vho bulb sizing

[myfrostymember]

i have never used vho but am thinking of using the super actinics on my next setup- what im wondering is everything says the 36" vhos are exactly 36"s how long are they once you add in the end caps, stand offs and bulbs all together?--

do the super actinics need cooling like the t5's do when they are on a ice cap 660?

whats the lifespane of the super actinic bulbs>?- one person said 6-7 months other said 2 years - hard to get straight info sometimes

[jimsplace]

I have an all VHO set up and I change my SA's out at about 8-10 months. If your using them for supplemental to MH you might get a little more out of them. I don't use any fans on my bulbs, others may chime in on this. You also might want to consider the 454 bulbs, they are a fantastic blue and really add some pop.

[billdogg]

I run all vho on both my tanks - if you can blow a fan across them they will be happier, but it's not necessary. And the 454's are da BOMB! I stopped using the super actinic after the 454's came out. I change mine about once a year or if I start to see issues related to quality of light

[myfrostymember]

will look into them - whats the size on the 36" vho once ya put the endcaps and everything together? how much bigger do i need to do the canopy to fit a 36" bulb in?