ok VHO bulb recommendations

[saltypickle]

ive seen like a 50/50 coralife bulb but its onlt 6000k im only trying mushrooms some softies and other low light corals but i think 6k is to low. and you need bolth the blue one and the sunlight one right? Ive been doing alot of reasearch i just cant fins the right information im looking for. any recommendations on a good one to use? im kind of on a budget so i cant have expensive lighting like T5OH ect.

[Ice]

If you say you're on a budget, how are you going to do the upkeep of SW aquaria keeping ? Saltwater keeping can run you thousands of dollars. A simple Powercompact lighting will suffice for easy corals.

[saltypickle]

V.V didnt i ask for vho and if i didnt here it is will it be good enough?for LOW LIGHT corals 50/50 6k... and scuba kid im doing reasearch (i know you will come and tell me about that) but i want to know if that VHO bulb will work and if i need an actinic for low light mushrooms. Many sites say that VHO is cheaper and works good enough. thats all im asking? as for thousand of dollars why do u think im trying to save money here xD but really its only a 20 gallon. i can handle the maitenence and what ever else

[Scuba Kid]

Originally Posted by saltypickle

scuba kid im doing reasearch (i know you will come and tell me about that)

Well at least I know my point is getting through.

[leveldrummer]

Originally Posted by saltypickle

V.V didnt i ask for vho and if i didnt here it is will it be good enough?for LOW LIGHT corals 50/50 6k... and scuba kid im doing reasearch (i know you will come and tell me about that) but i want to know if that VHO bulb will work and if i need an actinic for low light mushrooms. Many sites say that VHO is cheaper and works good enough. thats all im asking? as for thousand of dollars why do u think im trying to save money here xD but really its only a 20 gallon. i can handle the maitenence and what ever else

a vho bulb wont just plug into a regular fluresant fixture that comes with an aquarium, it needs a high powered ballast to run it, power compacts would be your best bet, get them the same length as your tank, and as many bulbs and watts as you can fit,

you keep asking about 50/50 and 6000k, the question really doesnt make sense, 50/50 is a general term that bulb manufacturers use to describe the color of the bulb, being half blue and half white, 6000k describes the actual kelvin rating of a bulb, (kelvin is the K at the end) white light is usually 10000K lower light is usually more yellow (6000k is really yellow) but produces much more par, the higher bulbs like 14000k and 20000k produce a much bluer light, which also helps greens in coral "glow"

actinic is a different color all together, and is measured differnt, but usually looks much more purple or pink. you can easily grow corals under 6000k but you will still need at least some power compacts, some people say that corals need the bluer light, because it penetrates the water better, but i think that argument is much debated. hope this helps you understand lighting a little better.