Which T5 should I get

mike31154 · #1 04-01-2009, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i have crabs

not completly true. going with a 4 bulb t5 id probably agree, 6-8 bulb fixtures have really good par. i have a par meter and have tested lots of lights and my 8 bulb tek fixture puts out better power at 27"down that most 250w halides ive tested by quite alot.

since your tank is 36" and only 21" high id say the a 6 bulb in either the tek or compact usa would allow you to keep almost anything you want, some sps probably would need to be in the upper 12" but most would be fine id think. a 4 bulb might not cut it for sps but lps and softies would be no problem.

im quite shure the compact usa lights with 4 and 6 bulbs have individual reflectors while the 8 bulb and the glo lights have 1 large relfector. you definatly want individual reflectors, imo the glo lights are junk as far as power goes thier cheep so people buy them and will defend them to the grave. i didnt even keep the 2 bulb glo light i bought on my qt tank made me crazy everytime id look at the tank
the 8 bulb compact usa with 1 reflector tested about 40% less power than my tek light with the same bulbs just for a comparison on how much reflectors matter

Yep, I'm inexperienced compared to many of the members of this board, that's why I generally offer advice only on what I've experienced so far and do my best not to regurgitate things I've read elsewhere. I have a 36" Hagen Glo T5HO fixture which I purchased when I first set up my used tank. Yes I'm cheap but it worked for me initially even if it didn't completely cover my 48" long tank. A mushroom and zoa both started growing on their own a few months after I started the tank, I did not add them, they appeared on the Live Rock on their own under the cheapo Glo. I'm currently not keeping any SPS corals, but now have a large colony of zoas and a hammer coral. I've since 'upgraded' to a 4x48" T5HO retrofit kit with individual reflectors run by two Fulham Workhorse 8 ballasts. Nothing fancy but it works for me. I still use the Glo fixture with actinics for dawn/dusk effect and am quite happy with it's performance. Did have an issue with one of the endcaps but it works fine. I would not "defend them to the grave" and I think I was quite candid in my original post in stating that the Glo fixture is "not bad". I was simply trying to provide the OP with an alternative to what he was looking at. I do not consider them as 'junk' either though. We don't all have the budget for the actively cooled high end fixtures with all the bells and whistles. Personally if I was going to go to that expense, I'd probably just fire up the used tar and coil MH goodies I have gathering dust in the basement. Not ready for SPS yet, so I'm quite content with my current set up.

Canadian · #2 04-01-2009, 02:38 AM

FWIW,

I think getting a T5 fixture without active cooling and quality individual parabolic reflectors is tantamount to using MH with flat piece of polished aluminum as a reflector. The type of lighting (T5 or MH) isn't so much important as is the quality of the reflector (and in the case of T5s of equal importance is active cooling).

If a consumer can't afford to get some of the most simple and necessary components (active cooling and good reflectors) then they would be far better served operating MH. And I'll state it again: MH is still typically the best simple option for lighting a reef tank. T5 has been proven to work superbly if appropriately implemented but doing it half-a$$ed will almost certainly lead to disappointment.

mike31154 · #3 04-01-2009, 02:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canadian

FWIW,

I think getting a T5 fixture without active cooling and quality individual parabolic reflectors is tantamount to using MH with flat piece of polished aluminum as a reflector. The type of lighting (T5 or MH) isn't so much important as is the quality of the reflector (and in the case of T5s of equal importance is active cooling).

If a consumer can't afford to get some of the most simple and necessary components (active cooling and good reflectors) then they would be far better served operating MH. And I'll state it again: MH is still typically the best simple option for lighting a reef tank. T5 has been proven to work superbly if appropriately implemented but doing it half-a$$ed will almost certainly lead to disappointment.

Well, I spent all my scheckels on a VorTech pump for flow and am hoping to get another. The livestock I have is doing just fine under my half-a$$ed T5 setup so I'll just have to live with it for now.

Canadian · #4 04-01-2009, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike31154

Well, I spent all my scheckels on a VorTech pump for flow and am hoping to get another. The livestock I have is doing just fine under my half-a$$ed T5 setup so I'll just have to live with it for now.

Don't take the half-a$$ed quote as being derogatory. I'm just trying to impress upon people that you can't compare a low end T5 set up to a properly cooled and reflected T5 set up and expect to get comparable results.

mike31154 · #5 04-01-2009, 02:58 AM

You are correct of course. Fair enough, I think the OP will make the right decision and perhaps I'm getting a little carried away. No offense taken, and the OP is considering SPS, so he should get the best he can.

Bartman1818 · #6 04-01-2009, 03:15 AM

After two days worth of research, posting, checking stores, looking at market value, pricing, etc etc.

I have decided to go with the current usa 6x39 watt nova extreme pro fixture.

It has more than enough wattage for my tank, economical, individual reflectors, dual switch, splash guard, comes with bulbs, tank mounts, cooling fans built in, etc. for 450 canadian dollars. That is the best I think I will do.

Thanks folks, didn't mean to start a heated thread

Canadian · #7 04-01-2009, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bartman1818

After two days worth of research, posting, checking stores, looking at market value, pricing, etc etc.

I have decided to go with the current usa 6x39 watt nova extreme pro fixture.

It has more than enough wattage for my tank, economical, individual reflectors, dual switch, splash guard, comes with bulbs, tank mounts, cooling fans built in, etc. for 450 canadian dollars. That is the best I think I will do.

Thanks folks, didn't mean to start a heated thread

Sounds like a great decision - you've ensured your fixture has the most important components and found a reasonable compromise with respect to pricing and "quality".