72" Lights from Aquatraders

[my2rotties]

Well the tank is cycling and we have decided to sell the two sets of 3 foot Tek LIghts and go with a 72" unit with the MH built into them. I see the $1300 lights from Coral Life and such but there is a company called Aquatraders and they have the same type of lights (have no clue whom makes them), for under $600 brand new. Here is the link for the lights.

http://WWW.AQUATRADERS.COM/72-1134W-metal-halide-system-electronic-ballast.aspx

I know generally you get what you pay for, but at half the price I am seriously looking at them.

Any insight would be most appreciated.

My 260g tank build
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30861436@N08/?saved=1

[my2rotties]

Okay I phoned the company and was told the lights are made in China and are generic lights. I know some things from CHina should not be bought, but what about these lights. They are $589 plus $65 shipping to my address in Alberta. They seem like such a fantastic deal, but are they?

[fkshiu]

They don't have the best of reputations and you do get what you pay for. Many people have bought from them and are happy, but there also seems to be an uncomfortably high number of people around who are not happy as well.

On the other hand, all the Coralife stuff is made in China as well.

However, the tipping factor may be that I don't think the Aquatraders stuff is CSA approved. So if it starts a fire (MH ballasts and SW are bad together) your house insurance will not cover the damage.

[my2rotties]

Thanks so much for the info... Not being approved is a HUGE factor since I want house insurance and I don't want to burn it down... my cooking alone comes close to torching the joint:lol: Well that stinks, I did not even consider the fact that people can sell things that are not CSA approved. I think I will phone back and ask about this but the girl was not the most helpful when I called the first time. I appreciate the info and am glad you knew that... do adds generally state CSA approved and the like. How do I find this out?

They don't have the best of reputations and you do get what you pay for. Many people have bought from them and are happy, but there also seems to be an uncomfortably high number of people around who are not happy as well.

On the other hand, all the Coralife stuff is made in China as well.

However, the tipping factor may be that I don't think the Aquatraders stuff is CSA approved. So if it starts a fire (MH ballasts and SW are bad together) your house insurance will not cover the damage.

[Trigger Man]

Thanks so much for the info... Not being approved is a HUGE factor since I want house insurance and I don;t want to burn it down... my cooking alone comes close to torching the joint:lol: Well thack stinks, I did not even consdier the fact that people can sell things that are not CSA approved. I think I will phone back and ask about this but the girl was not the most helpful when I called the first time. I appreciate the info and am glad you knew that... do adds generally state CSA approved and the like. HOw do I find this out?

You can get the customer service people there to check on the box or on the item. If it is CSA appoved it will have a the CSA sticker on it. You can also contact the Canadian Inspection department for that industry and they should be able to help

[mark]

dp

[mark]

I wouldn't so much worry about the CSA sticker and a insurance payout as the product is legally available to the consumer but from a safety point in theory doesn't hurt (could tell you stories of the ex's job in a lamp factory when we were back east, or even the inspection process I was involved with for Radar systems).

[xtreme]

I have one of these units and ended up upgrading all 3 ballasts and all 3 lamps and the difference in brightness and color was unreal. I thought it was a great deal but after adding the costs of the upgrades I could have and probably would have purchased a different brand. Beware of Coralife as its quality is comparable to the aquatraders light. I have seen coralife lights with new ballasts and the difference was also huge. I would not recommend a coralife light.


There is also a HUGE thread on RC regarding this light if you feel like spending all day reading about them. LOL

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1234358&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[my2rotties]

Thanks for the info everybody, I will make a coffee and take a look at the thread. I did not know you could upgrade the lights, and it does sound expensive in the long run... My tank is 30" deep and I am wanting the light to get to the bottom. I learned when I bought this house and the 55g salt water tank was left behind that I only want to buy things once. I am strong believer in you get what you pay for, but then again if I can get the same quality for less, I am a happy camper.

[xtreme]

When I say upgrade i mean I changed out the ballasts that came with it for Icecap's and Vertex ballasts. The difference in brightness was like night and day. I then changed out the odyssea lamps with ushio and the color went from yellow to a nice crisp white/blue.

[my2rotties]

Okay I am still a newbie on the aqarium scene and that thread is messing with my little brain. In your opinion who makes the best 72" lighting with MH built in? I just want to do it right the first time, and I am upset about the Coralife lighting since it is expensive. If I have to upgrade it in the end, I would almost be better off with the generic lighting and upgrade later...

