Metal halides should I

Hockeynut · Feb 4, 2015

Well I have been running LEDs on my 90 for 2 years now and I have to say I'm not very happy with the overall performance. Some of you know I have recently added a couple t5s to the mix and it has been better but I'm still not convinced this is the way to go.
I see all these tanks on web sites that run MH and WOW what a difference, so here is the question.
Switch or not?
I know about the obvious draw backs to MH cost of electric, bulb replacement, possible chiller which I dont think I will need due to summer AC and the fact we keep our house pretty cold in winter months so here I am wondering what to do.
If anyone has made the switch back please chime in and let me know if you feel you have made the right choice.

Mike S · Feb 4, 2015

Went from leds on my 120 to t5s and then 3 250 watt radiums on my 300 and love the MH. Honestly I haven't noticed much if any increase in my electric bill going from my 120 with leds to my current setup with MH. My 800 watt of heaters don't run nearly enough. My tank is in the basement which is cool during the summer but my temps have crept up into the low 80s at times during the summer or when the AC isn't on. It didn't seem to bother anything though. Most importantly my sps have reacted very well too them.

Hockeynut · Feb 4, 2015

Mike did you have to move any stuff around? Any bleaching? I'm worried that if I did make the switch it would be drastic with no ramp up or down and no output control. Did you raise them up higher and then lower over time? I know lots of questions.
I would hate to loose some of my more established corals they have been under LEDs for a long time.

iTzJu · Feb 4, 2015

Hockeynut said:
Mike did you have to move any stuff around? Any bleaching? I'm worried that if I did make the switch it would be drastic with no ramp up or down and no output control. Did you raise them up higher and then lower over time? I know lots of questions.
I would hate to loose some of my more established corals they have been under LEDs for a long time.

Rob, honestly the only time i ramp down is during the evening and it's purely for aesthetics of the corals from the actinic spectrum. the ramping shouldn't effect your corals in anyway.

a safe way to aclimate to MH is you are going to switch would be gradually increasing your photo-period. for example, for week 1 start at 4 hours a day, then the following week 5 hours, etc..

spotter · Feb 4, 2015

MH all the way!!!!!!

Mike S · Feb 5, 2015

I did as ITzJu suggested and just gradually ramped up the photo period over a few weeks. Nothing bleached and in fact I had an old strawberry shortcake frag that was in the frag boneyard start to color up and a Milli sprout up from a rock that at one point had a colony that rtn'd on me.

Empire · Feb 5, 2015

Rob I think you'll be happier with halides. Judeo brought up the best method for light acclimation unless there's a way to raise and lower the lights.

jgraz · Feb 5, 2015

Not to throw a wrench in this while thing but you only recently added the t5 to the existing LEDs. Why not give them a little time to come around. I think we play to much with our systems as it is chasing numbers, colors, and all kinds of different things. Just let the corals settle in for a few months then see what happens.
I recently switched from LEDs to t5 and to be honest I hate the color of my corals right now. But I know that they are going through a change. Even though I know the fixture I purchased it tried and true. It's taking everything in me to leave it alone.

iTzJu · Feb 5, 2015

jgraz said:
Not to throw a wrench in this while thing but you only recently added the t5 to the existing LEDs. Why not give them a little time to come around. I think we play to much with our systems as it is chasing numbers, colors, and all kinds of different things. Just let the corals settle in for a few months then see what happens.
I recently switched from LEDs to t5 and to be honest I hate the color of my corals right now. But I know that they are going through a change. Even though I know the fixture I purchased it tried and true. It's taking everything in me to leave it alone.

I gotta agree, save the MH when you upgrade Rob

Hockeynut · Feb 5, 2015

John you are probably right I should give it some more time I'm just trying to se what others think about the switch. I really wasn't going to swap it out for a while.

Hockeynut · Feb 5, 2015

But I am leaning towards the swap

asonitez · Feb 5, 2015

Hockeynut said:
But I am leaning towards the swap

I made the switch and have never looked back. Ever since doing so Coraline has skyrocketed, my tank looks more natural , the Power has largely remained the same and even though I added a chiller it RARELY comes on and thats in the hottest days of the summer. Even then it's on for a short period of time and the house is usually being airconditioned all the way. I KNOW that in the summer months I will have HEAVY energy bills and i'm willing to accept that fact for the comfort it affords me. We minimize by sticking to a few rooms and closing off rooms that are unoccupied during the day including bathrooms and bedrooms. We don't HAVE TO.. we do to save money an the environment.

Since switching, as long as my parameters are in tact.. I can add ANYTHING to my tank in the appropriate location and it will take off. I have since STOPPED blaming my water chemistry or lighting for a coral dieing. Its either chance or an unhealthy frag. That feeling is nice especially when you look at your tank and notice colors in your fish and coral that are tough to create under LED's. Full corals with color all around instead of on top. I don't hate LED's. I want them to work so much if there was a company truly putting phenomenal amounts of effort into their research I would dump halides right away. As it is I try every "generation" of LED's from china to germany to determine if its ready to replace my halides. I've had a few come close but none have taken the LED+T5 or T5 thrones.

grink · Feb 5, 2015

Have had some MH sitting around from when I purchased another tank. Have T'5s now but will have to give them a try!

