what light fixture would you buy with 1500 dollars for a 72 inch tank size

man i would buy three lumenarc 3 reflectors and put 3X250 watt bulbs in those babys or 400's build me a nice canopy with fans. when all said and done it would be under 1000 bucks
 
I'm going to do the same - maristar is the best I think for under $2000. I don't like the Giesemann option since it doesn't have the T5's, only the MH. They are beautiful lights though.
 
rdmpe said:
I'm going to do the same - maristar is the best I think for under $2000. I don't like the Giesemann option since it doesn't have the T5's, only the MH. They are beautiful lights though.

Giesemann has the T5 + MH under the hood option?

If money is no concern, and you want a pimpa$$ lighting system both estetically and functionally, get a Giesemann :D
 
Actually Steven Pro brings up a very pertinant question b/c if you for instance have no desires beyond lps and softies....a T5 hood would work very nicely. If you want "limitless" lighting and a one piece setup however, I vote Maristar yet again.
 
I would take pendants or lumenarcs over a geisemann, aqualine, etc. The geisemann, aqualines and others like that (TUNZE), use crappy little reflectors and because they are intended for use over open-top aquariums, the UV glass has its edges blacked out like auto-glass to cut down on glare coming out the edges. This blacking out also results in a light loss of over 10%. Dont believe me? Just ask...I learned it directly from them. They are not the most efficient reflectors...they were not intended to be.

For a 72" tank, my choice would depend on the tank, but it would involve a triple pendant setup...For a 125, three PFO 250wattDE HQI pendants & ballasts with pheonix 14,000K or aqualine 20,000K bulbs. For a 180 or 150, I would use three 400watt hamilton 14,000Ks, aquaconnect 14,000Ks, radiums, XM or aqualine 20,000Ks...in three lumenarc reflectors and powered by PFO HQI(M80) ballasts. Actinic supplimentation need not apply...those bulbs have plenty of great looking blue color and great PAR ratings for great growth.

Why seperates? Well, just like TV/VCR combos, when one goes, the whole thing is shot and needs repair....with seperates, if you have one bad ballast...or reflector, whatever...you can just take that one down and use one of the other lights to fill in. When a single 72" hood has even a small problem...the whole thing needs to be sent in. Shipping is more...and what will your corals do without light for a couple weeks while you await your replacement? Ok, ok, some places are more reasonable and send you a replacement first and then you send your unit back...but still...its a PITA to have to do this with a whole unit...rather than just disconnecting a single ballast...not to mention shipping on a whole 72"...eeek.

The other thing is that individual pendant reflectors by SLS, PFO, and diamond lighting are waaaaaaaaay better than the ones you find in a 72" unit.
 
I am still looking around found a geisemann one piece computer controlled dust to dawn and moon lights with t5 for around 2999.90 not real sure I want to spend that much but I don't want to be limited at all to what I can keep.

My tank is 72 inches across and 18 inchs wide and 20 inches deep .
 
An AGA 125. My cousin has one with everything from clams to LPS and SPS. He uses three seperate PFO HQI 250watt ballasts with pendants...and since he likes the deep blue he uses aqualine 20,000Ks...they seem to be the longest lasting 20,000K. I like 14's but to each his own.

You want to add a moonlight? Get is seperate. It allows for more positioning possibilities...its better not getting stuck with moonlights as part of a hood.

The ballasts are $115 each, pendants $93, pheonix bulbs are $65...that all x3 = $819...and better halide output/flexibility than an all-in-one. See a 8' tank in your future? Or a different type of tank? With an all-in-one the you are stuck...but with seperate pendants...you can just add another for an 8' tank, or move them around for a low cube tank...etc.
 
That computer controlled Guisemann is cool if you can't think of anything better to do with 3 grand. They actually simulate the cycle of the moon which some people claim will cause corals to spawn. Dunno about that.

If you want the nice look of a hood just make sure you get one with the external ballasts. No worries.

Reef Optix and PFO pendants do have better reflectors but no dusk/dawn so you need additional lights if that is important to you. Foster and Smith.com from the sponsors page have some cool submersible blue lamps that would work for that. You could place them at the top of the water so the frame of the tank hides them.
 
I received a email from aquatinics they say the have a 72 in hood with three single ended MHs with 4 39w T5s actinics and a remote ballas box . base price 960.00 with 175w 10 k xm or coralvue MHs. Upgrade to 250w 10k MHs for 28.50 per MH. There is a option for adding 3 moonlights.

So I will call them tomorrow to see about Light options like upgrading to a 14k
 
I just used a bunch of Aquactinics fixtures. A friend/customer specifically asked me to buy that brand for him and I am pleasantly impressed. The double fan setup makes the units run very cool and the reflectors really focused the light. Unfortunately, I don't know of any independent testing (ala Sanjay Joshi) on the fixtures/reflectors for a comparison.
 
I know I was just at his site and didn;t find it either .What is PPFD and CCT and what is the best to be able to keep most corals alive and well?
 
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