POWER compacts

[erikharrison]

I want to know what a good price would be for a set of two 24"x2 bulb VHO URI power compact bulbs with the housing. I have a DEEP tank, and I am looking for PAR!
Erik

[dwdenny]

Then PC are not the way to go. I would look at the T5HO as they have PAR numbers comparing to MH with out the heat. However the individual refelctors are what make the T5HO good. IC reflectors are the best but TEK is coming out with a TEK 2 reflector that looks very similuar to the IC. How deep are we talking here. If the tank is more then 24" deep I would look at the MH unless you just want shrooms and low light corals on the bottom. You could overdrive th T5HO with a IC ballast and get more penetration but for penetration MH cannot be beat on dep tanks. HTH

[Ram_Puppy]

last i heard TEK's reflectors were still the best, but i haven't looked in about 8 momnths. I have some 24" T-5s on icecap ballasts. haven't ever really fired them up, waiting toput them in a canopy.

[dwdenny]

For deep penetration the IC are about 15% better then the TEKS acording to The Grim Reefer on RC. Over driving the 24w T5's will bring them to about 39w or so.

[Ram_Puppy]

well, I have to say, no matter what I think my quad 24's (all actinic and blue) will do just fine on my 30 gallon cube. :)

infact, I am going to be cutting up screening this weekend to start acclimating my corals, as I expect it to be a pretty exponential leap in brightness capable of bleaching my precious little corals...

I'll get there though.. oh I will!

[erikharrison]

I currently run a 250w mh with a 10k bulb. I want something that will get to the bottom with the color I need! Yes over 24" I am at 30"
My tank is 20x20x30tall

[dwdenny]

400w MH is what I would use personally. But it is up to you as to what you want to keep at the bottom of the tank.

[Ram_Puppy]

if i remember right, a 250 watt can penetrate w/ effective par to 26"

[JimD]

24"/250W, 30"/400W, Of course its all relavent depending on bulb temperature. I doubt a 400W 20k bulb would be effective at 30".

[erikharrison]

well to be specific its a 250w de (hqi) on an icecap ballast. Being HQI doesn't it push harder? I want to run a 10k bulb possibly lower in my mh, but I want color as well. I am going to start growing out my zoos to cover the rocks. I'd like them to look semi natural under the more yellow light. My tank can only handle 20" bulbs. Anything longer is no good. IDEAS?

[erick]

250w mh moguls, IMO, loose par after about 24"... For me I have measured that from the distance between the bulb and the deepest coral that has good color. I run 1-250 mogul on a 50g that has a nice birdsnest on the bottom(approx 24" from the bulb) that has great color. I have 2-250's (both mogul) on a 110g (30" deep) that I have had to move most sps to the top 1/3 of the tank to get good color....about 20" from the bulb. All bulbs are 15k. I am considering going to 2-400w mh setup on the 110g to achieve better penetration in the deeper tank. Just some of my findings, dont know why I have a 4" discrepancy between the 2 set ups though..

[erikharrison]

I need to know about the supplemental stuff, since I won't be doing hard corals really.