Help with light

[baeya]

I'm getting a new light for my 65 gallon seahorse tank. I will only ever have mushrooms and zoas in their tank.

I have these two options. I don't know whether to go with the HO or not....
Can someone give me guidance?

Deep Blue Pro T-5 HO Double Bulb Fixture With Moonlights 36"

Deep Blue Pro T-5 Double Bulb Fixture With Moonlights 36"

 

[grozier]

Whats the difference?

 

[baeya]

From what I can see, one is HO and the other isn't. I don't know what that means.....

 

[clownster]

a 2 bulb fixture is not going to produce a lot of light, I'd look into a 4 or 6 bulb or led's.

 

[jamespias]

HO is the same as T5. There is no difference. I will say that going with a 4 or 6 bulb fixture is more worth your time though. You wouldn't want to buy a 2bulb fixture and then wish later you had a brighter fixture...

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

HO is the same as T5. There is no difference. I will say that going with a 4 or 6 bulb fixture is more worth your time though. You wouldn't want to buy a 2bulb fixture and then wish later you had a brighter fixture...

T5 ho bulbs will not work with t5 ballast or or the other way. It has to do with the ballast, different current high output vs not high output.

 

[Ted]

If all you are keeping is shrooms and zoahs the ho unit should work. I dont know...well anything about seahorses....are they not very light tolerant? If the horses dont care I would look at a 4 bulb unit then if you want some lps down the road it wont be a issue.

 

[jamespias]

I thought all T5's were considered "HO" and the VHO ballasts were different...

 

[BL1]

I thought all T5's were considered "HO" and the VHO ballasts were different...

That's right and wrong, there are non HO bulbs made but they're used in commercial type lighting fixtures that you'd find in office buildings. Which is why you can't go to Home Depot to buy replacement bulbs for your tank. The standard for aquariums are HO fixtures, for some reason that company is selling non-HO ones.

With all that being said, if you are set on one of those two fixtures then I'd go with the HO one. It will give you a better choice of quality replacement bulbs as well as more color choices.

 

[baeya]

Thanks everyone for the information and comments! I've decided to take a look at LEDs now as well. Gosh I hate shopping for lights.

Does anyone have this light?

AquaticLife Expandable Marine 1W LED Fixture - 54W - 36 in. | ThatPetPlace.com

It says it comes with a driver but, it doesn't say what a driver is/does.....I'm thinking/hoping that it allows you to tweek the lights exactly to your liking and maybe! act as a timer.

Seahorses don't have special light requirements. They like low to moderate lighting. They will move around the tank to the areas that suit them. Since they require cooler tanks, LEDs can be a good choice to help keep the temps down.

 

[Homer]

Go with kessil 250 lights... cheap, and good.. will support even better corrals, if You will decide later to get more bitchier coralls ... :)