| TCMAS Twin Cities Marine Aquarium Society Club Forum |
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04-02-2006, 09:36 AM
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#1
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They call me tatar salad
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bemidi,Minnesota
Posts: 359
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Newbie here have some ???
Hello I am a newbie here just have a few questions. first off I was reffered here by Skipponator bought some stuff from him.Very nice guy..awsome tank..anyway I have a 75 gallon and I just have PC's on there and I want to get some better lighting. what would be better MH or VHO? I would like to do the DIY method as I do not have a ton of money.I have been searching and I found some say MH are better and some say just go with VHO.I also saw a few that say T-5 what are these?I just know I need something better than what I have.
Thanks
Garrett
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04-02-2006, 09:39 AM
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#2
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Shark
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: bloomington
Posts: 1,956
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Welcome!
MH + T5 for actinic.
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04-02-2006, 09:42 AM
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#3
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Shark
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Rochester
Posts: 3,682
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Everyone will ask....WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO KEEP IN THE TANK!
MH is for this stuff and VHO is for that stuff, so we need to know; What will be in the tank....if its just fish, you could bet along with a shop light.
WELCOME!
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Never put a 4 foot eel in a 6 foot tank!
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04-02-2006, 09:53 AM
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#4
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TCMAS President
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Lakeland, MN
Posts: 4,941
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you could just do mh+vho, the best of both worlds! check out www.hellolights.com and www.championlighting.com for diy stuff.
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click on this tcmas I dare you!
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04-02-2006, 10:01 AM
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#5
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They call me tatar salad
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bemidi,Minnesota
Posts: 359
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I plan on having some soft corals maybe getting SPS ,but at this time I do have some soft corals I bought from skipponator. I am just not sure what I need to get this whole lighting thing going. What is the differance between MH and VHO and also T-5?Are the T-5 and VHO kind of one in the same??
Just have a lot of qusetions but I don't want to seen stupid.  |
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04-02-2006, 11:09 AM
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#6
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Shark
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Rochester
Posts: 3,682
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We have all asked the same Questions.
Soft corals............Most will say VHO (few like the T5)
Hard corals, clams....MH.
for cost and what you need now, id say go VHO.
you will always use them, even if you go to MH some day (they will serve as Actinic lighting).
serch the forum for lighting...this Q comes up all the time.
or ask David G.
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Never put a 4 foot eel in a 6 foot tank!
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04-02-2006, 11:28 AM
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#7
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Anti-Acan Activist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 2,578
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for clarification.... MH are for softies, LPS, SPS & Clams...
VHO are good for softies, LPS, and some (very few) SPS
PCs are good for softies & LPS
T5s are good for Softies, LPS, & quite a few SPS (almost anything but some acros I think.) As far as clams I do not not for T5s.
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Come to our .org if you want to live....
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04-02-2006, 11:36 AM
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#8
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Oshkosh, WI
Posts: 133
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*mmm* T5's...
*drool*
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- Scott.
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04-02-2006, 12:40 PM
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#9
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micro nut
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: TWIN CITIES
Posts: 4,853
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welcome! 
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04-02-2006, 12:52 PM
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#10
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TCMAS Used 'Ta Be
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Anoka, MN
Posts: 2,120
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Personally I will be running t5's white and vho actinics over my softy/lps/sps coral tank. I don't like the look of the vho whites or the t5 actinics. I've also used mh, pc, and no. PC pretty much stinks for any tank deeper than 16" and I've only found a few decent PC actinic bulbs. NO bulbs I prefer the Coralife 10,000k bulb with their actinic or a marine glo bulb. If the Coralife is unavailable opt for a powerglo bulb. In terms of MH it becomes all color preference etc and there is too much info to go into. It's better to use the search link for that. |
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04-02-2006, 01:02 PM
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#11
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They call me tatar salad
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bemidi,Minnesota
Posts: 359
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Thanks for all the info I think I will just start out with the VHO's and if I want to add some MH later I can do that... OK now what kind af ballast would you all recommend?
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04-02-2006, 01:04 PM
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#12
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Eat more PIE
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Florida Panhandle
Posts: 18,594
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Double your drive space. Delete Windows
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04-02-2006, 01:29 PM
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#13
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TCMAS President
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Lakeland, MN
Posts: 4,941
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icecap... all the way
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click on this tcmas I dare you!
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04-02-2006, 01:37 PM
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#14
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They call me tatar salad
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Bemidi,Minnesota
Posts: 359
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well than Icecaps it is !!!!
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04-02-2006, 01:47 PM
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#15
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Apple Valley MN
Posts: 544
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Casey
Welcome! Ice cap ballast
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29g, 35lbs fiji, orbit lighting, ac500 fuge mini aqualight, aqua c remora.
120g RR AGA 100lbs Totoka, ER RS180 ,seio 1500s, neptune ac jr
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