Combination CF and MH lighting

#1
I've been out of the hobby for about 4yrs. I'm thinking about getting another tank. I did keep most of my major equipment components. I've got powerheads, HOB refugiums, Mag 5 and Mag 7 pumps, 2 skimmers, auto top-offs, and lights. All I really need is a tank and sump, so the initial investment should be fairly low.

I think I've settled on a 55g or other tank that is 4 feet long. Maybe a 75g? Still not sure yet. Depends on what I can find at the time.

I'm thinking about using a mixture of lighting. I have 65W compact fluorescents, which are 2 feet long. I also have a 175W metal halide with reflector. I figure that would also cover a 2 foot area. Has anyone ever split their tank in half? I mean, using the CF on one side and the MH on the other side? I've always loved the colors that ar produced with a CF and LPS corals. They always fget so much more vibrant under CF's. And I also wanted to ty some simple SPS this time, so thinking they would do well under the MH.

Opinins?
 

neil82

Sting ray
M.A.S.C Club Member
#2
I think that your plan would work just fine. It would be more of a personal preference with the different lights and color spectrum on the two sides. Might be kind of cool though with sps on one side and lps/softies on the other.
 

SynDen

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#3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZdIbjXg8EI

Mr. saltwater has been running a similar experiment on his 450g. He did 3 led cannons, a t5 fixture and some mh halides, with each on a different section of the tank. At about 4:10 into this vid he gives an update on the experiment.
 

jda123

Dolphin
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#4
CF are very effective lights, just not all that efficient. It is hard to get bulbs for them anymore. MH is still the gold standard for aquarium lighting. You will be fine.
 
#5
jda123;n659931 said:
CF are very effective lights, just not all that efficient. It is hard to get bulbs for them anymore. MH is still the gold standard for aquarium lighting. You will be fine.
I can still get tham at Catalina.

I think CF produce better colors than any other light, but that's just an opinion.
 

neil82

Sting ray
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#6
Rcpilot- I have a 48 inch coralife light fixture I could offer to sell you if your interested. It has two 250w DE MHs and two 96w PCs. I was holding on to it for a future build. Now I'm thinking I'll go a different direction on the lights.
 

SynDen

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#7
Rcpilot;n660156 said:
I can still get tham at Catalina.

I think CF produce better colors than any other light, but that's just an opinion.
That isnt opinion, thats pretty much fact. CF bulbs, especially when combined with MH, have the best/most coverage across the spectrum. I think these would likely still be the standard in most reef tanks if it wasnt for the bulbs and/or fixtures being difficult to find since they have been discontinued by almost all manufactures. They also cant compete with the low energy use of modern lights, but there is nothing better as far as light spectrum goes when combining these 2
 
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