advice on lighting, used mh or t5 glo

[megs_clark]

Hi. Im new to saltwater and have a 30 gallon bowfront that finished its cycle, now i need to upgrade my lights. I want to try some colorfull corals & fish, and need advice on what light to buy. Im on a bit of a buget. I was told by my local fish store to stay away from the compacts, and to buy a glo t5 ho. It had 2 bulbes, 24w each. Doesnt seem like much to me? My question is should i buy the glo t5 ho, or buy a used mh. I see them used from time to time around $150-$200, which is my price range right now. And the t5 is $140 before tax, so even in price. And if you think i should buy a used mh, what should i watch for. Are their good and bad brands? Do they have a lifespan on the ballast. I want something that will last me a few years. Hope for some good advice, thanks

[imisky]

hagen glo T5HO are not the best T5HO setup out there and imo for T5HO to really work you need individual reflectors else theres too much restriking happening.

look into Aquamedic MH 150w or 250w they are single pendents i own 2 and love them. there was a guy selling them in the hardware sales form for i believe 300 for both i think if my memories are right

[fencer]

restriking?

[mike31154]

I think by restriking he means light bouncing off the dual reflector (such as the GLO fixtures with single reflector) and cancelling out light that would have been reflected more efficiently by an individual reflector for each lamp. Sort of like the power compacts wasting light because they are doubled over and part of the tube sends light at the other part of the tube instead of into the tank where you want it. Does that even make sense?? Hope so..

[Navarchus]

Hi
First question to ask is what are you going to keep there?
Second question what are the dimensions of the tank?
Do you have a chiller?

If it’s only fish tank then a couple of T5 might do the job.
If it a coral reef tank then you should look for a stronger source of light.

After your comments it would be easier to advice you on a proper lighting solution.

[megs_clark]

Hi, Thanks for the responces. My tank is 24" accross and just under 18" deep.
Im planing on having fish, and corals. Im going to start with some easier ones first and was told to start with certain soft corals that are a little less sensitive. Im hoping to eventualy get in on one of those frag orders iv seen on the livestock section. I dont have a cooling system, so far i have a 30 gallon bow front tank, a marinland hot magnum bio pro 250 filter with the bio wheel, heater, live rock and crushed coral. Im thinking from what iv read i might have to switch the crushed coral for sand (bummer since iv had it cycling for 2 and a half months). That is something my lfs sold to me, its pritty small, which is why im looking for advice one here. Im planning on getting more live rock in the comming week, and a submersable powerhead or 2, been thinking of the koralia ones with the magnet? And the light. Since the light is the more expencive purchase i want to make sure to buy a decent one. So i wont have to upgrade. And then i can save for a skimmer and sump eventualy so i can hide everything :O) Any and all input it much apprieciated.

[pastout]

if you are looking for a used metal halide ive got a 175 watt metal halide with the pendent ballast and bulb(bulb works but will need replaceing eventualy) for 80$

http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=52932

[whatcaneyedo]

I've got a 24" 48W Hagen Glo over my 20gal soft coral nano. Its certainly brighter to the naked eye than the 65W Coralife PC fixture that I used to use but I would definitely go used metal halide in your case if those are your options. I dont know if its already sold but this would be a pretty nice package http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=53464&highlight=lumenmax

[Navarchus]

I thing you guys are underestimating the efficiency and effectiveness of T5’s.
I also loved the MH and used them for a long tome together with T5, but after some trail and error I can say based on my personal experience and some friends, that you can keep all kind of corals under T5! The growth rate and colors were amazing and there are other benefits such as energy saving, color combination, cover and more.

I am also a sucker for the MH shimmering effect and visual intensity, but on what cost?

[whatcaneyedo]

Here we go again... another MH vs T5 debate. lol Of course a person can do wonderful things with T5 http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-07/totm/index.php but for $150-200 its my opinion that he would be better served by a used MH pendant rather than a Hagen Glo T5.

Megs Clark, did the Hagen Glo come with bulbs for $150? I bought mine at Petland and the bulbs were sold separetly... the whole thing cost more like $211 after tax.

[megs_clark]

Hi. Thanks for all the advice so far. The t5 glo does not come with lights, their extra. I was looking at the 10000 and the actinics, which were like $30 ech if i bought the glo brand, but the lady at the pet store said the no name ones were the exact same and were $15 ech. ??? Dont know if i would get the same lighting with the no name ones, but like the price, :O). I have been scrolling through the mh adds. What the difference between the magnetic and non magnetic? And would i have to get a chiller, or is that only if i go with more then one mh? The pet stores out here are fairly limited for space and stock, so i never know if their advising me on whats best for me, or just telling me to buy whats on their shelf, which typicaly isnt much, lol. Also if i bought lets say a 150w or 250 w, would one be enough to cover my 24" wide aquarium, or would i need 2? That would be to expencive i think.

[whatcaneyedo]

My experience with T5 is too limited so I probably shouldnt say anymore.

