Is 65W PC == 65W VHO?

C

Curtis

I have 130W of PC running 1 65w 10K and 1 65w 10K/Blue. I purchased two 175W retrofit MH in hopes that I could get light to penetrate deep into the tank (31" to the top of the sb)

However, I really don't like the color when I turn off the 10k/Blue PC, so I"m really nervous that I might have wasted money on the MH. It might be brighter, but it won't be as pretty.

So now I'm thinking that I'll need to running MH with some VHOs to give me the blue hue I want. But the VHOs just aren't that much more powerful than the SC.

Is it fair to compare the wattage rating between PC, VHO, and MH? Do VHOs, by some means other than pure power, that give VHOs and MH more penetrating power than PCs?

Thanks,
Kurt
 
If you want a more balanced color throw some actinics vho, t5's, pc's whatever that with what you have will give you a areally nice lighting set up.
 
Curt,

PCs are a lot less efficient than any other fluorescent lighting available (VHO, T5). However, you can probably get a better impact by changing your bulbs to a combination that suits you better.

What color temperature are your bulbs?
What ballasts are you using?

I'm very fond of the Coralvue Reeflux 10K on an e-ballast - it's a crisp white that still has a very strong blue hue.

edit:
I find that VHO actinics are more purple than anything else. If you must buy new supplemental lighting, I would look at T5s as actinics.
 
You have by far NOT wasted your money! MH's definatly better then PC's.

Seems like to me that your prob in the 10K to 6.5K range with the MH's. The whiter the light, the better it is for the corals that are naturally found closer to the oceans subsurface. The 20K MH's will be better for corals that are found a little deeper in the oceans. Depending on corals that you have, they would do better in the different K ratings. The actenic colors are made to please the eye. They will make the colors in the tank "pop out".

I would either go with supplementing with T-5 or VHO actenics.

Personally, I've seen MH setups with PC actenics and I think the MH's simply overpower the PC's.

I personally run to 175 14K SE MH's with 2 48" actenic VHO's off an Icecap 660
 
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