recommendation

[guppychao]

help, need recommendation on the mixture of bulbs that i can use:
i have a 6 ft long tank 18 inches high
8-55w power compacts

would u use 4 actnics and 4 10k's

or only use 2 actnics and 6 10k's

any suggestions? :?:

 

[danmhippo]

If your only choice of lighting is PC, then I would go with 2-actinic and 6 10K's

 

[Reef Fever]

Just asking: Why would you go to the trouble to line up all those little power compacts instead of running 6' VHO lighting? In that shallow and very long tank, VHOs would work out very well IMO.

 

[guppychao]

hippo, why would u use that format, just curious


reef, i was worried about the heat the vho's would produce

thanks for the suggestions!!!!

 

[reefsRcool]

for what it is worth i have 4x55 pc's over my 55 and do not like them one bit. if you arn't commited to them i would seriosly look into other options

 

[danmhippo]

I don't really think heat from VHO is any worse than PCs. It is true that with VHO, you will get more light out of the power it consumes. Besides, unless I have no choice, I wouldn't trade VHO with PCs.

I chose 2 actinics versus 4 because PC actinics doesn't give that much par value anyway, since it's same wattage, you might as well make them 10K. It's better for your corals too. You are not really trying to make the tank blue, just hints of blue.

I used to run 20,000K MH, recently out of curiosity, changed the 20,000K to 6500K MH. Yes, the light is yellower but my corals seems to like it more. Besides, the colors really show more out of fishes. It's just my preferences. I don't paticularly liked strong actinics for my light and displays.

 

[Reef Fever]

I don't think that the VHO would be any hotter than that many PCs would. The VHO will also be less likely to break at the endcaps than the little PCs would. You would also have even lighting end-to-end instead of possible hotspots with the 6 bulbs.

I think the Actinics on the PC are pretty ineffecient, and they don't really make the corals glow all that much. I agree with Danm, that if you go with the PC I would use more 10k than Actinic, although I seem to prefer my tank much bluer than he. :wink:

I like the Glow from the VHO or standard, the PC Actinic is just not the same and you give up too much PAR.

 

[guppychao]

thanks all, and nice pic of the tank!!!

another question i have on purchasing any good places?
does it matter where i buy the pc's are all the pc the same and just go with the one with the cheaper price?