This should answer all of your questions about how MH work (plus it saves me valuable typing time).
Part V: Everything You Need to Know About
Metal Halide Lamps and Ballasts: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/sj/index.php

What temperature does the room your tank is in get to during the summer? If its in a cool basement you may not need anything. If its in a hot apartment with no air conditioning you might have a big problem with heat.

A single MH of either wattage should be able to light a 2'x2' area well with a decent reflector.

[imisky]

magnetic/electronic/pulse start/probe are all different types of ballasts. magnetic type ballasts tend to "over drive" some bulbs while electronic seem to "underdrive" some bulbs.. this is of course has expections as they dont always over drive or under drive bulbs as every bulb has different specs that they need to run at.

in my experience a single 150W will cover a normal size 20gallon just fine as for heat if you went with the 250W you can always lift it higher thus end up with less heat inside the tank itself, however as whatcaneyedo it also depends on where the tank is setup and the ambient temp.

[Navarchus]

In my experience to get a good cover when using MH to main factors to be considered:
Length of the tank and height (if it is a very wide tank then you should re-consider)

I would recommend a MH bulb for every 24 in! If you have 50inch tank you should use 2 bulbs, one for every 24inch and so on.

To select the power of the bulb I would recommend:

For a tank up to 24inch heights a 150 will do the job.
For a tank up to 30inch heights a 250 will do the job.
For a tank above 30inch height a 400 in needed.

[megs_clark]

Well i didnt want to wait any longer so i bought a t5 glo from aquatic addictions. Reason being i didnt want to have to buy a mh plus chiller, and most of the used mh needed new bulbs, was out of my buget for the time.
Im liking the glo t5 so far, only downside is it doesnt have seperate plug ins or switches for the lights. But its a huge improvment from before. I also put in my first fish, a clown fish picked by my boys of course, and am getting a second one today. I figure ill eventualy go for a bigger tank, and will try to find a package deal with mh seeing as that seems to be what most recomend. I think ill get a bigger tank in the very near future as this seems to be addicting, and will use my current tank as a quarintine tank since i dont currently have one. Thanks again for all the advice, i saved the link to the "facts of light". Which is very informative and should help me know what to look for.

[lorenz0]

What bulbs did you go with?

[DJ_drew]

if ur looking for a good starter tank i have a 75 gallon, stand, canopy and dual 175w halides with ballasts and a heater, power head, overflow box.
$500 obo if ur interested.

[fishytime]

Dont let people scare you about the hagen lights...here is what I did with two hagen units over a 20g http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31856&highlight=fishytimes+20g

[megs_clark]

Wow fishy time, your tank looks great, Im hoping one day to get mine like that, still a little bare, but ill get their. You had 4 bulbs going then ay, .

Right now i have one 10000k bulb and the other actinic. It looks way better. I wasnt sure if i should have 2 10000k, or the mix.

My next buy will be something for my clown fish to hide in. :O) I just put in two clown fish and two turbo snail and my other hald just supprised be with a brittle star. I figure i should hold off anymore living creatures for a few weeks since its only been going for a couple months. Does something like a bubble tip or a anemone add to a bio load? I figure they must since their living. Funny iv had my freshwater tank going for a few years and nobody has taken an interest but since i started my little saltwater tanki notice everyone looking in, and my husband seems as excited as i do when i add something :O)

[Navarchus]

My tank with T5 (7*54w)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uxCgBLJKy-Q/SiE3GlDoecI/AAAAAAAAA5U/5at81HWyvow/15.09.09.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uxCgBLJKy-Q/SiE3JZ2xgxI/AAAAAAAAA5c/CvgVFaiCwbs/s512/24.01.09.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_uxCgBLJKy-Q/SiE3HAgBNxI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/KT8k4X9cznA/18.02.09.jpg

[Navarchus]

btw It is diy fixture….

[xtreme]

Wow, Navarchus only one of the three pics works but I'd like to see more. What are the dims of your tank? The trio of Regal Angels don't bother any of your corals?

[whatcaneyedo]

This is my soft coral 20gal with Hagen Glo. But I still prefer the MH on my main tanks.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/Picture229.jpg

[Navarchus]

My tank with T5 (7*54w)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uxCgBLJKy-Q/SiE3GlDoecI/AAAAAAAAA5U/5at81HWyvow/15.09.09.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uxCgBLJKy-Q/SiE3JZ2xgxI/AAAAAAAAA5c/CvgVFaiCwbs/s512/24.01.09.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_uxCgBLJKy-Q/SiE3HAgBNxI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/KT8k4X9cznA/18.02.09.jpg


Hi
The first pic is from day 1 just to show the light intensity.
This was a sps dominated tank so no problem with the diacanthus!
In the beginning all of them where chums but one bright morning the yellow belly started chasing the blue belly, and as you probably know stress is one thing you don’t want you diacanthus to have!

Tank dimensions 50 * 24* 22(h)

But let's not snatch the thread…..

