Using Triton/Blue Moon lights? Please share experiences!

[ouderbear]

I have a 90 gallon FOWLR tank and a 4" deep sand bed. I have always had the goal of eventually making it a reef. I am a frequent visitor to the GARF site ( www.garf.org ) and have always found good info there. One of the products they mention repeatedly are these Triton & Blue Moon flourescent lights. They say in a couple of different articles that they use these lights with all types of SPS and soft corals as well as anenomes with success (2 Tritons & 1 Blue Moon for every 55 gallons).
I would really like some confirmation (or denial) of this info before I go ahead and set up a lighting system. Any info/experience is greatly appreciated!

[jsaltzgi]

I can't speak from experience about sps using NO fluorescent lights, such as the triton and blue moon, but I can say I did have sps that grew reasonably and maintained color well in a 29 gallon tank with 4 VHO fluorescents. I kept them very high in the tank, though.

I have since jumped on the MH bandwagon (I have 3 250 watt
double-ended bulbs as well as 4 VHO actinic over a 75 gallon and the growth is MUCH faster for the sps, even the couple I have down near the bottom of the tank. Colors seem to jump out a little more, too. And don't forget the cool rippling effect from MH bulbs because they are a point source of light!!!

Can it be done with just fluorescents? Probably yes, as long as you have quite a few tubes and keep the light-demanding corals very high in the water column. GARF only has them a few inches from the top of the water in their prop systems, I believe.

James

[captivereefs]

Ignore it. You could keep mushrooms under them but that is about it.Standard flourecsent bulbs do not provide the intense punch needed to penetrate deep enough into the aquarium to keep corals alive. They also overdriv the bulbs to make them brighter. And by overdriving the bulbs you have to replace them about every 2-3 months. Not very economic in the long run! You first should decide what type of corals you want to keep and than you can design your lighting scheme accordingly. Most of the sponsors of reefland will be able to help you in getting the right equipment.

[Poseidon]

I remember reading that Garf overdrives the NO bulbs as well... I also visit the site and have purchased critters from them in the past I have no complaints and have never seen there set ups first hand, but overdriving the bulbs certainly would decrease the life of the bulb. Plus as mentioned in a previous post the VHO blues really add a nice flouresence to the greens in our corals....

If at all possible skip the NO and go VHO at least...

ocean encounter and premium aquatics have both been FANTASTIC places to do business with to me personally!!!

Mike

[stang69]

but overdriving the bulbs certainly would decrease the life of the bulb


If they are cheap NO bulbs whats the difference at a cpl three bucks if they last for 3 months ya can replace them 4 times a year for cheaper than one VHO bulb.



JMO

Jeff


PS: I am by no means endorsing GARF

[BoomerD]

I ran Triton bulbs for several years on FO & FW tanks. Nice color spectrum. I even have one that I've overdriven with my Icecap ballast, and it has shown ZERO sign of degrading after 4 months. Hecka intense, spectrum just a bit bluer than my URI 50/50 bulbs. I kept a BTA for over 2 yrs under 3 of these in a 20 gallon tank many years ago, and the anemone was still doing well when I sold the tank & got out of the hobby. Don't know about using them for SPS, but they seem to hold up well to being overdriven by the Ice Cap.

[Poseidon]

at a cpl three bucks

where can you find these bulbs that cheap??? At least in my area, VHO and NO output bulbs only differ in cost by a cpl three bucks... So spend the extra and buy the VHO ballast...

Mike

[stang69]

where can you find these bulbs that cheap??? At least in my area, VHO and NO output bulbs only differ in cost by a cpl three bucks



I misread the post I thought you ment that they were overdriving the NO bulbs like you would buy at HD. Then I realised you were talking bout the Triton BUlbs. My bad sorry



Jeff