Diy Vho

[spider crab]

I'm thinking of putting together a DIY VHO setup and found the following on 1000bulbs.com. I was wondering if anyone else had ordered this ballast or if anyone to verify that I am on the right track:
1 Dual VHO Ballast 120Volt
F96T12/2Lp/VHO/120v. Ballast E-420-F-2215-TP , 480-SLH-TCP, ---2S200-TP. Operates (TWO) F96T12, F84T12, F72T12 Very High Output (1500 Ma) lamp on a 120 volt circuit. (Minimum order is 4 ballasts, priced individually) Warranted for 5 years from the date on invoice.
There are the bilbs I want to use:
2 URI 46.5 inch 110 Watt Super Actinic VHO
FR48T12/03/VHO: 110W, 46.5" Super Actinic, URI Super Actinic Very High Output.
I also need the end caps/sockets that would go with this ballast and Bulbs. I'm not sure if the sockets some with mounting plates or not so I may need those as well.
I'm not really sure who makes these ballast and what kind of heat they might produce. Anyone know? These seems like a nice deal for $45.

 

[justinx]

you would end up spending a TON of money on that because you have to order 4 ballasts. Right there, you are looking at two hundred dollars. Plus bulbs, endcaps, wiring . . . go to and then you would have three ballasts left over. www.happyreefing.com. I am VERY satisfied with their product.

 

[spider crab]

Thanks for the link, I'll check that out as an alternative.
Actually I sent an email to 1000bulbs folks asking them if I couldn't order just one and they replied back sure, just put in a quantity of 1! At $45 for 1 It's alot more attractive.
I wonder how many peole have seen that minimum order 4 line and moved on to some other company. Not a great idea on their part if they truely sell them 1 at a time. I was hoping someone had experience with their ballast, but appears they scared all the aquarium folks away with the minimum order stuff.

 

[spider crab]

JustinX,
I just checked out the happyreefing site and it looks like a pretty good deal. Thanks again for the tip. At $62 for a dual ballast and enc caps it would probably be cheaper than the 1000bulbs in the end. Can you tell me who makes the ballast that you bought?

 

[justinx]

its a workhorse 7 electronic ballast that can be wired to PC, VHO, HO, or NO. It will push up to a maximum of 220w or two 4 foot VHO bulbs which is what i will be upgrading to once i get a bigger tank. Right now i am running 2 x 24" VHO (75w) and they run great. Go to www.fulham.com for some more info. Click on the workhorse link to the right. Another nice benefit from these is that they are moisture resistant. My ballast is mounted right in the canopy. It does get warm, but not real hot. I have no need for fans.