VHO lighting and coral growth

[rudezuk]

We are trying to get a real pleasing color on out tanks by switching bulbs out to different color spectrum for each bulb using 3 different colors:

Super Actinic
Actinic White
Aquasun

All three are URI bulbs. The aquasuns seem to put off more of a pinkish glow vs the actinic white bulbs. I do like the more of a blue tint.

I can get a color pretty, but on my smaller tank I have to use 3 36" SuperActinics and 1 Actinic White. I finally have it set up with 2 SuperActinics and 2 Actinic Whites, I just change the 4 bulb configuration so that the Super is closest to the front of the tank.

On my large tank, I have 6 48" bulbs staggered to the width of the 5' tank. Right now on that tank, I have 4 SuperActinics and 2 Aquasuns on it. It has a pale blue look to it, but still white enough to see some darker colors, but the zoos and shrooms really glow.


With me adding this much blue to my tanks, and I hurting the growth of the corals? How do these colors effect the SPS, LPS, Clams or Anenomes?


I heard a common setup of bulbs would be 50% SuperActinics, 25%Aquasuns, 25% Actinic whites......Well I tried that and it looks pretty pinkish.

I would like to have fast coral growth right now, so if it means changing to a color that isnt as pleasing right now then ill change it....and then change it back when they are grown more.

[BLockamon]

To be honest, I don't think any color combination of VHO is going to give you high growth of the corals. VHO just isn't that bright, especially for SPS. That said, the more Aquasuns, the quicker the growth. The 50-25-25 would probably be the best balance between growth and color (w/ more emphasis on growth).

One additional note: in order to get good growth under any lighting, you need to make sure the Ca, Alk, and Mg are at the correct levels.

[rudezuk]

Thanks, as you stated, all levels are where they are supposed to be.


As far as bright enough light....There is 380w of light on my 45g, and 660 of light on my 125.

[Reefmaniac1]

I have seen several tanks that are SPS only/dominated that are lit with nothing except VHO lamps. These tanks have been up for years, without issue, so I have to disagree with a blanket statement that VHOs aren't bright enough for SPS. They may not put out enough light for every species, but it can be done.

[cristhiam]

Originally posted by BLockamon
To be honest, I don't think any color combination of VHO is going to give you high growth of the corals. VHO just isn't that bright, especially for SPS. That said, the more Aquasuns, the quicker the growth. The 50-25-25 would probably be the best balance between growth and color (w/ more emphasis on growth).

One additional note: in order to get good growth under any lighting, you need to make sure the Ca, Alk, and Mg are at the correct levels.

LOL!!
check out this thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1018074

[rudezuk]

Originally posted by cristhiam
LOL!!
check out this thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1018074

One of those guys GarfVolunteer is the president of our local reef club

[cristhiam]

What is the spectrum on the aquasun? I've been using 3 110W actinics and 3 40Ws from Home Depot 6500K. I'm using 2 IceCaps ballast 660s. My reef is mixed from sps to 4 clams

[blange3]

Originally posted by cristhiam
LOL!!
check out this thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1018074

Looks like the consensus on bulb mix in that group is half super actinic and half 50/50. That happens to be the mix I settled on and I'm very happy. The colors are great and the growth is steady.

[blange3]

Originally posted by cristhiam
What is the spectrum on the aquasun? I've been using 3 110W actinics and 3 40Ws from Home Depot 6500K. I'm using 2 IceCaps ballast 660s. My reef is mixed from sps to 4 clams

According to UV's site the AquaSuns are 10K and the 50/50's are 12K

http://www.uvlco.com/aqualamps.htm

[cristhiam]

Thanks, I've been debating if I should change the 40Ws to true VHOs but I just don't like the pinkish look. Maybe the 50/50 are better, but I would hate to spend the money on the bulbs and not be happy with them. I've been using the VHOs/NO (HD) combination for close to 3 years now. Just wanting to get the SPS to color up some more like the ones running with true VHOs bulbs, but there are so many variables

[blange3]

We need a Grim Reefer or a Sanjay in the VHO world so we can look up the PAR of the various bulb and ballast combinations!

The 50/50's don't have the same pink cast of the AquaSuns, but I'm not sure if they put out much more PAR than an overdriven 6.5K NO bulb. The colors will look different, but I'm not sure you'll get the boost needed to color up the SPS. With that said I have a pretty colorful Millipora that snuck into my LPS tank.

[cristhiam]

I think that's why I been sucessful keeping clams and sps because of the 6.5K overdriven, LPS don't like it for some reason, I have them on the bottom of the tank, I almos fried my acan lord colony once by putting them a little above the midde of tank, I was so worry that's one expensive coral.

[rudezuk]

Thanks for the comments Blange..

Is the par output of the SuperActinics not near what the 10k or 12k output is?

It would be nice to have some par output specs of bulbs with different ballasts. That would prove to us what is the true leader in ballast technology and what bulbs and there par levels.

I have searched and searched and I have not seen any data on this. You would think with all of the VHO bulbs out there, that someone would have done this!

[Reefmaniac1]

Originally posted by blange3
We need a Grim Reefer or a Sanjay in the VHO world so we can look up the PAR of the various bulb and ballast combinations!

I think if you PM or email Grimmy the link to this thread, he might be able to accomodate your request for information.

[rudezuk]

Originally posted by Reefmaniac1
I think if you PM or email Grimmy the link to this thread, he might be able to accomodate your request for information.

Done

[The Grim Reefer]

The only VHO info I had was someone using the same meter I have to measure his VHO's at the surface of the lamp. His 50-50 with enternal reflector had less output than my 80 watt aquablue with no reflector. Dont remember the exact numbers.

I've seen some pretty cools SPS tanks under VHO's, they just cant be too deep.

In an unrelated note I have a solar 1000 LW dimmer for an Ice Cap ballast for sale if any of you VHO guys are intersted. I tried to dim VHO T6 lamps with it, no go so it is a brand new unit. 250 bux.

[Roland Jacques]

Lets clairfiy here.

T-12 Vho dont go deep. the T- 6 Vho should be able to go deep, and burn a lot brighter than T-12 VHO.

[Roland Jacques]

Originally posted by blange3
We need a Grim Reefer or a Sanjay in the VHO world so we can look up the PAR of the various bulb and ballast combinations!

This is ture, thier some old post that state some big diifferances with ballast when it comes to VHO lamps.

Those 2 guys have thier hands full we need others to step up.

Now with the new T-6 VHO lamps this ballast info would be helpfull. If I only had a PAR meter

[blange3]

Thanks for stopping by Grim! I pm'd him as well.

I have an Ice Cap 660, 430 and ARO AS220 ballasts in use. Now what would a PAR meter cost to get numbers from all of these guys?

[The Grim Reefer]

About 260.00 shipped. www.apogee-inst.com

[Roland Jacques]

$260 is not bad. does that come with a water proof remote?
I would like to get one, unfortunatly i cut my left hand and cant work or use my hand for 4 more weeks.

Warning guys, dont try to rip PVC on a table saw to make a DIY "parbolic" reflector, got 4 fingers cut bad and lost my index finger i should have just bought the refectors. I no most arent dumb enough to try that but, FWIW.

[The Grim Reefer]

damn!

Yeah that is with the remote sensor.

[blange3]

I lost track of this thread.

Thanks for the info Grim.

Sorry about the accident Roland, this hobby has it's risks!