Buy stuff with my money!!

[cinematek]

I find it's always easier to spend someone else's money than my own, so here's your chance to spend some of my hard-earned cash.

I have a 25G reef with 32lbs LR and 2" SB. 24x12x20. It has been cycling for a month and I am ready to add some lights. (and critters!)

I want to house fish and corals, and would love to eventually build up to an anemone of some sort. A clam would be cool, too, if possible, and I have my eye on an electric fire scallop that I've seen at my lfs. I know that the type of lights I get will to some desgree dictate the type of critters I can support.

My budget more or less confines me to T5, but I am open to suggestions. I am currently deciding between the 24" Current USA Nova Extreme and the 24" Tek T5. Seems like the Tek is a more highly praised fixture, but it also costs a fair bit more.

Between the two, which would you buy with my money? Or maybe you have another suggestion?... I have been researching this for a month and have made no firm decision. I'm hoping your input will help me place an order tomorrow morning.

Thanks, all.

-Mike

 

[salty3]

You can always buy used mh off here in the for sale forum. I've seen some good deals on mh pendants.

 

[GSMguy]

tek over the nova every time you cant even compare them

 

[joedirt54]

I got a 150w DE MH used from ebay(aquamedic aqualight) with a 15k and 20k bulb for about $185.

You couldn't do better with your sized tank than that for the money. I think they a like 225$ new. I have over a year with this light and couldn't be more happy...I've run NO,HO,VHO, and CF before and put this light above all of them. T-5 is just a smaller VHO, IMHO.

 

[skey44]

much more powerful than vho... with much more efficient reflector. though mh may be the best for this shape tank. between the two don't even consider the current in the same ballpark.

 

[cinematek]

Thanks for all the input. Seems like popular opinion is leaning towards MH.

Are they all pendant type? Does this mean I will have to hang it from my ceiling? Are there MH fixtures with tank brackets like some of teh T5s have?

 

[luke33]

You could even get the odyssea mh 24" fixture for around 169 bux from aquatraders and i think it even has a couple pc's built into it as well.

 

[J. Montgomery]

Just go ahead and forget about the flame scallop, not a good idea unless you are culturing various phytoplankton (which is unlikely).

 

[Icefire]

Go with a 24" tek light T5HO

less electricity, no heat, better lamp life/cost over mh

 

[smash102]

I was looking at Aquatraders 24" light too. (A JEBO light that’s imported and Aquatraders just packages it) Anyone ever use it?

I called them today and they suggested only using a max of 175watt light on a 20-24gal tank. SO I asked them if I could put a lesser bulb in it. They said NO. The new 2007 version will not allow you to put anything other than the 25owatt in it. It’s a different size than the 150 and 175 bulbs they sell.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[luke33]

I personally think it would work, buy you may have to keep it 10" above your tank.

I like t5's better, but it seems this may be your cheapest way to light your tank with a fixture.

 

[cinematek]

I've done a lot of research into the Aquatraders Odyssea over the last day and I seem to find about 50/50 good/bad review. Some people say that they last two months and then melt down. Others claim they're the second coming.

Choosing a light is so hard. Grrr... I think that when it comes down to it, I keep coming back to those Tek T5 fixtures. Over the past month they keep popping their heads up as the best overall compromise for what I'm looking to do.

FWIW... I've noticed that almost everyone (DIYreef.com, for example) sells the 24" Tek T5 fixture for $280. Marine Depot has them listed at $312! But... AquariumSpecialty.com lists them for $238.

Any bad press on those guys?

 

[jski711]

i love my 6 bulb tek. i switched from mh and i love my t5's.