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Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 12:57 AM
Ok im am sick of the Crap Every time i find lights i can afford someone has something Bad to say about them so here is my Question. What is the BEST quality PC and T5 lights on the market? I am looking for preferably a 30 inch Fixture and at least 4x54 watts Or Higher and NO MH(too much heat and bulbs cost too much).

loosecannon
10/09/2007, 01:04 AM
For a 30" tank you can get a oddisea from aquatraders . I have one , and I love it. paid 49$ 3 years a go, light is still going strong. they are making them better now too!

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 01:09 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10933739#post10933739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
For a 30" tank you can get a oddisea from aquatraders . I have one , and I love it. paid 49$ 3 years a go, light is still going strong. they are making them better now too! i wish i could trust it, i have had 2 people say good things and seen hundreds of posts about the bad stuff, fires,exploding bulbs,Exploding ballasts etc im glad you got lucky and got a good one but i cant risk it(even 49 bucks is just too much to throw away) I looked at Coralife and then heard Bad stuff. So basically i am sick of it and want to know what the TOP of the line in PC and In T5 lighting is currently. I am not spending the money on Solaris and Don't really trust the LED idea anyway.

Drock169
10/09/2007, 01:30 AM
oddysea is definitely a brand that you get what you pay for. I bought a fixture and so far nothing bad from it. Never heard of fires from it though.

mrme
10/09/2007, 01:33 AM
I personally like outerorbit fixtures. Both their PC and Metal halide fixtures are wonderful. IMHO

loosecannon
10/09/2007, 01:34 AM
Vinnie,Vinnie,Vinnie, have I aver lied to you before! I have the 2' 3' and the 4' lights. I just got the 4' ,for my 75 gal. . I have a T. corcea clam in it for 6 months now. lps, soffty`s. Buddabing Badda boom! ps For get about it!

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 01:40 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10933806#post10933806 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
Vinnie,Vinnie,Vinnie, have I aver lied to you before! I have the 2' 3' and the 4' lights. I just got the 4' ,for my 75 gal. . I have a T. corcea clam in it for 6 months now. lps, soffty`s. Buddabing Badda boom! ps For get about it!
Nope you havent But i doubt highly all those i have seen post pics of fire damaged lights and exploded ballast were liein either!

loosecannon
10/09/2007, 01:51 AM
For ever pc fire, there are 10 mh fires! ps did they tell you that, or did they live that part out!

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 02:11 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10933834#post10933834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by loosecannon
For ever pc fire, there are 10 mh fires! ps did they tell you that, or did they live that part out!
No they didnt but i dont plan to ever buy MH in the first place lol. Im just saying that Jebo and Oddysea are known for using poor quality parts, and Generally having issues i can search and find tons of posts on it(i know i have) and its not that i dont trust you i just really dont want to take the chance of Worst case Happening( I have kids and a house fire over saving a few bucks aint worth the risk) Honestly i have Only ever seen 2 people say they liked them other than that EVERY post has been NEG anywhere from bulbs burning out in a week to Fires to Exploding ballast Just not worth the risk cause my luck is i would get one that catches fire!

wildcrazyjoker8
10/09/2007, 04:29 AM
I bought two 48" fixtures from jebo/odyssea and let me tell you....THEY ARE CRAP!! The first one was MH and the ballast caught on fire and burnt up most of my wires to all the rest of my equipment. Then I decided to run just PC's and still the P.O.S. broke. I now have a OUTERORBIT, and it is ok. The newer ones are alot better than the older types, but you still get what you pay for. Good luck. You can find descent used ones on EBAY.

