I believe me PERFECT setup would be 2x150W HQI 10K bulbs in low profile reflector and three T5 lights. This would give me the same wattage I already have and help ditribute some wattage to the T5 lights. It just seems impossible for me to get the 9+ watts/gal I want any other way. Of course I could look for less light, but with SPS this really isn't a choice.

One final note, I have looked at many pre-built lights and I just don't see any out there under $700 that would produce what a retro diy will for ~$400. Also, with a DIY setup you can configure your fans to better match the available canopies for the bowfront tanks. My fans all draw air towards the back instead of the sides like standard lights.

 

Allright, I MAY get chastised for this, but after more then 6 months of lots of success let me recommend this

36" 442W Metal Halide System (Electronic Version) - 504013

Actually this is sort of weird because the one I have has two MHs. Both are 175w and are on each end of the fixture. I looked on aquatraders AND ebay and couldn't find the fixture I have. Regardless, I have a 46gal bowfront and generally in my experience the space in the bowed front is quite unoccupied. MHs are pretty much accepted to be the closest thing to the sun as you can get when it comes to aquarium lighting. With MHs you pretty much don't have to worry about if you can keep this coral or that coral or not. You just....can. IME anyways..... ;D

 

Whoops, yours is a 72 gal bowfront....I'm guessing this might be more suitable............

48" 760W Metal Halide System (Electronic Version) - 504023

 

Now that system is totally affordable and sleek looking too. I like it. My only concern is why you are saying to might get chastised for recommending it. Has it received bad reviews or something?

 

Not bad reviews necessarily. Just had a couple reports of their older fixtures catching fire. I know it sounds bad, but its like when you get a report card and you have all A's and B's, but that ONE F is what your parents focus on. I bought mine despite hearing about that. They have upgraded their ballasts, from what I understand. It used to have one cord for all three lights, but now has a seperate cord for each one. I have no complaints. Its my 3rd Odyssea product, too. My skimmer, my old PCs, and now this. Not one complaint. There are definitely more reputable and expensive fixtures out there but I really feel like this one serves its purpose just as well. Just my $0.02

 

I currently have a 180 gallon reef with a gigas clam just shy of 24 inches and corals that span the range of softies to sps. I also run a 400w MH in the middle and two 250w MH on the sides with 2 x 160w VHO actinics.

Electricity in my state has gotten outrageous. In the next few weeks, (just waiting for the fixture to come back into stock) I am going to replace my current lighting with a 72 inch 14 x 39w T5 fixture.

I am very anxious to see what the new lighting does to my tank and my bill. Glitter lines IMHO aren't worth a few hundred dollars a year to me.

I'll be sure to take lots of pics.

 

Brandon I just spent like 500 bucks on t-5's!!!!! Why didnt you post this earlier!! LOL. Oh well, t-5's will cost less to power and that is a consern right now.

 

I wouldn't feel bad about that purchase at ALL. I have heard nothing but RAVE reviews on T5s. Some people have been saying that even their SPSs are thriving under them. As far as the cost of running MHs vs T5s, I haven't really noticed a significant jump in my eletric bill either. I was worried about that too, initially, but my bill is never more then $35-$40/mo total. My biggest thing with MH vs T5s, and its kind of selfish I guess, is I LOVE the shimmer! ADORE it!