T-5 actinic to replace VHO actinic supplement?

[drtango]

I'm running 900 watts of XM 10k over my 180 and love the growth and color. Have two 6 foot VHO on an icecap, and no room for more VHO. The XM's are bright, and wish I had just a bit more blue/actinic. (No, I don't want to give up PAR and go to higher kelvin halides.....)

Considering moving to overdriven T5's, two 3 foot tubes end to end on each side of the tank.

Question is, will I get decent actinic action with this setup, and will it be "brighter enough" to be worth the effort? I'd use the icecap reflectors, icecap 660 ballast, open to bulb suggestions.

Thanks

John

[drtango]

Wow--no opinions?

Thanks

John

[cham]

Ive heard the VHO actinics were better than the T5 actinics, and after seeing a display at a LFS it looked like they were right.


So what I did was buy two URI VHO actinic bulbs and two Giesmann T5 11k bulbs. Its whiter light than I thought it would be but I think it looks awesome.

The pics dont really do much justice.

Mine is run on an icecap 660 with icecap individual reflectors too. Got an awesome price from online vendor.

PM me if you want the web site.

[horkn]

well, the only actinic t5ho bulbs that look like the uri vho super actinics are the UVL Super actinics. UVL is the new name for URI, so these bulbs are the spitting image.


the ati pure actinics are nice, but not the same as the vho uri actinics that so many love

[DesertBandits]

you need to understand, overdriving bulbs changes their spectrum. many people have reported their blueplusses turning white when overdriven on icecap, so i dont think that it is a very good idea for getting blue support. Triads are the ballasts T5s are meant to be driven on, I'd stick with them.

[horkn]

triad, advance, and ballastwise has true t5ho spec ballasts as well. overdriving them does change their color..

[Treg]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7985707#post7985707 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DesertBandits
you need to understand, overdriving bulbs changes their spectrum. many people have reported their blueplusses turning white when overdriven on icecap, so i dont think that it is a very good idea for getting blue support.

Where is this being "reported"?? Just curious...

Guess someone should tell my 2 Blue+ bulbs on an IC 660 they are suppose to be white... ?
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/texasholdemtreg/FullTank-Actinic.jpg

John, If a blue color cast is what you want more than an Actinic look, try the T5 Blue+ bulbs. If the Actinic look is what you want I doubt the T5 Blue+ will please you much more than what you have now...

[dhoch]

John,

Here is my 2 cents... I run a T5 setup... started out with 8 bulbs of T5 (with 2 being actinic)... When I swtiched one fo the T5 actinics out for a URI VHO actinic I was MUCH more pleased with the color of my tank.

the URI VHO give the colors more POP (that green flourscent for example) than the T5s (Including UVL/URIs T5)...

Dave

[africangrey]

so the question is will IC shift the 420nm URI's SA to some other spetrum and in which direction will it shift to, the UV A or the 450 nm region? Grim, do you have the # for us.

[horkn]

many here report that IC driven bulbs are not the same color as normally driven ones.

[drtango]

Excellent replies all, thanks.

Looks like I should stick with my VHO, maybe swap them for new a bit more often...

John

[cham]

Get the best of both worlds, run two T5 "white lights" (whatever Kelvin you prefer) and keep two VHO actinics. They will all run off the same ballast. Its as simple as swapping the end caps and bulbs. Everything else stays the same.

[dhoch]

Cham... that's exactly what I did (well I have 1 and 1...)

Dave