I don't doubt the performances of these fixtures are very close. You pay a lot extra for a brand name when in this case that includes superior fit, finish and style. I'm a retro fit guy now I paint up some plywood and call it a day. I'm just pretending this is a few years ago =)

crap- i quoted the unit without bulbs.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_...Fixture_by_ATI

my bad...post updated.

When I was looking for gear about 5 months ago I was referred to this chart for T5 lighting.......I ended up with 4X36" Hagen GLO based on this chart....they aren't bad but I'm starting to wish that I joined Canreef a little earlier so I could've seen threads like this one before buying.

http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquar...813/index.html

You obviously haven't dealt with them in a while. Their customer support has been nothing short of amazing for the last couple of years. I broke a tab on my TF5000, sent them an email on Sunday, by Thursday I had a new cup arrive free of charge. I have yet to experience anything less than excellent service from Aqua Medic. By the sound of it you have but I'm sure every company slips at some point, they have obviously identified it and have made improvements.

Another plug for the Tek light... I just found this air cooled version. Just another option... :wink:

http://www.blueworldaquariums.com/pr...hp?prod=489382

Who sells them near Calgary or surrounding region? I am suprised that there are yet to be any groups that have done actual comparisons on the top T5 brands yet. On my first system I had preordered and received one of the first Tek 4x54w 48 inch units, and it worked well (less one ballast replacement). Now with around 5-6 years of all these fixtures being around it is still a difficult question to answer it seems. I've searched everywhere on the net asked around, and yet still no diffinitive answer. For this tank it will be in wall mounted so looks of the lights will not matter, and i don't mind paying more for something noticeably better, but if similar then the bang for the buck wins out.

I def think the sunpower is the light for you then. Doesn't look all that nice but essentially has the same output as a powermodule.

The only one I know of in Calgary that sells them is Wai's, there may be more. The LFS in Medicine Hat sells Aqua Medic as well. Plenty of online vendors carry them as well. It would be interesting to see the fixtures go head to head in a comparison to see if there is any justification for the much higher price of some of these fixtures. Without measuring PAR, all a guy can do is look at build quality and features. Some of the essential ones being individual reflectors, cooling, and lighting control. Although my RSM 250 with 6 T5HO KZ bulbs is growing SPS as good as my 250W halides ever have, go figure.

So here's a thought, if i go 6 foot would it be wierd to get 2 different brands of t5 fixtures(3 foot each one), put the same bulbs on each and see the results on the 2 sides of the tanks? Now the question would be from the naked eye, would one be able to tell the difference in lighting from each fixture?

depends on the fixtures. Like the ATI ones do produce more light than the standard teks but it may not be that obvious (Difference is only 15 to 20%). I have also heard that some bulbs looks slightly different on different ballasts due to the variance in actual output voltages.

some things to consider before going with TWO 3 foot fixtures....

(lets assume you need 6 bulbs front to back)

1. 12 36" bulbs cost more than 6 60" bulbs

2. T5HO bulbs have a cold "no light" section on the tips of the bulbs. Add to that the room needed for the endcap and casing for both lights. This means the centre of your tank will have a dim area. May not be too noticeable. I think Grizz said he was running two fixtures over his tank so it would be best to consult with him as to whether that gap is visible.