is aquatic life actualy using HID in the name of there T5 lights. HID lights are MH, MV, ect.. not T5's .. well here is anouther case of a company mislabling products to make them sound better than they are...

Steve

yep but nice thing about central air is the whole family can enjoy the cool, not just the fish :biggrin:

The only reason I could see you needing a chiller is if your temperature rises quickly or a lot over time, with your lights on. If the tank temperature bounces around, that's bad... stability is paramount in a reef tank.

If your tank get hot due to the lights been on, reverse your photoperiod. My lights go on at 9 PM. Works for me

Looks like they sell both T5HO's and MH/T5HO combos. Not your standard MH lamps though. They are single ended with a G12 base. Personally I wouldn't want to be limited to only their brand of bulbs.

Hmm, single ended with a G12 base? Do HID headlight bulbs have a G12 base? Maybe these guys are one of the companies moving to the xenon bulbs...

I wouldn't buy the Aquatic Life fixture with the G12 MHs. Too limited on bulb choice...like pretty much no choice. Boo on that. And HID T5s?? Give me a break! That's like saying I drive an Astin Martin Cavalier. :lol:

My tank goes no higher than 80 degrees, and down to 78 at night. I keep my central air set to 78 degrees during the day, and open all the windows at night to cool the house down as much as possible. I have 2x250w DE MH and 2x39w T5s over a 90.

I'm not a fan of chillers. They are great for the fish, but they heat the crap out of the room they are in. It is like running an AC unit with it venting into your bedroom. It makes the room hot and stuffy. I avoid chillers at all cost, but the central air doesn't cost much. To me it's worth it, plus I have a large dog that stays inside all day, and she wouldn't be able to handle it if there was no AC.