VHO or power compacts?

[robkna1]

I am currently setting up a 125 gallon reef tank, would VHO,s be better or power compacts or both? Also, I've been reading that you shaould have about 4 watts of lighting per gallon, does this hold true for you experienced salt water enthusiests? One more question, what would be a good lighting schedule? In other words how long should each of the differnt bulbs be on? Thank you in advance

 

[psumba]

Hello Robkna1
Here is what I have found in my readings and postings - and what I decided on (in the last week):
I went with Power Compacts - specifically CSL. They saved space, had good wattage, lower operating costs, I liked that the Retro kits came with their own ballast, less heat to disapate.
CSL overall was helpful and I got a great deal thru Champion Lighting and Supply (on the web).
As for wattage - I settled on 4.7W/gal (260W/55gal tank). Most people I talked with and read on - were in the range of 3-7 W/gal. One reading said some people go to 7-10 for reef, but there is the chance that you could "burn" things I think.
Lighting - anything on a consistent schedule is the first thing (get a timer!). Usually its best to make sure you have a good viewing schedule, so make sure the viewing time suits you. Other than that 10-12 hours a day, same as what they have in the ocean. Most readings suggest trying to implement a dawn to dusk effect where possible. That way you dont shock your fish from darkness to bright a$% light in seconds. Think about how you feel when people do it to you in the morning.
I am going with 12 hours - incl 1 hour dawn, 1 dusk. Probably noon to midnight.
Hope this helps.

 

[hondo]

before deciding on what lights to buy first sit down and think about what kind of reef tank you want. If your like the rest of us on this board you want everything, SPS, LPS, Clams, softies. If this is the case then go with a combination lighting system of MH and either PC or VHO. There is nothing worse than buying enough PC or VHO to have 4-6 watts per gallon and then find out that rule doesn't really mean much because the intensity of your PC and or VHO isn't enough to keep the SPS or clams you want. If you have a 8" or taller canopy then go with a combination of MH (1 for each 2 X 2 section of tank) and either PC or VHO for actinic supplement.

 

[kris walker]

Don't know about PC, but willing to bet there ain't much of a difference with VHO. There is no problem with 5-10 Watts/gal of VHO, especially in a tank as deep as a 125. Burnout will happen if you go from 2 Watts/gal to 5-10 Watts/gal without gradually acclimating your corals to the light (esp. softies). But if you acclimate, no problems (unless there is some rare low-light coral like a sun coral, which would then need to be moved to a shady spot).
Also, forgot who did it (maybe IceCap?), but did read that some group did a SPS test with the IceCap 660 ballast running VHO for 1 or 2 years. SPS multiplied like wildfire. So its a myth that you need MH for SPS.
EDIT: but inline with what Hondo said, a VHO/MH setup does yield a broader spectrum, which is probably more healthy, and definitely more natural than VHO-only light.
kris