Recommendations on frag tank lighting: T5s or MH?

ichthyoid;400800 wrote: Why would we use a meter calibrated to measure chlorophyll PAR when what we care about is the PAR as utilized by the PCP complex?


Because Chlorophyll calibrated PAR meters are readily available and the difference in the peak spectrums are only marginal.?
 
We are unable to measure easily 60% of the PAR for the pigments we care about. The peaks are not all that matters (although they are not marginal in terms of their energy), it is the area under the respective curves which is huge!
 
The $5 cfl bulbs would not be a good alternative. They have penetration issues that are really not worth trying to overcome. Reflector technology can do a lot for this; but would it really be worth the hassle to try and design & implement one for this when mh & t5 are readilly available & inexpensive?

Mh is king when it comes to pentration. This allows you to have deeper water or raise the light well above the tank, avoiding heat issues. Par per watt is greatest with mh, or was last time I checked. With new advances almost everyday, this could have changed, but I doubt it.

A cfl doesn't provid enough par to accomplish anything. With 6 bulbs at 26 watts each, you're consuming the same power as a 150w mh. Taking into consideration the increased usuable lifespan, par & fixture availability of the mh, it would appear pointless considering using the cfl bulbs.
 
I've used the spirals (cf) bulbs on my fuges with great success. Never used on corals. Use T5s on my tanks both reef and FOWLR. Can't see why the wouldn't work only issue would be spectrum. The 6500k to 6700k you can get at LOWEs. I'm going to experiment with some HL DIY but I have $400+ electric bills now and and don't want any higher.
 
You're 100% right on the penetration issue. Unless you have a bunch of time to redesign reflectors MH and T5 stuff is already there and proven. You can get inexpensive versions of both and adapt them pretty easily for just about any configuration.
 
I've got quite a few designs for LED type lighting that look good on paper. If I ever get some extra $$$ I'll get the materials I need to start constructing and testing. It's just hard to do on a fixed income. Extra money always seems to go for new corals and seahorse stuff. If I only could train wife and kids to eat one meal every other day problem solved. LOL
 
Skriz;400981 wrote: Mh is king when it comes to pentration.
THAT'S NOT what SHE said....







ok, carrying on...

penetration isn't an issue... we're talking about Chalices in an 8" tank...

this is really just about what'll be cheapest to setup and cheapest to maintain..

I still think that T-5's or T-8's in a couple standard HD fluorescent fixtures will work fine.. (and he'll probably get out spending less than $100)
 
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