Looking to upgrade lighting

[J. Montgomery]

I hear ya. I'm just trying to share my experience so everyone else doesn't have to waste money on the same things that I did starting out. It's an expensive enough hobby without buying unnecessary stuff or things that you'll replace/upgrade later.

 

[ktnjer]

Money is a factor...To me metal halides are great, but I'm not going hog wild with corals. Plus they are hotter and more expensive to run. I want the costly stuff, but I just can't afford it so this is why I'm asking around for used stuff. If I could, I would have the $200 Nova Extreme but I just can't dump $200 right now.

 

[ade]

I guess you buy what you can afford and also what your long term goals are for you tank. If all you are going to place in the tank is softies and fish there is no need to buy hight $ MH set up. It becomes a waste of money when you are looking short term on your tank and buy something for a month only to replace it with something different.
If you are happy with your lighting, if that happens to be is MH PC VHO's or T5's then it is not a waste of money.
Like I said I started out with PC and was very happy with how my tank did. I used the KISS system (keep it simple stupid).
It ws only when I started coming to RC and finding other options that my wallet got a lot smaller. Started finding more expensive corals with fancey names and high price tags.
I think with experience in this hobby you ultimatly end up spending a lot of money, and yes looking back I guess you could say that I wasted a lot of money buy others have benifited from that. So I guess it wan't a waste after all.

 

[fishboarder]

if you get the good icecap reflectors for the t5's, you won't need the icecap ballasts. get the regular HO t5 ballasts and you'll be fine. that'll save you quite a bit if you were to go the retrofit route.

 

[ktnjer]

You nailed it Ade.

 

[ktnjer]

I guess I should put a price up here of what I can afford. I only have $100 left to spend out of this payday so if that lets you guys know of what I am looking at.

It is a costly hobby and I agree of the same question everyone asks in their head...why get into it if you can't afford it? Well some things ya wait for in this world for years to get, and never get it because you couldn't save because of bills, then once you see an opportunity you take it! Sometimes ya just gotta say what the (beep) and go for it. So we did...and now when we have spare money we look for good deals and cost factors. Were not rich by any means, but we make it from day to day.

Like I said once before, I do great quality powder coating so if anyone is willing to trade that for equipment, by all means I am very flexible on trading.

 

[J. Montgomery]

I'd suggest holding off on the actinics and save your money. Actinics are only for us, they don't really benefit the coral or fish. No need to spend all your money, you'll get by just fine with the daylights.

I'd also suggest holding off spending any more money on that dying mandarin.

 

[ktnjer]

He will live...I'll try like hell to keep him going because he seems to be much happier since the roe. I just won't give up....its not in my nature.

 

[ade]

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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13106967#post13106967 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by J. Montgomery
I'd suggest holding off on the actinics and save your money. Actinics are only for us, they don't really benefit the coral or fish. No need to spend all your money, you'll get by just fine with the daylights.

I'd also suggest holding off spending any more money on that dying mandarin.

Still, it is nice to see the colors pop in the fish and corals and if you are buying bulbs anyway why not 03 so that your tank doesn't look like pee water or all washed out.

I with you Jeremy, I do what I can for my fish and inverts. If we gave up because looked bad my wife would have left me on the street years ago.

:lol:

 

[fishboarder]

for $100 you should be able to get a 2 bulb t5 retrofit with individual reflectors. if you're not keeping anything too light demanding that should be enough. do a 12k bulb with a blue plus bulb.