Inexpensive Lighting

[LikeDaReef]

Hello everyone,
First off I must say this forum is a wealth of knoweledge and I have enjoyed reading thru a large portion of it. I finally do have a question though.

I will be setting up my 1st reef tank soon. I am currently in the research/planning stage. I have chosen to build a shallow reef as my 1st tank using a 40 gallon breeder. The only decision I have left is lighting.

I know for the tank I will need atleast 192w of light for coral. I am trying to find the least expensive route for lighting. whether it be purchasing a used unit or building my own system by ordering parts separetly. Now I havent ever wired a lighting system but i am a quick study and dont anticipate a problem. A list of what I would need would be greatly appreciated. So anyway I wanted to get the opinion of the obviously large knowledge base available here.

Basically I want to save money so i can avoid being beaten about the head and shoulder area by my fiance!

Thanks in advance for any info!!

P.S. I have kept large freshwater aquariums for many years so Im not that big of a newbie. Just to the reef.

[Saltdog813]

Hay Bro why not try Craigslist or ebay. Also look in the trading or swap area on here. Its some nice stuff other there looking for a good home. Good Luck with your tank!

[Moebuis]

Dude, you need to train your fiance now before it's too late that the way you spend your hobby money is not her concern. She wants shoes and you don't get on her for that so she should leave you alone.

For inexpensive lighting, it'll all depend on what you want to keep. In any case, retrofitting is usually cheaper than all in one fixtures. Some retrofits can allow for future tank upgrades as well (ex. upgrade from a 36" long 40B to a 48" tank, just buy another MH pendant to go along with the one you already own). I'd look at reefgeek.com for a 36" 4-bulb t5 retrofit. If down the road you want more light demanding corals, add another 2 bulbs.

[phenom5]

Inexpensive and lighting don't go together...come to think of it, inexpensive and reefing don't go together.

What kind of lighting are you looking for? T5's or MH?
What kind of budget are we talking?


Oh...and if there's one thing I've learned in dealing with my wife & this hobby...it's easier to ask for forgiveness then permission.

[jayhawk317]

what kind of corals do you plan to keep? it will make the difference on what kind of lighting you want to get. 300 watts of metal halide lighting isnt the same as say 300 watts on VHO lighting. i like hellolights. where i have gottin all my lighting stuff.

[Chiefsurfer]

I think if the OP is trying to go cheap, MH is not the way to go. JMO.

I'd say go with a nice 4 or 6 bulb t5. I am not sure the dimensions of a 40 breeder, so I cannot say exactly. But I am hearing the tank is 36" long. If it's 36" long, most common are 4-bulbs in fairly cheap fixtures, but you can find 6-bulb fixtures. With 36's, you will get 36W per bulb, to get your desired wpg, you'd need the 6, however there have to be plenty of power with 4. T5 HO have MUCH more PAR than VHO's per watt

[LikeDaReef]

thanks to all for your replies. I would rather not be limited to the corals I can keep. I dont mind upgrading in the future for a larger tank but would rather not have to upgrade just because i really want that certain sps. I have read in some places that as long as the tank is 18" or less in depth that I should be fine with flourecents. Of course I would rather throw in a MH but I was hoping to keep the price below $200.

The dimensions for a 40 gallon breeder is 36x18x18.

I do have a 36" Jebo 110w light fixture a friend gave me but the acrylic shield is cracked and has a hole in it, the reflector is corroded and there was a cracking and popping sound when I turned it on to test it so if anything I may use it to fill some space in my trash can.

I wasnt aware there was a trading/swap area on this forum. If someone could point me in that direction I would greatly appreciate it.

[phenom5]

Selling/ Trading forums

Another good place to find deals on stuff is through reef clubs in your area.

RC Club forums

I think if you want to keep it around or below $200, finding a used setup is your best bet. I wouldn't bother with anything but good quality T5's or MH, especially since you've already mentioned SPS.

