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chris.rogers 
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 Topic: A fair and balanced review of VHO's requested...
Posted: June 08 2007 at 4:05pm |
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Scott, if you read this, why is it again you like URI bulbs? How
often do you change them out, and what kinds of livestock have you been
able to successfully (color + growth) keep in there?
Be fair and biased, please, what are any disadvantages?
In general:
Are workhorse ballasts 'good' for VHO, or just 'good enough'?
What materials are best for reflectors? Can I just wallpaper the inside of my canopy with tin foil?
For those of you who do DIY VHO, do you buy things locally, do you do a commercial setup, or do you just kind of pick and choose from the web?
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Ils sont fous, ces Romains!
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shaggydoo
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Posted: June 08 2007 at 4:33pm |
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Just go t5. You won't regret it. Get a bundle of retros with individual reflectors and then stand back and get a tan ;)
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60g LPS Cube
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chris.rogers
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Posted: June 08 2007 at 4:41pm |
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lol
I've not seen a T5 tank with my own eyes. That's a must before I go with T5.
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Ils sont fous, ces Romains!
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superman1981
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Posted: June 08 2007 at 5:50pm |
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Chris,
T5's look awesome! Thats what I'm planning for my next tank! If I were you I'd take the time next time your down this way to check out a few tanks with them...
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Sure you are, you are Crappy Reef Club Member #1 -Chk4tix 6 gal nanocube 65 gal build thread
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shaggydoo
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Posted: June 08 2007 at 10:57pm |
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come see my tank, all t5's. it is a sight to behold. Aaron 801-598-4060
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60g LPS Cube
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: June 09 2007 at 5:09am |
 chris.rogers wrote:
Scott, if you read this, why is it again you like URI bulbs? How often do you change them out, and what kinds of livestock have you been able to successfully (color + growth) keep in there? |
I like the URI bulbs mainly for how the tank looks. When I first started out I used some T8 bulbs I picked up at Petco. I don't even remember what they were now. Once I found GARF and started using the URI VHOs I never looked back. I truly believe I could keep any coral successfully in the hobby under VHO lights if all other conditions are met.
When I first started to switch over to VHO I used two Hamilton magnetic ballasts. I would change the bulbs out every 6 to 9 months and I could see a slight change in intensity when I changed bulbs. When I changed completely over to VHO, I ran them on IceCap 660s. If I change bulbs at 18 months I can not see an intensity change. I have been low on funds over the last year so I waited 24 months before changing bulbs. There was a very large intensity change. If possible I will change at or before 18 months.
chris.rogers wrote:
Be fair and biased, please, what are any disadvantages? |
The bulb diameter is a disadvantage. There are more effective reflectors for smaller diameter bulbs. This allows more light to be reflected into the tank.
I have kept clams under VHO but I do not think they thrived.
chris.rogers wrote:
Are workhorse ballasts 'good' for VHO, or just 'good enough'?
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If the ballast is rated for ~1500mA then it should be good. IME, bulbs last longer when fired with electronic ballasts.
chris.rogers wrote:
What materials are best for reflectors? Can I just wallpaper the inside of my canopy with tin foil? |
I just paint the inside of my canopy/hood white... Not the best ,but once I cram all the lights in, a reflector is not very effective anyway.
chris.rogers wrote:
For those of you who do DIY VHO, do you buy things locally, do you do a commercial setup, or do you just kind of pick and choose from the web?
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I am pretty anal about buying locally. The only time I order over the Internet is when I can not get it locally or if I needed it yesterday and can't find it locally. I build my own canopies and hoods then wire the lighting...
I have a new hood design that I an building a calculator for. It is very simple and easy to build. I put the last one I made on my 150 gallon tank and it is split in the middle so the front will fold over the back when a larger access is desired. I should take a picture of it an post it...
Thanks,
Scott
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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Mike Savage
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Posted: June 09 2007 at 8:42am |
Yes, Scott, you should post pictures!
I agree with what Scott said. I also paint the inside of my canopy white. I do not use reflectors with VHO, I use the bulbs with the built in reflector. I have not seen any brand of bulb of any type that has as nice a color as URI brand VHO. I have not seen many T5HO setups though.
Mike
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chris.rogers
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Posted: June 10 2007 at 10:03pm |
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Mike:
Thanks for the link. Will check it out.
Scott:
Where do you get your URI bulbs? Locally?
shaggydoo:
Logan's a bit far from you. I'll definitely call the next time I'm down your way, but in the meantime, can you post pics or give a detailed description of what you've been able to keep in there? How long have you had them up? What kind of ballast do you have them running on? Do you have individual reflectors? Where'd you get the bulbs?
Things like that. :)
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Ils sont fous, ces Romains!
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shaggydoo
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Posted: June 11 2007 at 10:07am |
Yeah Logan is a bit out of the way. I've got some pics posted up on a thread here.... http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18447. Most of those pics are of my fish but you can still see a lot of my corals there too. I'll try to get better pics up one day.
Basically my set up has 8 t5s all on individual reflectors. They are running on electronic ballasts and I wired the whole thing up myself in my canopy, which was an ordeal in itself since I'm not very handy. I've had it running since I started my new tank so I guess its been about 4 months or so. I got the bulbs and retro kits from hellolights.com. I've been able to keep everything and anything from acros, clams and a wide variety of other corals (mostly sps). Most of the corals have come either from my old tank with MH or from other tanks with MH and I have to say I like the look of most corals better under my t5s, but of course that is just personal opinion (biased opinion at that). I've seen phenomenal growth in my sps and I know this is not due entirely to lighting (good flow and keeping ca/alk up helps immensely as well as other things) but I know my lighting is not holding back any growth potential.
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60g LPS Cube
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GARFVolunteer
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Posted: June 11 2007 at 12:29pm |
chris.rogers wrote:
Scott:
Where do you get your URI bulbs? Locally?
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I always buy the bulbs locally in either Boise or Nampa. Frieght on bulbs is very high so it ends up being cheaper to buy from a LFS. The stores loacally are very competitive with the internet.
Thanks,
Scott
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President Idaho Marine Aquarium Society
A fair and biased reef hobbyist
"How do you make poor people rich by making rich people poor" Rush Limbaugh on Obama taxes
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