LED replacement for VHO

[grallster]

Hi all
I'd like to find a LED replacement for my T12 48" VHO actinics in my lighting setup. Do they make "plug and play" replacements like I have seen for the T5s?

[Ron Reefman]

If you mean leds in a t12 form that you can use in your t12 fixture? Yes, but they are expensive, I've only seen them in a couple of shades of white and they do NOT have very good PAR levels.

I switched every t12 fixture in my house (15 bulbs in 10 fixtures) to leds with new power supplies. They are nice for room lighting, but next to worthless for an aquarium.

[moondoggy4]

Look into Reef Brite leds and the XHO version as well.

[jda]

There are none. There are none that will look and POP like the VHOs nor any that will just fit right in there.

Reefbrite are probably as good as it gets, but they will lack a bit of POP if you are used to the URI Super Actinic. The URI SA is not replaceable, IMO. You might like the Reefbrite, but it won't be the same.

If you like them, just keep using them. They still make the bulbs and don't plan to stop.

Lastly, that URI Actinic has the PAR of a pair of T5 actinics. If you replace two of them, then four T5 bulbs. The Reefbrite are more for pop and not PAR, so you will be losing something.

[Ron Reefman]

Just to be clear, I assume jda is saying that there are no 'plug and play' t12 retrofit bulbs that use leds that are any good. Right?

If you wanted to replace your t12 fixture (not just the bulbs) with an led fixture you could get more control of your light, both the over all intensity, the color mix (without buying new bulbs), the sunrise/midday/sunset ability and crazy coral fluorescence with lots of blue light at the touch of a button. And you get to quit buying new bulbs on a regular basis. You'll probably get more shimmer as well.

But all that is really small stuff. If the t12 fixture is in good shape and your coral is doing well, why change?

[jda]

He is talking about VHO Actinics, not a whole fixture (I assume). There is no other lighting source on the market that makes corals pop like these do - they are unique partly because of the phosphors with the thicker bulb. It is good to warn people that if they want to keep this pop and look that there is nothing else out there that will duplicate it... this is why so many still use them.

[Ron Reefman]

this is why so many still use them.

Maybe in Bolder, but I'd wager there isn't a single member in our 175 member local club in SW Florida who has a t12 bulb over a tank!

[jda]

I know that you say that you have been around for a decade or more using every type of lights possible [edited]. There is no possible way that you have ever used VHO and not know that they don't make fixtures (so few), that regular T12 and VHO are not even on the same planet, that nobody makes a 110W LED replacement for a VHO, or would have missed the actinics comment above realizing that the guy has a best-of-breed setup with the best possible actinics in the world without offering some nuance about how the look in not replaceable. There is just no nuance about any lighting source in any of the posts other than about LEDs...

[grallster]

Thanks for the insight. Yes the VHOs are part of a metal halide set up--not a VHO only fixture.
I guess it's clear that I'll be sticking with the URIs for now at least-- not that I'm unhappy with them--I was about to order bulbs and was curious to see if LED technology had caught up yet. I have checked out the Reefbrites (not in person) and it seems like I could buy a lot of bulbs before I could break even with those.
Thanks
Dave

[jda]

The ReefBrites are nice and have some pop. You might really like them, but they are different than what you have. If I could not use use VHO again, ReefBrite XHO is where I would go... but I have not done it yet. :) They seem to last too... I have seen a few with some burnt out diodes, but I don't know that I have heard of any just going out alltogether.

Keep in mine that your URI bulbs can be used for two years no problem... even more if you don't need them for growth. :)

[grallster]

Keep in mine that your URI bulbs can be used for two years no problem... even more if you don't need them for growth. :)

Yeah I'm pushing the two year mark as it is 😄