Help me with my lighting please

[ghola5]

ok so its been a year since my lights where changed
so let me know if these light are good for my tank please!!
ok so I have 120g, I have leathers, umbrella and finger, and also a few yellow gorg, BTA , bubble coral, shrimp, tangs, clowns, damsels, conch, goby,
ok so I have 4 rows of lights that are 48inches
I have in them, a
1. Super Actinic R (blue color when on) 110w
2. Actinic White 110w (blueish when on to)
3. Coralife 10,000k 40w (1 and 1/2Dial T12) Fluorescent
and on the 4th its an old just white when its turned on (sorry i dont really know what kind the old bulbs where because it was a used set up with them already being used and was never told what kind of lighting it was)
so on the 4th im going to add another coralife 10,000 like the other one listed above.
so please thoes who know alot or anyone please let me know if this is good for my tank? or to much? or to less?
thanks so much for everyones help on here!!!

 

[scsinet]

The coralife 10K 40W bulb is not a VHO bulb, and we don't know about the 4th one, but the other two are VHO.
Can the fixture support all VHO bulbs? If so, then as long as you are replacing bulbs, you might as well move to VHO on all four. You'll gain 140 watts of light this way which is better for a 120 gallon.
I'd say your Actinic 03 (also perhaps called Super Actinic) and your Actinic White are okay, and if you like the way your tank looks, then replace them with the same thing.
If you can upgrade those 10K 40 watt bulbs to 10K 110w bulbs, then that would be super.
Let me be clear however that you can't simply put a 110w VHO bulb into a fixture designed to run 40W bulbs. If you do, the bulb will light, but it won't put out nearly the output you would expect, so don't bother unless your fixture is set up for VHO.
If it's a commercial fixture, you should be able to figure it out from the manufacturer. If not, the ballast make and model should tell the tale.

 

[fishprincess]

Hi There, :happyfish
I have had my tank for seven years now and I have always been told to change my bulbs once a year. It costs money but that was the advice I was given and have lived by. Even though your bulbs are still burning, they are not as strong as they were when they were brand new. I just write it on my calendar when I install new bulbs and then replace one year later. I feel comfortable that my fish are getting the correct light they need. My tank looks awesome!!!!!!!!!! I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
FishPrincess

 

[ghola5]

I bought my tank from a guy that has been into saltwater tanks for 10 years, he built the lighting system and it can hold VHO lights cause thats what the 2 VHO lights that I have came from him. So my lighting can hold them, I went to 3 stores trying to get 110w and none had them and I needed lights now so i settled for now for the 10k 40w, so will it be ok if i go for 6 months with this 10k? and is it ok if i add another 10k, so that i have 2 of them and then 2 of the VHO blueish ones? I dont know my tank looks so much brighter already and I just wonder if it will be to much if i add the other 10k 40w in about a week or 2? maybe im just in so much shock of having the right lighting lol, but is there anyway u can have to strong of lighting?
so the questions is, is it ok if i go with the 2 VHO lights and then 2 10k 40w?
thanks sooooo much,

 

[scsinet]

I suppose you COULD go for another 6 months, but keep in mind that T12 and T8 lamps (you have T12) are supposed to be replaced every 6 months. Most people go a bit longer but the longer you go, the greater risk of the bulbs drifting off color and causing algae problems, the bulb failing all together and not lighting up, etc.
If your lighting system has an Icecap ballast (which given your description I'd bet it does), then if any bulb has a fault, it will refuse to light up any lamp in the entire system, which would not be a good thing, so replacment is what I'd recommend.
I run a VHO system identical to your setup. Google "Marine Depot" and you'll find the site I usually order lighting from. They have free shipping over $175, as long as you order at least (6) bulbs. A full set of bulbs (2 Actinic, 2 10K) from UV Lighting Company for example will cost about 90 bucks (cheap compared to most local prices). When I was running VHO, I'd order 2 changes worth of bulbs at a time to get free shipping.
Your proposed combination of 2 Actinic and 2 10K bulbs would work fine!

 

[ghola5]

your so smart with this , alot of help and helping me learn so much more. Ok so this is the plan, in 2 weeks im going to add my other 40w 10k bulb.(making all my lights new)
In 6 months to the date im going to replace them with 2 of the 10k but with 110w and then replace the 2 Actinic 110w.
does that sound ok?
also, so Actinic means its the blueish one? VHO right?
ALso the man i bought this set from said my lighting system would have to be replaced in about a year? why would that be? does the wires go bad or since it was man made or i mean he built it will it go out?I just dont really understand what he means by it. sometimes i wish I had some of you peoples numbers in case i would need a fast answer for something lol.
thanks so much again!!
kristin