What is your lighting of choice for optimum acropora color and growth - Page 2

10Seconds · 10/21/2017, 06:56 PM

For my eyes, the corals looks best under MH and T5 combos. It feels like some of the big names in corals are pushing LEDs for commercial and financial reasons not out of true belief in them. Or else put way more LED fixtures on their tank than the average hobby guy ever would.

mike810 · 10/25/2017, 11:53 PM

I have only ever used T5, T5+led and leds alone. I currently have two ati hybrids over my tank and am considering switching to MH+T5.

I have a 8x3x2 tank, I'm wondering if I should go with 400w or will 250w suffice? I was looking at the Giesemann Spectre 48" x2 with luxcore selectable ballast. I assume I would need four ballast to run four MH bulbs correct? I've never ran MH before so the ballast part confuses me a bit.

Anyone with advice would be greatly appreciated.

kenneth wolfe · 10/26/2017, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike810

I have only ever used T5, T5+led and leds alone. I currently have two ati hybrids over my tank and am considering switching to MH+T5.

I have a 8x3x2 tank, I'm wondering if I should go with 400w or will 250w suffice? I was looking at the Giesemann Spectre 48" x2 with luxcore selectable ballast. I assume I would need four ballast to run four MH bulbs correct? I've never ran MH before so the ballast part confuses me a bit.

Anyone with advice would be greatly appreciated.

Keep it...it works,

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

mike810 · 10/26/2017, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenneth wolfe

Keep it...it works,

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

It definitely works. I just really like the crisp look of a radium bulb and the natural shimmer it provides.

jda · 10/26/2017, 09:19 AM

Yes, four ballasts for four bulbs.

Luxcore selectable is fine for the 400W Radium. The 250W Radium is made for the M80 ballast, which you really need - even the selectable on the HQI setting does not look the same.

Spreading 3 feet is hard, so I would get the 400W.

ComforablyNumb · 10/26/2017, 11:09 AM

I have no idea why anyone would want to take heat and cost out of the equation.

Is this a hypothetical situation?

ComforablyNumb · 10/26/2017, 11:12 AM

The Kessil diffusing lens appears to blend color of all the leds in the tiny cluster as it leaves the lens. I think thats why you see no disco ball effect with them.

five.five-six · 10/26/2017, 11:17 AM

I have yet to see anything that comes close to 20K 250w radiums on a M80 ballest over 24” of water. It’s a freak of nature how well they work.

Mr. Brooks · 10/26/2017, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComforablyNumb

I have no idea why anyone would want to take heat and cost out of the equation.

Is this a hypothetical situation?

Yes.

mike810 · 10/26/2017, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComforablyNumb

I have no idea why anyone would want to take heat and cost out of the equation.

Is this a hypothetical situation?

For me, cost is not a factor. Color and growth outweighs any cost associated with lighting.

mike810 · 10/26/2017, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jda

Yes, four ballasts for four bulbs.

Luxcore selectable is fine for the 400W Radium. The 250W Radium is made for the M80 ballast, which you really need - even the selectable on the HQI setting does not look the same.

Spreading 3 feet is hard, so I would get the 400W.

Thanks for the feedback. So you recommend running 400w due to the width of my tank but not necessarily the height correct? Run 400w and raise them up a bit to cover the 3 feet wide tank?

What if I told you the all the rock work is towards some what right in the middle of the tank and that's where I plan to keep all the SPS. Would you still recommend 400w over the 250w?

jda · 10/26/2017, 02:01 PM

Yes, I still would use 400W. That way, you can get as much light into the 24" area, or whatever it ends up being. Also, when you get good at this, the colonies will brach out both front and back where there is open water.

DanCorals · 10/26/2017, 02:17 PM

Radions running Coral Lab SPS AB+ program @ 65%. For better color, I also dose BRS ReefChili as well as Poul's Xtra Special

Mr. Brooks · 10/26/2017, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanCorals

Radions running Coral Lab SPS AB+ program @ 65%. For better color, I also dose BRS ReefChili as well as Poul's Xtra Special

I ran this for 8 months but switched to World Wide Coral's color spectrum recently. The AB+ program is really blue, like too blue unless you run your Radions at 100% with fans screaming. Seems to lack intensity compared to the WWC program. For me at least.

Big E · 10/27/2017, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike810

I have only ever used T5, T5+led and leds alone. I currently have two ati hybrids over my tank and am considering switching to MH+T5.

I have a 8x3x2 tank, I'm wondering if I should go with 400w or will 250w suffice? I was looking at the Giesemann Spectre 48" x2 with luxcore selectable ballast. I assume I would need four ballast to run four MH bulbs correct? I've never ran MH before so the ballast part confuses me a bit.

