need new lights asap

[aysnow]

i have a 150 gallon square tank its fairly deep (31") my current lighting situation is an 8 bulb "Current" t5ho fixture and when working its great. my issue is its fairly old and half the ballasts work at times and the other arch all the time. im afraid its becoming more of a fire hazard than anything. when i went on vacation a few weeks ago my water level got low and started getting a lot of bubbles, due to the bubble popping it caused a lot of salt corrosion all over the light fixture inside and out. Im on a budget and cant get the LEDs id love to have so im trying desperately to find another 8 bulb 48in T5ho fixture. any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. The tank have various corals and anemone's.

 

[rgulrich]

Hit the hydroponics section of amazon....I've found some great ones there in both 6 and 8 bulb t5ho.

 

[aysnow]

http://www.thatpetplace.com/orbit-marine-led-strip-light-48-in-to-60-in?sc=10&category=2786

would these work? im not sure if there is enough power

 

[outssider]

those won't even be close to working....

 

[aysnow]

why is that? im not familiar with leds

 

[colorful1180]

I use one of 300w ramping led light for my 31'' deep tank,cost me $320,it works great!

 

[Drewl117]

I would recommend to spend the money once and get a nice set of lights... It will be cheaper in the long run. I run the AI hydra 26 led's and they are on sale now. You could get 2 for that size tank. You can get them for around $250-$270 each.

 

[Ron Reefman]

why is that? im not familiar with leds

They are 0.3 watt leds and can only penetrate about 12" to maybe 18" deep with any real PAR. It's a beginner's shallow 10g or 20g tank light.

On a 31" deep tank you are going to want at least 3.0 watt leds with 90 degree lenses. You may even look at using 60 degree lenses if you are keeping sps corals deep in the tank.

What are the side lengths of your tank? The common, basic led fixtures usually cover a 2' x 2' area at 24" deep. At 31" deep and with the fixture 12" or maybe a bit more off the water and it could cover a 30" x 30" footprint (maybe a bit more).

 

[aysnow]

m

Here's a picture of my tank a few months ago

 

[aysnow]

Would 2 of these work? http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=191126298905&globalID=EBAY-US

 

[pmcarbrey]

Would 2 of these work? http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=191126298905&globalID=EBAY-US

For that price why don't you just order 2 ocean revive t247's? You can get them new for like 155-160 depending on where you buy.

 

[Devaji108]

Hello Sir,
I know the feeling of trying to buy lights on a budget. but like said above spend a lil more now and get at least a decent light. will save you $$ in the long run.

I would look at the 300W aqua mars led from ebay. there are alot of ppl use the blacl box leds there a thread on there read through it and see what you think.

I personally dont have any experience as I went with BML for my new tank. but If I was looking with your setup I would consider them pretty seriously.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MarsAqua-Di...ral-LPS-SPS-/390885496493?hash=item5b029756ad

or maybe you need 2 or 3 for spread:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3PCS-MarsAq...soffType=SaleAndClearence&_trksid=p5731.m3795

good luck!

 

[DrPheel]

For that price why don't you just order 2 ocean revive t247's? You can get them new for like 155-160 depending on where you buy.

+1 for the Ocean Revive! if I did not get such a good deal on some Maxspect Razors ( got em used for same price I would of payed the T247-b) I would of been all over those lights. They even have a forum section on here with great support and they answered all my questions even tho I was not a customer yet. never seen in person but read lots of great reviews. your other option is the Chinese black box like the ones posted above , have a few friends running those and they are very satisfied !

Let us know what route you decide to go

 

[aysnow]

Thank you all very much for the great advice! I settled on eBay box lights. I ordered two at $77 a piece. 3w LED's with 90* optics. I've read nothing but good about them so I figured they are worth the risk for the price. If they fail I'll bite the bullet and buy name brand. Thanks again everyone!