Really need help in light upgrade

[dinki]

So I'm new to the SW game. I've got a 55 gal 48" wide tank that right now has two 24" FW hoods on it. The bulbs are 15W, 18", two-pronged fluorescents. Without my heater, my temps are staying around 80F. I'm running a FOWLR. I've got 45 lbs of LR and 40 lbs of LS. My future plans are to keep some of the 'easy' corals and maybe go reef in a year or two if all goes well with my current set up.
I'm thinking I'd like to move up to T5 lighting. My concerns are that the T5's will increase my water temp. Also, I'd have to get rid of the FW hoods I have now. Would it be advisable to go without a top or egg crate so that I can better control the temp? I'm not 100% certain that it's the lights that are causing the temp rise, but I guess it's really the only thing that could be causing it.
Finally, and most importantly, cost is of a major concern. I'd like to keep my cost around $100. I'd prefer to buy online. I'm guessing for this price I'd most likely have to go with a two bulb 48" lighting option.
I saw a chain pet store selling 18" 50/50 bulbs that would fit my FW hood. These lights were $20 a piece. They too are only 15W each so I'm guessing that that $40 could be better spent on a new lighting set up rather than trying to upgrade? Is this a good assumption?

 

[mojo46825]

save your money and get what you want. I have wasted alot of money trying to just get by. I dont go for an off name or just something so so. I want to get the best performance possible. You saved $50 on lights. You lost $500 in coral. because it failed or wasnt up to par. Good luck.
T 5's would be a good upgrade. A couple company's make some nice t 5 strip lights with 1,2,4,8, and many more bulb configurations. I have a 36 in with dual actinics to add color. And it works really well. I also have dual 150 watt metal halides. But I am su[rised at how much light the t5 lightputs out and how thin and small it is.

 

[nycbob]

as stated above. dont go cheap w the light. its the best investment one can make. all of ur expensive corals will depend on it. any reason why the temp is at 80 without a heater? once u get t5 or mh, hv an open top. this way, temp will be a non issue. most people hv an open top w reef unless they hv fan in their canopy. expect to spent about $300-500 on a good set of t5. for a 55, i'd say 4x54w t5.

 

[dinki]

So to keep any corals I need to spend $300-500? That's way steep for me right now. I'd like to find something more in line with my price range even if it means I'll have to spend additional money in the future.
I've found a T5 that has:
2x 65W CF 12000K bulb, 2x 65W CF Actinic Blue True 03 bulb, 4x Bluemoon Double LEDs. 260W total
This runs for $130 shipped. This would most definitely be better than what I have now. But is it a big hunk of junk?
I know that it'd be best to buy once and get something really nice, but it is really out of my price range. I don't think it would be all that great for my live rock to stay with my FW lights for too long.

 

[wangotango]

^ That system is powercompact (PC) not T5. PCs will allow you to keep softies, and most LPS with no problems. SPS, clams, and anemonies are a no-no.
What brand were you looking at?
-Justin

 

[turbohaulic]

I don't know if this was a good thing for me to experement with or not,

but I was looking for a cheaper way to get good light because I had no money to spend as well. So here's what I did, I went to my local electric store and found a 175 watt wall pack flood light which came with a 6500K bulb (don't run the bulb, you'll get lots of green algae), then on e.bay bought a 14K bulb. I then had to buy a bigger socket for the new bulb, then mounted it (the socket) into a fixture I made out of stainless steel at work and mounted the fixture above the water about six inches. I had to lengthen the wire from the ballast to the new fixture where the socket and bulb are mounted. You can leave the ballast in the flood light and hide it under the tank or I made a stainless steel box that is 6x6x6 and mounted it in that. It seems to be doing awesome. I have about $120 into it. So if you can fabricate a fixture and do simple wiring this is a cheap way to get good light.

 

[walkerbrody]

I would use 2 14k 175 mh. You can find magnetic m57 ballast and bulbs cheap.

