t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ??

x17x11x · 01-19-2009, 10:03 PM

can someone explain to me the difference. im currently am running t-12s and a great set of compacts. and i have been talking with 2 of my friends who have amazing reefs in fact one of the guys i talked to owns his own reef store and is a world aquarist or something like that and i told him that i wanted to switch to mh. and both of them told me that would be the most pointless thing i could do for these reasons. waste of money. my lighting will do the same. and metal halides are aweful with the electricity bill and the cook your tank. so what im confused about is every time i hop on here and say that i wanna keep and anenome everyone says i cant i need to upgrade.. so i guess im just confused whats wrong with my t-12s. personally i dont see what is..

BigAl07 · 01-19-2009, 10:10 PM

you have T12's and they don't suggest you change? LOL! For real?

T12's are you "Basic" flourescent tubes and they are 12/8ths ( 1 1/2) of an inch. T8's are more powerful with less energy used for the same length and amount of electricity used. They are 8/8th's (1"). T5's are more powerful with less energy consumption and less energy again. I wish I knew more "Technical" differences because there are TONS of differences but that's what I can think of (while watching TV). T5's are ultra powerful for their size and really give a PUNCH of light energy into the tank. If you use the right bulbs and reflectors T5's can push as much energy into the tank as MH's.

Yes MH's can produce a lot of heat and use a LOT of energy.

x17x11x · 01-19-2009, 10:17 PM

im running around 600 watts. the metal halides i was suggested run 540 watts total. the only reason why i would consider going to t-5 or mh is because yes the spectrum does make the tank look better but in reality if it works why change right?

prow · 01-19-2009, 10:31 PM

mmmm, they are not the same at all.
first what corals do you have and/or what corals are you planning on getting?
i am geussing your T12's are VHO's, yeah??
also what are the dimensions of your tank(tall)?

they may be fine for the corals you have in your tank. but for some corals and tanks its not enough. they just dont put out enough to support many sps, clams and others. T5's or MH or LED's(not sure on these as i never had them) would be needed. lets see if you have VHO's or not first.

Dentoid · 01-19-2009, 10:49 PM

Here are some FAQ concerning T5 lighting.

Frequently asked questions on T5 lighting | Practical Fishkeeping magazine

Prow, I think you meant LED.

prow · 01-19-2009, 11:30 PM

lol, you dont like the idea of putting the new TV over the tank? i think the fish will love it, 24/7 finding nemo

ok maybe not, LED's it is..

x17x11x · 01-20-2009, 08:16 AM

right VHO someone said that they dont make the bulbs im using now anymore and the next closest thing is VHO im using these triton bulbs. and my tank is only about 3 feet tall.

01-19-2009, 10:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
x17x11x Star Polyps Join Date: May 2008 Location: new york Posts: 164 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ?? can someone explain to me the difference. im currently am running t-12s and a great set of compacts. and i have been talking with 2 of my friends who have amazing reefs in fact one of the guys i talked to owns his own reef store and is a world aquarist or something like that and i told him that i wanted to switch to mh. and both of them told me that would be the most pointless thing i could do for these reasons. waste of money. my lighting will do the same. and metal halides are aweful with the electricity bill and the cook your tank. so what im confused about is every time i hop on here and say that i wanna keep and anenome everyone says i cant i need to upgrade.. so i guess im just confused whats wrong with my t-12s. personally i dont see what is.. __________________ Josh

01-19-2009, 10:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
BigAl07 Do I look as lost as I am Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Waynesville, North Carolina Posts: 21,549 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ?? you have T12's and they don't suggest you change? LOL! For real? T12's are you "Basic" flourescent tubes and they are 12/8ths ( 1 1/2) of an inch. T8's are more powerful with less energy used for the same length and amount of electricity used. They are 8/8th's (1"). T5's are more powerful with less energy consumption and less energy again. I wish I knew more "Technical" differences because there are TONS of differences but that's what I can think of (while watching TV). T5's are ultra powerful for their size and really give a PUNCH of light energy into the tank. If you use the right bulbs and reflectors T5's can push as much energy into the tank as MH's. Yes MH's can produce a lot of heat and use a LOT of energy. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Live Rock Rubble will do the SAME thing as Bio-Balls and is NOT a suitable replacement for BIO-BALLS in a Reef System! It's ALL gotta go!!* Nitrate (NO3) reduction is directly proportional to percentage of Water Change. Allen's home-made formula...currentNO3-((%WC.01)currentNO3)=finalNO3 (thanks Luukosian) This means if you change 50% of your total water volume (That's EVERYTHING) you'll get a net reduction of (NO3) somewhere around 50%. Ask me about how to increase your REEF budget without going without FOOD!!* Big Al's 10g Julie's (BigAl's Gal) 6g NanoCube Gone but not forgotten BigAl's Slow 90g Tank Chronicle Allens OFFICE 12g Nano-Reef

01-19-2009, 10:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
x17x11x Star Polyps Join Date: May 2008 Location: new york Posts: 164 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ?? im running around 600 watts. the metal halides i was suggested run 540 watts total. the only reason why i would consider going to t-5 or mh is because yes the spectrum does make the tank look better but in reality if it works why change right? __________________ Josh

01-19-2009, 10:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
prow Tridacna maxima Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 4,728 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ?? mmmm, they are not the same at all. first what corals do you have and/or what corals are you planning on getting? i am geussing your T12's are VHO's, yeah?? also what are the dimensions of your tank(tall)? they may be fine for the corals you have in your tank. but for some corals and tanks its not enough. they just dont put out enough to support many sps, clams and others. T5's or MH or LED's(not sure on these as i never had them) would be needed. lets see if you have VHO's or not first. __________________ "He who sees things grow from their beginnings shall have the finest view of them" ........Aristotle........ "The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad." - Salvador Dali my chronicle........ http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...al-system.html my clamicle..........http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...my-tank-d.html Last edited by BigAl07 : 01-19-2009 at 10:54 PM. Reason: lcd to LED :)

01-19-2009, 11:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
prow Tridacna maxima Join Date: May 2005 Location: Redondo Beach, CA Posts: 4,728 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ?? lol, you dont like the idea of putting the new TV over the tank? i think the fish will love it, 24/7 finding nemo ok maybe not, LED's it is.. __________________ "He who sees things grow from their beginnings shall have the finest view of them" ........Aristotle........ "The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad." - Salvador Dali my chronicle........ http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...al-system.html my clamicle..........http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...my-tank-d.html

01-20-2009, 08:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
x17x11x Star Polyps Join Date: May 2008 Location: new york Posts: 164 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: t:5,8,or 12's or mh... ?? right VHO someone said that they dont make the bulbs im using now anymore and the next closest thing is VHO im using these triton bulbs. and my tank is only about 3 feet tall. __________________ Josh

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