You could get yourself into a good quality 4 tube T5 retro for just under $300. That will give you plenty of light, possibly enough for SPS down the road, but if you decide you want more light, you can add a 2 tube retro when you're ready.

I highly recommend ReefGeek, great vendor with solid prices, and I would highly recommend an Ice Cap kit.

ReefGeek-IceCap SLR retros

A little more money than you were looking to spend, but it'd be money well spent IMO.

Hope that helps

[thile123]

aquatraders-dot-com has some cheap MH light fixture. I've been using this 36" fixture on my tank for awhile and everything grows great. There's a thread on here somewhere that reviews these odyssea MH fixture.

[Jaycen B.]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hlight=odyssea

[LikeDaReef]

Originally Posted by thile123

aquatraders-dot-com has some cheap MH light fixture. I've been using this 36" fixture on my tank for awhile and everything grows great. There's a thread on here somewhere that reviews these odyssea MH fixture.

Hey thanks for the heads up on aquatraders-dot-com. They have the best prices I have seen so far on complete fixtures.

thanks for the link to the selling/trading forums phenom5 but for some reason i dont have permission to access the page that is on the other side of that link.

I seen a MH / T5 combination fixture on the aquatraders-dot-com for 219 that I think I will go with. Thanks allot for all the advice and when I decide to upgrade in the future it will most likely be a DIY Canopy so I will most likely be back.

Thanks again!

[Chiefsurfer]

the OP only has 2 posts, he obviously can't view or use the buy/sell/trade forums yet.

You have to be a member for 90 days and have 50 posts to see this forum.

Used can be the way to go, but I would go see everything so you are not faced with something like your friend gave you.

With 18" deep, T5 should be fine for just about anything you want to do. Might be too light for some of the MOST light-demanding corals, but 99% of what you want to do should be fine with a 4-bulb t5HO. IF you just want basic strip lights(no LED's, or fans and what-not), aquaticlife makes "link" fixtures. These are 2-bulb fixtures that can be "linked" together to provide 2, 4, or 6 bulbs. This way, NEW, you can get 2 of them and the linking hardware for about $250. Although a little bit more than the 4-bulb fixture, it gives you the flexability to add 2 more bulbs if you so desire. Nice feature if you decide to change things up. If you really need to save a buck or two, you can start off with just a single for $120. Nice little feature, just know that you will have a power cord per "unit". If you want to get bye, aquaticlife is also making an "all-in-one" fixture that has 6 bulbs, LED's, and integrated timer with single cord, all in one fixture. The 6-bulb is supposed to come out in january, and be available as small as 36".

Otherwise, the current fixtures apparently get a good rep for affordable t5 fixtures.

[Chiefsurfer]

be careful about those fixtures. Their prices seem VERY appealing, but you have to be careful. I was told that the most important feature of any t5 fixture is that it has good reflectors. Chances are that if the fixture is that cheap(and that is CHEAP) it might not have individual reflectors for each bulb(greatly reducing their power) and the reflector material may be very low grade material.

Best to look up the mfg of those lights, and figure out the specs.

[Pimps]

Hey like welcome to the forum.

Like you, I just started my first reef tank a 35g 90 days ago. I said the same thing as you, "I want cheap lights" but believe me it was the worst decision I've made in this hobby.

I wish I found this site sooner but I had already committed on a Current PC unit from my LFS. The unit is good, but what you don't realize is that lighting is such a HUGE component to your tank and that if you buy a cheapo light you're going to be very limited in the future.

My advice would be to get great lighting and just wait if money is tight since you don;t have a tank up & running. I'm trying to sell my 36in light now to upgrade!

[tipmoff]

LikeDaReef... I have used the lights from Aquatraders for the past year and have purchased 2 different MH set ups. I keep all kinds of corals with no problems. Just make sure you change the bulbs every 6 months or so.

[loosecannon]

Originally Posted by LikeDaReef

Hello everyone,
First off I must say this forum is a wealth of knoweledge and I have enjoyed reading thru a large portion of it. I finally do have a question though.

