Lighting Dilemma is Driving Me Nuts

[beth]

Can anyone stand anymore posts on lighting around here? This must be the single most concern amoung hobbyst [aside from ick]. Rightly so, I suppose, considering the expense of lighting and just how much a mistake could cost.
What type ballasts do you all use for your MH's? I've heard that blueline ballasts cause interference with your TV?!
Anybody use Solar dimmers to run their VHO's? And, if so, what do you think of it? I belive they make these for MH's too, don't they? If the Solars work well, then you don't really need to simulate dusk-dawn with various timers on lights.
Anybody use the Icecap fan that supposedly is temperature controled to turn on and off when your water heats up or cools down? And, are they really quiet? Or is it hype and the radio shack fan is just as good?

 

[mr. tang]

I love the Icecap fans. They are superquiet and so far have worked well!

 

[beth]

So do they really work at shutting on and off depending on the temp of the water?

 

[ironreef]

Ic fand do go on fast and slower due to temp but cost.. I just use 6" fann cheap for me. run it med no probs with heat. blueline doesn't mess with the tv . Its the x10 controllers it interferes with. for the best ballast search sanjay and look at his site to see the test done on ballast. pfo is one of the best. But each ballast performs different for each bulb.

 

[diatom]

Beth-
I use Icecap 175's. I think they are great although I've heard others disagree. I can run the MH's all day and the ballasts are barely warm to the touch. I picked up mine used for $100.00 a piece including the pendant, bulb and everything in between.
Hope that helps some,
Brent

 

[beth]

How's your electric bill runing those Mh's?

 

[bobber]

Beth, the Icecap variable speed fans work off the temp in the canopy, not the water. The idea is to cool the lighting, not the tank. Just wanted to clear that up.--Bob
p.s. The solar dimmer are only available for VHO. They have not figured out a way to dim MH without causing the MH to fail. These dimmers are awesome...I don't have one--yet!--but have heard nothing but great things about them-although a bit pricey, but I would think that they would be worth it.

 

[beth]

Thanks, Bob...that helps me out in lighting quest.

 

[bobber]

Your welcome Beth, and it IS a quest isn't it!? So many choices... Bob

 

[beth]

The quest part is more in understanding all of the lighting issues and the various effects that lighting can have on the type of animals you want to place in your tank. I'm just about "par-ed", "lumen-ed" and "K-ed" to death! LOL
I know all you MH reefdogs will think I'm nothing but a cleaner shrimp again, but I think I'm going with VHO only, Icecap e-ballast, solar dimmer. Thanks to HUN...its a girl thing
[This Cleaner Shrimp is heading for cover in my fiji rock as the Sharkies come out to eat me ]

 

[bobber]

Yeah, HUN has a way about her doesn't she...LOL I think that going with all VHO is a great choice. You will be happy with the solar dimmer. HUN and I had exchanged many emails about this dimmer and lighting in general. I would agree that must hobbists are probably "burnt out" on the lighting issues, the WPG rule(that isn't real bright to begin with), and the choice between MH/VHO/PC. Whatever choice you make, stick with it. Avoid the "wanting to add more toys" syndrome. I want to wish you luck with your lighting choice and all the best to your reefkeeping success!--Bob

 

[beth]

No, I'm with HUN in terms of making it as easy and natural as possible. I'm aiming for totally bio filtration reling on LR and LS to do my filtration. I'm looking into mangroves too, as these plants seem to really add everything you need to keeping it clean the natural way.

 

[bobber]

I agree! That is the whole point of a DSB. The solar dimmer is also the best way to produce sunrise and sunset, plus any cloudiness that would occur in nature, would be simulated. It is THE toy to have. I'm just talking about getting all the other unneeded toys(UV sterilizer, co2, ozone). It's not that I don't understand these pieces of equiptment, I just don't believe they are necessary. That's all.--Bob

 

[jond]

I think you will be really happy with the VHO's. Since I put 3-24", 75W with an Icecap 660 on my 37gal. it has looked awsome. I get lots of shimmer from the ripples on the water and all the critters love it. I am just getting over a small red slime algae bloom, but I went from 40w to 225w so that is normal. Good luck.
Oh yea, I too am about to get the dimmer.

 

[q]

Post your thoughts on the dimmer.
Also does the dimmer work for MH bulbs using icecap balasts also.

 

[janice]

Beth, how much is your setup with the dimmer going to cost you? I'm not sure what I've got but it does interfere with the TV. We get pretty bad reception off our cheap antanae to begin with. I'll check it out when I get home so I can throw some acronyms out there and sound smart like the rest of you.

 

[beth]

My understanding is that the problem with TV reception is using certain MH ballasts.

 

[jond]

You can only use the dimmer on VHO's. There are various models from simple to advanced with lunar and wave controls. I am just going to get the simple one that dims over a preset one hour period at dawn and dusk.