Coralife Aqualight HO T-5 Dual Lamp Aquarium Light Fixture....is it any good??

[Rycko_427]

I'm looking for a light fixture for my 30g tank and this was one of the options that I found. I was wondering if anyone knew if its any good for growing coral?? Im planning on eventually putting some coral in my tank and I dont wanna spend the money on this light if it doesnt work for coral. I've read some reviews online and many ppl say that they like it, but I wanted to check here just to make sure. One thing I do like about this light is the price. Very affordable
Here's what the light looks like:

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+21969&pcatid=21969


Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Ichthys]

Although it is tempting to save a little money on a lighting system it is one of two areas where you should spend as much as you can possibly afford, the other being the skimmer. The fixture you are looking at which has 2x39Watt HO T-5’s has a total of 78 Watts of light. While you may be able to get some low light corals to limp along under that little amount of light, you will not get any growth or color. The color on many corals is actually a “sunscreen”, the zooxanthellae in the coral act in a way that gives the coral its color. Without adequate light, there is no need of the “sunscreen” and hence you have little to no color.

One issue you are running into is that with T5’s you are limited to 39 Watt bulbs (at the 36” size). A fixture with 4 bulbs for a 30 gallon tank which I am guessing is 36” would give you 156 total watts, still not overwhelming. A compact fluorescent 36” fixture would give you 2x96 Watts or 192 total.

TBH I would be willing to bet that over 75 percent of Reefers would buy a better light system if they had it to do over again. Lights are one of the most oft upgraded items because we just never seem to have enough! Rather than buy a fixture that will end up on the junk pile and be replaced by a fixture that truly meets your needs later, why not go all in now and buy the light that will suit your eventual needs. This is my advice for most system components. Buy the component that will adequately meet the demand down the road, not the one that barely meets the need now.

I would recommend a metal halide / compact fluorescent combo unit, with a 150 or 250 MH and 2 65 watt PC’s for a total of between 280 and 380 total watts. If you watch the forums you can pick one up used at a decent price. Alternatively, go retrofit and buy Steelheads Icecap Ballast 660-009 http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55060
It is a great deal for 3 bulbs 6 endcaps and the ballast. If you have a hood that you can mount those in, then Steelheads light system is probably your best bang for the buck.

Hope that wasn’t too much info, but trust me, if you want to get into this seriously, buy the best light system you can.

Ichthys
PS My coralife 4x65 PC fixture will be for sale soon as I did not heed my own advice. I am upgrading to http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55565 which is 2x250w HQI's and 2x96w PC's.

 

[Ichthys]

Just found this on RF

This would work so much better than the light you are looking at, and not a lot more money. Excellent deal.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55597

Post from noworries...

I have a 30" 250 watt mh/ 2x65w pc combo light.

I believe the mh bulb is a 20k xm and both the pc's are 420/460 actinic bulbs.

Asking $150

 

[Crack31]

If you get the 4 bulb T-5 with individual reflectors, you should be able to keep most corals plus the electricity usage will be much less than MH. You will also have less heat from the lighting.

 

[07FocusST]

got a 48" for less than $100 new... not worth much if your going to go with a reef setup. I currently have it sitting on top of my 100G aggressive tank.

 

[returnofsid]

The secret to the success of T5HO lighting, is in the ICR (Individually contoured reflectors). The less expensive fixtures use a parabolic reflector, which is all but useless, with T5HO. You really need the reflectors that are contoured and wrap around each bulb, reflecting almost all of the bulb's light into the tank. The fixture you provided us a link to, uses a parabolic reflector.

 

[Rycko_427]

Ok great, thanks for all the great info everyone...it really helped

 

[johnpeezy]

I'd go with the T5's my man, head sids advice and go for a better light fizture with ICR.

less watts yes but more PAR per watt by far, also, when running 4-6 T5's you have several options on the style of lighting you use. There is a variety of spectrums out there at your disposal.

I would personally veer away from a 250 watt MH on a 30 gallon tank, possibly even a 150 watt. In a smaller tank you have to be concerned with heat as well. A Power compact/ Metal Halide combo light on a 30 gallon just sounds like an EZ-bake oven for your corals to me. skimmers, return pumps, circulation pumps, and your lights all generate a hefty ammount of heat, that generally goes unnoticed in large systems(or at least not as dramatic), with the smaller tanks folks these things can make your tank temp swing and swing hard.