>VHOs require special 1500mA ballasts or ballast kits, and are not compatible with any other ballast. Oh sure, it'll fire up, but why? Your output will be the same as that $2.00 Growlux bulb, so don't succumb to that thought!
1500mA? mA is the ballast amperage rating, and I refuse to get into basic electricity theory here, LOL! We can discuss ballast at another time. The point here is that once you make the conscience decision to upgrade to reef lighting, VHOs are the natural first choice. Cheaper and easier to install, they form the backbone of the hobby's lighting regimes.</p>
What are Lumens?
Lumens is another area of common confusion. Wattage is the "power" of the tube. Lumens are the actual amount of light being "radiated", or the amount of light energy reaching the animals created by the power output of the tube. Wow, now I'm confused!
Actually, let's equate it like this: Consider a shotgun blast. The number of pellets or "shot" that reach it's target is directly proportionate to the muzzle velocity of the gun that is it's source. The magnum shell will deliver more shot to it's "target" than a regular or low-brass shell because of the muzzle velocity. So does the VHO tube over the NO tube. More LUMENS, (or "shot") reach the animals (or "target") than an NO tube, because of wattage (or muzzle velocity). So LUMENS equal the light energy that WATTAGE delivers! This is naturally a gross over-simplification, but I think it works.
