110w PC vs. 96w T5

[TonyV]

I think I know the answer, but will it be a wise decision to upgrade from 110w of PC lighting to a 4x24w T5 HO fixture? I plan on going with an Aquaticlife HO T5 fixture. I know that ATI and Aquactinis are the best but these are out of my budget because they would require a controller.

[James77]

Why would they require a controller? You can use simpe timers from HD to turn them on or off, like $5 each.

What makes or breaks a T5 fixture is if it has individual reflectors for each bulb. Without them, they are not a whole lot better than PCs

[TonyV]

True about the $5 timer from HD but I'd like to keep the clutter to a minimum. I do believe the Aquaticlife fixtures have individual reflectors similar to a Tek light but it has cooling and a digital timer. My current tank is a Red Sea Max with the stock hood and after a year of owning the tank I now realize that the all-in-one approach is a great marketing ploy to get people involved with the hobby. I feel that I have quickly outgrown the capabilities of the built in hood with PC and I like the look of T5s and how color can be controlled.

[bhazard451]

I have a Red Sea Max, and I upgraded the hood to a 24" 250w MH w 4x24w T5 actinics. The upgrade in lighting was huge. I went with the new 2010 model odyssea units from ebay, and have had no probs.

My cespitulara which barely grew under the pc's has grown at least an inch this month alone.

[TonyV]

I have a Red Sea Max, and I upgraded the hood to a 24" 250w MH w 4x24w T5 actinics. The upgrade in lighting was huge. I went with the new 2010 model odyssea units from ebay, and have had no probs.

My cespitulara which barely grew under the pc's has grown at least an inch this month alone.

Yes, I followed your thread on the other forum board.

[bhazard451]

Yes, I followed your thread on the other forum board.

Ah yes, I remember. I still dont think t5 only will give you as much benefit as a combo, but the ability to choose good inexpensive bulbs makes it a better choice then the Red Sea hood and pcs. I picked up great T5 24w slimpaq actinics for less than $12 each. A bargain, and much better looking compared to red sea's. Too bad about the mounting leg situation on your unit though, the legs make it incredibly easy to remove the fixture whenever I need to do tank maintenance.

I also had temp control probs with the red sea hood closed. Having an open top with fans now keeps temps stable, even with 340+ watts shining into it.