Brand New 8 gallon bio cube

[Fin]

We have talked about old school lighting before and I do agree - as a saltwater dinosaur. I had the best luck with 250watt MH mogul base bulbs and VHO fluorescents. You can actually still find the VHO bulbs out there. That is what my LFS turned me onto when I made the jump from FO to reefing around 1990. But like all reefers, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. Had to change things up.

 

[Katrina71]

VHO? Educate me.

 

[Fin]

A larger diameter florescent bulb. Not quite as powerful as the T5s. They also had a built in “reflector” covering half of the length of the bulb. The actinics were nice. I think Champion lighting still handles them. They ran off of the old IceCap 660 ballasts.

 

[Katrina71]

A larger diameter florescent bulb. Not quite as powerful as the T5s. They also had a built in “reflector” covering half of the length of the bulb. The actinics were nice. I think Champion lighting still handles them. They ran off of the old IceCap 660 ballasts.

Thank you! I have seen those. I didn't know exactly what they were.

 

[Fin]

You can still get those bulbs and ballasts here.

Champion Lighting VHO bulbs & ballasts

 

[dantimdad]

Technically speaking, you can overdrive NO (normal output) fluorescents to near VHO power.

They won't last as long but the actinics have stunning color when you OD them.

Plus, if you replace them every 6 mos. in the old days it was still cheaper than VHO.

:)

I actually did a write up a long time ago on the other forum about how to do it.

 

[Katrina71]

Technically speaking, you can overdrive NO (normal output) fluorescents to near VHO power.

They won't last as long but the actinics have stunning color when you OD them.

Plus, if you replace them every 6 mos. in the old days it was still cheaper than VHO.

:)

I actually did a write up a long time ago on the other forum about how to do it.

You are a very bad influence.

 

[JoshH]

You are a very bad influence.

Pot..... ..... Kettle....

 

[User1]

A larger diameter florescent bulb. Not quite as powerful as the T5s. They also had a built in “reflector” covering half of the length of the bulb. The actinics were nice. I think Champion lighting still handles them. They ran off of the old IceCap 660 ballasts.

SVHO actinics (ice cap ballast) was my goto mixed in with 2x175 W MH. The only thing I didn't like was replacing the bulbs. Probably why I switched over to LED's years ago. The SVHO/MH combo probably made my 100 gallon look more natural back then.

 

[dantimdad]

SVHO actinics (ice cap ballast) was my goto mixed in with 2x175 W MH. The only thing I didn't like was replacing the bulbs. Probably why I switched over to LED's years ago. The SVHO/MH combo probably made my 100 gallon look more natural back then.

I agree. The most natural looking tanks to me were actinic/MH combos. However, a VERY close second is T5/LED with the blue being handled by the T5 and the LED more of a daylight setting.

 

[JoshH]

I agree. The most natural looking tanks to me were actinic/MH combos. However, a VERY close second is T5/LED with the blue being handled by the T5 and the LED more of a daylight setting.

By daylight settings do you mean mostly whites/green/red and little to no blue/UV atall? I never really played with my LEDs all that much and still don't so alot of the spectrum blending is still outside my ballpark so to speak.

 

[ShadowReef]

I've heard Xenia is good at cleaning water and grows like a weed.

I can vouch for this! I dont even think bleach could stop the PX in my old nano

 

[PanchoG]

I'm older, I don't do change well sometimes. I'm hoping this will be one of the things that will turn out to be a good surprise.

Change it is tough for me as well, I like too stick to the few things I know/like but then I miss so many good things for my stubbornness. Old people.... lol

 

[Katrina71]

SVHO actinics (ice cap ballast) was my goto mixed in with 2x175 W MH. The only thing I didn't like was replacing the bulbs. Probably why I switched over to LED's years ago. The SVHO/MH combo probably made my 100 gallon look more natural back then.

Would you happen to have a pic?

 

[Fin]

This was my 75 with that combo - 2x 250 watt (14k) + 4x VHO bulbs (2 Actinic Whites and 2 Super Actinics, I believe). Pictures were much easier to take than under LEDs too. :)

 

[Katrina71]

This was my 75 with that combo - 2x 250 watt (14k) + 4x VHO bulbs (2 Actinic Whites and 2 Super Actinics, I believe). Pictures were much easier to take than under LEDs too. :)

Wow. Just wow.

 

[JoshH]

This was my 75 with that combo - 2x 250 watt (14k) + 4x VHO bulbs (2 Actinic Whites and 2 Super Actinics, I believe). Pictures were much easier to take than under LEDs too. :)

;Drool;Drool;Drool;Drool

Thanks for putting me back on the fence with my lighting choice@Fin ;Shifty

I don't mean to sidestep the convo but it's been on my mind lately. I think I've settled on a Reeflo Swordtail for my retun pump for my system, good price, excellent head height and roughly the GPH I'm looking for with the head height I have, anyone have any thoughts as to why this might be a bad idea?

 

[Katrina71]

That is the lighting I want.

 

[PanchoG]

This was my 75 with that combo - 2x 250 watt (14k) + 4x VHO bulbs (2 Actinic Whites and 2 Super Actinics, I believe). Pictures were much easier to take than under LEDs too. :)

I love it ! ;Woot

 

[Katrina71]

;Drool;Drool;Drool;Drool

Thanks for putting me back on the fence with my lighting choice@Fin ;Shifty

I don't mean to sidestep the convo but it's been on my mind lately. I think I've settled on a Reeflo Swordtail for my retun pump for my system, good price, excellent head height and roughly the GPH I'm looking for with the head height I have, anyone have any thoughts as to why this might be a bad idea?

You can sidestep any time. I'm not really qualified to answer you on this.