New Fishneedit T5 Fixture with Pics

[Dipandots]

Seeing as how I hadn't seen anyone post about the new 4 bulb T5HO fixtures from fishneedit, I thought I would just post a few pictures. I had been looking for a T5 fixture for awhile and saw these new fishneedit ones and had to buy one. Should be a nice upgrade from my PC fixture.

Some of the stickers describing the fixture, I think it gives more info than the website does


Sticker of the bulbs I requested. I had no idea on bulb combination because I am new to T5's and after talking to another reefer who was ordering this fixture I settled on 2 blue (actinic), 1 10k and 1 14k


Bulbs all fired up, order is 10k, blue, 14k, blue


The single lamp reflectors (best shot I could get of them)


Someone was getting jealous


The external ballasts, each one controls two bulbs, the switch is on the side


After fussing with the legs for a couple of minutes this is how it looks with all 4 bulbs on lighting up the carpet.


I now have to find some kind of screen so I can acclimate the tank to the new night, but i'll be back with more pics when it's all set up.

[nvdiz]

Looks good

I've been wanting to see what some of their fixtures look like up close

[johnarky]

Good stuff. Thanks for posting on this. I've been looking for reviews on these new fixtures. I'm thinking about getting a 48 inch.
How do you feel about the build quality? Hopefully it's pretty solid.
Hope to see more pics once you get it on your tank.

[Dipandots]

I think it's built pretty well. Nothing seems too cheap. I was very pleased with the legs, they're much more stable than the Current Dual's legs. I feel like it isn't as bright as my PC lighting, but I'm hoping this is only because I have 3 layers of egg crate reflecting light out.

FTS, please excuse the aquascape, haven't rescaped since a move

[jaygalindo]

Do you have an updated opinion on your experience with these?

[kv2wr1]

Does the fixture come with an acrylic or glass splash plate to cover the bulbs and prevent them from getting wet?

[oct2274]

I don't think a good comparison can be done till you tell us what bulbs are in there. T5 bulbs vary greatly in PAR output and the bulbs that are in there are probably not so good I'm guessing.

[Dipandots]

First I would like to say that I am relatively new to reefing so please only take this with a grain of salt. I am very pleased with this light fixture. I think for $100 it is a great deal for the budget minded reefer. It works well, I haven't had any problems with the fixture running 10 hours a day. As for the bulbs, I totally agree with oct2274's comment that bulbs are a huge variable in any T5 fixture. The bulbs I am using are the stock fishneedit bulbs, and I am thinking they are not that great. I don't really have anything to compare this to however. I have had a noticeable increase in growth, but I assume I should changing from PC to T5. As for whether or not I would recommend this fixture I will form a pros and cons list and you can decide for yourself.

Pros:
- Low price
- Reflector is contoured for each bulb
- 2 cords
- included acrylic splash guard
- included legs (which can slide in as far as you want)
- Doesn't feel cheap or flimsy
- It simply works

Cons:
- Bulbs are underwhelming
- No cooling fans
- No moonlight LED
- Some scratches on the housing
- Cords come off the side of the fixture and not the back
- The 1st and 2nd bulbs are on the same ballast, and the 3rd and 4th linked. This means that if you want to simulate dawn/dusk you have to put the daylights next to each other and NOT every other (1,3 and 2,4). I hope this makes sense.

Here is my FTS, the bulbs have obviously burned in and there is a very white look to the tank


Would I buy another 4 bulb fixture from fishneedit? Absolutely. It doesn't have any of the thrills of the higher-end fixtures, but it certainly gets the job done.

[THE ROOK]

Excellent. Thanks for the update. Just may pick one up for a 29 I'm about to start. Want to do a low - buck tank LPS tank by fragging my 75.

[johnarky]

Thanks for the update. I think I'm going to order the 48" - 4 Bulb fixture and see how that works out. Hard to beat the price to quality ratio on these!

[stripevt]

DipanDots, I used to have this similar fixture before I went with their 150MH. It should be very easy to change the light setup in the fixture. Mine had enough play in the wiring that I just swapped the two middle end-caps to get the 1&3 and 2&4 light setup.

[Dipandots]

Originally Posted by johnarky

Thanks for the update. I think I'm going to order the 48" - 4 Bulb fixture and see how that works out. Hard to beat the price to quality ratio on these!

Yeah, especially for the 4' one!

Originally Posted by stripevt

DipanDots, I used to have this similar fixture before I went with their 150MH. It should be very easy to change the light setup in the fixture. Mine had enough play in the wiring that I just swapped the two middle end-caps to get the 1&3 and 2&4 light setup.

Wow, I never even thought to do that. But now that you say it, I would think I would be able to do it. Thanks a lot!

[LeviTillie]

Any long term feedback on these T5 fixtures?

[Dipandots]

Originally Posted by LeviTillie

Any long term feedback on these T5 fixtures?

This fixture is still running the same as the day I bought it. Sorry for the late response!