Is this enough light

[slim]

here is a early pic to go with #5 on post #38 Picture dated 2-26-07 but I think it is older than that.


I don't have a early pic of this but you can see the encrusting on it. I picked it up on 5-18-07

[jojo22]

I have 4 54W bulbs so I should need 3X70W MH for a 48" tank? What about supplement lighting?

You actually would only need 2 each halide covers 2 square feet so only two would be needed. Watt for Watt MH puts out the most PAR. That is simple and I don't think you are disputing that. I am not close minded, you have VHO and it works for you. Thats great. What I am trying to figure out is that is seems like you are saying VHO are better than halides this is not true, MH get better par on less electric. I think T-5 and VHO work great for suplimental lighting. But the truth is that dollar for dollar MH is more effecient and produces more PAR per watt.

[slim]

I am not using VHO I am using T5's. Did you check out the link above? There is a guy using 5 T5's over a 90 and he has clams and SPS on his sand bed.

By the way what is the PAR for a 70W MH?

[slim]

We can't be the only 2 talking about this here??????

Let's hear some more opinions!

[cweber]

I have to take the side of halides here. Everything ive read points to halides having more light penetration watt for watt over the other choices.

A 90 gallon seems a bit tall to support sps and clams on the sand bed with only 5 t-5s. Just because they will live in that environment doesnt mean they are flourishing the way they should.

Mainly what ive learned so far about lighting, is that wpg doesnt matter so much as par, and halide has more than t-5,vho, and pc.

[slim]

Here is the link again....

http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum...TID=16854&PN=3

[Sweetpea]

I'll jump in for just a sec...

I am running 4x24w T5's on an IceCap 660 over a 20 gallon tank. I have seen SPS corals not only survive but thrive and grow.

That being said, I have since moved them to a tank with MH/PC combo lighting and have seen an even more dramatic growth rate.

IME - T5's can sustain SPS well, but I have seen better growth with MH...

[iVgOnMaD]

I like the combination of the two MH & T5HO w/individual reflectors.

BTW, the light that best replicates the sun is MH, what could be better than that?

The sun at mid day in the tropics as I understand is measured at about 50,000+ lumen/sq ft, my 10,000k 400w MH is rated ~38,000 lumens/sq ft but probably puts out less.

T5HO cant match that, or you would need like 8+ 29w T5HO w/individual reflectors overdriven on a IceCap ballast. Which in combination would probably generate almost as much heat as my single 400w MH and use almost just as much electricity.

When people say T5 gives more PAR its because they are measuring things wrong...

Comparing a 14,000k MH (medium to low PAR) to a 6x 24" T5HO that has 3x 10,000k which give out a lot of PAR and 3x Actinics which give the blue color is unfair to the MH.

Obviously the T5 setup will have a higher PAR since it is a combination of spectrums but if you were to put a 6x 10,000k T5 setup vs a 400w 10,000k SE MH the T5 will lose big time.

Just my .10 cents

(not .02 cuz it was kinda long)

[Sweetpea]

Just an additional note-

I recently got some green, purple-rimmed monti frags that were questionable upon arrival (shipping fault, not sellers at all). The frags were almost devoid of all color, but I wanted to give them a chance. Sure enough, under the lighting in my 20g mentioned above, they have colored up and now have lovely purple rims as they should!