Jocephus
10/09/2007, 05:02 AM
Got mine from aquatrader too, been two years, no problems. I couldn't spend four times as much for a brand name. for my 55 it was like $89

tpenn187
10/09/2007, 06:28 AM
i dont even know why you are even considering pc. if you are debating between the two there really is no comparison if light output. i replaced my pc's with a t5 set up, both current systems, and the difference is amazing. so pc set ups dont even bother, as for t5 set ups how much do you want to spend. look into either tek systems by sunlight supply, nice looking systems and reasonably priced for what you get, or ati is nice but rather expensive. if you have a canopy or are halfway handy build one and do ice cap retros, great output for the money. any other questions go to the lighting forum and read the t5 q&a, all kinds of info to look at, just might take you all week to read it all.

t-bone2
10/09/2007, 06:34 AM
every single light has problems if that bothers you put in solar tube sky lights no wiring :)

sbcaes
10/09/2007, 06:48 AM
go with a 6 bulb 24" t5 tek. . 30" is an odd size. which is why your having a hard time finding anything. if you want the best t5 light. and affordable compared to 500+ fixtures, go with an aquactinics. you cant go wrong with them. but i dont know if they make a 30". you coudl try contacting scott or tom in the aquactinics sponsor forum. they are very helpful and will tell you if their light is nto better suited to your needs. cheers and good luck.

blaze98
10/09/2007, 07:59 AM
I got a hagen glo 24 inch light for my 29 gallon, which is 30 inches long, it works okay, 24 watts x 2. I use it as a frag tank.

snulma1
10/09/2007, 08:37 AM
Vinnie, you are gonna get different opinions no matter what! Each person has had their own experience, some good, some bad, and some are downright insane! For example, 99% of people on this board will agree that a seaclone skimmer is worthless. However, you will find 1% that has had a good experience. So here is what you need to do, make sure you gather facts. Not opinions, facts from people who own said fixtures. But in the end the decision is yours.

I have bought an odyssea MH fixture although it is less then a year old, i'm totally happy with the purchase, and have had no problems! I would look for a T5 fixture and skip the PC's if I were you. Good luck!

Aadler
10/09/2007, 09:07 AM
can you retrofit? i like hellolights. if not, maybe you should just go with middle of the road coralife, i have a 4ft coralife PC that i dont use but it never had problems in its few year life span. If money is the problem that is what you need to do, if you can spend the 300-400$$ on the output that you want then you shouldn't be having this problem?

have you looked into VHO? I never really did but there are/were some positive reviews on here, not sure where people stand now...

buy a bunch of the 30" 36w coralife fixtures :/

cd77
10/09/2007, 10:07 AM
Vinnie -- I've felt the same way having opened a couple threads already for a good light fixture without having to spend an awful lot of money. I'm moving away from PC to T5 HO lighting, and I'm skipping MH as well. After much research and with lots of help from veterans here (in the Reef Keeping and Equipment forums here at RC) I've decided to purchase the T5 Constellation series by Aquactinics from this place (http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=28_111_112&products_id=1606) The lighting I put in it will be based upon recommendations given in this thread (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1220131).

cd77
10/09/2007, 10:10 AM
This (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10916493) was the last thread I posted regarding lighting before making my decision.

Reefer07
10/09/2007, 10:12 AM
Find a nice Corallife PC or look into a T-5 setup here:
http://www.globeaqua.com/teklight_lighting.html

cd77
10/09/2007, 10:19 AM
I own both a 48" Coralife PC and a 36" 4 bulb Nova Extreme T5-HO. I'd strongly advise you to steer clear of both of them for a marine tank. I'd stay away from PC altogether, and if you're going to go T5, do your research and at the very least find a fixture with individual bulb reflectors. Read the last link I posted -- jamesdawson's comments regarding the Tek light (par, tarnishing, support, etc.) After his comments and some research I chose not go with a Tek.

Playa-1
10/09/2007, 10:26 AM
Your not going to get one answer on a controversial subject like lighting. I would suggest that you get yourself a nice T-5 fixture with external IceCap ballasts. They are effective and energy efficient, cost effective, and low heat output. If you have a canopy then IceCap makes a good retro kit that will save you some money.

jackfrost
10/09/2007, 10:33 AM
For a small 20 g tank like yours, it is almost a non brainer !

Go to Home depot, pick a couple of workshop fixtures and T-8 and get on with it ....

Its a 20G ...


