T5VHO or T5HO

[mcvicker]

My tank is a 60 gallon oceanic 36x18x20 and currently has 2 400w metal halides over it running 8 hours with 6 hour overlap. I keep anemones, lps, sps, and softies. I would like to go for a t5 set up and am considering either 4 bulbs on an icecap 660 to overdrive or 6 bulbs on standard ballast. The 6 bulb option is more expensive and will produce a lower intensity but roughly equivalent wattage. I am leaning towards fewer bulbs at a higher wattage and the only downside would be bulb life (does anybody have any other experience regarding this decision).

Also, in reviewing the icecap 660 documentation it can support lamps up to 6 feet in length. Can I wire this in the 3 lamp configuration with each lamp acutally being two 3 foot lamps daisy chained together?

thanks,
chris

 

[Scooterman]

VHO is a T8 or T12 not T5

The IC660 ballast can be configured many ways, I think you can get the schematics on the site, imagine you could daisy chain them but I'd think you could do better with their already many options available.

 

[mcvicker]

The icecap ballast would run a 39 watt t5 bulb at around 55 watts. I know the nomenclature of VHO is typically used for t12, however the principle is the same to overdrive the t5 lamps to higher actual wattages. I included a retro kit below for this.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...y_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap

 

[Scooterman]

Really the lamp is overdriven to close to 60watts but by design a High output at 39watts, the 48" lamps are High output 54watts but the IC will over drive it to 84watts. So I guess you could call it VHO T5's but not really the case.
Regardless, I would use the individual T5 reflectors, you get way better performance.

http://www.icecapinc.com/document2.pdf

As long as you don't exceed 440 watts, the 660 ballast will run 2, 3 or 4 lamps depending on the lengths used.

 

[tigerarmy40]

I would go with the overdriven bulbs on a 20" deep tank. I have 4 36" bulbs on a ic ballast and it lights up the tank pretty well!