Replace T-5 or buy PC

[akaatomic]

I have been running Nova Extreme T-5 fixture. My actinic ballast died yesterday. My question is: Should I get a replacement T-5 or go with a PC fixture. I'm not going do spend the extra cash for MH and my tank is FOWLR right now, but I may add some softies/rics/shrooms at some point. The big debate is the Nova Extreme T-5 fixture (4x54w) vs. Coralife Compact Fluorescent fixture (4x65w). Anyone have experience with either fixture? Hypothetically, if someone was going to give you one for free, which would you take?

 

[d.french]

i have corallife compact 4 x 48inch bigalsonline.com was cheapest, i would like to have something more intense but anything more than that a little pricey right now but everything doing good like mushrooms, star polyps, zoos, anenomes only problems is a hard coral i got called a slipper tongue but i'm switching to a all glass lid so i can have better lighting than with plastic lid.
i'm a newbie though so good with soft corals so far been a little more than 5 months.

 

[jhnrb]

Compacts should be changed out every 6 to 8 months so if the T-5 are working for you Id stay with um. but i have used compacts before with acceptable success.

 

[akaatomic]

Understanding that PC bulbs need replacement more frequently, are there differences in what can be raised in my tank? I'm looking for polyps, rics, anenomes and maybe some acro on the top shelf. Otherwise, my tank will mostly be inverts and invert friendly fish. Has anyone had success keeping any of these healthy with PC or T-5? Has anyone switched between the two and found one to be better lighting? Most of the lighting posts that I've sifted through end up with the same "buy metal halides" answer.

 

[rarecoral21]

go with what was already working good luck keep us posted you can keep sps with t-5 but you need alot my friends tank is a 400gal and he has 20 -54watt t-5 and about 10 65watt power compact like i said before its one of the best tank ive ever seen