VHO users - advice needed

speccialj922 · 09/26/2007, 08:00 PM

Well its about time to replace my bulbs (probably way past due). Uness I'm just stupid, and i may be - my understanding is that i will once again be buying URI bulbs out of lack of choice. The past few years i have been running 2 x Actinic White and 2 x super actinic. i have never bought the "aqua sun" bulb, but i am considering them this time.

is there anyone that uses 4 x vho's? if so, what is your combo of choice? im thinking of 2 actinics and 2 aquasuns and skipping out on the white actinics.

I have a 36'' 50g tank. softies, zoos, some lps and some sps (monti for now). opinions welcome.

fat-tony · 09/26/2007, 08:15 PM

I have right now 5 vho (i know, i know...not 4 you mentioned)

I'm running 2x super actinic, 1x white actinic and 2x aquasun. The coloring is ok, i'd have better growth if i could take some time and clean up my water a bit

SlowCobra · 09/26/2007, 09:38 PM

I personally hate the look of my Actinic Whites. So much so that I stopped using them. I have not seen an aquasun for VHO but I would imagine it looks way better than the stupid pink color of the Actinic White.

Caleb Kruse · 09/26/2007, 09:53 PM

I don't like the color, but I have 2 aquasuns, 1 super actinic, and one actinic white. It's just very yellow.

speccialj922 · 09/27/2007, 04:26 AM

yeah, that was my beef with my current setup now. the actinics look fine, but the actinic white looks awful. never realized it until the timer on my actinics died and i saw the tank w/o the actinic blues on at all. ugliest yellow ever.

ljosh · 09/27/2007, 02:41 PM

My 50/50 URI actinics are not yellow at all.

tkeracer619 · 09/27/2007, 02:47 PM

I would drop the vho's and get into T5's. You might be able to run the same ballasts and will have a ton of better bulb choices.

Oh and I am a VHO user (actinics), admiting it is the first step

Craig Lambert · 09/27/2007, 03:03 PM

I have 6X VHO. (630 watts) I use to run 4 actinic white URI and 2 Super Actinic, and loved the look. I recently bought new bulbs and have switched to 4 Aquasun and 2 super actinic. I like the look of this combination as well. URI Aquasun bulbs use to give a pink look that I didn't like at all, but the bulb has apparently been redesigned and gives a different look now. I switched to Aquasuns because I am keeping some SPS and they are a higher par than the Actinic White bulbs.

My configuration is 2 110 watt super actinics, 2 110 watt aquasun, and 2 95 watt aquasun.

speccialj922 · 09/27/2007, 03:26 PM

thanks for all the input. (im a little too poor and dont have the time to reconfigure a new light system). i think ill get 2 aquasuns and 2 super actinic.

ziggaboo · 09/27/2007, 09:55 PM

long time no see bud. i just got back into it this year and set up a 20H at my apartment... have you had the 50 set up all this time? the 55 i had was 2x daylight 50/50's and then 2x actinic if you remember what that looked like.

speccialj922 · 09/28/2007, 08:49 PM

hey, check your pm zig

ddresch · 09/29/2007, 10:51 AM

I use 4 VHO on my 75, and use 2 50/50 actinic, and 2 actinic 03, and I'm quite happy with the growth and color. I have a friend who also runs the same combo, and his tank does look yellower than mine. I'd suggest running a little carbon, as this helps eliminate the yellow color. My bulbs are in the following order, from front to back. 03, 50/50, 03, 50/50. I feel this helps the blue reflect better, making the corals in the middle and back of the tank look better.

Harbour · 09/29/2007, 11:21 AM

For a long time I only ran 2 VHO's on my 55. I always used a 50/50 and on 03.

Harbour

Racing1 · 09/29/2007, 12:01 PM

I run vho and run 3X aquasun and 1X super R actinic and it gives a blue look. The new aquasuns are not quite as pink as they used to be.

09/26/2007, 08:00 PM	#1
speccialj922 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: maryland Posts: 1,737	VHO users - advice needed Well its about time to replace my bulbs (probably way past due). Uness I'm just stupid, and i may be - my understanding is that i will once again be buying URI bulbs out of lack of choice. The past few years i have been running 2 x Actinic White and 2 x super actinic. i have never bought the "aqua sun" bulb, but i am considering them this time. is there anyone that uses 4 x vho's? if so, what is your combo of choice? im thinking of 2 actinics and 2 aquasuns and skipping out on the white actinics. I have a 36'' 50g tank. softies, zoos, some lps and some sps (monti for now). opinions welcome. __________________ Dumb enough to get rid of my tank 33g hex flatback in my classroom.

