how to make a vho light ballast

[Guest bill33]

hello, i am setting up a 29 gallon i need to have good lights so i can grow the good stuff like sps. i have a 10 gallon with 4 13 watt pc lights. i want to get vho cause i herd that is good. i want to make if for cheap so i dont have to spend a lot of $$$ so can you help me..

 

Billy

[Guest Amber Nussbaum]

Why don't you look on Ebay for one of the Icecap ballasts.. I was able to get the 660 (the more powerful one) for $110 shipped. You can surely get the smaller one for less. Check the reefcentral forum for selling too. Lighting was the most expensive part of my tank so far.. I think if you want good lights, you're gonna spend some $$, you can't get out of it.

 

Or, maybe try a naturally sunlit reef. I know a couple people have done it, send a PM to K9Decoy on Reefcentral. He has a nice tank with no lights but the sun.

 

Good luck.

[Guest bill33]

how do they have no lights but have a reef

[michaelg]

Also check hellolights.com and also look for the Fulham workhorse ballast.  I think it will run vho's.  You will be limitted to 24" bulbs.

[Guest bill33]

thats all i need is 24 inch bulbs

[xeon]

I would think you could get up to three 24" VHO's on a Fulham Workhorse 7.  I believe they are rated for 220W.  The question is how many do you want?  They can be had for a lot less than the IceCaps.

[Guest bill33]

im gettin the 4 24 inch 75 watt vho at www.hellolights.com  an im installing them in the hood

[xeon]

The easiest solution would be an IceCap 430 I believe.  You might even find one on E-bay relatively cheap.  I do think you could use two Fulham WH7's ballasts to do all four for a budget solution.  If you decide to go this route, let me know and I can tell you how to wire them up.  It probably is not in the fulham list of diagrams.

[Guest bill33]

ok um i cant find the fullham on the web site    can you direct me

[xeon]

http://www.fulham.com  it is only one "L"  That should get you started and they list a whole bunch of distributors.  

 

About the best price I bought some was at http://www.affordablelighting.com  They don't do the "for a reef tank" markup.

[Guest bill33]

ok its not letting me go ill try another time