[Marvin]

I am looking to upgrade my lighting system. Right now all I have is four 40w NO shop lights, they work good for lighing up the tank, but I want more. I was looking on FFE just for ideas and I found the Custom Sealife Retro Power Compact setups, I have a 90 gal. 24 in deep, I was looking at the 48" 96 watt set up, that a total of 384 watts, 2-6700k and 2-Ultra Actinic. Is this going to be to much light for the tank. It comes out to be 4.2 watts per gal. I don't remember what the standerd is. Please help I am new to different lighting systems.

Michael

[Reefland]

Depending on your animals, even the PC's may not be enough. The lighting of choice in Metal Halide, typically with a VHO actinic supplement. The downfall is the price.

I'm not sure of the cost for the PC kit your looking at, but a 4xVHO kit should be comparable, and would be my preference over PC's. A 48" VHO is 110 watts, so it would give you a few watts over the PC's as well.

If you spend some time searching for applications in this forum, it should help you with your decision.

Best of luck,
Scott

[icemark]

I agree with Scott, VHO seems to be a better cost effective way to go.

The Icecap 660 ballast would light your current NO bulbs, then you can upgrade the bulbs to VHO as needed.

If you later decide you want to keep higher light requiring animals, add a MH upgrade and keep the Icecap for the VHO O3/ Actinic bulbs. (MH is what I recommend for any tank over 18 inchs deep).

Anyway the Icecap ballast or retro or kit will offer much more flexibilty than the PC fixture.

Also price out the cost of the PC bulbs and VHO bulbs... if you are replacing them every 12 to 14 or so months; $40+ a PC bulb, vs $25 for a VHO bulb...

And after all of this you still gotta have the PC bulbs, the Icecap will drive them (the PC bulbs) as well at a electrical cost savings.

[Marvin]

Thanks guy,

do you by chance have a link to look at pricing on the VHO and the Icecap

michael

[chromis]

go with PCs! THey are way cooler looking! Whatever you go with, you can always get a better deal at premium aquatics then FFExpress.

[icemark]

best prices and companies that shoot straight:

Link for VHO bulbs:

http://www.marinedepot.com/a_lt_fl_bulbs.asp?CartId=
or
http://www.shopreefland.com/

VHO ballast kits:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_lt_fl_ic_retro.asp?CartId=
http://www.shopreefland.com/

VHO DIY:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_lt_fl_c...ts.asp?CartId=

and
http://oceanencounter.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv

And more info: http://www.icecapinc.com/