Which lighting fixture should I buy?

mike31154 · #1 02-03-2014, 05:52 AM

With T5s you'll be needing to change lamps periodically. More mercury to dispose of responsibly & extra cost over time, not to mention they will probably be phased out over time, particularly tubes in the spectrums tailored to our hobby. For a FOWLR you should be fine with either of the LED fixtures you linked to (they're both close in terms of the lumens output), but for a few dollars more you could get something a bit more powerful to future proof yourself if you decide on more coral etc.

CM125 · #2 02-03-2014, 02:29 PM

Personally I would recommend you save up a little and buy some proper lights, this is not a hobby to cheap out on, especially with lights. If you are set on getting something in the lower price range, I would still recommend going to your LFS and getting a T5 setup, cheap LEDs just dont work well. But even a decent T5 setup will be at least twice the price of those. You will not see the results you want with those lights and your tank will suffer.

CM125 · #3 02-03-2014, 02:33 PM

Heres a review of those lights from the other forum, remember you always get what you pay for.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2217576

Nuttyreefer · #4 02-03-2014, 06:33 PM

sphelps · #5 02-03-2014, 06:47 PM

Yeah those fixtures are total junk, none of them can really be recommended. I'd suggest you buy something modular so you can save money now but have the ability to add more later if you decide it's necessary.

For LEDs maybe consider Par38 bulbs, while good ones run close to a $100 each you could probably get away with 3 to spot light 3 areas of a 6 foot tank, then you can always add more later if wanted. You can also try cheaper bulbs and always switch them out later as well but as you can imagine that will obviously cost more in the long run. Either way you have more flexibility going a route like this.

misty s · #6 02-05-2014, 09:40 PM

I have the aquatraders led light in a 48" fixture, it is very "yellowish" to the eye. I have mostly softies, and some zoas in my tank. I have a couple of bta's and a tube anemone too, all are doing well. Ive had the light for 2 years and it still works fine but I am looking to upgrade to a better light.