PDA

View Full Version : t5 6xteklight vs. pfo 250w mogul halide?


zuzecawi
02/26/2008, 05:24 PM
Gettin tired of the spotlight effect on the ol fish tank, would I be nuts to switch from a single 250w pendant (PFO magnetic ballast w/ 20K 250w XM) to a 6 bulb 36" teklight? Or should I gut the teklight and use some of the bulbs in addition to the 250? ( or trade it for a combo fixture?) (BTW, this is for my 58 gal)

MIKE NY
02/26/2008, 06:54 PM
personally I like the glitter effect given from a point source illumination like MH bulbs........

pIankton
02/26/2008, 07:12 PM
I'd say ditch the halides, but I don't know how tall a 58 is. IMO, if it's 24" or under, I'd go with the T5's. over 24", go halide.

SimilanRocks
02/26/2008, 08:20 PM
I think his is 36". I would add 2 more T5 retro.

zuzecawi
02/26/2008, 08:23 PM
yeah, I like the shimmer too. But I have GOT to do something to get better light spread on this tank, my crocea, even in the top six inches, is doing some serious hyper extension. Corals look great, deresa in the bottom of the tank is sweet, but the crocea is hurtin for light.

The tank footprint is 18 D x 36 L x 21 H

dsn112
02/26/2008, 09:02 PM
I dunno but I have a single ice cap pendant 250w DE, and it covers my tank very well. My tank is the same dimensions as yours except mine is 3.5" deeper.

aninjaatemyshoe
02/26/2008, 10:54 PM
I voted for switching to T5s, not because it is better but because it seems to fit what you want the best. If you don't like the spotlight effect, then T5s would be the way to go.

Many people have had their criticisms about the Tek fixture. Personally, I rather like mine. I think there are just a few key things to keep in mind when using it. One, T5s really operate best when you are actively cooling them with fans. The Tek fixture does not have a built-in fan, so you would do well to have a couple of fans blowing along its length from the side of your tank. Do not go with the splash cover as this will trap the heat and cause your T5s to quickly loose intensity and lifespan. Two, since you will not be using the splash cover, it will be important to keep the top of your tank splash free. Any small splashes can quickly coat it in salt residue. Three, the reflectors aren't the best in the hobby, but they are individual and therefore much better than the cheap-o single reflector T5 fixtures. There was a point where I would have suggested buying an Aquactinic fixture instead, but now that their price has skyrocketed, I would no longer say that.

As far as going with the combo idea, don't bother. I have been there and can say that it is not worth the trouble. The metal halide will way outshine the supplemental T5s, to the point where you can barely see the effect of having the T5s. I've tried even using T5s on a an Icecap ballast and still could barely see their effect against a 250W MH. The point is that you might as well just stick with just the metal halide if this was your only other option.

zuzecawi
02/26/2008, 11:19 PM
Hmm, the halide can visually outshine the T5's, I only want them for the parts of the sps that aren't receiving light from the MH. The problem I have with the MH is that centered, it just doesn't provide good coverage to anything but the side of the sps facing it. I'll be moving all the coral to a larger system with multiple MH's and VHOS, so I'd like to start getting things a bit more light acclimated to light from all sides in advance, rather than just spring it all on them when I finish the big rebuild. And, again, my crocea is complaining about the lack of light spread.

kdblove_99
02/27/2008, 12:00 AM
I would keep it also. I love MH though

Ti
02/27/2008, 01:00 AM
I would say use both

steveoutlaw
02/27/2008, 08:31 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11953278#post11953278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aninjaatemyshoe
Do not go with the splash cover as this will trap the heat and cause your T5s to quickly loose intensity and lifespan.


The thing you have to watch for here is that the TEK doesn't have waterproof endcaps. Bulbs you can clean, but endcaps are a real pain to replace.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11953278#post11953278 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aninjaatemyshoe
As far as going with the combo idea, don't bother. I have been there and can say that it is not worth the trouble. The metal halide will way outshine the supplemental T5s, to the point where you can barely see the effect of having the T5s.

What about using 20K halide bulbs and Aquablue+ T5s instead of using the T5s for actinic supplementation?

zuzecawi
02/27/2008, 01:53 PM
steve, at the top of the post, you'll see, I DO run 20K. I'm not looking for actinic supplementation, I'm looking for a greater spread of light. I end up with one side of the coral looking great, but the other side looking like crap because of the spotlight effect of the halide. I was thinking that a combo of halide and 6500K t5 bulbs would cure that problem. Personally, I don't like chernobyl blue tanks. It looks weird and makes me kinda sick to stomach. I would really much rather have a more white/yellow/sunny look.

zuzecawi
02/27/2008, 11:47 PM
So I experimented with the lights more tonight... and decided... wow, the t5's in addition, even just two, makes a HUGE difference. There is no way I can live without the shimmer, although the t5 fixture seems to light the tank better than the pendant, I can't bring myself to let go of the halide look. So now I'm going to either gut it or trade it. The T5's really did make the tank look great, and I love the light spread, but the shimmer effect... just doesn't look right with out it. And I don't see, at all, where the MH outshines the T5. The two together should work just fine. Thanks for you who answered this thread and put in your two cents.