icecap vho VS icecap retro fit t5

robertmathern

Active Member
OK I have a 55 gal and I need lighting. I plan on getting the icecap 660 ballast and the 4 t5 bulbs. I want sps clams and an anonmie at some point. I got some clams or something on my rocks. I cant afford the icecap retro intell tax return. Do you think the icecap ballast will work on vho. And what actually is a vho. My understanding is its standerd t12 floursent that has overdriven bulbs. Am I right??? If so what the point of the ice cap retro fit. Besides the reflectors I see them for sale for vho setups aswell. I know the vho burns out twice as fast but the t5 cost twice as much for bulbs arround me so it would be the ame for bulbs but alot cheaper for the vho to set up. Please advise
thanks
 

wangotango

Active Member
A T5ho spec ballast like the Sylvania or Osram will drive a 48" T5ho lamp at 54w. The Icecap ballasts will overdrive the T5ho lamp to about 82-83w. VHO and HO T5 bulbs are one in the same.
With four overdriven bulbs on a 55 you can keep anything anywhere you want, but you might have problems keeping softies and other low-light demanding things in the upper 2/3. That is a lot of light.
As for T-12, they are commonly called VHO, and yes an Icecap ballast will fire them. You will get more bang out of the T5 than the T12 even with fewer watts.
Hope that helps.
-Justin
 

robertmathern

Active Member
thanks was just looking into it. I would like some lights for my tank but cant get the retro fit intell tax return time. But I have all I need to do a vho set up just need better bulbs than cool white ge bulbs
 
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