09/26/2007, 08:15 PM	#2
fat-tony Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Hornell, NY Posts: 1,483	I have right now 5 vho (i know, i know...not 4 you mentioned) I'm running 2x super actinic, 1x white actinic and 2x aquasun. The coloring is ok, i'd have better growth if i could take some time and clean up my water a bit __________________ Jason Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef. Icecap 660 3x5' T5HO Icecap 430 2x6' VHO actinic

09/27/2007, 04:26 AM	#5
speccialj922 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: maryland Posts: 1,737	yeah, that was my beef with my current setup now. the actinics look fine, but the actinic white looks awful. never realized it until the timer on my actinics died and i saw the tank w/o the actinic blues on at all. ugliest yellow ever. __________________ Dumb enough to get rid of my tank 33g hex flatback in my classroom.

09/27/2007, 02:47 PM	#7
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	I would drop the vho's and get into T5's. You might be able to run the same ballasts and will have a ton of better bulb choices. Oh and I am a VHO user (actinics), admiting it is the first step __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

09/27/2007, 03:03 PM	#8
Craig Lambert Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 2,897	I have 6X VHO. (630 watts) I use to run 4 actinic white URI and 2 Super Actinic, and loved the look. I recently bought new bulbs and have switched to 4 Aquasun and 2 super actinic. I like the look of this combination as well. URI Aquasun bulbs use to give a pink look that I didn't like at all, but the bulb has apparently been redesigned and gives a different look now. I switched to Aquasuns because I am keeping some SPS and they are a higher par than the Actinic White bulbs. My configuration is 2 110 watt super actinics, 2 110 watt aquasun, and 2 95 watt aquasun. __________________ "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will spend all day in a boat drinking beer." Current Tank Info: 75G Tank, 29G Sump, 100lbs LR, AquaC EV-180, Iwaki MD-20RT return Tunze nano streams 4X54 t-5/Icecap Ballast & SLR's 2x110 vho actinic

09/26/2007, 09:38 PM	#3
SlowCobra Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Joliet, IL Posts: 3,079	I personally hate the look of my Actinic Whites. So much so that I stopped using them. I have not seen an aquasun for VHO but I would imagine it looks way better than the stupid pink color of the Actinic White.

09/26/2007, 09:53 PM	#4
Caleb Kruse Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 744	I don't like the color, but I have 2 aquasuns, 1 super actinic, and one actinic white. It's just very yellow.

09/27/2007, 02:41 PM	#6
ljosh Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 354	My 50/50 URI actinics are not yellow at all.

09/27/2007, 03:26 PM	#9
speccialj922 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: maryland Posts: 1,737	thanks for all the input. (im a little too poor and dont have the time to reconfigure a new light system). i think ill get 2 aquasuns and 2 super actinic. __________________ Dumb enough to get rid of my tank 33g hex flatback in my classroom.

09/27/2007, 09:55 PM	#10
ziggaboo Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: maryland Posts: 237	long time no see bud. i just got back into it this year and set up a 20H at my apartment... have you had the 50 set up all this time? the 55 i had was 2x daylight 50/50's and then 2x actinic if you remember what that looked like.

09/28/2007, 08:49 PM	#11
speccialj922 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: maryland Posts: 1,737	hey, check your pm zig __________________ Dumb enough to get rid of my tank 33g hex flatback in my classroom.

09/29/2007, 10:51 AM	#12
ddresch Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Cortland, IL Posts: 70	I use 4 VHO on my 75, and use 2 50/50 actinic, and 2 actinic 03, and I'm quite happy with the growth and color. I have a friend who also runs the same combo, and his tank does look yellower than mine. I'd suggest running a little carbon, as this helps eliminate the yellow color. My bulbs are in the following order, from front to back. 03, 50/50, 03, 50/50. I feel this helps the blue reflect better, making the corals in the middle and back of the tank look better.

09/29/2007, 11:21 AM	#13
Harbour Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 311	For a long time I only ran 2 VHO's on my 55. I always used a 50/50 and on 03. Harbour

09/29/2007, 12:01 PM	#14
Racing1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Maine Posts: 740	I run vho and run 3X aquasun and 1X super R actinic and it gives a blue look. The new aquasuns are not quite as pink as they used to be.