Cheap lighting HQI... to good to be true?

[ensquire]

Other than an added 45.00 shipping charge because of living where I do, I had no problems dealing with Aquatraders. and I like the fixture. Legs where a little weak, but I dont use them..
It was a older 48" 4 bulb T5 fixture with moonlights like grizz's I believe.

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by 1eyedjyde

I'm posting to see what peoples' experiances have been with dealing with Aqua Traiders. Odyssea seems to have been improving over the years and you cant beat the prices.

I bought 2 - 48" 250w & 1 - 36" 150w fixtures from Aquatraders recently and my experience was great. Shipped out right away and arrived quickly but I did change out the bulbs with some better one's.

[jonnyjamms]

I do not know the fixture / reflector. I use low-cost light bulbs, my friend got me. They are about $ 12 every 3 years I bought value. As you can see my picture in the TOTM page. I get decent growth and colour. It does not hurt to try.

[ensquire]

Grizz,
Did you buy the external or internal ballasts ?
I have been looking at these myself recently and like the cost.
I am thinking of upgrading from my cheapo hagen fixture on my 36 gallon.
The 24" expandable looks about right for the tank, but I don't like the external fan and have never had external ballasts before.

Originally Posted by The Grizz

I bought 2 - 48" 250w & 1 - 36" 150w fixtures from Aquatraders recently and my experience was great. Shipped out right away and arrived quickly but I did change out the bulbs with some better one's.

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by ensquire

Grizz,
Did you buy the external or internal ballasts ?
I have been looking at these myself recently and like the cost.
I am thinking of upgrading from my cheapo hagen fixture on my 36 gallon.
The 24" expandable looks about right for the tank, but I don't like the external fan and have never had external ballasts before.

The ones I got are external ballast for both MH and T5s, I like the external fan that goes above the MH bulb, very quite and can be put an a timer so that they come on with the MH.

[RuGlu6]

Originally Posted by ensquire

Grizz,
Did you buy the external or internal ballasts ?
I have been looking at these myself recently and like the cost.
I am thinking of upgrading from my cheapo hagen fixture on my 36 gallon.
The 24" expandable looks about right for the tank, but I don't like the external fan and have never had external ballasts before.

Get a 36" inch for your 36 gal tank.
some pple say that expendeble legs are little week and whole fixture goes down about 2" inch when you expend it. or get a new version with 4 legs

[ensquire]

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Get a 36" inch for your 36 gal tank.
some pple say that expendeble legs are little week and whole fixture goes down about 2" inch when you expend it. or get a new version with 4 legs

Tank is only 30" wide and in a corner so they won't fit unfortunately.
There is a glass cover that the fixture can sit on or I can build something to hang it with.

[toytech]

After eading this post and having one of my crappy coralife lights die on me i decided to get a new 4 bulb t5 light from aqua taders. Picked up my light to day , they had sent me the 2 bulb light . I emailed them right away and within 30 min they emailed me back with a ups sticker to put on the box and have it sent back to them and my new light is already in the mail .I did plug in the light for s and g`s and i have to say it looks really good , even with the cheapy bulbs (the atinic bulb is super blue ). So all in all for a cheap chinese product based company pretty good customer service and so far there products look pretty damn good .

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by ensquire

Tank is only 30" wide and in a corner so they won't fit unfortunately.
There is a glass cover that the fixture can sit on or I can build something to hang it with.

Go with a 24" fixture, I am sure that there would be enough coverage.

[Edmonton newbie]

aqua traders has the 30 inch fixture that wouldnt fit???