VHO or Power compact??

[n2deep]

I have a 40 gal w/VHOs- works good for what I need. I also have a 140 gal DAS tank that WAS a aggressive tank that is now a reef tank. It has regular NO floros. I am tempted to buy a compact unit for the price and all I am going to keep in the tank is reef fish, Live rock and some soft corals. What would you choose VHOs or compact?

 

[gtiguy]

I just bought my friends power compact (he swicthed over to MH) for my 40g and have numerous amounts of new soft corals doing very well, turned my tank recently into a reef so everything is still new 2 months in w/corals ....only thing ... i got a frag of candy cane for curiousity sake that is not doing anything but thats a hard coral and from my knowledge i believe you need a MH for that .....

 

[bang guy]

It's pretty much personal preference. They are both good lighting systems. If you went with an Icecap ballast you could switch back & forth between NO, VHO, T5, PC, etc. You could even do both PC (for daylight bulbs) and VHO (for the better Actinic bulbs) off the same ballast.
My preference is VHO. I like the color better and I see healthier corals.
VHO will grow Candycane like you wouldn't believe.

 

[jmick]

I’m running my 55gal with 440Watts of VHO and I’ve been really happy with it. I have a wide variety of bulbs to use and the intensity of the light is rather powerful. I use my power compact to light my fuge—it’s a nice lighting system but I prefer the VHO for my coral because it seems to enhance the colors a little better.