I am looking to change my lighting from two pfo 400 halides to either the Ultra Solaris 6 x 54 or the Tek 8 x 54 and wanted to know which would be best. I have a 125g with a leather some mushrooms and an anenome possibly lps in th future. I don't plan to have any sps in the tank.
Ultra solaris or Tek light
- Thread starter 2ndwave
- Start date
These are both T5 units...2ndwave is talking about the Fauna Marin T5 UltraSolaris not the LED Ice Cap Solaris.
I have been doing some research on the UltraSolaris for my 180. With the active cooling and the included Aqua Science T5 bulbs, the UltraSolaris is the way to go IMO.
I have been doing some research on the UltraSolaris for my 180. With the active cooling and the included Aqua Science T5 bulbs, the UltraSolaris is the way to go IMO.
Marcello Salles
New member
Fauna Marin also produces 6 x 54; and 8 x 54 watts T5 Modul Solaris system with your choice of bulbs.
Take a look at some pictures from our Brazilian e-commerce:
Take a look at some pictures from our Brazilian e-commerce:
Marcello Salles
New member
Yes, chem-e ... they are making new ones that are going to be
"enclosed", with gray (metallic) ink like the TEK. But this will increase the prices.
best
"enclosed", with gray (metallic) ink like the TEK. But this will increase the prices.
best
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
If the looks of the fixture are important then the Tek hands down. Functionally the SOlaris will be better.
ReefRockerLive
GHL Mitras LX7 Club
UltraSolaris is top choice!
This website proves it to be better than ATI's bulbs and Fixtures!
http://archiv.korallenriff.de/Lichttest/06_t5_test.html
The website is in German, but the pictures and numbers speak for themselves.
This website proves it to be better than ATI's bulbs and Fixtures!
http://archiv.korallenriff.de/Lichttest/06_t5_test.html
The website is in German, but the pictures and numbers speak for themselves.
Pomacanthus Rex
New member
im about to get lights for a 65g and have a very short list:
aquactinics
+ complete fixture with fans, shield, and can sit on tank
+ help is just a phone call away
- worst/aka non t5 ballasts of the bunch, curved array narrows light unnecessarily
ati
+ cooled, better ballasts, enclosed fixture
- super pricey, and without bulbs unless you buy in the 1st shipment
faunamarin
+ best ballasts?, and great components that are easily swapped and or reused for another application
- or + ? not a "finished" fixture
im just about sold on the fauna marin. the fact that i can easily take it apart if and when i upgrade is key. plus the fact that the components are quality gear makes it all the more compelling. its essentially a super quality retro already put together in a nice finished package sans an outer shell (which given certain applications can be a very good thing). since i plan on having a canopy, and with the ultra solaris being an "open" unit, it seems like a perfect fit.
now all i need is to find someone that has the unit and has some positive experience to share to push me over the edge and get it.
grim or anyone else "par test" this baby yet???
edit...
i didnt mention the tek light as i think its now at the bottom of the t5 to get list.
tek
- not cooled
- shields not included and when used it warps (wonder what the heat does to the bulbs?)
- as is its pricey compared to its closest competitor aquactinics
aquactinics
+ complete fixture with fans, shield, and can sit on tank
+ help is just a phone call away
- worst/aka non t5 ballasts of the bunch, curved array narrows light unnecessarily
ati
+ cooled, better ballasts, enclosed fixture
- super pricey, and without bulbs unless you buy in the 1st shipment
faunamarin
+ best ballasts?, and great components that are easily swapped and or reused for another application
- or + ? not a "finished" fixture
im just about sold on the fauna marin. the fact that i can easily take it apart if and when i upgrade is key. plus the fact that the components are quality gear makes it all the more compelling. its essentially a super quality retro already put together in a nice finished package sans an outer shell (which given certain applications can be a very good thing). since i plan on having a canopy, and with the ultra solaris being an "open" unit, it seems like a perfect fit.
now all i need is to find someone that has the unit and has some positive experience to share to push me over the edge and get it.
grim or anyone else "par test" this baby yet???
edit...
i didnt mention the tek light as i think its now at the bottom of the t5 to get list.
tek
- not cooled
- shields not included and when used it warps (wonder what the heat does to the bulbs?)
