Lighting

[Loon36cf]

I have a few tanks set up and so far if you have the ballast I have found 50/50 t8 bulbs work the best without going led which can get expensive depending on what you want. I know eBay has some nice lighting you can buy for cheap but I will say of you have blues and oranges that you want to pop the 50/50 does the trick for me right now

[atmagoulick]

I really like metal halide.  It is far stronger then led, and far brighter then fluorescent.

[danielratti]

I really like metal halide.  It is far stronger then led, and far brighter then fluorescent.

And far hotter and more expensive to run

[Steve]

I really like metal halide.  It is far stronger then led, and far brighter then fluorescent.

And far hotter and more expensive to run

Not to steal or get off topic here...but have you used MH lights danielratti where you could give us an idea of just how much more per month they do cost to run? Because I have kicked around the idea of MH lights myself for tanks as well as for a grow light on my bonsai trees but I've always heard they are pretty costly when it comes to energy consumption and that has always kept me from seriously looking into them. Just wondered if we're talking a few dollars more per month or if we're talking a LOT more per month.

[danielratti]

I have experience with them you just look at the wattage they pull and figure out how much you will be paying per kilowatt hour. Ontop of that they are expensive in general along with the bulbs. We had a guy who ran a 100watt on his tank and couldn't keep it under 88. So really you need to be very careful using them in general. As for the price to run them depends on the unit its self.

[Marty]

I would recommend the high output fluorescent lights over metal halide.  Typically, you'll see metal halide setups at 175, 250, or 400 watts per bulb, and they'll wear out in less than a year.  I've seen bulbs anywhere from $20-60 each.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

in my opinion metal halide will not be worth the amount of money you would spend to grow your bonsai trees. They are more cost effective on something harvested and sold in an inflated black market where you could recoup the cost of electricity and the price of your bulbs. T5s and t8s will probably be your best bet for those. Longer lasting, less money, although they are less lumens it still will work for your application.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

Also for plants look into cfl's . They sell them in daylight spectrums above 5500k all the way to 10,000k. 40w cfl= about 1400 lumens if I'm not mistaken.as for smaller led panels for aquarium applications they may be more reliable than the larger more industrial size panels. I know the larger ones with 3-5w LEDs in them have been known to burn out half their diodes in the firs 3-6 months.

[danielratti]

What he is getting at is the black market of coral...

[Kaia]

I ended up getting 3 marineland hidden LEDs they are blue and white day light and blue moon light. I don't know anything about electricity but these are .06W and 550 lumens. I'm able to direct the light where I want it as well. I like that! I also like how they clip on inside the tank.

[hollywod12]

I ended up getting 3 marineland hidden LEDs they are blue and white day light and blue moon light. I don't know anything about electricity but these are .06W and 550 lumens. I'm able to direct the light where I want it as well. I like that! I also like how they clip on inside the tank.

looks good

[Marty]

I ended up getting 3 marineland hidden LEDs they are blue and white day light and blue moon light. I don't know anything about electricity but these are .06W and 550 lumens. I'm able to direct the light where I want it as well. I like that! I also like how they clip on inside the tank.

You are typically charged in units of kilowatt hours for electricity.  A kilowatt hour is 1000 watts run for an hour.  You're probably paying $.15-.20 per kilowatt hour.

[atmagoulick]

The brightest is metal halide at 20,000k.  It will grow plants really well and your tank will be very healthy.  They are easy to build.

[TrailerParkFishTanks]

Most plants grow well between 6500-8500k. Metal halide does have a high output, a 200w light will give off about 20,000 lumens. The downside is a short life span and over time the lumen output degrades. After about 6 months of a 200w mh light it will give off about 14000 lumens. Etc. For bonsai trees CFL's may be your best bet. They don't put off a lot of heat, theyre most efficient when ran 15 mi utes or longer and each bulb has its own ballast (the plastic bottom)

[atmagoulick]

I have metal halide for a 30 gallon high planted tank.  I use two computer fans on the bulb, and one computer fan on the ballast.  The bill is not that bad.  The heat and the noise from the fans are my concern.  It took a few different fans to balance the noise from the fans to the heat from the bulb.  However, it's worth.  I love planted aquariums.  So, I have a planted tank with discus, angels and rams.  The fish seem really happy and healthy.  I think they grow faster also because of the added nutrients the fish get from the plants and protozoa.  I tried led and fluorescents.  The plants grow better under metal halide.  Their are precautions with metal halide,  but they are the best aquarium light.