T5 Lighting on Ebay

[dwiseman]

Has anybody purchased T5 lighting on ebay. I am looking to switch from VHO to T5 using a retro kit. This kit looked reasonable for the price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/47-8X-54-T5-Ret...ryZ46314QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Good or bad idea?

 

[wegotcrabs]

IMO you get what you pay for- I was thinking of going with those, but i decided to go with the aquatinics and im glad i did.

 

[Duff Man]

Putting my $0.02 in as another person with no experience with the fixture, I thought it looked pretty good for the price.

 

[luke33]

There decent, pretty much the same as the nova pro. There individual reflecors aren't great but there better than none. There not waterproof endcaps though and the bulb's are junk so you'll need to replace them. The moonlights are far from moonlights as they light up the whole freakin tank! lol, but for the price its tough to complain. I may get a solar fixture from them. The price + price of new bulb's is just very hard to pass up imo.

 

[philagothos]

Reasons I wouldn't get it: It does not appear to have parabolic reflectors, though it does at least have individual reflectors. No waterproof endcaps. They don't mention what ballast it uses and not all ballasts are created equal. Also, it almost certainly comes with inferior bulbs that will not have the color, nor intensity of high quality bulbs.

If you want something better than PCs (might even be a SLIGHT upgrade to your VHOs) it could be an option, otherwise I would pass. If cost is an issue you could consider doing it in stages with Sunlight Supply's Ready-fit kits, or simply buying 2-4 bulb retrofits at a time. Check www.reefgeek.com for some of the best prices and a great selection. Personally, I'd probably keep 2 of the VHOs for actinic and then add 4 T5s.

Just my thoughts, hope it helps.

edit after reading Luke33's post that he was typing at about the same time as me: By the time you replace 8 inferior bulbs with 8 good ones at $20+ a piece you could have gone to Reefgeek and gotten a 6 bulb SLR retro with top shelf bulbs that would blow this cheapy away.

 

[DOTZ]

teresaQ has a 36 inch set from the same place for sale. I suppose you could pm her and find out about them. They look good to me.

 

[boca rat]

Good call on Reefgeek, hadn't seen them before. I've been digging and digging for the right unit for my 60"x18" wide 100g with canopy and see a good choice I think:

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5..._3x80W_SLR_T5_Very_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap

and

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...x80W_Tek_2_T5_Very_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_ReefGeek

What's the difference between SLR and Tek in this case? Is the SLR worth the extra $40?

They're 9" wide or less so I can add a second if it comes down to it, and overdriven this gives me 300 watts which should be OK to start with right for for softies and then LPS? Newbie here!!

Bulb suggestions ?

Also, will need a fan I guess - the thermostatically controlled ones seem like a good idea.

Thanks in advance for any advice.