lighting question

[rmdavis]

I have a question for everyone, I am currently cycling a tank..and starting to look for lights. I have a very good offer for some VHO's from someone changing to a fish only tank, but had been looking at some T-5's. is there enough difference to say that I would be better off going ahead and getting the t-5's or would you go with the VHO's?

thanks

 

[bkv1997]

I personally would ask the question should i go with the VHOs or wait and get MHs.

What do you want to keep in your tank? If you don't plan on clams or SPS then I think VHOs could be enough, but if you were going to keep sps my preference would be towards MHs.

 

[salt newbie01]

I would agree with bkv, the question to ask is what type of corals do you want to keep. I have vho's and while I am happy with them I would like the flexability that mh's give. I can keep most lps and even some sps corals with the vho's but I think they would be happier under mh's. SO what direction do you want to go with your tank?

 

[rmdavis]

thanks for the input , just curious why you both bypassed the T-5's are they not as good as the MH or VHO?

 

[bkv1997]

My reasons(though I have actually never had them):

1) To get the same amount of output as MHs you have to have lots of them..Personally just to much space.

2) Again my opinion... Even if you were to get the same amount of wattage the intensity needed to keep an sps coral healthy 24" deep in water is going to be lacking.

3) Single light point. MHs make shimmer light lines in your tank, like the sun does on the ocean floor... Extremely cool looking.

The downside to MHs over T5s is heat.

Again please keep in mind I haven't ever personally had t5s, but my opinion of them is they are just a smaller VHO bulb that allows you pack more of them in a given space. Even if they were exactly the same I would go MH for reason 3 listed above, because T5s will never give you that.

 

[salt newbie01]

I have never had T-5's or seen them in person. I do agree with bkv that the shimmer affect is very cool looking and cannot be recreated by anything but mh's. Lighting is a very important and very expensive part of this hobby, I am just not comfortable enough with T-5's yet. I guess after they have been out longer and I have been able to see success first hand maybe my opinion will change. I just wouldn't be very happy if I set my tank up to have t-5's and didn't have success. I personally just feel more comfortable with vho's or mh's. But this is just my opinion. If you should get t-5's I would like to hear how they do and if you are happy with them. Keep us posted, please.