T-5 ???

[Steven Pro]

Steven what it the Length limits of the 660 ballast using T5's?

No more than four lamps with a total lamp length of 16' or less.

 

[fatboyt123]

Dont me to be rude but I must.

I am planning on upgrading to the 660 as I have the 430 right now. What is going to be best.

running 2 6' VHO super actnics?

Or

running 4 3' VHO super actnics?

Replacing the bulbs is cheaper with the 3' setup. But what is going to give me the best actnic look.

 

[gas4544]

How about using an ICeCap 3000 ballast to drive two lamps? Would that burn the T5 actinics less intensely than the other IceCap ballast already mentioned?

http://www.marinedepot.com/IceCap_3...ium_Ballasts-IceCap-IC1131-FILTACBAFL-vi.html

g

 

[Myteemouse]

The 430 will only operate up to two T5's whereas the 660 can do four that are 4' each or less. But, they both run the 54 watt T5's to about 80 watts each. Switching ballasts won't make it dimmer either.

I don't get a lot of people asking me how to get less light out of their systems. I would swap out the lamps and use straight 420 nm actinics.

I know it sounds funny to want less light but on a 20 inch deeptank I have 2x 250w MH W/lumenbright reflectors
and two 54w T-5 w individual reflectors.
I run giessman actinic blue+ bulbs
Iv'e tried the true actinics
and cheep actinics from custom aquatic
I like the Giesman blue+ the best for blue but they are SOOO bright the corals react like the MH are on..
So I see lots of tanks that are dark deep blue and I want that..with the MH off..

 

[fatboyt123]

I say you switch over to vho's then.

 

[Myteemouse]

I want dark deep blue with only actinics on..

 

[fatboyt123]

thats what my tank looks like