Possibly restarting Reef, Lighting questions from old system

NewReeferBR · 05/18/2017, 09:52 AM

So has been many years since i've had my reef tank running. I had to give it up for sad reasons but kept all the equipment and just placed into storage. Things have changed and I'm really thinking of coming back. Been reading forums to see what has changed since 2008 when I broke everything down and as I thought, all those years of being absent i'm quite lost again. Have a lighting question which I really can't seem to make my mind up on. What do you guys think? I will be going back to an SPS tank again. About the only thing I might add again which is not SPS would be a RBTA. My last one was great and kept its bubble tips for 4 years. I was so happy as no one else I knew personally had that, all their BTA's had the long stringy arms and no bubbles.

My old system I had a custom built hood, which I will do again. Inside that would be 2 Icecap 250watt MH and an icecap 660, which back then i ran two VHO's actinic bulbs on. My current tank is a 75 gallon Oceanic reef ready tank.

Assuming all those ballasts are still good, I'm not sure why they wouldn't be, would that still be worth doing? I wasn't a fan of all the heat generated by the 250 MH's. I have a chiller which I am also assuming is still good, was when I put it in storage, but this time around the tank is going to sit in my living room.

I also noticed that since my setup, the general consensus was to run 10K ushio's and 2 VHO Actinics. Now i'm seeing all the rage with radiums. Don't see that in anything but a 400watt, but seems like the radiums might be comparable to the light source from a 20k bulb? If that is the ticket, would you still supplement with actinics?

Another question, sorry so many, but looks like my 660 would run T5's instead of VHO's. 4 of them if i am reading things correctly. Go with that instead of 2 VHO's? Could get more options for lights both supplement and while the MH's are powered off.

If i do decide to go away from MH, and that would be something i choose just based on the heat output and the tank being in the living room, should i just scrap the 660 icecap and buy a whole new T5 setup? I have seen some of the ATI sunpower 48" setups and then the addition of those blue LED's which just seem to attach right on. Looks really nice. Bit of a waste of money since that would be hidden inside a hood but not too much of a waste.

Think I could pull that same thing off with my 660? Documentation sounds like I could, unless 4 T5's just wouldn't be enough and I should be running 6 over a 75 SPS dominate tank?

Thanks,

05/18/2017, 09:52 AM	#1
NewReeferBR Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 1	Possibly restarting Reef, Lighting questions from old system So has been many years since i've had my reef tank running. I had to give it up for sad reasons but kept all the equipment and just placed into storage. Things have changed and I'm really thinking of coming back. Been reading forums to see what has changed since 2008 when I broke everything down and as I thought, all those years of being absent i'm quite lost again. Have a lighting question which I really can't seem to make my mind up on. What do you guys think? I will be going back to an SPS tank again. About the only thing I might add again which is not SPS would be a RBTA. My last one was great and kept its bubble tips for 4 years. I was so happy as no one else I knew personally had that, all their BTA's had the long stringy arms and no bubbles. My old system I had a custom built hood, which I will do again. Inside that would be 2 Icecap 250watt MH and an icecap 660, which back then i ran two VHO's actinic bulbs on. My current tank is a 75 gallon Oceanic reef ready tank. Assuming all those ballasts are still good, I'm not sure why they wouldn't be, would that still be worth doing? I wasn't a fan of all the heat generated by the 250 MH's. I have a chiller which I am also assuming is still good, was when I put it in storage, but this time around the tank is going to sit in my living room. I also noticed that since my setup, the general consensus was to run 10K ushio's and 2 VHO Actinics. Now i'm seeing all the rage with radiums. Don't see that in anything but a 400watt, but seems like the radiums might be comparable to the light source from a 20k bulb? If that is the ticket, would you still supplement with actinics? Another question, sorry so many, but looks like my 660 would run T5's instead of VHO's. 4 of them if i am reading things correctly. Go with that instead of 2 VHO's? Could get more options for lights both supplement and while the MH's are powered off. If i do decide to go away from MH, and that would be something i choose just based on the heat output and the tank being in the living room, should i just scrap the 660 icecap and buy a whole new T5 setup? I have seen some of the ATI sunpower 48" setups and then the addition of those blue LED's which just seem to attach right on. Looks really nice. Bit of a waste of money since that would be hidden inside a hood but not too much of a waste. Think I could pull that same thing off with my 660? Documentation sounds like I could, unless 4 T5's just wouldn't be enough and I should be running 6 over a 75 SPS dominate tank? Thanks,