What's Up!!! With this T5 retro?

[lukinrats]

I am going to purchase some T5's for my tank pretty soon... I saw this on Ebay, and wonder what exactly would be wrong with it... It seems to have a reflector with each bulb... I know it is not a TEK or Aquatinics, but for a 90 gallon would this not work with the right bulbs? I gotta save some money where possible now, because of what I spent on a sump, and skimmer... Anyway here it is!

Later,

 

[lukinrats]

Or would this be better?

 

[HBtank]

Well $50 shipping on the first one is just wrong, I know that... lol..

 

[lukinrats]

Ya you are right, I just noticed that... I sent the seller an email about that, but I doubt I will ever hear back... I think the second is a better deal anyway!!!!!!

Later

 

[luke33]

I haven't seen any coralvue reviews, but i'd like to. They look nice, but i'm not sure about the reflectors yet. There not as good as the icecap's i'm sure but i don't know how they rank vs the tek or tek II's. There's not much info on them in the t5 thread either. I'll be following along this and hope to see more, as i've had a couple threads about these retro's as well with no response.

 

[lukinrats]

Well the thing about the Coralvue that interested me was that it is plug and play retro... I found this other one here that is the same plug and play, but is Tek light... Still very reasonably priced too... I may go with this, and see how it works!

Later,

 

[coralnut99]

Unless I'm mistaken, the Tek retro kits don't come with bulbs. That would make that comparable to this:

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1369

And the bulbs are offered at $10 apiece.

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10074841#post10074841 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by coralnut99
Unless I'm mistaken, the Tek retro kits don't come with bulbs. That would make that comparable to this:

http://www.hellolights.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1369

And the bulbs are offered at $10 apiece.

You are correct, but the thing I like is that for about 30 bucks they come fully assembled, so that you just screw them into the canopy, and turn them on

Later,

 

[RichConley]

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...5_HO_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_Sunlight_Supply

Same price, comes with bulbs.

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10074968#post10074968 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...5_HO_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_Sunlight_Supply

Same price, comes with bulbs.

Ok.. That link did not work, but I did look at what you were talking about... Not quite the same price, but only 20 bucks for bulbs is not bad.

So what we have to decide now is whether this ready retro is better than the Coralvue, and I will be set... Anyone have some input?

Later,

 

[lukinrats]

Here is a better listing for the Coralvue kit... It is $120 plus $8 shipping for the same type of system as the Sunlight supply one... Difference in price is about $40 for each 2 bulb ready retro kit, so there is an advantage to going with the Coralvue IMO

Later,

 

[RichConley]

The ebay one is 154.95, and doesnt come with bulbs. Shipping is $20.

The Reef Geek is 159.99, and DOES come with bulbs. Shipping is $8.

Ebay: 174.95 w/o bulbs
RfGk: 167.99 w/ bulbs


The hellolights one will come out to about 149 before shipping, but you have no idea what you're getting for the reflectors.

 

[lukinrats]

Also, here is the hamilton lighting version, but if I am not mistaken this fixture just has a single large reflector... Is this right?

Late

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10075063#post10075063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
The ebay one is 154.95, and doesnt come with bulbs. Shipping is $20.

The Reef Geek is 159.99, and DOES come with bulbs. Shipping is $8.

Ebay: 174.95 w/o bulbs
RfGk: 167.99 w/ bulbs


The hellolights one will come out to about 149 before shipping, but you have no idea what you're getting for the reflectors.

I have to appologize for that one Rich... I had found another listing for the kit after I posted the first one... It is here... My bad, but it really would not matter by the time you added the bulbs, it would just work out about the same then.

Later

 

[luke33]

Stay away from the hamy's for t5's. There junk.

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10075231#post10075231 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
Stay away from the hamy's for t5's. There junk.

Thats what I figured, Thanks!!!

Later

 

[coralnut99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10075063#post10075063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
The ebay one is 154.95, and doesnt come with bulbs. Shipping is $20.

The Reef Geek is 159.99, and DOES come with bulbs. Shipping is $8.

Ebay: 174.95 w/o bulbs
RfGk: 167.99 w/ bulbs


The hellolights one will come out to about 149 before shipping, but you have no idea what you're getting for the reflectors.

The reflectors are very good quality (i've bought them new and used), but the shipping at Hello might make it more expensive than the Rfgk deal.

 

[luke33]

Coralnut, whats your lighting setup and what do you keep currently, are your corals growing and doing well?

 

[coralnut99]

In a nutshell, 3 display tanks. Ballast just died on one of the 125's (mixed reef) and has already been replaced by t5's. A 90 (LPS dominant) that replaced a 75, was set up with t5's. My sps-dominated 125 still has 250W DE MH over it, and the T5 retro is on the shopping list right now. Though I have to say that if you've ever run 20K's and really like the blue-white color and shimmer through the water, you'll not see that with t5's.

I have 3 shallow 45G prop tanks that I set up in phases. The first had a 250W SE MH pendant over it, and almost cooked the tank. T5's over all 3 prop tanks now.

My fishroom is very small, and heat was just uncontrollable during the hottest summer days. So my scenario isn't the same as everyone else's. I have no trouble growing any coral under t5's, and have none of the heat issues I had last summer. But I still love the last of my 20K MH's and might keep one of the pendants.

 

[luke33]

Thanks coralnut, good to know. I have a 4x54w t5 with icecap reflectors and endcaps but a workhorse ballast but there not set u pyet. I plan on getting either 3x60" tek II's in there and that should be it IME, and i should be able to house anything i want. Just been curious on these coralvue's myself. They look nice in person.