Lighting Suggestion

[geoff_tropheus]

Ok its decision time....

Option 1: $714
72" Current USA Sunpod = 3-150W 14K Metal Halides, with 10 White LCD, and 10 Blue LCD with automatic Timer

Option 2: $335
72" Current USA Orbit = 4-96W Powercompact (2-Dual Daylights, and 2-Dual Actinic) with 6- Lunarlights (white?)

Option 3: $499.99
72" Aquatic Life T5HO with automatic timer, 8-39W T5HO bulbs (4-420/460nm, and 4-700nm/10K) , and 6-Lunarlights

[eklikewhoa]

Opt. 1
Opt. 3
Opt. 2

[ddaquaria]

I would choose 3 or 1 and completely leave out #2.

Also do some searching on a few reef tanks to see how the T5 fixture stacks up. For myself, the plan is to do 6x54 on each of my 120s. Running all 6 on the weekends, and only 2 during the week. With T5s just make sure it has everything you are looking for...great reflectors...active cooling (make sense to me and I like it)

[schance]

+1 to both replies

[thekarens]

Lunar lights are just moonlights. I love the look of MH, but hate the electric bill.

[Zulaab]

Like theKarens said.. 1 3 -- 1 for I dont care about the lightbill, 3 I care about the light bill

[eklikewhoa]

Now if they were equivelant in wattage would they not consume the same amount of wattage?

Doesn't make any sense to me.

[ddaquaria]

With metal halides, at least the ones that I had, the "extra" electricity was coming from cooling down the room they were in and not the actual electricity the lights used. T5HOs run a lot cooler without heating up the room. Right now I run 4-2x54 and 1-4x39 all in the same room, and it remains comfortable temp without extra cooling. By the end of this year, I'll be running 4-6x54s in that room, and I really doubt if the room will be any warmer than it is now.

[geoff_tropheus]

Ok so...Option 1 is 450W, option 3 is 318Watts.

Given the effeciencies of a Metal Halide vs a T5HO I'm guessing that more of that wattage is produced in lumens from the T5's than those of the Metal Halides.

I thought I had found this out before...I'll go diggin...

[geoff_tropheus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy

T5 = 70-100 Lumens per Watt
Metal Halide = 65-115 Lumens per Watt

To me, they look fairly equal. It just depends on spending 318W or 450W of power to light up the tank.

This was helpful...

http://www.venturelighting.com/TechCenter/Metal-Halide-TechIntro.html

[geoff_tropheus]

So for real, why is everyone hating on the powercompact?

[Zulaab]

Geoff.. I am not hating PC's but you asked what would look better and nicer on your tank, and I am agreeing with others, PC's are nice, but I think T5HO's just look that much better..

[Delock]

dude....just buy some damn lights!

[eklikewhoa]

With metal halides, at least the ones that I had, the "extra" electricity was coming from cooling down the room they were in and not the actual electricity the lights used. T5HOs run a lot cooler without heating up the room. Right now I run 4-2x54 and 1-4x39 all in the same room, and it remains comfortable temp without extra cooling. By the end of this year, I'll be running 4-6x54s in that room, and I really doubt if the room will be any warmer than it is now.

Well with heat issues as well...

Would now if you look at it again there is only one 150w bulb producing heat vs. say 4x 39w T5s so the heat is being spread amongst the bulbs which would seem like less heat but again it's less total wattage so wouldn't that amount to less heat produced?

I find the heat was not much more and that a T5HO fixture of equivilent wattage puts out similar if not the same amount of heat.

[Delock]

Dude...if your tank is 29 inches or less go with T5

30 inches or more go with halides