Tek T5 or MH?

I know it's probably asked far too much but here goes. Alright, I'm close to purchasing my lighting and I'd like your opinions. I've been looking at the Tek T5 6x54w fixture. I know this would give me plenty of light, but I'd miss out on the "shimmer" effect that I've come to like. My main question is what, in the $400 price range, would compete with it and give me the same light value.

I'm a total MH noob so if someone could explain what a ballast does (is it like an amp?), and what the wattages mean (does it have anything to do with color or does if just penetrate the water better?) that'd be great. Thanks

 

i get a little shimmer with my nova extreme pro 6x54 with stock bulbs. a tek with good g-mann bulbs should shimmer.

 

A ballast is very much like an amp. It provides power to the light.

I run an aquarium service company. Unless the customer is a hobbyist, I usually decide what form of lighting will be used to light their reef. Personally, I would like to use MH on every tank. I love the way it shimmers, and the light it provides. I do also take into account whether or not the customer will be using a chiller. MH can throw heat in the summer, especially in the summer when it's already hot. Then I'd probably use T5.

Also, might want to look into LED. I am in the process of building a new nano reef for myself and plan on using only LED. It provides the shimmer like MH!

 

You will not get a shimmer from t5 bulbs unless you add some LEDs. I am a MH guy all the way what size is your tank?

 

Are you speaking from experience here? I get shimmer from my ATI T5's with sunlight supply 3" parabolic reflectors. Granted not as much as a halides, but its still there.

~Will.

 

IMO, you can get shimmer from T5- but not like that from a MH.

 

yea i am speaking from experience, if you have had metal halides vs t5, u know that what ur seeing is not really a shimmer effect such as a metal halide can provide

 

Metal halide rule!!!!!

 

someone correct me if i'm wrong, but common sense would tell me that mh would create a lot more of a shimmer effect than a t5. the mh light comes from a much smaller bulb and doesn't cover up the shimmering as much as a huge long bulb with lots of coverage would.

 

The tank it'd be going on is a 75. I plan on growing SPS, LPS and Softies. I do think that MH gives off much more shimmer since it's a single source of light. Now I do get some shimmer, but it's mostly because the surface is really ripply (if that's a word). I'd look at LEDs but lighting an entire 48" tank would likely get expensive as heck. Oh, and I'd rather not buy a chiller, it gets really hot here in florida so heat would be a factor.