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PowerCompact lights



Hi,

I have the 2-55 watt PC's on my reef tank.  The are extremely bright,
but I have no experience with VHO so can't compare.  They are still not
as bright as MH, but not far behind.  They do run cooler than MH, but
hotter than NO fluorescents.  I am pretty sure the CSL ballasts are
special ones to fit their bulbs.  The 55 watt bulbs run about $30
each...not cheap!!  I have been running my lights for about 8-10 hrs a
day for about a year, and one just burned out.  The other is pretty
yellow and good at growing hair algae :(

Over all, I think they are great lights for small tanks.  I would not
recomend waiting to replace them when they burn out, though...earlier.

Hope this helps!

Josh

> I just got the new (Spring '98) catalog from Pet Warehouse
> and on the very last page, they list 96 watt compact
> fluorescent bulbs from CustomSeaLife.  They seem to be
> double tubes about 3 feet long.  The ad claims that they
> will produce twice the lux of a 110 watt VHO.  I don't
> believe that for a second, but given the high efficiency
> of CF lighting, these look like an excellent alternative
> to VHO or MH.  Has anyone tried these?  Can I find a
> ballast for them at an ordinary lighting supplier?  How
> about the bulbs?  How hot do these bulbs run?


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