 

[dinki]

Originally Posted by WangoTango
^ That system is powercompact (PC) not T5.
Wango, you are correct. Apparently I was looking at the wrong thing. Here's what they are calling T5's:
Code:
[pre]Total output: 216W
Supports: 4 x 54W T5, 4 x Double Bluemoon LED
Fixture Size: 47.75" x 7.25" x 2.00"
Ballast Type: Internal Electronic
Power Cords: 1
On/Off switch: 3
Cooling Fan: n/a
Splash Protection: Acrylic Lens
Mounting Leg: Included (Max Reach: 48")
Hanging Kit: None
Type of Bulb: 2 Pin T5
Free items pre-installed to the fixture are 2x 54W T6 12000K bulb, 2x 54W T6 Actinic Blue True 03 bulb, 4x Bluemoon Double LED.
Price $79[/pre]
Seems that they are including T6 bulbs instead of T5. Doesn't that mean that this is just a smaller/larger bulb?
I can't find a brand name on the lights so I guess it's a house brand. At this price, I'm sure it's nothing that you guys would want to have on your tank, but is it a worthy step up from the paltry 30W FW lights I'm running? I know you guys can't tell me with certainty if the lights are good or crap, but is there anything glaringly wrong with them? Definitely fit the budget.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[isistius]

yes t6 bulbs are slightly (1/8" larger - diameter: 5/8" vs 6/8") i would stay away from these bulbs. there are very few t6 bulbs out there, and not too much is known about the manufacturers. imo, don't skimp on the fixture. spend the money and get yourself a tek, aquactinics (i have one of these), or really splurge and get yourself an ati. as far as bulbs - stick with ati (imo the best), geissmann, and uvl.
just remember - you get what you pay for

 

[prez]

I went with some nova's I found for a good deal. Seem to be decent lights the 4 powercords are nice for the timer and etc. You can get individual reflectors fairly cheap. Everyone says the uvl and ati bulbs are the best in par. Do not know how true this is but one of the sales peeps from tek told me a 2 bulb retro kit from them will beat a nova 4 bulb fixture. I would not go with the t-6 bulbs//

 

[dinki]

Will T6 bulbs fit in T5 sockets? The ad states that it is a T5 fixture and accepts T5 bulbs, but it comes with free T6 bulbs. Does this mean that I can replace the T6's with T5's when the time comes to replace my bulbs?

 

[dinki]

Not many replies
Can someone tell me the difference between CF and T5? Is one necessarily better than the other?

 

[dinki]

First let me state that I appreciate everyone's help in trying to pick out some lights to upgrade. I realize that everyone has their own opinions on what they would do if they were in my situation, but there are some factors that I can/will not be able to get around. The primary hurdle is price.
I've been looking around for the past few days and have found some cheap lights and I've found some really expensive lights. I've increased my budget to $150 for the equipment and shipping. What's the best that I can get for that price? Can someone offer up some brand names for lights in this price range? I am concerned about these things catching fire so UL certification is also a requirement. I'd really like to find a 48" fixture with four bulbs and possibly moonlight leds. The lights will need to have 'legs' as I will not be able to hang them. I will probably want to keep some easier low light requirement corals in the distant future, but I do not plan on keeping any SPS or clams.
Again, I appreciate the help. Would this thread be better suited in the 'New Hobbiest' section? Can someone give me some advice based on the above parameters?

 

[wangotango]

T5 are much more energy efficient and powerful than CF.
I don't know what you could get on that budget, but a Nova might be the way to go, or a 4-bulb TEK retrofit.
A 2-bulb TEK retro is about $120, but you'd need two of them...
-Justin

 

[dinki]

Thanks for the information. Unfortunately I don't think a retrokit will work for me. I'm looking for an all-in-one solution. Can someone tell me how light strips mount? I'm planning on running my tank without a top or perhaps use egg crate to keep my daughter from putting her toys in the tank. Is there a way to add legs to light strips?
Maybe I just don't know where to look or maybe the lighting solutions are just so expensive, but I would have thought I'd be able to find a place online that had an easy to understand buyer's guide or comparison chart for newbies wanting to upgrade their lighting system or choose their first lighting system for that matter. The options are very overwhelming.
Please respond or PM if anyone knows of a guide or can point me to a good online source for reasonably priced lighting.

