Lighting - Do I have enough?

[multi-task]

Does 4 - 48" VHO 110W running off of 2 Icecap ballasts on a standard 55 gallon tank provide enough light for a carpet anemone and other reef creatures?
Each Icecap runs 2 bulbs.
Also what combination of VHO bulbs should I buy?
10K
14K
Blue ect.......
Thanks in advance.

 

[wangotango]

No, VHO are not enough to sustain a carpet, you're going to want metal halide or T5. Softies, LPS, and a few SPS corals will be fine though.
-Justin

 

[multi-task]

what kind of anemone can i get that will host percula clowns and that can live with the VHO setup I have?
I have already bought the two IceCaps and fixtures all I need are the bulbs.
When I bought this setup I did some research and the community seemed mixed with results for lighting whether I should get VHO or MH.
Please advise. Thanks.

 

[wangotango]

Since you only have the ballasts, you could look into getting a T5 retrofit, and use your icecaps to overdrive the bulbs. For example, a 48" T5ho lamp is 54w, but using the icecap ballast, it will run at about 83w. You would be able to keep anything you wanted, but I would suggest against the carpet, as they are more difficult to keep than say a BTA, grow big, and could eat fish. IMO a 55 is kinda small for one. Your clowns would probably host a BTA, but then again there is no guarantee that they'll host anything.
-Justin

 

[multi-task]

BTA? bubble tip anenome?
And why wouldnt my clownfish chill with an anenome, I thought they will live with any?
Does anyone else have an opinion for lighting?
Why is VHO not good enough, I thought it was considered equally good to MH, when ran correctly at 110W per bulb with a combination of bulbs being used, is it not?
I know everyone has thier own opinion on this, but it is science and one type of lighting surely works better than others.

 

[arod268]

There is always a chance that your clown will not host anything. Is your percula a true or false?

 

[zeroc]

also if it was a wild caught fish or a tank raise can play a part, tank raised probably have never seen an anemone in their life so they don't know what they're for. Some people actually post pictures on the tank of clown fish hosting anemones to try an coax them into hosting by showing them "look this is what clown fish do with anemones". Don't know if it works but doesn't sound too crazy to me.

 

[multi-task]

ZeroC that is the funniest thing i have ever read. Like a fish can determine what a picture is. LOL!
I think they are false, they were like 16.99 or something.
But back to lighting. What kind of LIGHTS, what kind of anenomes and anything else I can place under possible VHO 110 W off 2 ICECAP ballasts.