Aquaticlife T5 lighting for SPS ????
- Thread starter meshwheel
- Start date
The pope
New member
I have the 72" Aquaticlife 6 lamp T5 HO fixture on my tank. About a month after using it all of the lunar LED lights stopped working. The timer on the fixture is difficult to set and I think it changes all on its own at times(has not been proven yet, maybe my tank is haunted). I recently bought an Apex controller and I am disappointed that I can't use it to control the blue and white bulbs to come on and off at different times (instead of the timer on the fixture) because the fixture only has one cord. I did read other threads about the timer not working correctly before I bought the fixture.
Anyways, I do get good coral growth from the lights and I am somewhat happy with them. I did change out the bulbs for Geissman and ATIs. But in hinds sight I wish I bought an ATI fixture over the Aquaticlife fixture. Just my experience.
Anyways, I do get good coral growth from the lights and I am somewhat happy with them. I did change out the bulbs for Geissman and ATIs. But in hinds sight I wish I bought an ATI fixture over the Aquaticlife fixture. Just my experience.
The pope
New member
I have the 72" Aquaticlife 6 lamp T5 HO fixture on my tank. About a month after using it all of the lunar LED lights stopped working. The timer on the fixture is difficult to set and I think it changes all on its own at times(has not been proven yet, maybe my tank is haunted). I recently bought an Apex controller and I am disappointed that I can't use it to control the blue and white bulbs to come on and off at different times (instead of the timer on the fixture) because the fixture only has one cord. I did read other threads about the timer not working correctly before I bought the fixture.
Anyways, I do get good coral growth from the lights and I am somewhat happy with them. I did change out the bulbs for Geissman and ATIs. But in hinds sight I wish I bought an ATI fixture over the Aquaticlife fixture. Just my experience.
Anyways, I do get good coral growth from the lights and I am somewhat happy with them. I did change out the bulbs for Geissman and ATIs. But in hinds sight I wish I bought an ATI fixture over the Aquaticlife fixture. Just my experience.
DashTrash400
New member
Mine works fine but I don't have terribly hard to grow Sps. I have a four bulb fixture with ati bulbs.
Birds nest before:
After
Unknown... I'd would be helpful:
After
P.S. Excuse the algae in the pics. Anyone know what kind it is and of any solution? I just ordered a pups an reactor so hopefully this helps. Also disregard the neon green acro in the back that was my first piece of Sps ever and listened to the fish store to dip in RO instead or coralrx and needless to say it wasn't appreciated. It's coming back though. Also monti's are doing great.
Birds nest before:
After
Unknown... I'd would be helpful:
After
P.S. Excuse the algae in the pics. Anyone know what kind it is and of any solution? I just ordered a pups an reactor so hopefully this helps. Also disregard the neon green acro in the back that was my first piece of Sps ever and listened to the fish store to dip in RO instead or coralrx and needless to say it wasn't appreciated. It's coming back though. Also monti's are doing great.
The algae in question looks like dictyota. I battled it for quite some time. I tried adding RowaPhos to a reactor and it didn't seem to help much...finally gave up and purchased a few emerald crabs and a one-spot foxface...I occasionally saw the emeralds eat it, but I regularly watched the foxface devour out...now, I wish it would develop a taste for anthelia
As for the aquaticlife fixture, I used to have a 4x54 over my 75 and I kept SPS very high and directly under the light.
DashTrash400
New member
The algae in question looks like dictyota. I battled it for quite some time. I tried adding RowaPhos to a reactor and it didn't seem to help much...finally gave up and purchased a few emerald crabs and a one-spot foxface...I occasionally saw the emeralds eat it, but I regularly watched the foxface devour out...now, I wish it would develop a taste for anthelia
As for the aquaticlife fixture, I used to have a 4x54 over my 75 and I kept SPS very high and directly under the light.
Well thanks looks like I may have to invest in a spot face. That is a fox right just making sure your not speaking of some odd species. I already have the emerald and as yours I only see mine pick at it seldomly.
Yep, this is what I added...http://www.fishlore.com/profile-blotchedfoxface.htm
From my research, most people had great success with the two-barred(http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/Rabbitfish/Virgate.php); however, I also read more posts about them eliminating softies, too. The one-spot seemed to be more hit or miss and with fewer stories about eating softies. I chose to try a one-spot first and it worked...If you do decide to add one, keep in mind they have venomous spines...good luck...dictyota algae isn't fun to deal with.
KrissiIZme
New member
:love2:That was my husband ^
Update...AL customer service said the moon lights were from a bad batch...sent out new ones that work fine(even a whole year after we bought the fixture). We get great growth with our SPS, had a pale pink birds nest that is now HOT pink.
Do get better bulbs, but we really like the fixture! Customer service pleasantly surprised me!!!:dance:
a.browning
New member
I have the Aquaticlife 4x54w on my 55 and can grow SPS just fine. They are in the top third of the tank, I have not tested them down lower. My moonlights were bad when I got the fixture, but I bought it used. Contacted aquaticlife and they sent me new moonlights free of charge and no questions asked, great service.
Jopalmighty
New member
I just started adding sps to my tank and have the 4 bulb version, 2 weeks in the colors on the sps look great, running 2 ati blue + 1 purple +, and aqua blue special. Excited to see the growth in a couple of months
AquaReeferMan
Got Reef?
I've had the 48" 4 lamp fixture over a 55g frag tank and a 36" 6 lamp over a 40g breeder and my SPS did amazing(moved and took tanks down after 2 years). AquaticLife also has amazing customer service. The timers program very easily and they haven't reset since I plugged them in. Great bang for the buck.
solitude127
Proud user of IO Salt!
The new German made Aquaticlife bulbs work pretty good.
I have a 6X 24W over my tank. I'm just starting with some SPS. So far I have an Orange Cap growing like a weed. A Neon Monti undata just kinda sitting there, a perriwinkle monti encrusting growing slowly, a green Monti digitate showing nice growth, and a pink birdnest growing moderately slowly. I also have some LPS pieces in bottom of tank. My favia bleached badly after going T-5, My hammer, plates, and Trach look nice.
Haven't got up nerve to try Acro's yet.
Haven't got up nerve to try Acro's yet.
Reef Chris
New member
I'm looking into purchasing a T5HO fixture for my 90g build, this is helpful!
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