 

[wangotango]

Unfortunately lighting is one of the more expensive sides of reef keeping. It would be better to save up for a decent fixture like a Nova than find something cheap like Catalina or Helios which are cheap for a reason.
A four-bulb Nova extreme (not the pro) runs about $230. This isn't the best fixture out there by a long shot, but it'll allow to keep softies and most lps with no problems. It's the cheapest fixture I could find that isn't a total piece of crap.
We can't post any links or PM links to sites that could be in competition with SWF.com; forum policy.
-Justin

 

[moprint]

Catalina has a 4 bulb t-5 fixture on sale for $150. It has individual reflectors and comes with bulbs and legs to set on your tank. Just up your budget to include the shipping and this is the best you can do for a complete fixture with t-5 and individual reflectors, for $150. I would say this is a good starter fixture. I am running one of their 4x65 pc fixtures now and have been pleased with it. I just ordered the Current Nova Extreme Pro t-5 fixture and can't wait to get backordered till the 19th. T-5 bulbs maintain their spectrum longer. So bulb replacement is once a year. Just my two cents.

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by dinki
So I'm new to the SW game. I've got a 55 gal 48" wide tank that right now has two 24" FW hoods on it. The bulbs are 15W, 18", two-pronged fluorescents. Without my heater, my temps are staying around 80F. I'm running a FOWLR. I've got 45 lbs of LR and 40 lbs of LS. My future plans are to keep some of the 'easy' corals and maybe go reef in a year or two if all goes well with my current set up.
I'm thinking I'd like to move up to T5 lighting. My concerns are that the T5's will increase my water temp. Also, I'd have to get rid of the FW hoods I have now. Would it be advisable to go without a top or egg crate so that I can better control the temp? I'm not 100% certain that it's the lights that are causing the temp rise, but I guess it's really the only thing that could be causing it.
Finally, and most importantly, cost is of a major concern. I'd like to keep my cost around $100. I'd prefer to buy online. I'm guessing for this price I'd most likely have to go with a two bulb 48" lighting option.
I saw a chain pet store selling 18" 50/50 bulbs that would fit my FW hood. These lights were $20 a piece. They too are only 15W each so I'm guessing that that $40 could be better spent on a new lighting set up rather than trying to upgrade? Is this a good assumption?
Wait until you can afford something decent. If heat is a concern a 4 lamp Tek light with good lamps would be the way to go. It will provide as much light as a Catalina unit with 8 lamps without causing near the heat. If you can't swing the Tek then see if you can find a deal on a used Nova and put the money into good lamps, ATI, Giesemann, UVL or GE daylights.

 

[dinki]

Alright, so I guess the best advice is to wait and get what I really want when I can afford it. My main issue with wanting to do something now is that my LFS owner was telling me that my light was not sufficient. I'm not planning to add any corals any time soon but she told me that my LR would suffer from the limited amount of light that I'm giving them. Is this true? She did tell me a few things that were questionable, so this may have been another one of her schemes to try to sell me more equipment. Will I be alright with my FW lights until I can afford the lights I want/need?

 

[reefraff]

I would find a new LFS. The person you are talking to is either ignorant or a liar. Live rock will do fine with no light. The only suffering would be the lack of corraline growth but even regular old fluorescent light will be enough to support some coralline growth, in fact some of the coralline does better in lower light. I have had a couple tanks where I had some green and orange coralline that would grow in the partially shaded areas. In any case the coralline will fluorish once you add light. That doesn't affect the biological filtration the rock provides.