New lighting - new technology????

[stephane]

Originally posted by BCReefer:
I hear what everyone is saying about the lumens etc, but what about the cost savings on power consumption and then the water evaporation from the MH. I currently have 1 175W MH and 2 30W actinics. The problem that I find with MH is that with my 33G tanks which is 3’ long I believe that only the middle 12” gets the full intensity of the MH and the further you go out the lower the intensity.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

So I was thinking about putting 2 of the 65W or 95W bulbs in and take out the 175W MH.

Stircrazy – yes that looks exactly like what I saw.

Stephane – you indicate that you would need 3 bulbs to match the lumens. I am at about 50% understanding of how lumens work with our aquariums, I understand the wattage and Kelvin thing, but not so hot on the lumens. Can you explain to me, in laymans terms please, why the lumens are important.

Lastly, if you way some of the pro’s and con’s like less power consumption, no noisy fan needed, cheaper bulb, no ballast needed – but then it is fluorescent, less lumens??, new technology.

What if we went with the 90W lights which is supposedly comparable to 400W?

Thanks all for the information.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">the consumption cost are about the same if you compare to MH
the lumen are the real intensity a lamp (real light to get out of the bulb) They
said 90W equal 400w but not 400w of MH bulb they
more often compare to incandescent bulb who are
energy wasted. kelvin rated is the color of the lamps. an watt are the power consumption

HID (hight intensity dicharge) for mercury vapor,
sodium,and metal halide are the best economy savingway to light anyting thats require lot of light. That why any big commercial area is ligth with those lamp, you would never see a Home Depos light with any kind of fluorescent for $ reason

that said it alway depend on where do you want to go whith your reef if you dont want to keep
animal that require big intensity of light it could be an option to put conpact fluorecent but
to save the most $ I will go more regular like a GE super daylight at 3$ each and overdrive it by electronique ballast or a ice cap and suplement it by actnic 03 that way you could change all your buld every six monts for very less $ dont forget that those conpact are gone a loose their initial intensity probably very fast and shift color in less tham one years

never forget that No fluorescent could never give you the full spectrum of a MH buld and the beautifull color that they give to you tank .
IMO lightning is a great part of a good looking reef I will never buy a 125$ coral an put them under a light that made them look like crap.

see you Stephane