Current USA outer Orbit?

[Saadatski]

I was wondering if this fixture was actually good, because i was offered this fixture for a VERY good price. I will not be going the LED route anymore, and I was looking into MEtal Halide. I found this fixture, and it looks like the Coralife aqualight pro, but it has T5s. I was wondering if it is good, and does anyone have good experiance with it?

 

[Holsteiner]

We have the 48" current outer orbit with 2 metal halides and 4 T5's over our large frag tank. We love it, everything grows fast and I like the look of the light it puts out. We also got ours off of craigslist for next to nothing...so if it's a great deal I say go for it!

 

[SkullV]

I was wondering if this fixture was actually good, because i was offered this fixture for a VERY good price. I will not be going the LED route anymore, and I was looking into MEtal Halide. I found this fixture, and it looks like the Coralife aqualight pro, but it has T5s. I was wondering if it is good, and does anyone have good experiance with it?

You were all about LED a few weeks ago. What changed?

 

[Saadatski]

Yeah the LED hype was too much for me. I kinda realized that not too many people enjoyed them, and right before i was about to buy the rest of the LEDs, im selling the ones i have right now and going with MH. I had a MH pendant on my old tank and it grew the LPS i had well.

It also took me about 6 hours of labor to put together the 12 LED fixture, from cutting the aluminum to drilling it then tapping it then placing all of the LEDs, then adjusting driver, then resoldering all of the LEDs because i messed them up, then putting together a hanging kit. I am a DIY guy but this was too much for me. I cant take it doing this 4 more times.

I am going back to MH until LEDs are produced by more companies and are as reliable as MH. I loved LEDs for their energy savings, but i didnt put them above any corals.
i was kind of scared that it wouldnt turn out good after i invested so much money.

There are two major companies out there that produce LEDs, which are AI and Ecotech. Both are great companies but both i have read VERY mixed reviews on. There is also Vertex, and i have heard absolutely GREAT things about them, but they are expensive like crazy.

Once someone is able to produce them and perfect them, trust me i will get right back on. I see you have also sold your radions? maybe switched to ATI? why did you do that?

 

[davocean]

I had a couple outer orbits and I liked them.
They are good for the price.
I now have an ATI sunpower that I like a lot more, but it costs a little more, but I think I'm getting a lot more out of it due to those nice polished reflectors.
I use this combined w/ Truelumen pro LEDs so I get shimmer as well, and this combo is working great for me.
I had the panorama fixture and actually really liked it, but I have a very light needy sand dwelling nem that needed more output at the bottom of tank than what that fixture could put out.
For a mixed reef w/ sps at top it was just fine for me.

 

[SkullV]

Once someone is able to produce them and perfect them, trust me i will get right back on. I see you have also sold your radions? maybe switched to ATI? why did you do that?

No more coral. I'm running 4 bulbs on a 6 bulb ATI sunpower only because I got a great deal on it.

 

[fishcraze_1]

We have the 48" current outer orbit with 2 metal halides and 4 T5's over our large frag tank. We love it, everything grows fast and I like the look of the light it puts out. We also got ours off of craigslist for next to nothing...so if it's a great deal I say go for it!

Hi. What bulbs are you using on this fixture.

Halides and t5

Do you have any pictures.

Have this fixture over my 90

Just wondering what other people are running, had success with , and or liked before I order new bulbs

Thanks

 

[Saadatski]

No more coral. I'm running 4 bulbs on a 6 bulb ATI sunpower only because I got a great deal on it.

Ahh i saw your sig and yes i have also been a big fan of anemones more than coral, and that is why i am trying to upgrade soon cause i want a coupe bubble tips for my clowns.

Yeah i have researched the ATI fixtures very well, and i was going to get them but T5s dont look too good to me, just personal, but i know they grow coral very well.

How are your nems under t5? i heard they needed VERY intense light, and t5s are, idk i feel they are intense, just with a flatter coverage. I mean when i see tanks with t5s, i dont see those rays in the water. t5s i know grow coral very well, but how are nems?

 

[SkullV]

The nems are just fine. You can grow ANYTHING under a properly powered T5 fixture. Bubble Tips do NOT need very intense lighting either. A 4 bulb T5 fixture is plenty for them. The reason you don't see shimmer with T5 is because they are not point source lighting like Halide or LED.

 

[Holsteiner]

Hi. What bulbs are you using on this fixture.

Halides and t5

Do you have any pictures.

Have this fixture over my 90

Just wondering what other people are running, had success with , and or liked before I order new bulbs

Thanks

We just ordered some new ATI bulbs to replace the actinics we have in there now...along with the 2 150W MH's we'll be running 2 coral plus and 2 blue specials

 

[running scott]

outer orbit fixture

outer orbit fixture

i have had my 72'' outer ortbit with 3 250 watt mh, t5 for actinic suppliment for about 8 years. i like to run 14k phoenix mh, and current t5's. my tank is deep 30'', and the phoenix really penetrate. don't really need the t5s when they are on. the only part of the fixture that i have ever replaced was one of the fans. and i really like the hanging kit that came with it( a must have).

 

[Saadatski]

Any other comments or concerns before I finalize the deal?

 

[Mark Bianco]

I have an older Current with 2 x 150 MH and 2 x 130 watt PC has always been a great fixture. Never any issue keeping any coral or clams. Only because of costs I did switch to led's I love them but I also love my older fixture as well. If I was to do it all over again, I would probably wait another year to see what arises in the led feild..

If you like MH and T5's then by all means go for it. Current fixtures has a good rep with me anyways.

Mark

 

[sbtdark]

I had a 72" Outer Orbit (2) 20K Reeflux 150W HQI and (4) double ended PC's, then I modified the fixture, switched out the pc's and installed T5's -Giesemann Actinic Plus and KZ Fiji Purples. Loved it! However when I sold the tank, the fixture went with the tank.

 

[Saadatski]

Sorry, i just remebered this thread. I got the fixture about 2 weeks ago, and I have to say WOW. It is very well built, the T5 reflectors are extremly polished and the internal T5 ballast is a plus. Since I have the 250w version, the MH ballasts are external, which is not a big deal, but are annoying to place.

Overall, i am very pleased with this fixture, and soon i will replace all of the bulbs because the previous owner gave me MH bulbs that are 9 months old and T5s that are about the same age. My only concern with this fixture is the MH reflectors. Anyone know why it is like wavy rather than flat and polished?