JRWOHLER · Feb 5, 2015

I think some combo of LED T5 will eventually be my choice. Does anyone else have issues with MH giving them headaches?

jgraz · Feb 5, 2015

JRWOHLER said:
I think some combo of LED T5 will eventually be my choice. Does anyone else have issues with MH giving them headaches?

Not with MH but my wife said the shimmer from LEDs made her head hurt. I imagine MH would have been worse

Hockeynut · Feb 5, 2015

I remember running MH back in the 90s and at first I ran them without a piece of glass between the bulb and tank (I had a canopy hanging pretty high above the tank) and after doing research I learned the UV was dangerous I put glass between maybe the UV light is giving her a headache.
When I first set this tank up I had a MH fixture for it and took it off before I posted any pics of the tank I still remember the reaction my family had when they came home for the first time and saw the tank with MH they all came in together and all were commenting on how great the tank looked they had only seen it with Chinese LEDs before that.
The only reason I swithed was to save energy and now I figure with all the cash I dump into this hobby why would I skimp on one of the most important elements. Duh, sounds dumb when I think about it.

trivan · Feb 5, 2015

On the long debate thread on RC someone said it best, there have been Tanks of the month on MH and on LEDs. There is no question you can have a great tank on both. Pick the one you think best for your situation and run with it.

IMHO, If you feel MH are best great, but I don't think you can throw out the advances made by LEDs. Like everything in this hobby, one person success doesn't mean it will be for another. Every tank is different. I'm switching to the Kessil's, some people hate them, others love them. But there are some pretty reputable coral shops running them and getting good results.

Hockeynut · Feb 5, 2015

Agreed I was over at POTO and he runs Kessells and loves them, I'm not saying LEDs are completely bad I am not a led basher by no means. I have not been totally happy that doesn't mean others are not. Look at Pete's tank (zippy) his tank looks awesome and he runs LEDs. This post is to see how others feel and listen to there opinions both ways.
There is a lot of debate out there and I like it, debate Spurs the changes that make this hobby more fun and pushes advances in things like lighting, filtration, water movement and so on its all good

Zippy69 · Feb 5, 2015

Here is my thoughts. LEDs work, but you will find shifting of colors on certain corals. They may be more blue like a pearl berry or green, etc. For example i have a supposed joe the coral that looked more joe in my 55 but now looks like a better pearl berry wannabe in my 120. I believe each tank has 2 variables lighting and your tank...essence ( alk, cal, micronutrients). You will be hard pressed to get every coral to grow and look the way it does in pics. I pose the thought of growing corals that look good in your tank. Who cares if it's a green slimer.....it's the biggest branching green slimmer you will ever see in such a confined space! Lol. Rob I think your t5 led idea is a great one. I have found the t5's to really cut out shadows and add some background light. I'm seeing some color shift in a sarmensatosa as a result. But when it comes to punching midday light I love the led. Just my 1 cent with a woodford chase.

Hockeynut · Feb 5, 2015

Zippy69 said:
Here is my thoughts. LEDs work, but you will find shifting of colors on certain corals. They may be more blue like a pearl berry or green, etc. For example i have a supposed joe the coral that looked more joe in my 55 but now looks like a better pearl berry wannabe in my 120. I believe each tank has 2 variables lighting and your tank...essence ( alk, cal, micronutrients). You will be hard pressed to get every coral to grow and look the way it does in pics. I pose the thought of growing corals that look good in your tank. Who cares if it's a green slimer.....it's the biggest branching green slimmer you will ever see in such a confined space! Lol. Rob I think your t5 led idea is a great one. I have found the t5's to really cut out shadows and add some background light. I'm seeing some color shift in a sarmensatosa as a result. But when it comes to punching midday light I love the led. Just my 1 cent with a woodford chase.

Well said Pete,as far as color morfs I couldn't give a blank, I find some of the color shifts in my sons tank great he has Chinese LEDs just blue and white and things really change color in there. My dislikes come from shadows mostly and as I said before the t5s have helped in that dept. I am not ready to jump into anything just yet I need to give the T5 led combo more time I think I have had them on there for a month now and will have to give them at least another month or two to draw my conclution on weather or not it works for me.
I think LEDs are a viable reef light I think that the manufactures of LEDs caused most of the issue I see and maybe it is due to what customers want to see over there tanks. They make led fixtures way to small IMO so the bulbs aren't spread out enough to give proper coverage in turn if you want to get really good coverage you need to buy twice as many as they say will cover you tank. With the way the light cone comes off these little fixtures in the center of your tank there is no way to avoid shadows on the sides of your coral unless you add supplementation like T5s