SPS and T5HO VS MH

[Stones]

With your 4 bulb T5HO fixture, you shouldn't have any problems keeping SPS corals in the top 1/3 of your aquarium. Any lower than that, you are going to need to get a 6 bulb fixture to help increase PAR levels.

I have a SPS only 90 gallon tank and decided to switch from metal halides to T5's last Christmas. After 7 months of running the T5's, I couldn't be happier. I replaced a 2 x 250 watt HQI metal halide setup (which I had used for the past 4 years) with a 8 x 54 watt T5 fixture that does not overdrive the bulbs. Colours are improving in my acros weekly and I don't have problems growing acros on the sandbed at a depth of 24".

Like the others have said though, good individual reflectors and active cooling really help boost the PAR output of T5 fixtures so that you can keep corals you would normally need metal halide for.

[RuGlu6]

I have 6 bulb TEK T5, tank is 24" tall, and sps grows ok wth nice color at 20 inch deep

[Myka]

The way I see it is that SPS frags are cheap, why not give it a try. If all else fails you can give them away.

[subman]

Originally Posted by Myka

The way I see it is that SPS frags are cheap, why not give it a try. If all else fails you can give them away.

+1 and there are many different types of sps some will do better than others just like lps or softies. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to lights just give it a shot.

[Canuckgod420]

I just recently swaped out my 2x250W MH system for an 8 bulb 4' T5 fixture, and I think its great(i'm only using 7 bulbs though....damn bowfront...lol).
When I stopped using ZEO my ENTIRE system had a major brown out(almost all SPS and 1 large duncan colony), so I thought this would be a great time to re-do the whole setup. Out came the halides....in went the T5's, also removed 80 pounds of rock. built new rock towers put in brown frags from mother colonies, and 3 weeks later i'm starting to get color.
Weird thing is, corals that where once green are now starting to show signs of orange and yellow with green polyps....pretty cool actually.
So to make long story short, I like the T5's for SPS.

[dreef]

I'm gung ho for quality T5's.as with individual reflectors,and quality tubes.Been using T5 for 3 years,very happy,never using anything else.

[Koresample]

Thanks for all the comments! My tank is about 24"X 24" X 24" approx, and with my HOB fuge and skimmer, i don't have the room to set another duplicate fixture on top (although i have another 24" AL identical to the one i am running). The fixture has individual reflectors for each bulb and has 2X 420/460 actinics + 2 X 700+nm plus the LEDs and a built in digital timer, which is sweet. Based on what i have read, I should have decent PAR values from this set-up, but at what depth i don't know. I was considering getting the Odyssea fixture with the single 250w HQI MH + 2X65w actinic PC lights, then getting an ice cap ballast and different bulbs ($169US plus $181 Ice Cap ballast and $120 giesemann 250w HQi 14500k) for under $500. My rock is arranged like a wall with my softies on/near the bottom and my LPS near the top, but i am running out of room. Is there anyone in the Kelowna area that wants to sell some SPS frags so i can experiment?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Koresample

The fixture has individual reflectors for each bulb and has 2X 420/460 actinics + 2 X 700+nm plus the LEDs

What are 700+nm bulbs? Your actinics are really taking away from PAR. Actinics have lower PAR. I would suggest getting some AquaScience or UVL bulbs in there with at least one around 10-15K on your next change out. Instead of actinics use blue bulbs. If that was my fixture I would have 2 Fiji purple, 1 AquaScience 22000K and 1 AS 15000K. The AS bulbs have really high PAR even with the higher Kelvin. What brand are the bulbs you're currently using?

[Van-rookie]

May I know what bulbs you are using for the T5 ?

Originally Posted by Canuckgod420

I just recently swaped out my 2x250W MH system for an 8 bulb 4' T5 fixture, and I think its great(i'm only using 7 bulbs though....damn bowfront...lol).
When I stopped using ZEO my ENTIRE system had a major brown out(almost all SPS and 1 large duncan colony), so I thought this would be a great time to re-do the whole setup. Out came the halides....in went the T5's, also removed 80 pounds of rock. built new rock towers put in brown frags from mother colonies, and 3 weeks later i'm starting to get color.
Weird thing is, corals that where once green are now starting to show signs of orange and yellow with green polyps....pretty cool actually.
So to make long story short, I like the T5's for SPS.