T5s for a 125, what would you choose?

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by Kevin34
I have seen the Constellation for only $684
Where? The price I listed actually included shipping, but it was still $720.95 before shipping. And then I have to consider the cost of the bulbs, and NO lunar lights, so that's an additional cost to get those. I'm about ready to fork over the money and buy the Outer Orbit. I know I can probably go cheaper by going with a retro kit, but then that means my husband has to wire it together (I wouldn't no the first thing about doing that), and that would just be one more thing on his list. I'd rather him take the time to get the doors and canopy done before I include a lighting project. And if I did go with a retro kit, I have no idea where I would put the ballasts, I'm running out of room as it is.

 

[05xrunner]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
72" Constellation Series Aquactinics 14 lamp fixture (no lunars or bulbs) $756

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner

So I take it that's your vote.

 

[05xrunner]

yea..only bad thing is buying 14bulbs

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner
yea..only bad thing is buying 14bulbs
Do you have yours hanging in a canopy? Also, do you have any lunar lights?

 

[kevin34]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
Where? The price I listed actually included shipping, but it was still $720.95 before shipping. And then I have to consider the cost of the bulbs, and NO lunar lights, so that's an additional cost to get those. I'm about ready to fork over the money and buy the Outer Orbit. I know I can probably go cheaper by going with a retro kit, but then that means my husband has to wire it together (I wouldn't no the first thing about doing that), and that would just be one more thing on his list. I'd rather him take the time to get the doors and canopy done before I include a lighting project. And if I did go with a retro kit, I have no idea where I would put the ballasts, I'm running out of room as it is.

The place is DIYreef. Thats as much as I can say without breaking the rules. Hopefully I dont get in trouble. But they also sell bulbs there.

 

[wangotango]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
So I take it that's your vote.

its my vote too. with the tek or nova 8 bulbs will NOT be enough. 14 bulbs will be expensive at first, but hey you're only replacing them every two years.
-Justin

 

[05xrunner]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
Do you have yours hanging in a canopy? Also, do you have any lunar lights?
LOL...I dont have it I have a 75g and run the Odyssea 48" 2x250w halide with 14k phoenix and Coralvue ballast

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by 05xrunner
LOL...I dont have it I have a 75g and run the Odyssea 48" 2x250w halide with 14k phoenix and Coralvue ballast
See, I was also thinking about the Odyssea, but maybe I should leave that one out, as I already have to many to choose from. But since you brought it up, how do you like it?

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by WangoTango
its my vote too. with the tek or nova 8 bulbs will NOT be enough. 14 bulbs will be expensive at first, but hey you're only replacing them every two years.
-Justin
Ya, I'm starting to lean in that direction because if do go with the Constellation I can get it now, instead of waiting the 90+ days for the Nova to come out. Sometimes I hate making decisions.

 

[05xrunner]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
See, I was also thinking about the Odyssea, but maybe I should leave that one out, as I already have to many to choose from. But since you brought it up, how do you like it?

I think its a great light for the money to build on. Cheap to start with..Even with replacing the bulbs to what i want and getting coralvue ballast..I am still $300 under the cost of the same exact light from Coralife.

 

[reefraff]

As long as you have a canopy anyway why not do a 60" retrofit kit? 6 lamps will do it. Reefgeek has them. You could actually order the kit minus reflectors (the new Tek II reflectors SUCK) and order reflectors through Ice Cap. They don't make a 60" reflector but they will make you a deal on 2 36" ones that you can overlap per lamp. The Ice Cap ballasts overdrive the lamps a bit which helps too. I had a similar system on my old 125 and I could keep clams on the sand.

 

[azfishgal]

Well, my husbands vote is the Outer Orbit!

But, I'll do a little more research on doing a retro kit. My husband was acting like he didn't want to mess with it. He's working on the doors for my stand and will be getting wood later to work on my canopy, so I don't want to bother him.

 

[reefraff]

Be careful what you try to raise under 150 watt halides, they don't punch very far down. Stick to good 10K lamps. If you have a choice (for T5's) see if they will let you get 2 of the 460nm blue lamps so you will have one row of blues and one row of actinics, that tends to be the best look.

 

[bnutz24]

Looking around and LFS pricese are too much they want MH prices for T-5 products so please share some good mail order or shops that ship out please any websites will be very appreciated

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by reefraff
Be careful what you try to raise under 150 watt halides, they don't punch very far down. Stick to good 10K lamps. If you have a choice (for T5's) see if they will let you get 2 of the 460nm blue lamps so you will have one row of blues and one row of actinics, that tends to be the best look.

