Need Help Finding a Light

[newreef23]

Hello, I'm just starting out and i have just about everything i need except for the light. I was wondering if anyone could link a website or suggest a model for me. I have a 75g tank thats standard. Here's what I'm looking for: a 6 bulb T5( I want to keep corals), with lunars(will not get one w/o these), thats $300. I can seem to understand why these thingsare so expensive, theres really not alot to them..I've looked at some Odyssea pros but i think i will prob. need more light and their only 216w.

[ramtmac]

i got a T5-48 for my 55 gallon. Selling everywhere $300 but kept shopping and found a fish store for $200. Lighting is expensive but worth it . try calling random fish stores in your area.

what are you planning to do with your tank ?

[newreef23]

Well for the fish i want to have 2 clowns, a yellow tang, a hippo tang, and a dragonet. Coral wise i'm not to sure yet which is why i want to go for a 6 bulb fixture instead of a 4. I'd also want to have 1 or 2 bubble anemones, and a basic reef cleaner pack(blue leg hermits, emerald crabs, snails, brittle star, ect..). I plan on buying about 50lbs of live rock and about 40lbs of dry ( i figure it'll spread).

The system i have is a 20g wet/dry filter/sump, with a coral life 200+g protien skimmer and a 100w heat in it as well.

[Tuscaquatics]

I run my 75 with a 216w Odyssea. I changed the bulbs the first chance I got, though. Got a bubble tip and a flower 'nem and LPS like frogspawn and an open brain on the sand bed.

But, honestly, the better place to put your money would be in a fixture with individual reflectors than in one with simply more bulbs. Check out the Nova Extreme.

[newreef23]

Checked out the Nova extreme and it doesn't have lunar lights. I know it doesn't sound that important but i read that it really helps with growing healthy corals and w/ so fish (Dr. Fosters and Smith). I found that the odyssea pro has individual refectors now but i can't find a place online that has them in stock... they all say their out

[Tuscaquatics]

Originally Posted by newreef23

Checked out the Nova extreme and it doesn't have lunar lights. I know it doesn't sound that important but i read that it really helps with growing healthy corals and w/ so fish (Dr. Fosters and Smith). I found that the odyssea pro has individual refectors now but i can't find a place online that has them in stock... they all say their out

Ebay will have plenty of the Odyssea, it's where I got mine. I have the Odyssea Pro 4x54w T5HO. It doesn't have individual reflectors. It has a contoured single reflector that spans the width of all four bulbs. Individual reflectors, or SLRs, are a contoured reflector around EACH bulb. Good ones can increase your PAR output by something like 50 percent or more. You're not getting a fixture that size with true SLRs for under 250 or 300 bucks.

And for the lunar lights, they haven't been found to do anything for coral or fish as far as I know. What you might be referring to is the observed simultaneous spawning of corals in the wild that is believed to be due to the lunar cycle.

They actually do sell a bad-a$$ lunar light system that has a controller that cycles the intensity of the LEDs to simulate a lunar cycle across the course of a month. I don't think anyone has actually observed it doing anything for their corals, though. I could be wrong.

With that said, there's nothing wrong with wanting the moon lights on your fixture. It was important to me as well but I've found that, if anything, it seems to keep some of my corals from not totally "going to sleep" and closing up fully. Hasn't been a problem as far as I know, and my fish all go to sleep when they're on and all the night crew comes out. It makes the tank look cool at a time when it would otherwise be boring. And it helps in observing what goes on at night.

You can always go with a Nova or another fixture without lunars and just add your own. They have LED strips that are perfect and are probably better than any that will be in a fixture for 20 or 30 bucks.

[skraj011]

You need to checkout the lighting options at ReefGeek.com. They are a terrific vendor. I've purchased 2 retrofit T5HO systems from them, one for a 90 gallon planted freshwater and one for a 125 FOWLR.

[IslandCrow]

I'll second the suggestion on Reef Geek. In addition to great service, any of the T5 setups they sell are good quality. For that matter, they only seem to sell quality equipment. You won't find much along the lines of a quality fixture that incorporates moon lights, but those can easily be added separately. For that matter, I just used some LEDs I bought in the automotive section at Walmart and used those as moon lights.

As for why T5s are so expensive, it's mainly the ballast and the reflectors (you're paying for the design in addition to the supply and manufacturing costs), plus extra steps are taken to make sure the unit is safe to extend above a saltwater tank. Are they overpriced? Yeah, probably a little, but supply and demand comes into play here.

[lalo809]

Nova extreme pro is the way to go on a 75g and you can keep anything you want

[newreef23]

What do you guys think about this light http://www.opentip.com/Pet-Supplies/...p-1545557.html

[Tuscaquatics]

That's a good light with everything you need. But over 4 bills is a little steep. Try to find it cheaper.

[zeroeffect]

We looked and looked and we ended up getting the 72 inch Current USA 12x39W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 6-10k/6-460nm Actinics.

And I must say I love them. I got it yesterday. two lights were broken in shipping but they are sending me new ones.

I never would have thought I would like lights so much but I LOVE the ones I got. After tax and shipping it was 620.00.

I also agree with Tuscaquatics shop around for the lights that you want. Some of the places I looked at were asking anywhere from 150.00 or 300.00 more than what I payed and that's not tax and shipping included..