Coral Reef Aquariums

Specializing in Aquarium Equipment

VHO vs HO vs PC vs MH

Lighting technology continues to evolve as HO's become the mainstream product and LED's slowly gain recognition. For Reef hobbyists HO's (High Output) have now become the standard for tanks up 120 gallons (4') since each lamp has an output of 54w and can be configured up to 8 lamps in fixtures.

Retro Kits, which include the important reflector, end  caps (sockets), ballasts and lamps and are mounted inside a wooden Canopy. We can install retro kits for you and add any options like Lunar lights or cooling fans.

For deeper tanks (30" or more) and longer tanks (72") we recommend using Metal Halide lighting either in a fixture or within a canopy. Canopy heights should be at least 15"-18" to accommodate Metal Halide lighting. We also recommend using HO lamps in conjunction with these lights so you can optimize longer lighting times.

The Light Mover System is an ideal method to use less Metal Halide Lights but gain more Coral Lighting. We utilize that technology in our store.

ighting

While Freshwater and Marine Fish systems require lighting there is less focus on wattage per gallon and simply more on the color spectrum. In a Reef Aquariums Lighting is one of the more critical elements. We take pride in consulting our customers to determine the proper lighting based on value, wattage per gallon, color, annual costs, heat transfer and of course costs. Lighting continues to evolve from the standard T12 VHO's and Power Compacts. We now have T5 VHO and HO, VHO Twist, T10's and a host of new color spectrum's and more coming. We specialize in Sunlight Systems, IceCap, Hamilton Technology, UV Lighting, Current, Coralife and the new Light  rails or Light Movers that are now available to our market.

Lighting Facts

  T5, T8, T12
  Diameter of the Lamp Tube
  HO, VHO
  High & Very High Output
  Metal Halide   Mogul Base or HQI Double End
  Reef Lights
  3-4w per gal Soft, 6-9w Hard Corals
  Light Time 
  8hrs whites, 12hrs Actinic Blue 
  Lamp Life
  Varies but Ideally change annually
  HO Fixture
  2, 4, 6 or 8 Lamps
  HO Watts
  60" 80w, 48" 54w, 36" 39w
  VHO Watts
  72" 160w, 48" 110w, 36" 95w
  MH Watts
  70w, 150w, 175w, 250w, 400w, 1000w

Color Spectrum (Phosphor Blends) is a important aspect of lighting. The critical parameter of good coral growth is having the right spectrum of whites, blues and ever reds. Most lamps made for Reef Aquariums have the blends clearly marked in Color Temperature (not heat related) like 10k, 12k, 14k and 20k.

Contact Us

To visit our showroom we are located at Sweetwater Square 895 Fox Valley Drive, Longwood Florida. Call us at (321) 972-6970, or EMAIL us at aviolante@craquariums.com.

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