- as is its pricey compared to its closest competitor aquactinics
Last edited:
ReefRockerLive
GHL Mitras LX7 Club
Fauna Marin has everything Aquatinics has except the ability to sit on the tank which you would need since your planning on a canopy. FM even beat ATI's fixtures in par testing. It goes to show that expensive is not always better.
I have seen both the Aquatinics and the FM fixtures in person and the FM fixtures are noticibly brighter. They may not be as fancy as the Aquatinics, but looks of the do not matter to the corals, par output and intensity does.
FWIW, in less than 2 weeks my friend will be getting in his FM fixture, I'll see if I can get a pic of it on a tank.
HTH
I have seen both the Aquatinics and the FM fixtures in person and the FM fixtures are noticibly brighter. They may not be as fancy as the Aquatinics, but looks of the do not matter to the corals, par output and intensity does.
FWIW, in less than 2 weeks my friend will be getting in his FM fixture, I'll see if I can get a pic of it on a tank.
HTH
Pomacanthus Rex
New member
thanks reefrocker for the info, i look forward to the pic if i dont already have my own
recently, i drove through ct and got to see some aquactinics units in person and they werent as bright as i thought or hoped for. "dull" is the best way to describe it. however, i wasnt sure if it was the fixtures or the bulbs used in them since there wasnt another t5 unit to compare with.
regarding the canopy, i think the ultra solaris is made for one. the bulbs are exposed, the end caps are water proof, and the unit has "lip" extensions that can either go on rails or be connected directly to the canopy. let me know and ill send over my design when im done with it.
recently, i drove through ct and got to see some aquactinics units in person and they werent as bright as i thought or hoped for. "dull" is the best way to describe it. however, i wasnt sure if it was the fixtures or the bulbs used in them since there wasnt another t5 unit to compare with.
regarding the canopy, i think the ultra solaris is made for one. the bulbs are exposed, the end caps are water proof, and the unit has "lip" extensions that can either go on rails or be connected directly to the canopy. let me know and ill send over my design when im done with it.
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The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
Careful about making absolute statements. I read the translated website weeks ago. Those lamps are made by Narva, the same company that makes the D&D Giesemann lamps. I couldn't figure out why they were getting different results than I was. They mentioned that the light from the AS side looked less blue than the ATI side. There is a reason for that. The 15K aquascience Special lamp they use is more of a daylight than the bluish white light of the aquablues we use. The were using a lux meter rather than a PAR meter. Lux measurement is aimed at the spectrum of light most sensitive to the human eye, 555nm. Take a look at where the AS special lamp has its highest peak.
Here is the output for the Aquascience "15K" lamp they used in the test along with the blues.
Here is their Duo they didn't use in the test, their description "This new developed high performance T5 tube with very powerful and stabil blue-white spectrum closes the gap between the AS Special and the AS Blue" This is the lamp they should have used in their test
Here is the Giesemann Aquablue 15K which is very close to ATI's Aquablue in color, look familiar?
I honestly don't know what the 15K Special lamp is, could be a replacement for the midday. ATI and GE both changed their 6500K lamps. It could be that one of the elements used in the lamps was banned for environmental reasons, dunno. The 15K special might be a great lamp but I would assume these are the same lamps as the Giesemanns until someone does a real PAR mesurment on them.
The Grim Reefer
Ready for some NOBALL!!!
I still have a ATI 4x39 watt fixture here. If anyone else knows the Fauna Marin guys get them to send a used fixture and some of those lamps to me and we can settle this. I can't justify buying a fixture to do this. I bought a slightly used Aquactinics fixture to test against the ati so I was able to sell it for enough to cover the costs. Hard to do with a new unit. If anyone has one of these fixtures measure the reflector width, I would be interested to see if they are the same size as the ones ATI sells. Th ATI's are just over 3" and are almost as good as Ice Caps.
Pomacanthus Rex
New member
from looking at the dimensions, it doesnt seem possible for the fm reflectors to be the same as the ati's. a 6 bulb fixture is just 11 inches wide, which accounts for less than 2" a reflector? should make for deeper penetration and but much less dispersal then?
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