Lights

[ptchfork]

Sorry for the newbie question - but do you need a special ballast such as the icecap to run VHOs? Also how many bulbs do you need for a tank? There are 2, 3, 4 and even 6 bulb models. I have a 46 gallon bow front and I don't plan on ahving more than just anomes, feather dusters and some mushrooms

 

[rossv]

As far as i know you do need to get a ballast made for VHO. The amount of bulbs you need depends on the wattage of teh bulbs. For mushrooms you probably need only 2-3 watts per gallon as they dont require huge amounts of light, but the anemone on the other hand will need much more. Im not exactly sure because i dont have any but i would guess at least 5-6 watts per gallon for some of teh lower light requiring anemones. someone else can give you a more definitive answer about the anemones. Feather dusters on the other hand are filter feeders and dont require any light at all.

 

[rossv]

As far as i know you do need to get a ballast made for VHO. The amount of bulbs you need depends on the wattage of teh bulbs. For mushrooms you probably need only 2-3 watts per gallon as they dont require huge amounts of light, but the anemone on the other hand will need much more. Im not exactly sure because i dont have any but i would guess at least 5-6 watts per gallon for some of teh lower light requiring anemones. someone else can give you a more definitive answer about the anemones. Feather dusters on the other hand are filter feeders and dont require any light at all.