Halide vs T5 tubes

[essentialcarsales]

Any adeas on this one? Always assumed halide to be better but a lot of people seem to be using tubes.
4x2x2 one halide/ 2 cubic ft= 2 halides?
I will be keeping as an invert tank with only a few fish so lighting is my 1st concern.
Any help would be great.

[cajen]

Hi, ecs, and a warm welcome to UR.

If in an 'invert tank', you mean that you want to keep anenomes or SPS corals, the MH is the way to go. For soft corals, mushrooms, etc, the t5s will do just fine.

HTH

[Tristan]

I use 8 t5's over my sps and they do much better than they did under my twin 150w mh.

[KeithM]

I use 8 t5's over my sps and they do much better than they did under my twin 150w mh.

mate, a bit of an unfair comparison! assuming ur running 54w T5s...you have 432ws compared to only 300w!

[Tristan]

Yeah ok!

The real advantage is the light spread though!

[essentialcarsales]

8 tubes sounds a bit of a clutter, would 2x 250w mh be more suitable? Am I right in my assumption that 1 mh covers 2FT?
Thanks for replys so far

[Tristan]

Yeah thats right,

My 8 tubes all fit into one pendant.

[mj32]

well for my new tank weve gone all t5's

8 x 54w in one nice pendant...hope this reduces heat problems etc and there seem to be some nice tanks running of t5 lighting!

[jerry h]

Tristan, may I ask who makes the 8 tube pendant?