cdumitru78 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 So here is what I am currently running, this is built into the canopy - 6 VHO's (46.5 inch) running off 3 workhorse 7 ballasts, - 75 gallon tank with LPS and SPS, getting decent growth, all SPS towards the top I have been toying around with the idea of upgrading my lights, and here are my thoughts - keep 4 of the VHO's and add 2 x 250 metal halides (i like the dual Galaxy ballast for space reasons) or go all T5's. Do you guys know if my Workhorse 7 ballasts can run t5's, and if so how many, and would that be a significant upgrade over what I have, especially if I also buy proper reflectors, or should I simply buy the metal halides? Any thoughts suggestions would be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 T5's have shortened lifespans with WH ballasts, as they don't have the soft start feature that other (triad) ballasts have. The WH7 will run 4 54w T5's. If you want to upgrade to T5's then definitely get new ballasts. If I were you I would run 2 actinic VHO's, Sell the other 4 VHO's and run the dual 250's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdumitru78 Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Thanks for the quick reply, cost wise I think I will end up in the same place at the end, and I am thinking it will be much easier to go halides. Are the halides going to be significantly hotter? I have a fan built into the canopy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewie Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 halides will add 2-4 degrees to your current temps, depending on how close to the surface they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nwcoralfarm Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 2 actinic VHO's and 2 250w metal halides for sure and yes proper reflectors, without them you will be wasting a ton of light on the wall behind your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 What they said ^^^^^^. The above suggestions are the same I would suggest: (2 VHO's and the MH) Chewie sounds to be right on the mark with temps. When I had a 250 MH over my old 40g the temps came up a degree or two. The hood was 12" tall and the light was about 9" above the water. The hood was entirely enclosed though other than the fan on the end. On my 125g display using pendants (no hood) my 400w MH do not raise the temps beyond what the lights add to the ambient room temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdumitru78 Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 yeah, I think I will end up with MH's seems to be the general consensus. Given that space under the tank is rather tight with the sump and skimmer, do you guys think the Dual Galaxy 250 is a good option? I like the size of it, unless there is something close in price/size. Thanks for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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