Re-Entering Hobby - Questions

[john1948]

Good morning all,

I am in the process of starting a new reef tank after a 14 year hiatus. The first thing I have noticed is that there is a lot of new equipment out there. I first entered the hobby around 1986. I have done some research on the internet as well as purchasing a couple of books i.e., Marine Reef Aquarium, Invertebrates etc. to re-educate myself. I will be purchasing a 75 gal. tank, refugium and protein skimmer along with live rock and sand to start-up. My question today has to deal with lighting. My tank dimensions are: 48x18x20, I don't think I need MH lighting, so, which is better? VHO or T5? What are the most significant differences? etc. Any and all advise will be greatly appreciated.

john1948

[The_Macs]

I am no expert in SW as I have just started my own 2 months ago, but I think I know enough to help you out. there's t5, t5ho, and t5vho bulbs. the 5 as you may or may not know refers to the diameter of the bulb itself. t5ho is a High Output t5 lamp, and a t5vho is a t5 Very High Output bulb. With that being said it is obvious that the vho provides the most light output for the same wattage, so if you plan on keeping a reef tank i would advise you to get a vho lamp. I'm sure there are others here that can give you better advice from experience but I hope this helps

[john1948]

Hey The Macs,

Thanks for the info/advise. You have enlightened me (no pun intended).

Thanks again,
John1948