Are MH's really the way to go
 

Hi,
I recently was told by my brother-in-law, aka bnhreef, who is the smartest guy in all of the world, if you ever want coral that MH's are the way too regardless of the wattage and k of power compacts they just wont compare to Metal Halide lighting. Is this true?
Thanks
Cam

I'll get back to you on this..going to find a few sources that compare initial setup, maintenance costs, and actual output differences. :D

I've used NO, T5s, PC & now MH. Go with MH right off & save yourself hundreds in unnecessary upgrades. I've seen & heard of people doing it successfully with "lesser" lights, but for a 2' by 2' tank, that would take a lot of PC 65w or t5s to give proper coverage & the replacement costs on those other bulbs would be as much, if not more than for a single decent MH bulb. HO T5s are expensive & so are multiple PC units. Do they make a 2' long VHO?

If you do a search on this subject, this same question has been asked zillions of times & the general consensus is go straight to MH to avoid the cost of upgrades. Why try with minimum light when you can actually give your corals good lighting instead? If you're worried about the extra cost of a MH pendant, then get out before the next VISA bill hits you because this is only a drop in the bucket when it comes to reefing expenses.

Anthony

I agree with Seahorse on this one. I have tried NO's, VHO's ,T-5's And back to MH again I love the look of the water, but hte main reason is the light will punch thur the water alot easier and the intensity is stronger then other lights IMO.
BUt Dont get me wrong T-5's are a great light that will do the same along with Vho's SO its all personnel choice.

I love the Mh and the T-5's but that is me.

MH is the way to go and if you planning to get one go retro. its much cheaper or if you want go to ebay look for a ballast and reflector under the gardening sections b'coz I notice that prices are cheaper there than looking under pet supplies. I got mine there for only $89 including shipping.

:question:.I don't understand the question, as it is not English.

Why reply then?

Cam,

Going with MH's now could save you some money in the future.

I agree..without posting actual numbers and such, the input/output ratio for metal halides is unparalleled by any fluorescent combination.

I went to MH for no other reason than it's easier to ship 2 MH lamps than 8 48" fluorescent bulbs...funny enough, I've downsized to a T5 only setup because I dropped something in my tank and killed 90% of my corals and can't afford to replace them..so I didn't see a need to waste $20/month on lighting my tank with halides.

WTH did you drop in your tank? That is really too bad - I liked your tank and if I had anything that was ready to frag yet I would send you something. Maybe in a few months.

looks like english here. on the other hand i don't remember starting a sentence with a question mark as proper english, i'll leave the fancy details to you.