VHO Lighting

[harleybmw73]

I'm setting up a 75g tank, transfering from a 46g, I'll be putting my torch, frogspawn, wall hammer and bubble coral in there with my live rock and fish. I'd like to get away from pc and am looking at a VHO retro kit. I've got a choice, so am I better going with 2 or 4 bulbs? The difference is 220 - 440 watts. I don't want to "under" light the tank, but I don't want to burn up the corals either.

Tracy

 

[NanoGurl]

If you're going to go VHO get the 4 bulb. I have two 150w MH's on my 75 and it works great.

 

[Anemone]

Go with 4 bulbs. It will give you more options.

Kevin

 

[SeaMac2]

Agreed...4 bulbs is the way to go.

 

[harleybmw73]

Sounds like a plan, we are going with the 4 bulb system. Any suggestions on the bulb configuration?

 

[Bambalam]

I have 6 bulbs crammed in the canopy on my 75. There are 2 ballasts (both on timers) so 2 bulbs come on first, then the other 4 on the Icecap 660 come on an hour later so there isn't the shock of all that light at once. I reverse the order at night - it's kinda a dawn/dusk effect. The bulbs are by UV lighting (formerly URI) - 3 actinic white, 2 super actinic and 1 aquasun. HTH

 

[Kaos]

I used a 4 bulb VHO setup on my 55 when it was running. The bulb combination I liked was 2 UV Lighting (URI) Actinic Whites and 2 UV Lighting (URI) Super Actinics. This gave me a nice white look w/ a little blue. I ran the lights on a URI A-4 (IceCap 660) ballast.

 

[mkarston]

If you are upgrading anyways, I would suggest 4 54W T5 bulbs. With individual reflectors these will give you better lighting at lower watts.

Two of these would do the trick:
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...:_2-54W_T5_HO_Retrofit_Kit_by_Sunlight_Supply

or this:
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...inch__4x54W_SLR_T5_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap

 

[Frick-n-Frags]

I really liked the 90 and 75 I saw with 6 VHO's (the 50/50 mix of actinics and whatever those aquasuns were) the acros really liked their lights too. but yeah, the fat diameter VHO's may be becoming some old-tech stuff now, along with limewood airstones

 

[vapor1]

Old-tech ...maybe . but the T-5's will have to come down in price a HUGE amount to make me change. I just installed 2 - 6 foot VHO's on my tank to help the metal halides.

Bulb replacement costs were the deciding factor. 2 bulbs versus many more bulbs at roughly the same price per bulb.

 

[mkarston]

I don't understand how T5's would be a "HUGE" price increase? As far as I can tell, VHO's and T5's are roughly the same price per bulb (~$20). And T5 cost less to run be being lower wattage. I have a 6' foot tank as well, and have a single IceCap 660 running 3 5' bulbs.

 

[vapor1]

How many t-5's does it take to equal the light output of a VHO ?

 

[mkarston]

I am not an expert, but to my knowledge, a T5 with an individual reflector has more PAR and much better penetration then a VHO.

I would check out these RC threads to find out more:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1120850
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1153101

 

[Reefghoul]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10247423#post10247423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mkarston
I don't understand how T5's would be a "HUGE" price increase? As far as I can tell, VHO's and T5's are roughly the same price per bulb (~$20). And T5 cost less to run be being lower wattage. I have a 6' foot tank as well, and have a single IceCap 660 running 3 5' bulbs.

It is the reflectors, they double the cost for the most part... 20 bucks for the bulb, and 20 bucks for the reflector....

 

[AZDesertRat]

I have yet to see a T5 that will match the color of a URI Super Actinic VHO. Nothing fluoresces like a actinic VHO.

 

[vapor1]

Thats what I am talking about....How many T-5's to equal the pop of a Actinic VHO ?

I don't run them for the light, but for the glow it gives corals

 

[Icefire]

mix T5 with one actinic VHO.

you can get TEK reflector @ 15$ now, also t5 bulb last 24month

 

[mkarston]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10248538#post10248538 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefghoul
It is the reflectors, they double the cost for the most part... 20 bucks for the bulb, and 20 bucks for the reflector....

Bulb replacement costs were the deciding factor

Reflectors do not have to be replaced with the bulbs...

 

[AZDesertRat]

Even if the cost were the same the color just isn't there with T5.

 

[Zann]

go to the t-5 thread in the lighting forum you will learn more about them
there are t-5 actinic that work as well as the vho
of course vho ballest will fire t-5's so you could put one vho and the rest t-5 if you like
also they say you cant grow sps with vho lighting thats not true
i have a friend that has almost all sps in his 60 gal and they do fine
he put mirrors above the lights and he gets alot of reflection