How many of you have ever used a Metal Halide bulb to light your reef?

[jackson6745]

My old 115 with 400w/t5/blue reedbrite, and my 6 month old 200g with 250w radiums/t5/reefbrite.

 

[Sump Crab]

Yes, but not since 2010!

 

[Steven Garland]

Absolutely,I used a 70w FishNeedIt fixture with a 14k and WavePoint 460nm bulbs.

 

[SpSDrew]

Halides still to this day.

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

No I have not.

And it’s okay, we won’t pry them from your cold dead hands.

We’ll bury them with you.

 

[mfinn]

I used mh lighting from about 1988 until 2010 -2011. ( I got my first Radion for my smaller tank and it wasn't long before converting my 240 over).
I have thought about going back to a mh system on my 66 gallon tank.
I still have plans for a diy reflector. I haven't checked in a long time if the solar tubes were still available.
The main thing that is stopping me is the issue with heat I always had.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

As funny as it sounds there are now probably a good amount of reefers who have never used a metal halide (MH) to light their reef!

I remember the days of the first LED lights and how it was proclaimed that they would never work.

How many of you have ever used a Metal Halide bulb to light your reef?

PS. I still love the look of a nice Radium MH bulb over a reef supplemented with ATI T5s but I also love how beautiful reefs can be under LED lighting as well.

image via @samparker

I was looking for a 3rd voting option. “Reefers who have never used a MH but are planning to”. I fall in this category. My 96x36 peninsula that I am gearing up to get online will have a combination of (3)MH, (8) XR30 and T5s. I feel like I am way late to the game. I’m trying to get enough supplies to last me about 6-8 years. It’s tough never using them, not knowing bulb brand vs color range. So, why not make this journey that much more fun!

 

[Tcook]

Back in 2002. 2 x 250w MH and 440w VHO. Quite a bit for a mixed reef

 

[Reefer Matt]

I did in 2005. There weren’t any led’s, just mh and vho fluorescent bulbs. I remember the combo units being just as expensive as the lighting units today. So I got a retrofit high bay mh fixture from Ebay and added foil for light spillage. This was a 400w bulb on a 110 gallon tall tank. Ah, the good ol’ days!

 

[BeanAnimal]

Started with (2) DE 150W lamps in ReefOptix III reflectors. I loved the light. I don't care for the color rendering of LEDs as much but love the control, sunrise, sunset, etc.

I don't miss burning my elbows and backs of my arms when working in the tank, but I do miss the color rendering.

 

[Troylee]

If I could find an indefinite supply is 250w phoenix 14k bulbs, I would switch back in a heartbeat! Halides are awesome, in shimmer, spectrum and coral growth.

I’m down to my last 3 now.. ugh.. I’m gonna radium when they’re done.

 

[KrisReef]

How many of you have ever used a Metal Halide bulb to light your reef?

PS. Just kidding.

I just saw this post and I am sad to read about folks who have never had a metal halide light for their tanks.

I’m not sure that they have ever really had a reef tank?

 

[Turd Ferguson]

40 G with 250W 14K Bulb and x2 Reef Brite Strips.

As long as I can still buy them, I'll keep running them.

 

[west co reefer]

I ran a 70W on a bedroom 10G nano, then upgraded to 150W. The heat in my room was so bad I don't miss it. I was a kid with a dad that didn't like to turn on the A/C. I loved coral more than comfortability. I guess he was teaching me a valuable reefing lesson for life haha