If you want actinic supplemation only VHO is the better way to go on almost every tank i have seen. at least. I think one benefit in the T5 area is the sleak look for an open top tank. MH have some nice units but say ati's units just look spiffy, they seem to be a little more current on design appeal thank MH units...not all but in general. I personally think a tank looks nice both ways, depends on the tank :) I have seen tanks I would love to say were mine with All LED, VHO, T5, MH etc. When you get to arguing about aesthetics, there is never a end. Its the old ..i may not now...but i know what i like.
If you want to argue cold hard facts...you need to find them realiably then, no disussion i have ever seen has anyything other than personal opinion oh energy usage, bulb replacement etc. Bulbs both kinds can be found cheaper ands at least equal if you look around it seems.

yes I cpompared the same amount of watts. T5's just don't have the intensity of MH.

Um, I have seen some pretty sexy MH fixtures also, and some but ugly T5 ones.. so thats not even a discussion point :mrgreen:

More bulbs... do you mean in choices or the amount of bulbs you putting over the tank.. if it is by choices to buy I think MH in the 250 range has just as many as every manufacture's 10K is a little different from the others and so one and so one.. I actualy find the lack of different T5's localy a pain only about 6 types and 2 or 3 are freshwater.

Heat.. hmmm... lets compare sexy fixture against sexy fixture, Brads twin 150 MH with two PC's seams to throw out less heat downwards than my 24" twin HO T5 set up. :redface: so what does this tell me, fans are good, but like you said comparing watt for watt to keep things fair like I did with the PAR, you will get just as much radiant heat from 250 watts of HOT5 as you will from 250 watts of MH in the same type of fixture.

Steve

Now I'm embarrassed. I've gone and replaced all the bulbs in my home with those little curly CF bulbs, thinking I'm being environmentally friendly! Now I find out that in order to be a real tree hugger I've got to replace them all with MH fixtures :surprise:

The only place you see the MH vs T5 debate is in the aquarium hobby. It's all emotional. We don't want to admit we're energy pigs, and we use MHs because we like the look of them, even though it's been proven time and time again that you can keep a beautiful reef with T5s! Everyone else is a little more scientific.

A little something from BC Hydro's site.
http://www.bchydro.com/business/inve...igate3668.html

Steve,

1) How are you measuring and comparing the intensity of T5 lamps to MH? Are you fishing around for a spot of highest intensity or mapping out a grid both horizontally and vertically?

2) What specific T5 lamps were in the T5 fixture you measured? Did the fixture use true individual parabolic reflectors? What fixture was measured? Did the fixture utilize active cooling? How old were the lamps? How high above the water were the fixtures?

I'm all for "measuring" things in an attempt to quantify differences but if there's a complete lack of control and standardization then the comparison is as useful as "MH sucks and T5 kicks a$$".

And to be fair, I use both MH and T5 in combination ;)

I wasn't asking you that. I know YOU were comparing watts. No one else seems to get it. :lol:

I agree, given the same depth water, MH are FAR more intense no matter how great the reflectors on the T5s are. This is partly what I was saying.

This is EXACTLY what I mean! If you're using one of those 6 or 8 bulb T5 fixtures you're using up just as much power (or more) than if you were to use 250w or less MH, and you'd be getting LESS PAR with the T5s. Hence, MH are far more efficient. Those using 400w MH over 18" deep tanks ARE energy pigs...but I've seen a couple of tanks using 12 T5s side by side that had just as many watts, and try to tell me they aren't energy pigs too?

Of course you can keep just as brilliant SPS corals under T5s, but you're using at least as many watts as you would if you were using MH, so what's the point? Do you still think you're being energy-wise?

You guys need to learn what PAR is, and how to compare PAR watt for watt. Some of you really aren't getting it.

Between me and Steve, one of us is gonna break down and give the lecture... :lol:

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you guys? Solatubes FTW.

*cough*

Edit: http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/saez/Class/RedSun.jpg FTWx3 <--- best lightbulb 3VAR

Now you're talkin!

Right idea, wrong part of the world!

Incorrect. You seem to have missed the Red Giant clause. Red Giant + SolaTube = Win. There is no room for discussion. ggnorekkthx.


*Assumes you mount mentioned Red Giant + SolaTube assembly no further than 24" from the tank.

Albert, nice to see you around. But one question:

WTF are you smokin?

Alternate question:

Am I too dumb to understand what you're saying?

:)