I'm at that point where I've got to make a choice about lighting for a 36"L X 18"W X 24"H 65 gallon tank. The tank came with a decent stand and canopy and a 2 X 95W Hamilton PC fluorescent retro. The system is now thoroughly cycled and matured to the point where it's supporting a green hairy mushroom colony, a couple colonies of button polyps, one lobophyllia, a Cole tang and a Coral Beauty in fine style along with a "herd" of blue legged hermits, astraes, and turbos. All the above have been healthy and quite happy for a few months now, but I know I've got to upgrade the lighting before trying anything more ambitious.
Here's my dilema. MH is out of the question because I don't have the resources to handle either the utility bills or the heat, and the canopy really won't accommodate MH lamps. I know this'll limit my choice of critters (no clams or SPS, etc., and I can live with that. So that leaves either another PC retro unit or VHO. Frankly, I'm leaning towards the 36" 4 bulb VHO retro I saw at http:www.hellolights.com. The price is very attractive and the cost/useful life of VHO lamps seems signficantly better than equivalent PC bulbs. But I'm a bit leary of the ARO ballast they supply primarily because I'm not familiar with it. Is it an e-ballast or TAR. I'd rather not build up a lighting unit from parts becasue my DYI projects tend to be functional, but UGLY, and a big part of "selling" this to she-who-must-be-obeyed is it's gotta look neat & tidy.
So.... whaddaya think? Sorry this is so long-winded, and I hope it's not out of place. I just figured (based on several weeks on lurking) that the expertise is here.
Thanks!!
Bert
Here's my dilema. MH is out of the question because I don't have the resources to handle either the utility bills or the heat, and the canopy really won't accommodate MH lamps. I know this'll limit my choice of critters (no clams or SPS, etc., and I can live with that. So that leaves either another PC retro unit or VHO. Frankly, I'm leaning towards the 36" 4 bulb VHO retro I saw at http:www.hellolights.com. The price is very attractive and the cost/useful life of VHO lamps seems signficantly better than equivalent PC bulbs. But I'm a bit leary of the ARO ballast they supply primarily because I'm not familiar with it. Is it an e-ballast or TAR. I'd rather not build up a lighting unit from parts becasue my DYI projects tend to be functional, but UGLY, and a big part of "selling" this to she-who-must-be-obeyed is it's gotta look neat & tidy.
So.... whaddaya think? Sorry this is so long-winded, and I hope it's not out of place. I just figured (based on several weeks on lurking) that the expertise is here.
Thanks!!
Bert