About VHO lights for reef tanks.
1) VHO, or very high output fluorescent lighting systems, used to be widely used. They are not used much anymore so let me describe their appearance. VHO lights for reef aquariums look exactly like regular fluorescent light tubes that you find in most kitchens above cabinets and in office ceilings. The VHO lights for fish tanks are typically bluer than the fluorescent tubes used in homes and offices.
VHO Lights and parts are not used much anymore, nor are they always available.
For a very similar but more readily avalible and more modern system try T5 and T8 light systems.
If you want the most updated system try LED Lights
Metal Halide Lights are older but very effective for reef tanks. Find info and links to buy them from this page.
Still want info on VHO Lights read on below.
Today led lights have taken VHO fixtures place as the leader in the industry. In fact, before led lights replaced them they had already been surpassed in performance by power compact lights and after that they were replaced by T5 fluorescent lights for aquariums. This system works but for a more updated system try LED lights.
VHO lights can be used to supplement other lighting systems in a very special way, they can provide good actinic light for corals. Many people used to use blue VHO’s with white metal halide lights.
If you want information on VHO Lights read on. Despite all the above about them being outdated the truth is VHO lights are adequate for almost all reef aquarium inhabitants. VHO fixtures produce 110 watts for each four-foot bulb or 165 watts for each six-foot bulb. As a general rule, two four-foot VHO bulbs should provide adequate intensity for a four-foot-long, fifty-five gallon reef tank. A VHO ballast and special VHO end caps must always be used with these lighting systems.
These systems should be able to maintain all soft corals. It will be more than adequate for mushroom anemones and will do a nice job of bringing out their fluorescent colors if adequate actinic blue light is used. Large polyp stony corals also do well under VHO lighting. In fact, the only thing that you might have trouble maintaining under these lights are the giant clams and many small polyp stony corals like Acropora. A good combination of bulbs to try is one actinic (blue) bulb to each daylight or trichromatic (white) bulb. Or you can use bulbs that are each a mixture of blue and white light all in one bulb. Try 50 percent blue and 50 percent white light in each bulb. If the appearance is too blue add pure white bulbs.
Click here for our aquarium lighting page.