VHO vs. PC vs. MH lighting question.

jpeiji · 11-06-2002, 11:56 AM

I have a 46g tank and I've been runnning a SmartLite 96w PC for a year now. All I have is mushrooms, frogspawn and a xenia that looks good but hasn't grown at all. I want to upgrade for Christmas. I'm so confused with all the options though and prices. I understand that MH is necessary for hard corals, etc. What's the difference between VHO and PC's though? Which is more economical to run? I'm worried about my electrical bill on top of the intial hardware costs. Could I get away with just adding another 96 w SmartLamp? I would like to stay around $200 if possible. Any suggestions?

Dad · 11-06-2002, 01:12 PM

jpeiji,

I don't know enough to answer your ?'s, but there are lots of people here who can offer suggestions...
I just wanted to say....

bob

grazhopr · 11-06-2002, 01:51 PM

jpeiji

i'd suggest you visit on of the TRT sponsors. i did that, and it was a lot of help. they have prices for almost all fixtures available, both brands and sizes (you can order online). i doubt you could upgrade to MH for less than $200, though.

and....to answer your question: a 55 watt Compact bulb is roughly as bright as a 95 watt VHO tube.

and to finish....your lighting design is closely related to the type of corals you want to keep in your tank. you should attempt to reproduce as much as possible the habitat they come from:
are they shallow water dwellers? (lagoon, fringing reef, patch reef, reef crest) Most corals are. They need intense lighting.
do they come from the fore reef, deep reef ? you could get away with standard output fluorescents.

Cheers and good luck!

aquaticsdeptleader · 11-06-2002, 01:58 PM

what i have learned from trt

most soft corals = cpflor or vho

stonies= mh

check out premium aqutics 2 light pc retro is around your 200 but the more the better

in reagards to looks it would seem that must people prefer vho lighting.

of course there is always someone here that can give you twice the information i have

good luck and if you get lights I hope my X-mas is half as nice

ShirleyM · 11-06-2002, 02:20 PM

WELCOME!

I'm not a lighting expert, but I will share this...our son had Frogspawn (LPS) in a 30G reef with NO (normal output fluorescent) lights, and it grew new branches pretty well...the calcium was about 425. LPS and SPS need more calcium than leathers and such. What I'm getting at is that lighting isn't the only thing that helps your corals grow. When he switched out for PC lighting, they didn't grow any faster. The frogspawn under our MH lighting in the 120G tank grew only a little, if any, faster.

MH is beneficial for SPS and visually, it's my favorite kind of lighting...it makes the pretty twinkles an shadows in the water. (light refracts in the water, is that what I'm trying to say?)

You'll get a lot of good info here - and much more scientific info than what I just offered!

Shirley

peiji · 11-06-2002, 04:17 PM

Ok. So if it were up to you guys you would choose MH over PC. I've seen a MH online that was around $200 for 175 w. and a few flourescent bulbs. Is there something I should be looking for in quailty? It uses an electromagnetic ballast. I thought I read that the electronic ballasts were better. Should I be concerned about the bulbs. Also, how much extra should I expect to see in my electrical bill? I'm a little concerned about that. Is there a difference between PC, VHO, and MH in that regard?

mojoreef · 11-06-2002, 06:09 PM

Quote:

it makes the pretty twinkles an shadows in the water.

oh I so love it whe4n you talk technical

mike

ShirleyM · 11-06-2002, 07:21 PM

Doug1 · 11-06-2002, 10:20 PM

Personally I disagree that a 55 watt PC is as bright as bright as a 110 watt VHO
Your eye can fool you, as in the pecieved brightness of Daylight versus actinic of same wattage. I suspect the fact that a 55watt PC is half the length of a 110 VHO may help with the illusion.
Having said that, and yes I use VHO, I will grant that PC in 2 to 3" (55,65, and 96 watt sizes are usually cheaper to set up than 2 and 3' VHO on Icecap ballast.
As far as MH you might get away with one 250 Iwasaki or higher kelvin bulb providing you choose a reflector that spreads the light well. Price difference is minimal between the Iwasaki and most 175 watt MH setups, and you get a better light, if you decise to go SPS. Be aware that you will want lots of actinic to offset the colorcast of the Iwasaki bulb, but if it truly bothers you, you can upgrade to a higher Kelvin bulb later,
As far as power consumption, Watts is watts, at least between PC and VHO, with MH there is a consumption penalty to be paid using the old coil and can , or tar ballasts. The electronic MH ballasts are more efficient but cost more and some, ie the Icecap MH ballast have to be tuned to a specif type of bulb. The cheapos dont care about color temp as long as the bulb is the corect wattage, HTH

galleon · 11-06-2002, 10:38 PM

Great post Doug!

Doug1 · 11-06-2002, 11:19 PM

Just my experience, but thanks

Sylock · 11-07-2002, 10:11 AM

Ocean Encounter: http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2/...egory_Code=spe

check out the 175w Icecap Combo. You still need the reflector and socket, which will cost about $45 more. But with shipping everything I mentioned cost me $215. You won't find a place cheaper.

jpeiji · 11-07-2002, 10:41 AM

Thanks for all your comments. I've got a few more questions. If I get the MH don't I have to but some other PCs to offset the bright white lights? Also, my tank is 36" wide. Is it better to cover the whole width with lights even if I can get the same wattage in a 24". I'm just worried about the retro kits fitting in my canopy.