:rollface:

arts007
10/09/2007, 12:07 PM
I think the Tek fixtures are good, I have some friends that have those and are very happy with them here (http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/Tek_Light_Fixtures/24_inch__Tek_Light:_4-24W_T5_High-Output_Fixture_by_Sunlight_Supply) this is the 24" version, the 54 watt bulbs are 48", the 24" are 24 watts and the 36" are 39 watts

coast2coast7390
10/09/2007, 12:14 PM
if theres one place that you dont want to go cheap in this hobby its the equipment

rbtwo4
10/09/2007, 12:18 PM
T5 nova slimpaq

cd77
10/09/2007, 12:24 PM
Vinnie -- Ask this question in the Lighting, Filtration and Other Equipment (http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=212) forum. You may spark a debate over there, but you'll get a lot of answers that are backed by more than "this works for me" or "just get this" -- You'll get answers that address very specific pros and cons of various fixtures. Try to narrow down your choices to a few from what people have suggested here, then see what people's comments are regarding your choices over in the equipment forum :) Just my two cents.

JUNI0R
10/09/2007, 02:16 PM
I am having the same problem as you. The solution I am going to go with is the 4x24 Tek retro from reefgeek ($270 w/ bulbs). I can mount it in a hood so no holes in the ceiling. Everything I saw for 30" tanks is 24 watt bulbs. I chose to skip the icecap ballast because I don't see the need to spend twice as much to overdrive the lights on such a small tank (I can upgrade the ballasts later if I decide I need to). This retro does come with waterproof endcaps and individual reflectors which I felt were worth the investment. I'm not saying its the only solution but it is the best solution I could find.
I wish I could tell you how it works but I am about to start cycling my tank.

bertoni
10/09/2007, 03:22 PM
IME, Hamilton PC setups are fine.

The Aquactinics T5 setups seem very good from reviews, but I don't like the looks T5, so I don't have any experience with them.

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 05:20 PM
Catfish Lighting 48" Quad T-6 Light Fixture

This is the new 2007 Model 48” 216 Watt T-6 Light from Catfish Lighting!! It comes with four 54 Watt two pin T-6 cool running bulbs, which are perfect for aquariums, reptile tanks, reef and coral tanks, and plant tanks. It comes with two 12K and two Blue Actinic bulbs but you can configure it to your liking. You have your choice of bulbs 12000K or Blue Actinic. It also comes with new hard plastic mounting legs which allow you to flip up the unit for easy cleaning and feeding. It has 8 Blue Moon LED’S, 2 in each sock 4 sockets. Three switches, one controls the first set of bulbs and the other controls the second set of bulbs and the third controls the Moon LED’S. OH YA ITS NOT JEBO/ODDYSEA they manufacture there own lighting!

This is what i am Seriously considering getting. I get to choose my bulb configuration. When i upgrade to a 75g tank i have a light already. Ok Now Aside from the Manufacturer being Catfish Lighting, What do you guys think of JUST the Wattage,Bulbs,Set up Etc Pretend it is A Super Top of the Line(IE assume Quality of the build is good) and analyze the lighting itself.I can Go Either 4x 12k bulbs, 2x12k and 2xactinic bulbs Or 1x12k and 3xactinic OR 3x12k and 1xactinic Or 4xactinic. What do you guys think the best Mix of Bulbs would be? Keep in mind i Plan on Zoa's,Shrooms, Leathers, and Maybe polyps of some kind(i want the black sun lol)

trdofwrkin
10/09/2007, 05:33 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10933724#post10933724 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vinnie71975
Ok im am sick of the Crap Every time i find lights i can afford someone has something Bad to say about them so here is my Question. What is the BEST quality PC and T5 lights on the market? I am looking for preferably a 30 inch Fixture and at least 4x54 watts Or Higher and NO MH(too much heat and bulbs cost too much).

did you check out catalinaaquarium.com.. i bought my 36in from there. i have 6x39w t-5's....came with a fan and adjustable moonlights for 300.00 included shipping...they were having a sale on them at the time...the hood i got is called the ultralight...i have it on a 55g bowfront.....just a suggestion....

Canarygirl
10/09/2007, 05:35 PM
I'm one of the people who regrets buying an Odyssea fixture from Aquatraders.

THe halide bulb was DOA.
The ballast was DOA.
The Compaq bulbs work but the color is ugly as all get-out.
The customer service/return policy sucketh. I had to fix everything myself.

