Burks
Toledo Reefer
Hi everyone,
I'm posting this for a buddy. We're trying to figure out how to cut his lighting costs and get some better lighting above his 180g display at his store. The old owner left him with:
5+ year old 2x400w PFO MH ballast
2 spider reflectors (for the whole 180g)
2 crappy eBay 20k bulbs
2 x 5+ year old actinic VHO bulbs
So really the setup isn't very good, and consumes a TON of energy. The middle of the tank is dark and the VHO's are worthless. It "supports" SPS but they don't thrive or grow very quickly.
What we were thinking was running three 2x5ft T5HO retrofits with the bulbs being staggered (so we get full coverage). The bulbs will be 3 Aqua Blue+ and 3 Actinic+.
How do you guys think this will do? Any problems? Too few bulbs? He wouldn't mind being able to grow SPS and the like in the tank. Everything else is great except the lighting.
He does have a customer that runs 12x39w over his 180g and the corals are just out of this world insanely colored. His Red Planet Acro has easily doubled in size since he bought it earlier this year.
Thanks everyone!
I'm posting this for a buddy. We're trying to figure out how to cut his lighting costs and get some better lighting above his 180g display at his store. The old owner left him with:
5+ year old 2x400w PFO MH ballast
2 spider reflectors (for the whole 180g)
2 crappy eBay 20k bulbs
2 x 5+ year old actinic VHO bulbs
So really the setup isn't very good, and consumes a TON of energy. The middle of the tank is dark and the VHO's are worthless. It "supports" SPS but they don't thrive or grow very quickly.
What we were thinking was running three 2x5ft T5HO retrofits with the bulbs being staggered (so we get full coverage). The bulbs will be 3 Aqua Blue+ and 3 Actinic+.
How do you guys think this will do? Any problems? Too few bulbs? He wouldn't mind being able to grow SPS and the like in the tank. Everything else is great except the lighting.
He does have a customer that runs 12x39w over his 180g and the corals are just out of this world insanely colored. His Red Planet Acro has easily doubled in size since he bought it earlier this year.
Thanks everyone!
