vho question

gaubow · 05-08-2004, 12:30 AM

I am starting my 90 gallon back up in a few months and was wondering... if I want to go to vho's... what is the best way? Is there an all encompassing fixture that will do the trick? Do I have to do it myself? Any advice would be apprectiated, I am really close to making a decision.

Thanks,
tim

Witfull · 05-08-2004, 12:33 AM

if your handy, a DIY retrofit would be the most economical way to go. water proof endcaps and an icecap 660 ballast installed into a canopy.

DaveK · 05-08-2004, 07:48 AM

The answer to your question, "If I want to go to vho's, what is the best way?" will depend upon what your goals are.

Witfull's idea of getting a retrofit and building a fixture is the lowest cost way to go.

However, you might find that buying a fixture that is already made might only cost a little more, say $50 - $100. The advantage here is that you just have to hang it up, plug it in and turn it on. It may also look better too, unless your construction skills are good.

Just to keep things interesting, don't forget to consider what you want to keep. If you want some clams or some types of sps corals, you might want MH or HQI lighting.

wooddood · 05-08-2004, 08:59 AM

i would have to agree with dava and dave lol and me dave also, retro's are the way to go if your handy at all. i also would suggest looking into metal halides with vho's or pc's as supplementation to the halides. just keep in mind pc's will last longer then vho's but i believe vho's will give better coral growth in the long run with metal halides. it all depends on what you plan on keeping in your tank. i'm a firm believer in investing in a lighting system that you can use in the future on a larger tank because you will want a larger tank in the future trust me and i'm saying this from experience because i've done it with 4 differant fixtures in the beginning and had to sell them to recoop some of my money at least before going metal halide/ pc combo. i would resheach alittle more first and then decide. talk to pro_builder thats who i got my retro kit from and am very happy with them and i can now keep anything i want in my reef. good luck [dave]

05-08-2004, 12:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
gaubow Star Polyps Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: chicagoland Posts: 161 View Gallery Karma Komment	vho question I am starting my 90 gallon back up in a few months and was wondering... if I want to go to vho's... what is the best way? Is there an all encompassing fixture that will do the trick? Do I have to do it myself? Any advice would be apprectiated, I am really close to making a decision. Thanks, tim

05-08-2004, 08:59 AM	#4 (permalink)
wooddood the wood dude Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: marion. INDIANA Posts: 3,457 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	i would have to agree with dava and dave lol and me dave also, retro's are the way to go if your handy at all. i also would suggest looking into metal halides with vho's or pc's as supplementation to the halides. just keep in mind pc's will last longer then vho's but i believe vho's will give better coral growth in the long run with metal halides. it all depends on what you plan on keeping in your tank. i'm a firm believer in investing in a lighting system that you can use in the future on a larger tank because you will want a larger tank in the future trust me and i'm saying this from experience because i've done it with 4 differant fixtures in the beginning and had to sell them to recoop some of my money at least before going metal halide/ pc combo. i would resheach alittle more first and then decide. talk to pro_builder thats who i got my retro kit from and am very happy with them and i can now keep anything i want in my reef. good luck [dave] __________________ 120 gal/in wall tank/starboard substraight/2 250 watt 10k xm metal halides/ 4 55watt 03 actinics/150lbs lr/scwd on return/scwd on a closed loop/aquaclear aquatics 200 pro wetdry w/skimmer. ask all the questions you have if we cant answer it we'll make up some thing. remember patience is the key to a kick ass reef. dave.

05-08-2004, 07:48 AM	#3 (permalink)
DaveK Reef Lobster Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Philadelpahia, PA Posts: 1,361 View Gallery Karma Komment	The answer to your question, "If I want to go to vho's, what is the best way?" will depend upon what your goals are. Witfull's idea of getting a retrofit and building a fixture is the lowest cost way to go. However, you might find that buying a fixture that is already made might only cost a little more, say $50 - $100. The advantage here is that you just have to hang it up, plug it in and turn it on. It may also look better too, unless your construction skills are good. Just to keep things interesting, don't forget to consider what you want to keep. If you want some clams or some types of sps corals, you might want MH or HQI lighting.

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