72" Lights from Aquatraders

[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/sh...5&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.

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by wtym

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

[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.