My next question is what do you buy to upgrade. I did a search and get so many threads that do not help much. I am a strong believer in the search function, but sometimes it makes things so difficult for a newbie that already getting a learning overload. These forums are wonderful for all the info, but sometimes it makes the newbies run away in fear...:surprise:

I have one of these units and ended up upgrading all 3 ballasts and all 3 lamps and the difference in brightness and color was unreal. I thought it was a great deal but after adding the costs of the upgrades I could have and probably would have purchased a different brand. Beware of Coralife as its quality is comparable to the aquatraders light. I have seen coralife lights with new ballasts and the difference was also huge. I would not recommend a coralife light.


There is also a HUGE thread on RC regarding this light if you feel like spending all day reading about them. LOL

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1234358&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[fencer]

ULC would also be and acceptable standard and even the VOC german std. As for ballasts there are only a few companies that carry that rating(as well as CSA)

[wtym]

When I say upgrade i mean I changed out the ballasts that came with it for Icecap's and Vertex ballasts. The difference in brightness was like night and day. I then changed out the odyssea lamps with ushio and the color went from yellow to a nice crisp white/blue.

I bought one and had to change out all the ballasts and bulbs after just a few months. If I could go back and do it again I'd buy a better quality one first to avoid massive headaches.

[xtreme]

I bought one and had to change out all the ballasts and bulbs after just a few months. If I could go back and do it again I'd buy a better quality one first to avoid massive headaches.

Mine was still working fine, I was just curious to see how big of a difference a ballast could make. I picked up one new ballast and after seeing how much brighter it made the original bulb I had to get two more. That made me wonder about the quality of the bulbs as well. I picked up some 14k Ushio's and the color was much better, although when comparing the original bulbs they were 6 months old.

Which MH fixtures are the best I do not know. I have seen some nice units available but I'm not in the market for one right now so haven't done the research. What I do know is quality lamps and ballast go a long ways.

[Leah]

I second, have had a rather distasteful experience with coralife. I bought one of their
metal halide lights and was so frustrated with trying to get in touch with them, as the
light didn't work properly from day 1. My dad said it was a piece of ----. Not what you want to hear once you have it. Anyhow it was an eye-opener to say the least.
________
Honda information (http://www.honda-wiki.org/)

[my2rotties]

Well these last posts pretty much made me decide against the generic lighting. I figured just as much but hoped for some reason they were fantastic. I guess when we are financing a 260g tank, we try to save every penny. It seems that everytime we buy something, its $1000 or more, hence the time its taking for this build...

What brand of lights do you guys suggest then?

[mike31154]

I see by the link you provided that the 72 inch fixture has compact fluorescents with the MH instead of T5 HO. That to me would be another reason to stay away from it. T5 HOs would give you much better efficiency and more flexibility as to lamp choice. I realize they would just be supplementing the MH, but nevertheless, T5HO would be a better choice as a supplement.

[mark]

Have you though about a hood or canopy over the tank rather a fixture that sits on the top or hangs from the ceiling?

It's all personal preference but I did the hood to try to match in around the rest of the woodwork plus didn't want the light spilling out. I simply mounted some PFO MH mini-pendents and eventually a T5 retro kit. Could also try Lumenarc reflectors or appears you have some DIY skills build your own (here (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1434493&perpage=25&pagenumber=1)).

[fishytime]

As for brand recommendations. Good; current USA outer orbit, ATI, Maristar by sunlight supply. Great; Geissmen

[fkshiu]

If you are serious about your corals you have two choices: the all-in-one fixtures like the aquatrader one you were looking at OR building a lighting system a la carte with separate components. There are many good fixtures out there, but the problem with almost all of them are the reflectors IMO.

There are three main components to a good lighting system: bulb, ballast and reflector. Of the three, the reflector is usually overlooked. However, a good reflector can make or break your lighting system by even spreading out the light and preventing any hotspots.

The problem with the MH reflectors in most all-in-one fixtures are their size - they are simply too small to properly spread the light. It's simply a matter of packaging for the manufacturers. The only exception I can think of offhand is the Sfiligoi Infinity which has comparatively gigantic reflectors, but unfortunately not many people can afford it.

