auquatraders brand light

[gdleader]

I have the 760W 48" Fixture on my tank....works wonderful...as mentioned...the ballasts are external so if anything goes wrong you can replace them easily unlike other brands with internal ballasts. And on top of that...we all know that even best brands don't last long, everything is bound to die at some time. Not to mention the price....huge difference...for just about the same item.

 

[zsqure]

I have the 4x65 cf light, nice light have had it for 10 months. Just how much EXTRA electricity $$$$'s does the 48" mh setup cost? $30 per month? $50 per month? Sorry didn't mean to hijack your thread.

 

[gdleader]

ehhh....it's about $15-25/mo for me it all depends on how long you keep them on...I keep the lights on from:
Anctics = 7am-9pm
MH = 10am-5pm
Moonlights = 9pm-7am

 

[laredo300c]

i have the aquatraders pc's ( the same model you want and they work very nice.......very sturdy and very well built so far.....1 year

 

[hefner413]

I've been reading this thread and I am also looking at the lights on aquatrader. Right now I have a FO tank - plan on adding a bit of LR though. I am looking at the 4x65w cf from aquatraders ($99) vs. the 760 MH ($359) vs. an Coralife setup with 4x28w T5's (2x10000K/2x03actinics) ($125).
I think I understand that the MH will provide much more output than the CF. But how does the t5's compare to the MH and CF? I've read that they provide more output with less watts and that the bulbs last longer. So are the T5's the way to go?
THanks.

 

[gordob]

I've been looking at getting the 36" 442w metal halide fixture they have on the site. I just thought of a potential size problem, and wonder if anyone can give me some feedback. My tank is a 44 gallon flat back hex. The front of it has the hex shape to it. My question deals with mounting the light on my tank. I noticed that the dimensions of the fixture say that it is 15" wide. Are the legs for the fixture in the four corners, or can you move them around? I only have 8" on each side from the back of the tank to where it takes the first angle in. (I hope this makes sense.) Anyway, does anyone have the Odyssea fixture on a flat back hex tank? Do you think it will work on mine? Any suggestions/ pictures of what can be done?
Thanks,
Brad

 

[05xrunner]

well the legs are on a rail..so you can move them anywhere the length of teh light. You can actually use the legs differently as I was lookin at mine lastnight thinking. if you have the legs bow inwards instead of out. Like put them on the opposite side they would be on they could be put on a skinnier tank I would assume.

 

[joncat24]

the lights also come with a hanging kit where you can hang it from the ceiling, directly over the tank
to answer the other question about the t-5's. t5's are supposed to be better than pc's, but at the wattage you stated, I doubt that they would be. Also the bulbs do last longer but you hva eto replace 6-8 bulbs instead of 2 so I doubt that there is alot of savings. And, in my humble opinion....t5's are no match whatsoever against mh's. The thing about metal halides is the heat, so just make sure to get a couple of fans blowing across the top of the tank and you will be fine.

 

[gordob]

Thanks for the help on mounting the fixture! I'm going to order mine tonight!
Brad

 

[hefner413]

Originally Posted by joncat24
to answer the other question about the t-5's. t5's are supposed to be better than pc's, but at the wattage you stated, I doubt that they would be. Also the bulbs do last longer but you hva eto replace 6-8 bulbs instead of 2 so I doubt that there is alot of savings. And, in my humble opinion....t5's are no match whatsoever against mh's. The thing about metal halides is the heat, so just make sure to get a couple of fans blowing across the top of the tank and you will be fine.

Hey Joncat - I was about to purchase a 4x65w retrofit T-5 for my 55 gal. After reading your posts, I'm starting to think about changing things up. What would you say about getting 2x65w T-5 instead of 4 and then adding a MH retro kit.
Question 1: If I did this, which retro kit would you get from hellolights? They have 175 and 250W HL MH (single ended) for $125 and $129 respectively, and they have 150 and 250W HL (HQI) for $125 and $135.
I would thus have 2 T-5's and 1 MH.
Question 2: My only concerns with this is - I would have to add a fan to lower heat - are the fans loud? And I had planned onclosing the T-5's to shield them from water - the MH's cannot be enclosed, correct? Thus I would have to have a good cover b/w the tank and MH's?
Thanks

 

[joncat24]

I am sorry...I really dont know a whole lot about retrofits. I have a fixture on my tank. I know the odyssea fixture is too wide for a 55 though and could be hung above it. As far as how many t-5"S and mh I would say that if you got with 2mh's that 2x65 t5 would be more than enuf on a 55. Actaully would probably be enuf for a 4 ft 120 if you ever upgrade tanks...HTH

 

[hefner413]

the only difference with the retrofit is that I construct it all myself rather than buying the whole fixture. I'm still torn about what to do. I almost am going back to 4 t5's so I can not worry about installing the fan and whatnot, I dunno - we'll see. Thanks

 

[dorfner2]

Hi there,
I just got the 4x 65 CF light from aquatraders and the only problem I'm having is with the stand. It doesn't look right just sitting on top of the glass. Can't figure out how to attach it the way it seems it was built. Any suggestions? A photo would clear everything up if possoble. Thanks,
"Eric The Newbie"

 

[laredo300c]

hey there i have their 260wt pcs and have been good for a whole year...my first pcs so can't really compare them to other brands but they are build solid and very sturdy ..i'll try to post pics of the legs on the side of the aquarium