Anyone with advice would be greatly appreciated.

Make sure you get quality reflectors. Lumenarc 3's revolutionized reflector designs. They aren't availalble new anymore but there are other brands that have copied the design and work just as well. Most are approx. 20x20"

This will give a maximum coverage similar to this--

lumenarc spread by Big E 52, on Flickr

jda · 10/27/2017, 04:01 PM

If you get the business part of the bulb into the center of the reflector, the blue and yellow parts above will be very uniform. This can be an issue since lots of bulbs have the emitter not the center, but most fixtures will let you adjust for this.

mike810 · 10/27/2017, 08:11 PM

It would have to be a clean setup in a fixture in order for me to move on it. I wanted to added some reefbrites to my PM hybrid but wife was not digging the look of it. Either way, will be awhile before I can convince if ever the wife lol.

Apologies to the OP for derailing.

Radioheadx14 · 11/01/2017, 01:47 PM

I love my 250w MH and 4 Blue T5s on my 40g breeder. I have tried everything over the years, and this is my favorite. tried to switch to radions but it didn't make it past the initial test phase. worth the extra electricity and heat.

sbreefer · 11/02/2017, 04:16 PM

i too tried 4 radion pros and went back to 400W MH w t5 actinic supp. I was never able to achieve the growth and colr that i get using the halides. my favorite lamps are 20K radiums

dadummy · 11/05/2017, 09:16 AM

they told me when I was getting the fever you cannot grow SPS under VHO. That was my favorite lighting. I forget the exact bulb config., however, I do remember running two NO Aqua-D Blue bulbs along with the 4 VHO bulbs over a 90g. The NO bulbs had an amazing blue pop for that time frame. Pics are all on a crashed hard drive and it makes me want to cry. Maybe it's euphoric recall, but I know for sure the Monti Caps were amazing and the A. Aspera grew branches out of the water. Sure, easy SPS, but for a beginner it was fantastic.
The excess of Monti frags paid for the lighting upgrade to T5. Which at the time they came out the Halide guru's stated you cannot grow SPS under T5. Wrong again know it all!. Seven T5 bulbs over a 90 gallon grew everything. I then absolutely had to have a bigger tank and switched up to a 150g with T5 and was very successful.
Holy Cow, then the blue LED hit the street, I had to have it!!. Once again the SPS guru's were wrong stating you can't grow SPS under LED. With the DIY RB, CW LED combo I was still able to sustain the sps they just grew differently. While Red Planet and ATL Mirabilis continued to grow up and table, the ORA blue Mille and other corals would just encrust and not branch. Eventually pulled the white LED and added back some B+ T5, life was good again. Except for the dreaded AEFW.
A few years ago we replaced the tile flooring in the house, set up a holding/ frag system broke down the tank treating corals for AEFW. Finally, I got to try the ultimate lighting, Metal Halide. Picked up three used 250w DE pendants with M80 ballasts and supplemented with blue LED. Man those things are bright. I think the blue LED ruined it for me. I was never happy with the Halide bulb colors and the LED sucked for supplementation to the bright lights. I was either going to get new pendants and run Radiums or put the T5 back in. I feel the Halides have not gotten a fair shake and are in the attic. For the last two years, I have had nothing but issues with the system, Compromising myself that once all the SPS finally die I will go back to a mixed reef, I switched out to T5. Still not sure what's wrong, ICP test came back OK but that's another long boring story.
SO, with all the nonsense the best *growth and coloration* for me has been with T5 LED.

10/26/2017, 11:17 AM	#33
five.five-six Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Corona Posts: 7,827 Blog Entries: 6	I have yet to see anything that comes close to 20K 250w radiums on a M80 ballest over 24” of water. It’s a freak of nature how well they work. __________________ Originally posted by yellowslayer13: "I hate that hole" Current Tank Info: SCMAS Member 225 peninsula euroreef RS180 Apex 400W X 3 20k radiums / Spectra mixed SPS

11/02/2017, 04:16 PM	#44
sbreefer Afflicted Reefer Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Steamboat Colorado Posts: 490	i too tried 4 radion pros and went back to 400W MH w t5 actinic supp. I was never able to achieve the growth and colr that i get using the halides. my favorite lamps are 20K radiums __________________ mixed bare bottom reef Current Tank Info: SPS dominated 300g

10/21/2017, 06:56 PM	#26
10Seconds Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 50	For my eyes, the corals looks best under MH and T5 combos. It feels like some of the big names in corals are pushing LEDs for commercial and financial reasons not out of true belief in them. Or else put way more LED fixtures on their tank than the average hobby guy ever would.

