T5&VHO or Just T5

[Dyngoe]

Hi All,

I'm going crazy trying to make the best decison for my lighting. I have a 46G bowfront with primarily LPS/softies. I do have some green slimer and another SPS ~5" under the surface. My current lighting is 300W 10K MH and 65W PC actinic. My wife requires me to have a canopy, so I'm looking to change my lighting to either:

1. 2x60w URI T5 w/ icecap 660 and SLR -Mid day lights
2x95W VHO with standard VHO ballast - One actinic dawn/dusk/all day and one 12K daylight

2. 2x60w URI T5 w/icecap 660 and SLR - Mid Day
2x60w URI T5 w/icecap 660 and SLR - 1 actinic and 1 12K for dawn/dusk/all day

The final option which I think I'm shying away from is:
3. 2xPFO mini pedants with 20K 150w XM DE MH

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Dyngoe]

Shameless bump to stay on page 1. Sorry, I need to order new lights today because I had to remove my MH and use my frag tank 2x96W PC. Looks ugly and sure it isn't making my sps happy.

 

[Dyngoe]

BTW, one new suggestion I just thought of:

2x60w URI T5s on IC 660 with SLR - Mid day
1x60w URI T5 12K on IC 660 with SLR + 1 95W VHO Actinic on IC 660 for dawn/dusk/all day

It looks like I may be able to mix VHO and T5 on the 660 so I would get better? PAR from the T5 all day and better Actinic from the VHO?

 

[GMAX]

All t-5s, less heat than the Vhos and potentially longer bulb life and less electric costs. You can get same spectrum out of t-5 as VHOs so no good reason to have both.

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

You'll get the people who say that nothing beats the actinic "pop" of the URI VHO actinic (wouldn't know personally). I don't know if you can have T5s and T12VHOs on the same ballast (someone else chime in on this). If you can, you could try the last option you meantioned. In general, always do the daylight on the T5s as they give better output (especially on an Icecap ballast). Where did you get the 300W MH btw?

 

[gabe3d]

IME a T5 setup is brighter than a 250 SE setup, therefore probably brighter than your 150 DE setup. Also fine tuning with t5 to get a color you want is much easier since there are so many combinations possible.

I use to swear by VHO for actinics but the ineffeciency and heat made me go to T5s. VHO is definetely better looking but operation cost is a concern to me (makes chiller go on and uses more power).

Though color is better in a full T5 setup, there is something about a MH that makes your tank look crisper. So my current setup is a MH + T5 setup.

HTH

 

[gabe3d]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9922264#post9922264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aninjaatemyshoe
You'll get the people who say that nothing beats the actinic "pop" of the URI VHO actinic (wouldn't know personally). I don't know if you can have T5s and T12VHOs on the same ballast (someone else chime in on this). If you can, you could try the last option you meantioned. In general, always do the daylight on the T5s as they give better output (especially on an Icecap ballast). Where did you get the 300W MH btw?

I think he has 2 X 150 DE MH.

 

[Big Boy69]

All T-5's

 

[aninjaatemyshoe]

"I think he has 2 X 150 DE MH." haha...duh, I'm stupid.

 

[David Grigor]

On a 46g bow there is no reason to use an icecap ballast. Normal driven HO T5s will do the trick for anything you want to keep and use less electricity. Coming from a guy who owns 5 Icecap flourescent ballasts, I don't run any of my T5s on them. Especially for a community tank with no clams.

In the beginning I mixed T5 days with VHO actinics ( Was a VHO fan for 11+ years ) but the UVL T5 actinics are very close and give you virtually the same pop of the corals. I'd stick with all T5s, use Icecap reflectors, programmed start electronic ballasts and be sure the keep the bulbs cool with fans. T5s output is effected by heat more than any other flourescent bulb.

 

[Dyngoe]

Thanks All,

For Ninja - I am actually using 2x175w 10K Moguls overdriven by a electronic ballast. So, i mistyped in my message.

OK, I just want to make sure since my finger is on the "Check Out" button at HelloLights.....

4x60w URI T5s will do the trick for SPS in my tank? I may add a clam in the future, but he'll be mid to top placed.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good ballast other than IC? I wonder if any other ballast will run the URI at 60w or will only the IC ballast do this. Unlike other T5s they are rated at 60w and not 39w.

Thank you all so much!

 

[pjf]

T5-VHO, Individual Reflectors & Icecap Ballasts

T5-VHO, Individual Reflectors & Icecap Ballasts

I'm assuming that you are planning to use Icecap ballasts and 3-foot 60-watt T5-VHO lamps, such as these:
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/lamps_T5URI.htm
http://www.championlighting.com/home.php?cat=691

The advantage of the T5 is that its thin diameter and linear format allows reflectors to leverage its output very effectively. Electrical efficiencies also favor the T5:

• VHO T12 lamps produce ~50 lumens per watt: http://www.elliptipar.com/vertical/Vertpdf/VertGdLg.pdf
• PC or pin-based high-wattage compact fluorescent lamps (HW-CFL) generate ~60 lumens per watt: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/HWCFL/HWCFL-efficacy.asp
• T5HO lighting produces ~90 lumens per watt: http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/lat5/pc1a.asp

I've no electrical information on the T5-VHO but go for it as a pioneer and let us know how these new lamps work out!