Lighting upgrade

[tzevchik]

I want to upgrade my lighting to 6 x 50w x 48" T5's. Anyone know a good source (good quality/low price) for diy parts? Thanks,

 

[BL1]

The best 48" 6-bulb fixture you'll find is this one, and it's well worth the price.
Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

 

[Dana42078]

+1 Brian....Nova is third in line, ATI being second.....if u wanna go right at the top of the line T5 ATI fixture...G'mann is way over priced T5fixtures....retro fits are usually cheaper but you cant beat ATI reflectors...unreal IMO.....reefgeek.com, ask for George. He will convince u ATI is the way to go for T5 anything

Im always trying to explain, you get what u pay for...id rather save money longer and buy a bettter product than to make an instant buy and have it shit on me earlier and to have less growth...think before u buy...cheaper isnt always better...jus sayin..

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with both of the above.

 

[Northstar24]

+1 Brian....Nova is third in line, ATI being second.....if u wanna go right at the top of the line T5 ATI fixture...G'mann is way over priced T5fixtures....retro fits are usually cheaper but you cant beat ATI reflectors...unreal IMO.....reefgeek.com, ask for George. He will convince u ATI is the way to go for T5 anything

Im always trying to explain, you get what u pay for...id rather save money longer and buy a bettter product than to make an instant buy and have it shit on me earlier and to have less growth...think before u buy...cheaper isnt always better...jus sayin..

Cheaper is almost always NEVER better. It might be better for your wallet short term, but you usually end up spending more in the long run

 

[tzevchik]

Will this provide enough light for high demanding corals and things like bubble tip anenomes?

 

[little_fish]

The nova lights will let you keep anything you like including nems and clams, i highly doubt you could build a light that puts out enough light to keep the high light demanding animals like clams or nems.

 

[Reef Nutz]

2x250 METAL HALIDE HQI AQUARIUM REEF LIGHTS W/BALLAST | eBay
Here is the one that I would get. $140 for 2.
250 Watt Metal Halide Aquarium Light w/ 14k or 20k Lamp | eBay

 

[tzevchik]

Brian
I have a canopy. Will the novo 6 bulb aray mount in it?

 

[tzevchik]

I looked ati on line. Before I put 900-1000 in t5 I would invest in LED.

 

[little_fish]

I dont think you are looking at the correct light, they are not that expensive, not even close

Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, 6 bulb T5s are not in the $900 to $1,000 range. The Nova Extremes are good and a fraction of that price.

 

[tzevchik]

Thanks, I was looking at the wrong bulb length. Do you know if I can just screw this fixture to my canopy as opposed to mounting it across the tank? The website did not indicate.

 

[BL1]

You'd need to check the dimensions of the fixture first and see if it will even fit inside the canopy (most of us don't use them). If it physically fits in there then I'm sure it could be mounted inside it (it might not be easy though).

 

[tzevchik]

From the website pics it doesn't look like it has pre-drilled mounting holes.

 

[tzevchik]

I like the look of the canopy, but I could see advantages of not using one-heat for example.

 

[Northstar24]

If you're going to place the fixture in a canopy, make sure that there is a way for air to circulate so that the fixture stays cool, heat not having a way to escape the canopy is a great way to fry bulbs or ballasts

 

[tzevchik]

What's your opinon of this light? Sunlight Supply TEK Light T5 Fixture - English

 

[Bifferwine]

Tek lights are really good lights.

 

[tzevchik]

Don't know if I'll be saving anything though, by the time I buy the legs, bulbs and splash covers. What BL1 recommended included all these. So, which fixture is best? By the way, do we buy/sell/trade on this forum?