This is what the Outer Orbit comes with: 3 150WPowerPaq 10,000K HQI lamps, 8 SlimPaq T5HO Actinic 420nm (4) & 460nm lamps (4) (each 39w), and 12 Blue Lunar/12 White Lunar. My tank is 22" deep. I can get the 250W MHs but they cost more and the 250W fixtures have a remote magnetic ballast. I was thinking the 250W would over power my zoos or other lower light corals. Do you still think the 150 with all the T5s it comes with would still not be enough?

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by Bnutz24

Looking around and LFS pricese are too much they want MH prices for T-5 products so please share some good mail order or shops that ship out please any websites will be very appreciated
Look up Dr. Foster, they have pretty good prices, even after shipping.

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by reefraff
As long as you have a canopy anyway why not do a 60" retrofit kit? 6 lamps will do it. Reefgeek has them. You could actually order the kit minus reflectors (the new Tek II reflectors SUCK) and order reflectors through Ice Cap. They don't make a 60" reflector but they will make you a deal on 2 36" ones that you can overlap per lamp. The Ice Cap ballasts overdrive the lamps a bit which helps too. I had a similar system on my old 125 and I could keep clams on the sand.
I'm finding that the retro kits, once all said and done, is as much, if not more than the Outer Orbit Fixture.

So what am I missing?

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by azfishgal
I'm finding that the retro kits, once all said and done, is as much, if not more than the Outer Orbit Fixture.

So what am I missing?
they are just as much or more but because of the well developed reflectors are much more effective (except the ones I suggested with less developed reflectors but still better than the single reflected current usa fixture). With T5's reflectors are more significant than with other flourescents (VHO bulbs are large and have internal reflectors, PC's shape and size reflect poorly regardless of reflector, T5's small size dictate good reflectors to utilize all the light coming from the small surface area, basically the same rational behind small DE MH bulbs being able to be reflected better than larger SE MH bulbs). The kits with well developed reflectors will have about equal PAR to a typical batwing reflected MH kit of simular wattage (ie 216w T5 about equal to a 250w MH ). I dont think anyone would feel confident saying that about the Nova fixture.
ballast, T5 bulbs and end caps are all dirt cheap in of itself, your basically paying for the design/development of the reflectors and sometimes cooling considerations in the design. basically there's nova/oddessey, then there's the next step up to TEK/Coralvue/Catalina and then finally Aquactinics/Ice cap/ATI. If you want something equivalent to MH you will be paying MH type money to get it. which is why I dont see why T5 advocates make a big deal about replacing a few $69 MH bulbs every 8-10 months and heat which if using fans is typically only a problem on 400w bulb set ups (which have no flourescent equivalent) or tanks under 55 gallons.

 

[azfishgal]

Originally Posted by Stanlalee
they are just as much or more but because of the well developed reflectors are much more effective (except the ones I suggested with less developed reflectors but still better than the single reflected current usa fixture). With T5's reflectors are more significant than with other flourescents (VHO bulbs are large and have internal reflectors, PC's shape and size reflect poorly regardless of reflector, T5's small size dictate good reflectors to utilize all the light coming from the small surface area, basically the same rational behind small DE MH bulbs being able to be reflected better than larger SE MH bulbs). The kits with well developed reflectors will have about equal PAR to a typical batwing reflected MH kit of simular wattage (ie 216w T5 about equal to a 250w MH ). I dont think anyone would feel confident saying that about the Nova fixture.
ballast, T5 bulbs and end caps are all dirt cheap in of itself, your basically paying for the design/development of the reflectors and sometimes cooling considerations in the design. basically there's nova/oddessey, then there's the next step up to TEK/Coralvue/Catalina and then finally Aquactinics/Ice cap/ATI. If you want something equivalent to MH you will be paying MH type money to get it. which is why I dont see why T5 advocates make a big deal about replacing a few $69 MH bulbs every 8-10 months and heat which if using fans is typically only a problem on 400w bulb set ups (which have no flourescent equivalent) or tanks under 55 gallons.
OK, so tell me about the 250w SE halides, and what does "SE" stand for (yes I'm blonde, but smart enough to ask questions, rigth?

). Where can I get them for a reasonable price, and would I not need some T5 actinic bulbs to counter act the "bright" white look, or would a 14K bulb be better than the 10K bulb? My biggest concern about going with only MHs is having them on for 10 hours and heating up the tank, plus using a lot of electricity. Plus, it would be nice to have a dawn/dusk effect before and after the MHs are on. Are these lights what you have on your tank?