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 05:36 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10938184#post10938184 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by trdofwrkin
did you check out catalinaaquarium.com.. i bought my 36in from there. i have 6x39w t-5's....came with a fan and adjustable moonlights for 300.00 included shipping...they were having a sale on them at the time...the hood i got is called the ultralight...i have it on a 55g bowfront.....just a suggestion.... i wish i could afford 300 right now, the one i just listed is 200.00 and i will prolly be saving for at least 2 months to get that one! i have seen a number of lights i would LOVE to have but the thing is they are all WAY to much, i have to come in as much under 250 as possible!

trdofwrkin
10/09/2007, 05:41 PM
I hear that i saved for 4 months and then got lucky when they went on sale...

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 06:13 PM
Ok Honest Opinion guys would you get This one: MONSTER REEF HOOD POWER COMPACT-6 X 55W
[HMR55W6B24] $275.00
MONSTER REEF HOOD POWER COMPACT-6 X 55W
Click to enlarge

The Ultimate reef hood. Black aluminum. 6 lights. Two switches with moisture resistant covers. Two cords. AC Fan. Thick Lexon shield to protect from splash. Comes with six 55 watt 50/50 (blue + 10000k white) bulbs. Comes with a German mirror polished aluminum reflector.
Power: 55 W
Color: Silver
Dimensions: 24" x 12" x 6"

Or would you get This One :Catfish Lighting 48" Quad T-6 Light Fixture

This is the new 2007 Model 48” 216 Watt T-6 Light from Catfish Lighting!! It comes with four 54 Watt two pin T-6 cool running bulbs, which are perfect for aquariums, reptile tanks, reef and coral tanks, and plant tanks. It comes with two 12K and two Blue Actinic bulbs but you can configure it to your liking. You have your choice of bulbs 12000K or Blue Actinic. It also comes with new hard plastic mounting legs which allow you to flip up the unit for easy cleaning and feeding. It has 8 Blue Moon LED’S, 2 in each sock 4 sockets. Three switches, one controls the first set of bulbs and the other controls the second set of bulbs and the third controls the Moon LED’S.

The biggest benefit i see to the second over the first is that you get to pick your bulbs. I have pretty much decided that i will be getting One of the two.(unless some great used deal pops up in one of the fish clubs im in)

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 09:15 PM
bump

cd77
10/09/2007, 09:34 PM
Vinnie -- I missed reading your sig earlier, do you plan to continue running FOWLR or are you stepping up to a reef?

Canarygirl
10/09/2007, 09:49 PM
catfish :D

zippopunk1
10/09/2007, 09:56 PM
ur overthinking everything and only expecting the worst so thats what ur going to get

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 10:01 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940153#post10940153 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cd77
Vinnie -- I missed reading your sig earlier, do you plan to continue running FOWLR or are you stepping up to a reef? Stepping up to what i would call a Semi Reef IE Some Zoa's,Mushrooms,Leathers and polyps

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 10:11 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940311#post10940311 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zippopunk1
ur overthinking everything and only expecting the worst so thats what ur going to get No just hoping to avoid quality problems that others have told me they have had with cheap lights!

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 10:12 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940264#post10940264 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Canarygirl
catfish :D
One Vote for the catfish lighting lol

cd77
10/09/2007, 10:35 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940340#post10940340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vinnie71975
Stepping up to what i would call a Semi Reef IE Some Zoa's,Mushrooms,Leathers and polyps

Both of those fixtures seems like a lot of power for a 20 gallon, but I'm far from being an expert! :) My softies are doing fine with the Coralife PC lighting I have now (260W on a 70G). I'm afraid I don't know much about the T-6 fixture. It is odd that you're debating between a 48" fixture and a 24" fixture though (?)

Anyway, all the advice I can offer is that the Coralife fixture works fine for me with softies (four different leathers, two types of mushrooms, two types of zoas) and they're inexpensive, have built-in lunar LED's, a splash guard, and mounting braces so you don't have to hang it. They also offer a 30" fixture (which I think is what you were originally seeking) If you're looking for a 48" fixture, PM me and I'll be happy to sell you my two month old fixture at discount that should be replaced by the end of the week. You can also check them out here (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12109).

I have a feeling either one of those lights that you're looking at will work just fine for you.

