Help!!! its been ten years !!!

[R.Allard]

I have been out of salt for ten years or so and so much has changed.
i guess my big question now is on the lighting.
I have bought a 110 gallon show tank and have built a custom sump for it.
now to the lighting!!! where the &^$&%$ did metal halide,VHO,PFO (i think thats what its called)and all the other lighting options come from ???
its like theres to many choices.
The tank is 4ft long and 30 in deep. ill be putting 3 inches of aragonite(sugar sized) in the bottom and plan on having softies and anemonies (basically a reef setup) with a few fish.
A friend has suggested 2-250w65k iwasakis (or however you spell it)
and 2 4ft VHOs (atinic blue) florecent bulbs.
Is this going to be too much light or enough light and WOW the cost!!
would 2-40 watt atinics work instead of the VHOs (i think VHO stands for Very d^%& expencive) any help would be much appreciated...
Thanks
R

[jay3]

Hey Rallard! It's Jay R. Whaaaaaaasup? Since I only run the two 55's I'll leave the advice of "enough'' lighting to everyone else, but PFO is just a type of Metal halide Ballast. As to the type of lighting, you know my opinions: Nothing beats the Aesthetics of metal halide! Normal output flourescence with Iwasakis will likely shift the visual light in the tank from a yellow-white, to a white-blue color, but Since Iwasakis are weak in the blue spectrum, having the actinic VHOs will and can only help with coral and anemone growth! Anyone else care to comment?
Catch you later bud! Jay3

[jay3]

Rallard, one more thing. I finished wiring my DIY moonlight this evening, although I wanted more LEDs and our local @#%$# Radio Shack only had 2, and it works well. I wired it with 2 blue and 2 red LEDs, however, the reds are not bright enough to provide for good veiwing, so they are going bye-bye. The blues however are great, but I will need a few more for a better effect. When I get a hold of more of the LED's I will finish the project, and e-mial you the pics. Later. Jay3

[Tim Marvin]

2 250 watt DE reef optix and 2 4 foot VHO should do the job.

[R.Allard]

DE??? whats de told ya i have been out of it for awhile well my wife says im always out of it but thats besides the point!!!! :lol:

[R.Allard]

Hello Mr Jay3,
hahah cool glad you sighned up on this site i like it !!
have been getting alllottt of help.
Just to let everyone know Jay is the one who got me back into salt!!!!
So yea its alllll his fault!!!!! :lol:
So when my wife kicks me and my salt tank out of the house ill be living with jay !!!!! J/K :roll:
Jay has been an an insperation to me. he has helped me out an enormous amount on whats new and how most things have changed in the last ten years or so.
If it wasnt for him i dont think i would have gotten back into
salt again .
he should really post some pics of his tank!! its awsome,hopeing to get my tank as nice as his someday!! :grin:
So thanks Jay for all the help if i havent said it before bud 8)

[Tim Marvin]

DE, double ended.