need your advice please

htfn · #1 09-01-2010, 06:02 AM

Hi, I am thinking to change my lighting system to 8 x 54w T5 or 6 x 54w T5. Now I have 2 x 175w MH and 4 x 96w tube lights. My tank is 90G mixed reef tank.

and also changing wave motion device to single Vortech MP40w Es or 2 x Hydor Koralia 4 Controllable Powerhead and Hydor Korlia Wavemaker Controller (2 Pump). I realy like MP 40w ES but if I need two of them then it quite expensive and I am not able to afford them. I also like Hydor Koralia, too and I guss price is right. single MP40w ES price is 2 powerhead plus wavemaker controller. Are they making wave like MP40? Could you please give some your valuable advise.

Thank you

amoreira · #2 09-01-2010, 06:51 PM

Keep the MH lights, and swap the others with T5HO.

I find that SPS doesn't do well with just T5's (others might weigh in differently, but that's my finding).

As for wave motion, I have MP40W and find it's great for my needs. Hydor's are kind of bulky and the prop breaks easiliy. They don't have anything near of the output that the MP40 does. If you got the bucks go for MP40.

globaldesigns · #3 09-01-2010, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amoreira

Keep the MH lights, and swap the others with T5HO.

I find that SPS doesn't do well with just T5's (others might weigh in differently, but that's my finding).

As for wave motion, I have MP40W and find it's great for my needs. Hydor's are kind of bulky and the prop breaks easiliy. They don't have anything near of the output that the MP40 does. If you got the bucks go for MP40.

+1, MH are much better, especially for SPS

I also run 2 MP40W's and love them, also running dual Koralia #4 wavemakers, they are good and add, but not like the Vortech's

htfn · #4 09-02-2010, 04:21 AM

the reason why Iam trying to get rid of MH is a heat issue. I know that we are loosing summer any time soon but during a hot summer day, my water temp goes up 80 - 82. I dont have a chiller to keep my temp down, so I thought T-5 might works and I am not sure about this but may be I can save a little bit maintenance fee and hydro bill.

Yeah, Vorthch is nice and way to go. I really like to put in my tank but I just cant afford 2 MP40s (main one and slave one). If single MP40 works good enough then I will go for it.
Thanks for your reply

Millepora_Maniac · #5 09-02-2010, 04:36 AM

I'm a huge MH fan, but I have to say that T5's are awesome. Recently, a friend of mine (Canuckgod420) changed his 250 w halides out for an eight bulb t5 fixture. His fixture isn't the highest quality available, but it grew his SPS way better than his halides did. He was running expensive shades with top end bulbs too. If I had the choice, I would go with the T5's. The growth is fast, colours are more vibrant and you have way more control over the colour of bulb that you want to run.
Don't worry about your SPS, they will grow better and faster than ever

. Good Luck!!

reefwars · #6 09-02-2010, 04:41 AM

theres ways around your heat issues an air conditioner may be cheaper than a light so would fans and you can raise your light or add a chiller all of which would be cheaper than another light, and to be honest alot of peoples tanks hit the low 80's on a hot day its not that bad, now if you were changing it for your corals we may be having a diff discussion although i to run halides and love the growth i get

mark · #7 09-02-2010, 12:56 PM

not that 82 is that high but muffin fan blowing on the sump on it's own thermostat or even just coming on at the same time as the MH can help keep the temp down.

gobytron · #8 09-02-2010, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark

not that 82 is that high but muffin fan blowing on the sump on it's own thermostat or even just coming on at the same time as the MH can help keep the temp down.

YEAH.

Sounds like you only need to keep the temp down a couple of degrees and a fan, well placed over your sump or over your display will easily accomplish this.

mark · #9 09-02-2010, 02:18 PM

but if you're using the temperature excuse to the wife to justify a set of shiny new lights, it's the T5s or a thousand dollar chiller

chris88 · #10 09-02-2010, 03:03 PM

T5's don't grow sps corals lol. Yeah right tell that to the 100,000 amazing sps reefs grown by T5's. T5's will cover way more coral tissue so will not get the dead spots on the underneath of corals. You can control the spectrum much easier, with less heat issues and the ability to go dusk / dawn. The right 8 bulb t5 fixture would absolutly grow sps faster with better growth then 2 175w or even 2 250w hallides. The only thing halides have over T5 is shimmer, which you can get from adding a couple leds. MH are great but they just dont compare to the new t5 fixtures and bulbs coming out. Why in the world would you want to run a chiller on a reef tank. its just one more thing to worry about that might crash and it wastes energy and space.