Spend My Money

[Guest JasonD]

Well, I've come a long way from my 1st post where I asked about lighting. I asked if a Coralife PC fixture was good for a FOWLR tank at 1st, growing into a mixed reef tank down the road. I now want to get a 2x250 MH fixture for my 90 -- hanging is not an option.

 

I've never bought marine lighting before, so I have NO idea what I'm getting. I want a quality (quiet, well designed cooling system, well put together) unit, and am not afraid to spend the money if I have to. I don't want to save a couple of hundred bucks now only to have to buy another fixture down the road because it's a POS. However, if I can get a quality unit for less, so be it.

 

What do you think of these fixtures:

 

Aquatinics

 

I'd get the 250 watt IceCap upgrade. Are the SE bulbs a problem?

 

Aqua Medic

 

Cool having the dawn/dusk lighting done with a MH bulb.

 

 

Outer Orbit

 

Nice price, but does that mean lower quality?

 

Sun Pod

 

Best price by far. 14K bulbs mean no actinic supplementation.

 

Any other lighting fixtures you recommend?

[jamesbuf]

Go with the aquactinics. The company has amazing customer service. I had a bulb issues and they sent 6 free Geisman bulbs to me, 3 months after my purchase. Their units are very well built also. Plus, you get T5 bulbs with the unit so you can have the dusk/dawn effect by having your actinics turn on an hour before and after the MHs. If you use just 2 14K bulbs, you can't have that effect.

Edited April 15, 2007 by jamesbuf

[Guest JasonD]

I found this web site: Scots Lights that's sells used and refurbed Aquatinic fixtures. I'm getting the owner of Aquatinics-mothers 250 watt MH fixture for $360 (sans bulbs). Can't beat that with a stick.

[lanman]

I found this web site: Scots Lights that's sells used and refurbed Aquatinic fixtures. I'm getting the owner of Aquatinics-mothers 250 watt MH fixture for $360 (sans bulbs). Can't beat that with a stick.

 

So new their website is a phone number.

 

bob

 

I have a Sunpod on my 24-gallon nano (a lot smaller than you would be getting, of course). I have had no trouble with it at all. It isn't 'silent' - but not terribly noisy, either. The little blue LED's try to take the place of actinics for viewing, and they do make most of the fluorescent stuff glow - but I think I would prefer to have some real actinic lighting.

 

bob

[Guest JasonD]

Got my factory refurbed Aquatinic fixture today. It was shipped straight from the Aquatinic factory, in their box. This is a heck of a light...before I thought it was really something when I added a second NO fluorescent strip to my FW tank.

 

Here's a pic of everything out of the box:

 

 

They also sold me the 2 new 250 watt MH bulbs for $50/each, and the 2 URI T5's for $20 each.

 

Here's the business end of the fixture:

 

 

The acrylic sheild looks brand new...no scrathes at all. You can see where the fixture sat on the old tank...it's a little scuffed on the bottom where it rested. The reflector is perfect.

 

Here it is on the tank with the MH's and T5's both on:

 

 

With the blue tank background, you can't really tell the color. The bulbs are 14K. You can also see one of my Korilla 4's in the tank.

 

I got this fixture and bulbs shipped to my door for $546.

 

You can see some water in the tank (finally). It's gonna take a while to fill this puppy up with my 100 gpd RO/DI unit! By tomorrow it should be filled and then I'll fire up the pump.

Edited April 21, 2007 by JasonD

[jamesbuf]

congrats on the purchase. You made a wise choice.

[lletellier]

I think I am going to go the same route when I buy my lights good call!