Tek 4x39 ,6x39, or Aquactinics TX5

[ty williams]

I am buying a new lighting fixture in a couple months. I was wondering if anybody that had these fixtures has any problems with them. Or if any has any recommendations.
For the Teks, since there is no cooling fan, are there any heat issues?
I am planning on getting SPS and clams.

 

[isistius]

what are the tank dimensions? i have the 5x39 tx5. i love it. internal ballast fan was a big deciding factor for me

 

[dragonzim]

I"ve got a Tek 48" 6x54. The fixture is a little warm to the touch but I do not have any heat issues in my tank at all.

 

[ty williams]

Dragon>Is the fixture warm(hot) enough to burn you? Does the heat seem to be dissipated away from the water? Can you keep your water temp at 78-79 without a chiller? Also, it doesn't look like the Teks come with a spash shield. Did you have to buy one separately or don't you use one?

 

[bkvreef]

Originally Posted by Ty Williams
Dragon>Is the fixture warm(hot) enough to burn you? Does the heat seem to be dissipated away from the water? Can you keep your water temp at 78-79 without a chiller? Also, it doesn't look like the Teks come with a spash shield. Did you have to buy one separately or don't you use one?
I have 60" 3 x 80 watts (tek t-5's) over my 110 and they are great. I have never had to worry about the heat issue. Ok every once in a while when the house is open and it's hot (but then I just freeze a 2 liter bottle and put it in the sump).
Any way I have been told that t-5's, regardless of tek or not, don't give off the correct spectrum of lighting to really allow a clam to do well. I hear that it is not a matter of wattage and that if you want a good clam setup you need to try halides. I'm sure there are people on here that will tell you both ways but that's just based on what I've been told, and that's the reason I've stayed away from them.

 

[dragonzim]

Originally Posted by Ty Williams
Dragon>Is the fixture warm(hot) enough to burn you? Does the heat seem to be dissipated away from the water? Can you keep your water temp at 78-79 without a chiller? Also, it doesn't look like the Teks come with a spash shield. Did you have to buy one separately or don't you use one?
The fixture is definitely NOT hot enough to burn. Its really just slightly warm to the touch. I've never had a problem with the heat radiating into the water since I put the fixture on. One thing to make sure of is to not use glass tops though. That will raise your temp up quickly. I do not run a chiller. In the summer my temp hovers around 80-82 and now that it's cooler it is around 79-80. It did not come with a splash shield and I do not use one. I have the mounting legs that are made for the fixture and they hold the light about 8 inches or so above the water level.

 

[ty williams]

Originally Posted by bkvreef
I have 60" 3 x 80 watts (tek t-5's) over my 110 and they are great. I have never had to worry about the heat issue. Ok every once in a while when the house is open and it's hot (but then I just freeze a 2 liter bottle and put it in the sump).
Any way I have been told that t-5's, regardless of tek or not, don't give off the correct spectrum of lighting to really allow a clam to do well. I hear that it is not a matter of wattage and that if you want a good clam setup you need to try halides. I'm sure there are people on here that will tell you both ways but that's just based on what I've been told, and that's the reason I've stayed away from them.
I thought that you could buy bulbs in the same spectrum that Halides emit. 12000k 14000k ATI, UV,Geissman? Also, since my tank is 24 inches deep and 12 inches wide, only the Tek 4 bulb and the Aquactinics TX5 will fit. I'm thinking I better go with the Aquactinics TX5 since it has an extra bulb.

 

[saltn00b]

not sure who told you that but i have never heard of that before. there are many many people that keep SPS dominated tanks with T5. if you can keep SPS, you can keep clams.

 

[flinka]

I have a 48" Aquactinics on my 75G reef tank and everything, including SPS, are thriving.

 

[bkvreef]

Originally Posted by saltn00b
not sure who told you that but i have never heard of that before. there are many many people that keep SPS dominated tanks with T5. if you can keep SPS, you can keep clams.
I'm glad to hear that. Would I have to buy different spectrum like Ty said?
Either way I've been very happy with my teks