Looking for a good T5 48" 6X54 watt fixture

Zacktosterone

Zacktosterone

Active member
Can someone please help me find a nice light ficture for my 90 gallon. I'm looking for a good T5 48" 6X54 watt fixture with a timer that's not going to cost me a fortune. something preferably with moonlights as well and can fully sustain sps coral. It can be used that's no problem just as long as it's in good condition. doesn't matter fi the chipping is american or canadian either

is this fixture any good or is it too good to be true lol
http://www.amazon.com/324W-Aquarium...ng/dp/B00ENWQJHE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_2
 
We all want "nice" on a tight budget. ;)

The fixture you linked to does not have fans (and probably does not have decent ventilation) and appears to have an accordion shaped (bent) reflector instead of individual parabolic reflectors. At $200, it probably does not have decent ballasts either. This means that the bulbs will not perform as well, the fixture will transfer more heat to your tank, and the bulbs and/or ballast will probably have a shorter life span than a more credible fixture. Since you would be spending a good sum on T5 HO bulbs every year or so, why not get a better fixture?

There are other options for a 6x54w fixture. In the budget category, I would consider this Aquatic Life fixture. Something with fans and individual parabolic reflectors. It is almost $375, but it comes with bulbs and you will most likely get better light intensity and bulb lifespan. If you wait for Blackfriday deals, you might be able to get the same fixture for 10-15% off.

I have never used the Aquatic Life fixture, so I suggest you research before you buy.
 
The ATI Sunpower fixtures would be the next step up in performance from the Aquatic Life (even though they do not have the integrated timer or LED moonlights), but will cost you $519 for a 6x54w - NOT including bulbs. Add another $120 or so for the bulbs. Granted, you will most likely get better results by hand selecting your bulb types. I have a 6x24w Sunpower over my 54g (20" deep), and it has been doing admirably for the past three years.

What are the dimensions of your 90g Zack? 26"? You might be better off with a Sunpower if your tank depth is 24" or deeper.
 
rroselavy said:
The ATI Sunpower fixtures would be the next step up in performance from the Aquatic Life (even though they do not have the integrated timer or LED moonlights), but will cost you $519 for a 6x54w - NOT including bulbs. Add another $120 or so for the bulbs. Granted, you will most likely get better results by hand selecting your bulb types. I have a 6x24w Sunpower over my 54g (20" deep), and it has been doing admirably for the past three years.

What are the dimensions of your 90g Zack? 26"? You might be better off with a Sunpower if your tank depth is 24" or deeper.
Click to expand...

48"x18x24
 
Then just correct yourself and ask for a mediocre T5 fixture and save people the trouble of offering suggestions when you ask for "good" fixtures if you want to be cheap and not pay for quality... pffft...

and Yes, that is sarcasm!
 
Used ATI or Tek but neither will have everything you want. The ONLY decent T5 fixture that will have everything you want is an Aquatic Life. You will need new bulbs within the first 3-4 months so throw that into the price as well.

The fixture you want, doesn't exist in all honesty.
 
Zack-

Here is a constructive idea: It would be cheaper in the long run to assemble your own LED fixture. You could get this solderless LED kit from RapidLED for $435. A dimmable kit is also available for a bit more. Those LEDs would theoretically last you 5 years. Keep in mind that five years of 48" T5 HO bulbs is going to cost you around $500+ if you switch them out every 14-16 months. Besides, the LED fixture would consume half the electricity of the T5HO.

If entry level costs are a concern, perhaps you should consider a used fixture, or running a smaller ~20g tank with a 4x24" fixture. It would be cheaper to set up and run.
 
I have the 6x54 Aquaticlife over my 120. I think you'll be more than satisfied with it over your 90, especially for the price. I'm growing some sps, Lps and zoas np. I haven't attempted high light sps but plan to once I save up for my 8x54w ati sunpower. :)
 
rroselavy said:
Zack-

Here is a constructive idea: It would be cheaper in the long run to assemble your own LED fixture. You could get this solderless LED kit from RapidLED for $435. A dimmable kit is also available for a bit more. Those LEDs would theoretically last you 5 years. Keep in mind that five years of 48" T5 HO bulbs is going to cost you around $500+ if you switch them out every 14-16 months. Besides, the LED fixture would consume half the electricity of the T5HO.

If entry level costs are a concern, perhaps you should consider a used fixture, or running a smaller ~20g tank with a 4x24" fixture. It would be cheaper to set up and run.
Click to expand...

Well the fixture is only temporary so I can slowly save up for kessils or some other light fixture. I would rather have both instead of waiting for just the LEDs. Can you tell me more about these LEDs?
 
Lateralus said:
I have the 6x54 Aquaticlife over my 120. I think you'll be more than satisfied with it over your 90, especially for the price. I'm growing some sps, Lps and zoas np. I haven't attempted high light sps but plan to once I save up for my 8x54w ati sunpower. :)
Click to expand...

What's your opinion on leds
 
I have the 4 bulb 48" TEK light with ATI bulbs and I love it, all my soft corals are doing great under it. And it is affordable. You can also get the 6 bulb for a good price.
 
You can find them used often. The ballast are readily available also so a used fixture is more than okay to purchase. ATI, TEK, Aquaticlife and Giesemann are the only t5's that are good imo. Ati being the best, then giesemann, then aquaticlife and tek. JMO There's also LET retro fits that kick ***.
 
Zacktosterone said:
Can you tell me more about these LEDs?
Click to expand...

RapidLED sells kits where you attach each 3W LED to an aluminum heat sink using thermo-epoxy and/or screws. For the dimmable kits, you typically wire each color of LEDs in separate strings so you can control the overall color of the fixture and provide dawn/dusk effects using a controller if desired. Each LED has a lens to help focus the light. You can choose wider lenses (80-100 degrees) for more even distribution, or narrower lenses (40-60 degrees) for light penetration.

The solderless kits makes it pretty easy to assemble your own fixture since the wires clip into sockets. They have a movie at the bottom of the page showing you how it is done.

---

I have an old Solaris fixture from the stone age of LED's. It pales in comparison to the output and choice of color temperature available today. Intensity and spectrum are no longer an issue, but you may or may not object to the caustic patterns (or "disco effect" generated by an LED arrays. The Kessil seems interesting to me since it puts the array in a compact area ahead of the lens, so the light is cast more like a single point source like the sun. This creates a more natural (simpler) caustic pattern on the sand and rocks.

T5HO's have a far more diffuse and even distribution, but that can look a bit unnatural since cast shadows are often very soft instead of sharp. More like a cloudy day.
 
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