VHO VS. COMPACT

Wow this didn't stay on VHO VS. COMPACT very long did it?

High Pressure Sodium bulbs are good for growing wacky tobaccy, I think in an aquarium that translates to ALGAE. As Diver and Splender said, it's not the right type of bulb.

 

ok. thanks for all the help. now i gotta decide if i want the 440 Watts of VHO or add 250 of MH to my reg flors.  Doesnt the MH shine more direct, not covering a broad area? where vho would be equally distributed. another problem i see is my very wide center brace on my 90.. if I wanted to get a nice center MH that brace will block a lot, NO?

 

Yeah the center brace would bug me. Although I've read posts from others that said it isn't bad or even noticable to some. Metal halide light is fairly diffused when raised above the tank and mounted horizontally and used with a good reflector.

You could go hardcore and remove the top trim and brace and replace with the 'euro-brace' method that is basically a few inches of glass that goes around the top edges of the tank.

Or you could get two metal halide bulbs and mount them on either side of the trim.

 

hey how much worse would the magnetic MH be? here are some great deals on a whole kit!
http://www.hellolights.com/magbalsys.html

 

There's nothing wrong that. In fact it looks like a good deal. Buy 2 of those 250 watt retro kits and add 2 10,000K ushio bulbs and you'll be uptown. ;D You just need an enclosure for the ballasts and some extra cord to wire it all in.
Jim
P.S. Off topic  "you betcha" but he started the post so we just went with it

 

maybe two 175 MH and my 120 watts of REG output Flors.

 

I have a 175...if I had it to do over again, I would have gotten the 250 :-/ JMO

 

You have one 175 or two? I think two at  a lower wattage would be better then one higher, no? BUT I see pricewise, I can get a one 250 or 400 for much less $ than two 175's. If I raise it enough in the center of the tank that might be the cats ass!

 

The inherent problem with lighting is getting the intensity to lower parts of the tank...I would go with the higher intensity.

You have a 90 gallon, right? What are the dimensions...length , width, and height...then you can get a better idea of what intensity would be best.

 

I beleive it is 24" high x 48 long