Myvirtue Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 well the more i see vhos the more i like and from what i see it seems there becoming extinct. I looking for something to compliment my t5's and i was curious about adding some vho's. I heard ice cap ballast are the way to go, but someone said today they went out of business. How far can vho's penatrate in water and still be effective? Right now i have a 120gallon wide... i have a ati t5, 6 bulb setup (48inch) sitting in my canopy. my tank is almost 24inches wide so i have alot of room on each side for more lighting. I was pretty much told today that my t5's werent efficient enough and wouldnt grow corals and just cause more complaints. Im not sure if i agree with that but i think maybe the vho's may compliment the t5's and maybe if not happy down the road i can remove the fixture and add some mh's. Im really looking for some help and a few idea about what i have so far.... I was thinking about having 2-4 bulbs of vhos and im curious if i would need the 430 or 660 ballast. I read what each ballast is capable of, but im really looking for peoples thoughts and experience. thanks Jerrad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I heard ice cap ballast are the way to go, but someone said today they went out of business. Who told you they went out of business? IceCap Inc. There are certain models of MH ballasts that are now defunct (or should I say, have been updated), but they're still in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooric Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 http://reefbuilders.com/2010/12/15/icecap-lighting-officially-business-closes-doors/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myvirtue Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 what about me! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 There are still plenty of icecap ballasts and products around, you just won't have the warranty support that a new product has. Of course, you won't have the cost of a new product either. I'm not sure who told you that T5s would not be sufficient to grow corals. There is a reason T5s displaced VHO, they are more energy efficient and provide plenty of light. For a 120g setup, you may want to go Metal Halide (MH) if you are trying to grow SPS, but for softies and anemones your T5s should be ok. That said, one of the nice things about the icecap ballast is that you can power VHO, PC, or T5 bulbs, so you can mix and match as you like. What are you wanting to stock your tank with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Wow, the IceCap news is news to me. Really glad I went with those Lumatek ballasts now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myvirtue Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 im going for a mixture look im not certain if im going to stick to one certain kind. I like lps/softies for the nice flowing effect and theres certain sps i enjoy too. I feel like my t5's are sufficient enough and my fixture claims by reefgeeks it will dominate sps up to 30inches deep. If i keep the sps up top and the lps at the bottom i was hoping i would be ok. I bought my ati for the reasoning of knowing i would upgrade. Ive just noticed that every person's house i go to they have vho's to compliment there t'5s or mh's. I just like the look they give. Is there a cheap/efficient way to promote the "shimmer effect" without buying expensive led's or mh;s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Place all your corals up high as possible and try this kit its plug-n-play.. http://cgi.ebay.com/VHO-Retrofit-Reef-Light-Ballast-Kit-2-X-24-36-48-/300357169537?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45eeaeb181 It comes with everything but bulbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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