vho or mh

[ric]

i have 75gal. fish only that i,ve been recently turning into a reef tank and i have everything i need exept the lighting.I,ve been leaning towards 4 -110 watt vho bulbs , no.1 i like the look of the vho and no.2 i dont have a chiller so heat is a factor. i wouldnt mind buying mh 2-175watt mh and 2-vho actinics or a chiller but my tank is in my living room wall with the backside of the tank in a small unventilated walk in closet. right now my tank temp average is 79-80deg. with only 2-40watt florecents.any input on this would be great. i would also like to know if i do choose vho's what life can be sastained, like could i keep hammer and torch corals or maybe a clam or two or any of the lps or zoos, not to crazy about the sps any coments or info on these matters would be greatly apreciated thanks

 

[ronj]

i hate to say it, but MH is the way to go...i bought VHO's and changed my mind 2 weeks later...the lighting was great, but the whole sps urge will eventually grow on you.. i think it eventually gets everyone... also, if you do go MH, a fan will help greatly with the heat issue...hope this helps

 

[Krish]

I'll have to agree with Ron...If it is doable, I'd go for MH's as well. Atleast you know for sure they will be pretty much able to support whatever corals you decide to go with. Just a personal preference and opinion here

 

[mmkeeper]

Go MH and use a fan. I have two 175 MH under a canopy on my 75 and with a 6 inch blowing in to the canopy 78.5-79.7 Being in Florida you keep the AC on most of the time don't you?

 

[Brenden]

I hurts me to say that Ron is right but he is. I guess it is true that every dog has his day.
Def go with the MH.

 

[james734]

I'll add my vote in here also.. MH is the way to go.

 

[plack]

Yes you can go with 4 110 watt vho's but you will most probably change your mind and wish you bought halides because without them many things will not flourish/thrive or grow as much.

I've had both over a year and know the pro's and con's.

The long answer would tell you what you can and can't get away with.

The short answer is. When you got halides you won't have to worry about it !!

Fans underneath a light and a in room air conditioner so the whole family can enjoy the cooler! Not as perfect as a chiller but it can work quit well.



Paul

 

[ric]

thank for eveybodys input i think i will go mh i just needed a push in the right direction can anybody give any recomendations on ballest or name brand fixtures for 2-175watt mh and 2-vho110watt i would like remote ballests maybe built in fan and seprate on off swichtes and any info on what type mh bulbs i should go with to make my corals kinda glow a bit thanks again for the help

 

[Reeferdude]

I would go with both. Set your lighting cycle to simulate more natural affects. Combine actinic/morning evening light with 10,000K/afternoon light, and Halide/the most intense part of the day...

 

[jedimike]

There's always the LED's... very expensive, but you won't have to buy a chiller. The other option is to get the VHO's now and then get the LED's 2-3 years from now when the price becomes reasonable (I hope)

 

[ronj]

i would go with a 14k or 20k bulb if you want the corals to glow a bit...

 

[prbhasson]

Hello,

Just a thought but why not go with t-5's. You can grow just as much under a good t-5 setup and avoid the cost of MH, less heat, Longer bulb life, and just about the only thing you would miss is the shimmer effect from MH. Just my .02 cents worth....

 

[plack]

T-5's are just a bit better than vho under good reflectors. BUT I still belive the intensity of halides is more !!! It could be done.
prbhassoon..Have you done this for an extended period of time? You have a nice naso tang
Have you seen the growth and compared that to a tank with halides?
Arent replacing all the t-5's as expensive as replacing halides?



Paul

 

[prbhasson]

The growth with t-5 may be a little slower but I like the look you can get with the different choices in bulbs and you can get some great par. Also the heat issue is negated as t-5's give off way less heat than MH. Also replacing the bulbs is about the same cost wise but in the long run you can get 12 -18 months out of t-5's and I always feel MH no more than 6-8 month's. Thanks for e comment on the naso. He is doing great. I have had him almost a year now. i will try to post some newer pics tommorow.

 

[plack]

Thanks for the input. I had I guess an earlier version of a T-5' It went bad after 2 months :-(

But I have a frind who's tank has them for acitinics alongside the halides and they seemed good. I thought they (his) got quite hot though .. I'll check that out as I am going over there tomorrow.

What are beaches like in maine?

I always guess they are like rock cliffs with boulders below??
In seattle it is mostly rocky beaches But there are sandy beaches but you gotta drive a way's !



Paul

 

[prbhasson]

Beaches in maine are just like all the others I think. The only difference being the water might be a tad colder than you are used too. Last week we went to the beach and water temp was around 64 degrees. Here are a couple of pictures when we went to the beach last week. Enjoy...

 

[plack]

Wow, It look's almolst exactly like seattle. Thanks for the pictures




Paul

 

[plack]

Well t-5's can put out some decent par and less heat very true
Not as intence as halides but would be o.k. for some corals just slower growth I agree with that. I can get 2 halide bulbs for say $150 but I don't know what it would cost to have t-5's .



Paul