Aquatraders MH fixtures

[mseepman]

Originally Posted by fkshiu

And that's the key point. They are cheap and they seem to have worked out the fire issues (although whether they are CSA/UL compliant is another matter). BUT most, if not all, people end up having to "upgrade" the ballasts and bulbs. So you're paying twice and having to spend time and effort DIYing things so at the end of the day how much are you really saving especially with the crummy exchange rate nowadays? You may end up paying less for a used higher quality fixture without the hassle.

I have to say...I think the Aquatraders fixtures are great for what they are meant to do. They are great entry level lights and with a little modification, they become great mid level lights.

Just think...24" Coralife 250W Aqualight pro at J&L (the cheapest price around) is $689.95 CAD while an Aquatraders equivalent is $169 US. The coralife comes with a pretty crappy bulb (compared to some out there) and nothing special in the way of a magnetic ballast. The Aquatraders comes with a really crappy bulb and an electronic ballast that doesn't rank very highly. Throw a Lumatek ballast and a 14K Phoenix bulb at the Aquatraders and you probably have more light than a Coralife for less money still.

Just my 2 cents though.

*Edit*...and for just $99 you can have a 250W 24" MH fixture with moonlights. Includes ballast and bulb.