MH/CF or MH/VHO?

[Mishap]

I don't necessarily need the 4xVHO, It could just as easily be 2x I just thought that with 1000w of MH I would need the 4 VHO actinic to supplement. Thanks for all your help and suggestions.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[reefshadow]

You could always buy 3 or 4 of the super actinics and 2 of the 50/50. That way you could try different combos and still have some extras no matter what you decide to do.

 

[Mishap]

Besides aquatraders and hellolights where can I get halides on line?

 

[rjwilson37]

What are going to be the dimensions of this 120g tank.

VHO or T5 is the better supplimental type of lighting and the T5 bulbs you only have to replace every 1 1/2 years instead of every 8-10 months.

 

[Mishap]

If I go with the glass cages tank it will be 48x24x25, but I'm not too sure if I could get that pre-drilled or not. So I'm still looking.

 

[jimbo045]

I use VHOs and Halides on my 120. JD

 

[CeeGee]

also URI is coming out with a T5 version of their super popular actinic bulb soon.

Can't wait.

 

[rjwilson37]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6839647#post6839647 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mishap
If I go with the glass cages tank it will be 48x24x25, but I'm not too sure if I could get that pre-drilled or not. So I'm still looking.

The diagram you posted showed 4 250w MH lamps, which I think would not fit well over a 120g with those dimensions and if you did fit that many, your heat would be tremendous for a 120g. You could get away with only 2 MH, or 3 at the most I would think and your 3rd middle one would be right over the middle brace, so maybe only 2 MH are really needed.

 

[Mishap]

Thanks for your input RJ! This is why I'm still in the planning stages.

thanks again,

Matt

 

[rjwilson37]

The rule is one MH for every 2ft of tank, so on a 4ft tank you just center one on the left and one on the right and your good to go. I have 2x250w MH over my 90g and have no supplimental lighting, where your going to have 4 supplimental lighting bulbs with the 2x250w MH which will be just awesome!

 

[mikeshook]

I'm having a hard time understanding the need for supplimental lighting. What is the concern about using just Halides with 13 or 14 k bulbs?

 

[REV]

I don't think it is a big concern, but you can allow for more of a sunrise/sunset kind of photo period by using something less that MH with MH. Not to mention if you go with 10K actinices are a nice addition.

 

[Mishap]

Like Rev mentioned I plan on having the VHOs come on for a few hours in the morning, followed by the Halides. Then halides off, VHOs off a few hours later.

This way I get the sunrise / sunset look.

 

[taku]

Why don't places sell 600w bulbs in the Kelviins we would want? I've read online on plant growing sites that 600w output is far supreme to 1000w and 400w when you factor in power consuption etc... So why aren't 600w bulbs available in 10K or 20K for example?

 

[Mishap]

I've already determined I'm going to go with the Icecap ballast for the VHOs but as for the Halides I'm still at a loss.

What would be the best halide retro kit or pendant to go with?

 

[jobob]

why not do ice caps for both???

 

[davidryder]

i'm pretty sure each lighting technology provides a slightly different hue. in robert fenners, the concientious marine aquarist, there are 4 photos of the same tank under different lights, and he said that a combination of actinics, 6500-degree K, and 20,000-degree K metal halides was the closest to true, full-spectrum reef lighting.

 

[rjwilson37]

You get a lot of growth from a MH 6.5k bulb, but it turns everything brown. You get a little less growth from a 10k and a little more color, and so on and so on up to the 20k bulb where you get the least growth compared to a 6.5k bulb, but you get a lot more flourescence color from the corals. Before there were 12k, 14k, 15k, and 20k bulbs there was the VHO actinic and super actinic lighting supplimentation to help with the 10k MH bulbs in bringing more flourescence color from the corals. You also get the dawn/dusk effect and your saving your MH bulbs from running a full 11/or 12 hour period each day cutting them back to 6 or 8 hours a day at different intervals.

I run just the 2x250w MH 14k bulbs and there doing very well for me.

 

[bhdmc]

I use MH/VHO. I was going toward MH/PC, but Marine Depot stated MH/VHO was a better system for my SPS tank.