Now if you go DIY you'll be able to utilize one of three vastly superior reflectors: Lumenmax, Lumenbright and the grand-daddy Lumenarc.

I understand that some people are uncomfortable doing electrical DIY, and would prefer a pre-assembled fixture. However, much of what you'd be doing with a custom system is simply doing some extra plugging-in and at worst matching the same coloured wires. It is more work if you have to build a hood, but the superior results you'll get will be worth it if you are planning to be in this hobby seriously and for the long haul.

[my2rotties]

We have no problem doing the DIY. Frank is building a canopy over the top anyways, but we just don't know where to start out. One option was to use the Tek Lights and some how fit the MH into the grand sceme of things. We also want to LEDs so I don't know how that will work into our plans. I guess I should check the DIY section and see if there are any pictures of what I am looking for.

Thanks to everyone for the most helpful info and sensory overload.

Pics of the tank with water are now up...

If you are serious about your corals you have two choices: the all-in-one fixtures like the aquatrader one you were looking at OR building a lighting system a la carte with separate components. There are many good fixtures out there, but the problem with almost all of them are the reflectors IMO.

There are three main components to a good lighting system: bulb, ballast and reflector. Of the three, the reflector is usually overlooked. However, a good reflector can make or break your lighting system by even spreading out the light and preventing any hotspots.

The problem with the MH reflectors in most all-in-one fixtures are their size - they are simply too small to properly spread the light. It's simply a matter of packaging for the manufacturers. The only exception I can think of offhand is the Sfiligoi Infinity which has comparatively gigantic reflectors, but unfortunately not many people can afford it.

Now if you go DIY you'll be able to utilize one of three vastly superior reflectors: Lumenmax, Lumenbright and the grand-daddy Lumenarc.

I understand that some people are uncomfortable doing electrical DIY, and would prefer a pre-assembled fixture. However, much of what you'd be doing with a custom system is simply doing some extra plugging-in and at worst matching the same coloured wires. It is more work if you have to build a hood, but the superior results you'll get will be worth it if you are planning to be in this hobby seriously and for the long haul.

[globaldesigns]

I have a 4ft Corallife with 2X250W MH, 2 Actinics and 4 Moon LED, and must say what you are looking at looks quite similar.

I love my corallife

[my2rotties]

They "look" like Corallife lights, but I think that is the only similarity. I think I will talk to the husband and see if we should try to make our own lighting, if you have to mod most of them any ways... This build has been 8 months from the time I bought the tank, and if it takes another year to make certain it is right we will just have to wait it out. It kills me to got to the LFS and see all my future livestock that I want to stock the tank with. I am sure that will be another big chapter of questions to make sure they are compatible, since I want a peaceful and happy tank.

I always thought Coralife was good, but not having it personally and hearing it needs to be upgraded makes me wonder... If I could have bought generic lighting for half the price an upgraded which I would have to do with the Coralife lights, why not go that route? Then I read thrads and just don't want to chance it. Electricity and water are risky as it is.

I have a 4ft Corallife with 2X250W MH, 2 Actinics and 4 Moon LED, and must say what you are looking at looks quite similar.

I love my corallife

[MMAX]

I was looking at the 48" model from Aquatraders. It sounds like a great deal but I'd be real worried about the shipping aspect of it. Coming from that far away (California I think) the fixture would more than likely arrive in several broken pieces.

[xtreme]

Don't get me wrong, the Coralife or Aquatraders lights do not "need" to be upgraded. They are fine for softies and LPS and even some SPS. My corals grew well under these lights for 6 or 7 months. My tank is now mostly SPS so thats why I did the upgrades and they have definitely benefitted from the brighter light. For example my pink birdsnest went from a peachy color to bright pink with purple polyps with the new lights. The growth was always there but not the color. All I'm saying is there is higher quality fixtures available, and depending on what corals you end up keeping, you might find yourself needing something better.

[xtreme]

I was looking at the 48" model from Aquatraders. It sounds like a great deal but I'd be real worried about the shipping aspect of it. Coming from that far away (California I think) the fixture would more than likely arrive in several broken pieces.

My 72" fixture came out of Cali. It was packaged quite well and there was only one broken PC bulb. They sent me another but I had to pay the cost to ship the replacement.