Yet another lighting question thread

bostontim

bostontim

Reefing ain't Easy
OK. I have about 300 dollars to spend right now. I want to make a slight lighting upgrade from my current 80w of flourescent light. I know that in the long run I will want MH or T5 with ind. reflectors but those are not available in my current price range. What do yall think about this light:

http://www.catfishlighting.com/body_specials.html

If that isn't very good (or at least not good enough for now) what in the price range would you suugest. Also are there any LFS that carry thhe lights so I could just pick up the whole fixture and get it on there today.

-Tim
 
bostontim said:
OK. I have about 300 dollars to spend right now. I want to make a slight lighting upgrade from my current 80w of flourescent light. I know that in the long run I will want MH or T5 with ind. reflectors but those are not available in my current price range. What do yall think about this light:

http://www.catfishlighting.com/body_specials.html

If that isn't very good (or at least not good enough for now) what in the price range would you suugest. Also are there any LFS that carry thhe lights so I could just pick up the whole fixture and get it on there today.

-Tim
Click to expand...

Another BRS member has offered to sell me a Current USA Orbit 4x96 model 1031. What do yall think about this light or the original i posted??
 
If you know that you will want T5/MH, just save yourself the money and aggravation and wait until you can afford what you really want...or look used. Halides come up very very frequently for sale.
 
A retrofit kit is basically just a "kit" that you would install yourself into your canopy. Im not sure but theyre may be some hanging ones also. But thats basically the only difference I know of, one isnt necessarily better than the other.
 
What kind of tank are we talking about? How long, high, etc. What do you want to keep?
 
The soft corals would not force you into MH lights. You would be fine with T5s. The BTA is a bit more complicated. Some say MH others use T5. Are you sure you want a BTA?
 
rjdudek said:
The soft corals would not force you into MH lights. You would be fine with T5s. The BTA is a bit more complicated. Some say MH others use T5. Are you sure you want a BTA?
Click to expand...

Well I wanted an anenome to host the clownfish. Is there a better kind?
 
>The soft corals would not force you into MH lights. You would be fine with T5s.<

I agree. Also, the fact that the tank is so narrow front to back would make it difficult to light with MH.

I'd go with either two or three of these T-5 2 bulb 48"ers. I'd slap them into a homemade wooden hood and call it a day. The T-5 would make for a very nice display.

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=564
 
Greg Hiller said:
>The soft corals would not force you into MH lights. You would be fine with T5s.<

I agree. Also, the fact that the tank is so narrow front to back would make it difficult to light with MH.

I'd go with either two or three of these T-5 2 bulb 48"ers. I'd slap them into a homemade wooden hood and call it a day. The T-5 would make for a very nice display.

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=564
Click to expand...

Ok. Thanks. I dont know much about building a canopy but I will look into it. Also, is T5 better than PC lighting??
 
Another benefit of going with a couple T5s now is that if you eventually do get to a MH system, you could still use the T5 hardware for actinic - just get different tubes.

I believe the advantage T5s have over CFs are the individual reflector capabilities. It's much easier to direct all the light from a single tube T5 vs a double tube CF. Setup-wise, CF are a bit easier to deal with because all the wiring is at one end.
 
>I believe the advantage T5s have over CFs are the individual reflector capabilities.<

That's my understanding as well.

>I dont know much about building a canopy but I will look into it.<

Super easy. You can just make a wooden box with no top. You can make it just a little longer than your tank. The top can consist of just a wooden brace or two that the lights are screwed into. The open top will maximize heat flow out of the fixture without the need for fans (though you still might need a fan).
 
another option that is slightly out of your price range, but a very nice fixture for a 55 due to its size is:
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=586

I am running this on a 72 Bow, have had no trouble growing a nice mix of SPS, LPS and Softies.

Antoher benefit of this light is you can sit it right on top of your tank with very little temperature effect, and it looks nice.

I started with PC, and basically threw away $150 bucks when I changed lights. It is better IMO to wait and get what you want.

Good Luck!!

-Brian
 
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