[megs_clark]

Snatch away, lol, i love seeing full tank shots off peoples established tanks. I spend toooo much time looking at peoples journals or blogs of them going through their tanks growth from begining to end. But i cant stop myself. Navarchus, i love your tank. I think its one of my favs. Im torn between yours and a bonsai thread i seen on here. I think yours is winning, lol. I usualy like the tanks with lots of different color, but your speratic shoots of green everywhere is really neat and clean looking. Feels more naturalm like theirs trees in your tank. I love it. Its exciting to see such neat and pritty tanks done with T5s

Whatcaneyedo, your tank to is very nice, 20 gal would be such a nice size. And the purple theme has a warm feel to it. Do you have it hooked up to a sump or on its own. And if its on its own do you have a hard time keeping it stable. Im wishing id had my 30 gallon set up for a sump and drilled before i cycled and put anything in it, but will just keep it in mind for future tanks, lol How long have you all been in the hobby for. Crazy how much so many of you know since their is so much to remember long term with these tanks.

[Navarchus]

Tnks:redface:

[whatcaneyedo]

Whatcaneyedo, your tank to is very nice, 20 gal would be such a nice size. And the purple theme has a warm feel to it. Do you have it hooked up to a sump or on its own. And if its on its own do you have a hard time keeping it stable. Im wishing id had my 30 gallon set up for a sump and drilled before i cycled and put anything in it, but will just keep it in mind for future tanks, lol How long have you all been in the hobby for. Crazy how much so many of you know since their is so much to remember long term with these tanks.

The tank is drilled and connected to a 20gal rubbermaid tub sump. In the sump I've got an aqua C urchin Pro skimmer (really over sized for this tank but I already had it before I set up the tank), ATO float valve and heater. The return is a Mag 7 that pushes through a SCWD to two return jets in the tank. The salinity, temperature and cleanliness of the tank stays very constant.

I've been doing saltwater for 5 years.

I used to light this tank with a 10K 65W Coralife PC. After I switched the tank looked much brighter and I noticed the big pink leather opens up far more often now.

[mike31154]

Dont let people scare you about the hagen lights...here is what I did with two hagen units over a 20g http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=31856&highlight=fishytimes+20g

Agreed, although I currently have a retrofit T5HO set up (4x54watt), I started with a 36" Hagen Glo fixture on my 4 ft tank with the same bulb config as you, one 10,000k & one actinic. Worked fine to get things going and even had a few soft corals sprout out of the LR on their own under that light. I also had a BTA under it for a number of months and it was fine. I've recently added 2x250 SE mogul MH on magnetic ballasts which I run for about 3 hours during the midday period, with the T5s off. I now have a few LPS corals and the added lighting is helping those along quite a bit. You'll be fine for the time being with just a few fish and this will give you time to contemplate your next move. Depending on where you want to go, corals, etc. you'll likely want to increase your lighting, whether it be T5HO or MH, maybe even LED, yikes. If you wish to add a bubble tip anemone for your clowns, it should do ok, but try to have it at up as high as you can, although they tend to move on occasion and find their own spot. There's no guarantee that the clowns will host in it, but with a little luck & patience, they'll dive in there at some point.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Any anemone should NOT be added into a new system. They do better when added to a more mature system and best if the anemone is a clone from someone's tank.

[mike31154]

Any anemone should NOT be added into a new system. They do better when added to a more mature system and best if the anemone is a clone from someone's tank.

Yes, you're correct sorry I didn't clue in on the amount of time the tank has been running. I believe I added my BTA about 6 months after start up, with established LR since the tank had been running previously. Waiting longer would certainly be better. My BTA is still with me and grew fairly well from the outset. It was quite pale when I purchased it.

[megs_clark]

Well thats a bummer, lol. I will deffinitly wait then on the anemone. How long do you figure till its safe. A couple more months???? And then mabe could i buy a hardier one. I was also told not to buy a hammer coral as my clown fish would eventualy love it to death. :( . They are sure pritty lol. I was hopping to buy off someone whose anemone had split or something but they dont seem to come up that often.
While im still asking for advice, iv been reading alot of forums, recently when first setting up the tank i bought for a filter a marinland hot magnum bio pro 250 filter with the bio wheel. Im reading the canister filters and bio wheels are bad. Do you agree. Can i take off my bio wheel and keef the filter? I read you can take out the spunges and put live rock in it? In my filter its not actual spunges, its a carbon media container (which iv been running empty) with a rite sleeve on it. It says "necessary for everyday filteration. The sleeve screens out free floating dirt and debris" Theirs also a micron cartrige for polishing the water? Can i use this and just rince it one a week. I have a aquaclear hang on the back filter and the guy at the pet store said to buy the marinland hot magnum bio pro 250 filter with the bio wheel. And not use the aquaclear. I also just put in a karilia 3 so i have tons of flow. Think i might need to tone that down a notch even. What do you think? Its a 30 gallon bowfront
Wow my messages are alway so long!