What would you do for lighting? 150w? 250w? LED?

[lapdog2020]

Originally Posted by Milad

lapdog2020, how is the price of the LEDs not worth it? they are cheaper than the 250w option because ill end up selling the 150w fixture. plus in a year i wont have to change the bulbs! ($500)

Led's sure there good and cheeper on the bill's but All i have ever herd of with the LED's is that they burn out and it does take a long time to get them warrentied by the company that you buy them from. There is a friend of mine right now that is having a really hard time with the 4500.00 set he just bought. Its been now 3 months since he sent them in and he's sorry that he spent the money. He's trying to get his money back. The Tech. is still not really at it's best yet. i would agree with you if the LED Tech. was perfect like the T5HO are today or the MH are. throse 2 are still the best realible lighting right now. I wont take my chances with the LED at this time. My be in the next year or two I might.

[Milad]

Originally Posted by lapdog2020

Led's sure there good and cheeper on the bill's but All i have ever herd of with the LED's is that they burn out and it does take a long time to get them warrentied by the company that you buy them from. There is a friend of mine right now that is having a really hard time with the 4500.00 set he just bought. Its been now 3 months since he sent them in and he's sorry that he spent the money. He's trying to get his money back. The Tech. is still not really at it's best yet. i would agree with you if the LED Tech. was perfect like the T5HO are today or the MH are. throse 2 are still the best realible lighting right now. I wont take my chances with the LED at this time. My be in the next year or two I might.

i would be building the LED fixture so i can swap out anything if needed fairly easily. there is no much to read on this stuff though, im going blind!

[lapdog2020]

Originally Posted by Milad

i would be building the LED fixture so i can swap out anything if needed fairly easily. there is no much to read on this stuff though, im going blind!

Well good luck to ya dud I wish you the best!!

[JonT]

Just went through this myself. Had a bulb burn out too soon.

After looking at everything, I am keeping the halides. I will be changing up the ballasts to something newer, and smaller than the one I have. I might change from SE to DE bulbs (still looking at this) I am also adding a few T5HO to the tank (almost went all T5)

Here is how I looked at it...

I like the halides. I like the shimmer, the intensity, everything! So, to justify the cost, I bought some more corals. I then cut them into frags. I am going to grow them out. By the time I need to buy new bulbs, I will sell the frags (should be small colonies by then) and use that money to cover the bulbs.

Reality is, I will likely sell them before the bulbs are needed. Then buy beer, or other corals, or tank toys with the money, but hell, the wife is buying into the idea so far.

[Milad]

What is this shimmer everyone is talking about with MH? is it the rays i see sometimes in my tank? i hate that.

im super leaning towards the LEDs now, its probably going to be 3 36LED modules and "maybe" ill run 4 T5 super actinics for some pop.

[JonT]

Originally Posted by Milad

What is this shimmer everyone is talking about with MH? is it the rays i see sometimes in my tank? i hate that.

im super leaning towards the LEDs now, its probably going to be 3 36LED modules and "maybe" ill run 4 T5 super actinics for some pop.

Yes, the "shadows" that come from the water ripples at the top of the tank.

LED's will give the same shimmer. Any point source light will. T5's won't.

[Milad]

Originally Posted by JonT

Yes, the "shadows" that come from the water ripples at the top of the tank.

LED's will give the same shimmer. Any point source light will. T5's won't.

thsi whole time i thought when I saw those ripples it meant my water was cloudy! doh!