Vho vs t5
- Thread starter coralguy89
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Blake11rebel
Active Member
I would think T5s would be the best option. I know alot of people here that have success with them. The color spectrum of the bulbs are endless when mixing and matching
Ace25
Active Member
Most people don't have the physical room to put enough VHOs over their tank to provide enough lighting for high light corals due to the T12 diameter. You can fit twice as many T5s as VHOs over the same area, get more light from the T5HOs, and use less electricity to do it.
Ace25
Active Member
Unless you already had the ballast, endcaps, and a stockpile of VHO bulbs I would definitely go the T5 route. As for how many, that depends on a lot of different factors. A couple big factors are the size of the tank and how many LEDs you plan on using. On my 75G cube I could get by with 36 LEDs + 4 24" true actinic T5HOs for even the highest light demanding coral.
What makes t-5 better than vho is the diameter of the lamp allows for better reflectors. With Vho t-12 there is a lot of light loss because it gets directed back into the bulb.
Remember too vho is just a term that refers to very high output and ho means high output... There are vho t-5..
Remember too vho is just a term that refers to very high output and ho means high output... There are vho t-5..
T-5 is very dependent on individual reflectors for best performance so make sure you have room. Lots of light in a small tube when done right though. Still draw quite a bit of power though.
I got on a power saving kick myself and sold my 2x250w MH and 2x140w VHO actinics setup in favor of two AI Sol Blue LED's and am tickled pink. The tank is happy and my power consumption went from 800 watts x10hrs a day to 148 watts peak and I now have the ability to ramp up and down simulating natural light cycles and colorations.
Not cheap but definitely worth it.
I got on a power saving kick myself and sold my 2x250w MH and 2x140w VHO actinics setup in favor of two AI Sol Blue LED's and am tickled pink. The tank is happy and my power consumption went from 800 watts x10hrs a day to 148 watts peak and I now have the ability to ramp up and down simulating natural light cycles and colorations.
Not cheap but definitely worth it.