I will be setting up my 1st reef tank soon. I am currently in the research/planning stage. I have chosen to build a shallow reef as my 1st tank using a 40 gallon breeder. The only decision I have left is lighting.

I know for the tank I will need atleast 192w of light for coral. I am trying to find the least expensive route for lighting. whether it be purchasing a used unit or building my own system by ordering parts separetly. Now I havent ever wired a lighting system but i am a quick study and dont anticipate a problem. A list of what I would need would be greatly appreciated. So anyway I wanted to get the opinion of the obviously large knowledge base available here.I have a 40 gal. breeder, with a dul 96 watt pc and a singal 96 watt pc. Go here, http://www.aquatraders.com

Basically I want to save money so i can avoid being beaten about the head and shoulder area by my fiance!

Thanks in advance for any info!!

P.S. I have kept large freshwater aquariums for many years so Im not that big of a newbie. Just to the reef.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

I'd just like to throw out that it's important to consider "total cost of ownership" from when you buy something to the day you throw it away. Many "cheap" light fixtures come with worthless lamps, or ballasts that will die quickly, or reflectors inefficient enough that you'll want to replace them.

Also, consider wattage consumed. Many people don't think about it until it shows up on their power bill, but even a modest reef lighting fixture can cost a fair amount per month to run. If your light consists of two 250w MH and 150w of supplemental PC or T5, that's 400w of light. At 10 hours per day and 15 cents per kilowatt, that's around $20 a month. If your tank lasts for 10 years, you just spent $2,400 on electricity! And, if you are replacing those two 250w MH (at $75 each) and the supplementals (let's say $100 total) once a year, that's another $2,500 over 10 years!

So, spending $100 more to get a good light fixture up front is barely even a drop in the bucket. Spending $100 more to get a more efficient light fixture up front can save you money in the long term.

Spending $1,000 more up front to get LEDs seems like a huge leap, but it'll probably cut the 10 year cost from ~$5,000 to $1,000 or less, so the large upfront investment will pay for itself in a year or two. Granted, LEDs are rather bleeding-edge at the moment, but if they ever even get close to the price of MH or T5, it'll be a total no-brainer.

[frewd]

your cheapest option is probably to find a used metal halide retro fit system. for example i bought two 175 watt ballast, reflectors, sockets, wires, and bulbs for 175$. also a lot of people are switching to t5 bulbs so there easier to come by.

[Juruense]

Lighting is so expensive it sucks, so are protein skimmers...

[LikeDaReef]

Thanks to all for the info. I have some thinking to do now. Thanks again!!

[lordofthereef]

Frankly however you came up with the number 196w IMO you shouldn't shoot for that, but rather base the lights on what you want to keep. 196 watts of pc =/= 196 watts of T5 =/= 196 watts of MH. Part of this decision process also comes down to personal preference, or the look you are after, but the larger part boils down to the the livestock you are considering keeping. There are some great threads with pics for all types of lighting systems. You should search around to get a glimpse of what they will look like at least.

[lordofthereef]

I also figured I would point out that you will not be able to see those selling/trading forums until you reach 50+ posts and will technically not be allowed to participate in them until you meet that post count PLUS have been a member for 90+ days.

[Jstdv8]

the only factory made t5 that will give you the kind of wattage you are looking for for anywhere near the money would be the nova extreme pro i think and you're gonna be into that for 300.00
I would think that you could get some halides for around that price in pendant style

[tkeracer619]

Brand new $215. Enough light to keep anything you want. Go with the reeflux 20k or xm 20k for a few $ more. Reeflux for whiter and XM for bluer.

If you buy something used the bulbs are almost always shot. Don't buy lighting used unless its a killer deal on a fixture that has no bulbs(or they are not figured into the price) or you are buying parts to retro. A 6 bulb t5 fixture might look like a great deal until you have to spend $140 on some bulbs because the ones that came with it are 2 years old.

[lordofthereef]

If you are handy with the DIY you could also get yourself some well prices retros for around 100 bucks and build yourself a canopy or even a pendant style fixture.