This kind of makes me sad

[wvned]

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Yes I have LEDs. Are they better, no. They are very difficult to use correctly and very expensive.
The old lights, you put them on a timer and they worked. On/Off was all you needed to know.

 

[griss]

When I started in this hobby, we were just using regular T8 or T12 bulbs. Then, MH was introduced followed by VHO. Then PC lights hit the scene. Then came T5.

My all time favorite lighting combo was (3) 250w Iwasaki 6500K, (2) 400w Radion 20000K and (2) 6' VHO actinics powered by an IceCap ballast over my 200 Oceanic. The Iwasakis grew SPS like crazy and the Radions/actinics added the color. It was the perfect combo for SPS in my opinion.

 

[kfisc]

I had a pair of Ushio 175 10k's over an old 40g shallow breeder. Complete with glass panel siliconed over a crack in the bottom. I hand wired the Advance ballasts and tin-snipped through some old grow light reflectors and built a wooden hood I painted with marine-grade latex. Nothing I ever did equalled that tank, around 30 years ago, for fun or successful growth.

 

[griss]

I had a pair of Ushio 175 10k's over an old 40g shallow breeder. Complete with glass panel siliconed over a crack in the bottom. I hand wired the Advance ballasts and tin-snipped through some old grow light reflectors and built a wooden hood I painted with marine-grade latex. Nothing I ever did equalled that tank, around 30 years ago, for fun or successful growth.

lol too funny you mention that. I helped friends build MH systems early on using those Advance Ballasts.