which T5's should i buy? any advice?

[drex]

okay guys so here i am looking at tek t5's for my 90..one thing they dont have that i want is moonlights. im looking to setup my first sps tank and i want to finally have the led's.i am looking at a set of T5's on a place i cant say"its 4 letters" and they have individual reflectors,5 yr ballast warranty etc. but they have moonlights. come with bulbs and they are like $400.?all feedback is good but who knows if the people know what they are even looking for. just curious if anyone has these?"either brand" and sps/clams with them. will an 8 bulb be enough? im looking to order soon here...any advice would be great. thanks
also how are the aquactinics tx5 compared to an 8 bulb tek???? and where is the best/cheapest place to buy them?? any feedback is appreciated.

 

[wangotango]

I'd go with the 48" Aquactinics Constellation. The 8-bulb TEK wouldn't be that bad of a choice either.
-Justin

 

[drex]

any reasons why? i think the tek is the most i would want to spend which is fine but nothing higher then that...any ideas where i can get these for a good price a pet store about an hour from me will sell a 4x8bulb tek for $402 without any accessories. can anywhere else beat that>?? i just didnt know why these 5 bulb aquactinics were more then the teks..didnt know if they were that much better where you can get away with five bulbs or what..but sps/clams/ and fast lps growth are a must

thanks --- someone correct me if im wrong but i want an 8 bulb fixture for this correct?

 

[wangotango]

IMO you're going to want more than five bulbs (TX5) for a 90, especially if you want to keep SPS and clams.
Aquactincs fixtures cost more because they are a better product. They feature a cooling system that TEK does not, and their reflectors are also slightly better.
I would be willing to say that the seven bulb Constellation has more PAR than the eight bulb TEK, but again I don't have the numbers. Either fixture would be a good choice.
If you have a canopy and are handy you might want to look into a retrofit. Basically you get all the guts and just s-c-r-e-w them to your canopy. Icecap makes one of the better.
-Justin

 

[srgvigil]

Although I have no experience with it yet (it's coming in 4 days) the Nova Extreme Pro is suppose to be a very nice fixture. Again the problem with it is no moonlights but im going to mod some to my tank

 

[drex]

i know i want to go better then the nova brand my neighbor has them and i was not impressed they will do the job but i dont want to just keep the corals alive i want them to grow. i was thinking about 2 of the aquactinics TX5's if i can find a decent deal or else the tek 8 if i cant. i do not have a canopy and dont really plan on it i dont think...i may do my research a little more. i can get the tek 8 bulb for $403 ata pet store 45 min away. thats a decent deal from what i have seen. of course i want the best i can get for my money i know the aquactinics x2 would rock im sure.

 

[wangotango]

Why are you looking into getting two TX5 for the tank? One alone is going to be more than the TEK. Instead of the Aquactinics TX5, look into the Aquactinics 48" Constellation, it's a much slimmer fixture.
-Justin

 

[drex]

i had spotted a used one it was just a thought, i didnt know if they are so much better? i would hope so for the price difference. i can get a great deal on a tek 8 bulb fixture so im pretty sure that is what i am going to go with. i just wanted feedback on how the teks are , if anyone has one etc. i wouldnt mind pictures. the only T5 setup i saw looked terrible. it was a nova setup the actinics were the worst i had ever seen i didnt think he had them turned on it looked so pale in all ways of color. and it was only a month old.

 

[drex]

the guy and owner at the pet store i have been talking about said a 6 bulb is plenty for a 90 with SPS/clams. he runs a 6 on his 120 display he sais. they also said an 8 bulb would just grow algae on the front glass and thats about it...lol anyone have any suggestions? i mean its a 40 dollar difference from a 6 to 8 bulb..i am always the bigger is better..but is that true? an 8 bulb will be a waste on my 90? im planning on having a couple clams and alot of sps .i just want some detailed answers

lol thanks.
ALSO--- the limited blue tek light systems..are the icecap reflectors alot better? he has them and will hook me up cheaper yet on one of those because he has alot left. is their anything else different besides the reflectors and color? is it worth it instead of an 8 bulb for like $55 less