JPMagyar
New member
So I was talking with Jason from Greenwich Aquaria and Chris Jessen (former owner of Reef&Fins in Stamford, CT) and we came to the conclusion that nothing beats the combination of PFO-HQI driving 10k MH + VHO actinc supplementation for ultimate coloration of SPS dominated tanks high in purples and blues.
What say you all? Do you agree? Do you have alternatives that are proven effective and what examples can you give? I ask because I am in search of the latest and greatest . . . the cutting edge of Reefdom. I tried T5s but I just don't think they have the umph necessary unless you start adding 8 or more bulbs and then you get into frequent changes of bulbs to keep it optimized so I'm just not convinced . . . Concince me please because I love to find new ideas and concepts. The alternative of course is simply to say that 10k on PFO-HQI with VHO is the current best of breed and that wouldn't be so bad, but I'm always lookin' to improve.
For my examples I would offer my tank (www.bluefrags.com) which unabashedly I say ROCKS, and then there is Rick Souta from www.ReefStuff.com and Steve Weast of www.OregonReef.com, Chris Jessen of www.aquariumarchitecturellc.com and of course Jason of Greenwich Aquaria.
So what say everyone? Don't be shy let's get into it . . . give me an opinion biased or un!
Joe
MH
Metal Halide Lighting, typically used for high intensity light demanding corals such as SPS. Bulbs come in varieties of spectrums (7k, 10k,20k), and intensity (175W, 250W, 400W).
SPS
Small Polyped Scleractinians - Sometimes known as Small Polyped Stony corals. These are hard corals that have extremely small polyps. They are typically on the difficult side and require Metal Halide lighting or dense Power Compact or T5 arrays. These corals are prized for their rareness and ability to be easily fragged into multiple colonies.
VHO
Very High Output Fluorescent Lighting - Fluorescent bulbs that run on special ballasts and have an output that is significantly higher than normal tubes. It is very possible to run an entire reef system on VHO lighting providing the proper number of bulbs and mixture of spectrums are chosen. For most hobbyists, these tubes are used in conjunction with Metal Halide lighting for simulating dawn and dusk. They often provide the "bluer" end of the light spectrum and thus a more aesthetically appealing display.
What say you all? Do you agree? Do you have alternatives that are proven effective and what examples can you give? I ask because I am in search of the latest and greatest . . . the cutting edge of Reefdom. I tried T5s but I just don't think they have the umph necessary unless you start adding 8 or more bulbs and then you get into frequent changes of bulbs to keep it optimized so I'm just not convinced . . . Concince me please because I love to find new ideas and concepts. The alternative of course is simply to say that 10k on PFO-HQI with VHO is the current best of breed and that wouldn't be so bad, but I'm always lookin' to improve.
For my examples I would offer my tank (www.bluefrags.com) which unabashedly I say ROCKS, and then there is Rick Souta from www.ReefStuff.com and Steve Weast of www.OregonReef.com, Chris Jessen of www.aquariumarchitecturellc.com and of course Jason of Greenwich Aquaria.
So what say everyone? Don't be shy let's get into it . . . give me an opinion biased or un!
Joe
MH
Metal Halide Lighting, typically used for high intensity light demanding corals such as SPS. Bulbs come in varieties of spectrums (7k, 10k,20k), and intensity (175W, 250W, 400W).
SPS
Small Polyped Scleractinians - Sometimes known as Small Polyped Stony corals. These are hard corals that have extremely small polyps. They are typically on the difficult side and require Metal Halide lighting or dense Power Compact or T5 arrays. These corals are prized for their rareness and ability to be easily fragged into multiple colonies.
VHO
Very High Output Fluorescent Lighting - Fluorescent bulbs that run on special ballasts and have an output that is significantly higher than normal tubes. It is very possible to run an entire reef system on VHO lighting providing the proper number of bulbs and mixture of spectrums are chosen. For most hobbyists, these tubes are used in conjunction with Metal Halide lighting for simulating dawn and dusk. They often provide the "bluer" end of the light spectrum and thus a more aesthetically appealing display.