Vinnie71975
10/09/2007, 11:02 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940537#post10940537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cd77
Both of those fixtures seems like a lot of power for a 20 gallon, but I'm far from being an expert! :) My softies are doing fine with the Coralife PC lighting I have now (260W on a 70G). I'm afraid I don't know much about the T-6 fixture. It is odd that you're debating between a 48" fixture and a 24" fixture though (?)

Anyway, all the advice I can offer is that the Coralife fixture works fine for me with softies (four different leathers, two types of mushrooms, two types of zoas) and they're inexpensive, have built-in lunar LED's, a splash guard, and mounting braces so you don't have to hang it. They also offer a 30" fixture (which I think is what you were originally seeking) If you're looking for a 48" fixture, PM me and I'll be happy to sell you my two month old fixture at discount that should be replaced by the end of the week. You can also check them out here (http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12109).

I have a feeling either one of those lights that you're looking at will work just fine for you. Lol Omg i put up the Specks on the WRONG light i feel stupid now!MONSTER REEF HOOD POWER COMPACT-6 X 65W
[HDMR65W6B30] $275.00
MONSTER REEF HOOD POWER COMPACT-6 X 65W


The Ultimate reef hood. Black metal finish. 6 lights. Two switches with moisture resistant covers. Two cords. AC Fan. Thick Lexon shield to protect from splash. Comes with six 65 watt 50/50 (blue + 10000k white) bulbs. Comes with a German mirror polished aluminum reflector.
Power: 65 W
Color: Silver
Dimensions: 30" x 12" x 6" That is how it should have read! Hmm i would consider Buying your used light the problem is i have to Save to buy any lights i get for prolly a Month or Two at least!

cd77
10/09/2007, 11:25 PM
Ohh.. So you're looking at either a 390W PC fixture or a 216W T6 fixture. For a 20G, that is ~20wpg and ~11wpg respectively. It's a long tank too, so depth isn't a concern.

Again, can't tell you much about the T6 setup, but to put the PC fixture into perspective, I'm running 260W over a 70G tank or ~4wpg. I know that Watts per gallon isn't a good standard for measuring adequate light, but my leathers are growing pretty nicely at my measly 4 watts per gallon under PC lighting.

High temperature and/or high irradiance can bleach corals (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/2/coral). At what levels, I don't know, but it's worth researching or asking about I'd imagine. Additional knowledge never hurts :)

Anyways, if you're interested in the 48" fixture, let me know -- it's not going anywhere anytime soon I don't believe, and you're state is next door to mine so shipping should be prompt :)

Vinnie71975
10/10/2007, 12:16 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10940838#post10940838 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cd77
Ohh.. So you're looking at either a 390W PC fixture or a 216W T6 fixture. For a 20G, that is ~20wpg and ~11wpg respectively. It's a long tank too, so depth isn't a concern.

Again, can't tell you much about the T6 setup, but to put the PC fixture into perspective, I'm running 260W over a 70G tank or ~4wpg. I know that Watts per gallon isn't a good standard for measuring adequate light, but my leathers are growing pretty nicely at my measly 4 watts per gallon under PC lighting.

High temperature and/or high irradiance can bleach corals (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/2/coral). At what levels, I don't know, but it's worth researching or asking about I'd imagine. Additional knowledge never hurts :)

Anyways, if you're interested in the 48" fixture, let me know -- it's not going anywhere anytime soon I don't believe, and you're state is next door to mine so shipping should be prompt :) I do the smart thing i have a friend that owns a Saltwater Only fish store, I run anything i am planning on by him first, but i do like to get other opinions as well hence the post here and he doesn't think 6x65 is too much for my tank. And i like the fact that the size is the same as my tank (my GF 4 year old has a bad habit of dumping things into fish tanks) that keeps his lil hands outta my tank! and if it seems to be too much light i can just turn half of them off lol I am also Planning on upgrading to a 75g tank in the future so i am buying as much hardware NOW that can be also used on my 75g when it is up IE over sized Fuge(my fuge will be 31 gallons On a 20g tank lol.) Higher Powered Lights, Higher Volume Skimmer ETC that way i dont have to buy all new hardware for my 75g when i get it!