10/25/2017, 11:53 PM	#27
mike810 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Huntington Beach Posts: 2,235	I have only ever used T5, T5+led and leds alone. I currently have two ati hybrids over my tank and am considering switching to MH+T5. I have a 8x3x2 tank, I'm wondering if I should go with 400w or will 250w suffice? I was looking at the Giesemann Spectre 48" x2 with luxcore selectable ballast. I assume I would need four ballast to run four MH bulbs correct? I've never ran MH before so the ballast part confuses me a bit. Anyone with advice would be greatly appreciated.

10/26/2017, 09:19 AM	#30
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Yes, four ballasts for four bulbs. Luxcore selectable is fine for the 400W Radium. The 250W Radium is made for the M80 ballast, which you really need - even the selectable on the HQI setting does not look the same. Spreading 3 feet is hard, so I would get the 400W.

10/26/2017, 11:09 AM	#31
ComforablyNumb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 627	I have no idea why anyone would want to take heat and cost out of the equation. Is this a hypothetical situation?

10/26/2017, 11:12 AM	#32
ComforablyNumb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 627	The Kessil diffusing lens appears to blend color of all the leds in the tiny cluster as it leaves the lens. I think thats why you see no disco ball effect with them.

10/26/2017, 02:01 PM	#37
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	Yes, I still would use 400W. That way, you can get as much light into the 24" area, or whatever it ends up being. Also, when you get good at this, the colonies will brach out both front and back where there is open water.

10/26/2017, 02:17 PM	#38
DanCorals Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 66	Radions running Coral Lab SPS AB+ program @ 65%. For better color, I also dose BRS ReefChili as well as Poul's Xtra Special

10/27/2017, 04:01 PM	#41
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	If you get the business part of the bulb into the center of the reflector, the blue and yellow parts above will be very uniform. This can be an issue since lots of bulbs have the emitter not the center, but most fixtures will let you adjust for this.

10/27/2017, 08:11 PM	#42
mike810 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Huntington Beach Posts: 2,235	It would have to be a clean setup in a fixture in order for me to move on it. I wanted to added some reefbrites to my PM hybrid but wife was not digging the look of it. Either way, will be awhile before I can convince if ever the wife lol. Apologies to the OP for derailing.

11/01/2017, 01:47 PM	#43
Radioheadx14 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,601	I love my 250w MH and 4 Blue T5s on my 40g breeder. I have tried everything over the years, and this is my favorite. tried to switch to radions but it didn't make it past the initial test phase. worth the extra electricity and heat.

11/05/2017, 09:16 AM	#45
dadummy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: S.Fla Posts: 1,041	they told me when I was getting the fever you cannot grow SPS under VHO. That was my favorite lighting. I forget the exact bulb config., however, I do remember running two NO Aqua-D Blue bulbs along with the 4 VHO bulbs over a 90g. The NO bulbs had an amazing blue pop for that time frame. Pics are all on a crashed hard drive and it makes me want to cry. Maybe it's euphoric recall, but I know for sure the Monti Caps were amazing and the A. Aspera grew branches out of the water. Sure, easy SPS, but for a beginner it was fantastic. The excess of Monti frags paid for the lighting upgrade to T5. Which at the time they came out the Halide guru's stated you cannot grow SPS under T5. Wrong again know it all!. Seven T5 bulbs over a 90 gallon grew everything. I then absolutely had to have a bigger tank and switched up to a 150g with T5 and was very successful. Holy Cow, then the blue LED hit the street, I had to have it!!. Once again the SPS guru's were wrong stating you can't grow SPS under LED. With the DIY RB, CW LED combo I was still able to sustain the sps they just grew differently. While Red Planet and ATL Mirabilis continued to grow up and table, the ORA blue Mille and other corals would just encrust and not branch. Eventually pulled the white LED and added back some B+ T5, life was good again. Except for the dreaded AEFW. A few years ago we replaced the tile flooring in the house, set up a holding/ frag system broke down the tank treating corals for AEFW. Finally, I got to try the ultimate lighting, Metal Halide. Picked up three used 250w DE pendants with M80 ballasts and supplemented with blue LED. Man those things are bright. I think the blue LED ruined it for me. I was never happy with the Halide bulb colors and the LED sucked for supplementation to the bright lights. I was either going to get new pendants and run Radiums or put the T5 back in. I feel the Halides have not gotten a fair shake and are in the attic. For the last two years, I have had nothing but issues with the system, Compromising myself that once all the SPS finally die I will go back to a mixed reef, I switched out to T5. Still not sure what's wrong, ICP test came back OK but that's another long boring story. SO, with all the nonsense the best growth and coloration for me has been with T5 LED.