Switching Over to MH [Update]

Nice, those SPS frags should take off now.

 

Anything to report?

 

Guitarman,

Have I missed your new life with halides? U got another thread going?

So, all and all was it worth the switch?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

No, I haven't updated in while, I'll do a comprehensive update sometime this week with pics, thoughts and overall conclusion.

 

good

 

First, let me say I will post some pics when I can, but for now, it's going to be a verbal update. As many of you know, I went from T5s to 2 150w MH pendants with Galaxy Select-o-watt ballasts and 14k Phoenix bulbs. Here's a brief overview.

The Good:

- visual appearance much better, shimmer lines are awesome and really make the aquarium come to life.
- no heat issues at all (given 150s, but still)
- growth (i've noticed better growth with the MH than T5 and have had to frag some corals)
- cost to run about the same or less

Negative
- still don't have the color I want in all of my corals. Many have great color, but I'm having a real hard time trying to get orange out of a Milli and Sunset Montipora. The 150 MH are weaker as I noticed some of my sps lower down losing some of their color.
- 150s weaker than my previous T5 setup (but I knew that going in)

Some points of interest:
The color issue I believe is also a result of my refugium being down for the past couple of months. Briefly, I took out all of my Chaeto as most had died (due to lack of nutrients?) and only had a small ball left. Well, cyno and slime algae took over my refugium and DT so I just got some new Chaeto and am starting my refugium back up. So I have had excess nutrients in the tank. I would tend to think it's not the spectrum as others have had great success with the Phoenix bulb.

I do kind of wish I got 250 watt MH. My ballasts are switchable, a note on that in a second, but the pendants are designed for 150s, not 250s and right now, I really can't switch them out due to cost. I've had 0 heat issues and actually wish my lights would heat up my tank more, especially during the winter. My tank at nights stays around 74 and during the day goes to about 76.

After conferring with Dingo, I have started overdriving the 150s to 175 in hopes of getting some more PAR out of them. Again, no heat issues so far. I've had them boosted for about 4 days now, so I'm waiting to see any results, if there will be any.

In the end, I'm really glad to have switched, you can't beat the look of the tank. Flourescents just made the tank look sterile while MH give it life. Plus, I love the spectrum of the Phoenix bulb, although I may try the 150w Radiums and see how they go. I'm still having some issues with certain corals, but I also had issues with them under the T5s so I can't say it's b/c of the switch. I've been moving corals around to try to find good places for each one and hopefully will. I'll post pics when I can.

 

http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off-your-fish-tanks/daves-55-reef-updated-pics-see-last-page-48439.html