Retrofit lighting

[lowrider]

ok lay it on me i need to know where is the best place to buy a T5 setup thanx for any replys

[crsswift70]

When i was looking for mine, i settled on the current-usa seller on ebay. It comes with a refurb warranty but they DO honor it. I had an issue with a moon light panel and they immediately got current to send me a new one free of charge. It's the only experience i have with a fixture type unit as i built my lat one. as you know Do you have a hood for that tank? You could always make your own lights if so.

[kristo]

talk to andrew, he will tell you the best of the best.

[lowrider]

well im going to put a canopy on it i think i will talk to beav and see if they have a uaed kit

[Amphiprion]

The type of T5 retrofit kit or fixture you get will depend upon what you want. For an all-around good setup without hellish amounts of light, I'd shoot for the Tek retros at www.aquacave.com. You have a 55, right? I'd just go with a 4 bulb fixture (or 2-2 bulb fixtures for ~$115 each)--that will allow you to keep SPS around the top and everything else in the mid and lower levels. If you primarily plan to have SPS (like me) and you want light on par with many halide systems, then go with the IceCap retrofit kits (at www.reefgeek.com) for ~$300. These include the IceCap reflectors (better designed than the Teks) as well as the IceCap ballast. This will effectively overdrive the bulbs making them significantly brighter, but shortening the life. Overdriven bulbs should be replaced every 8-10 months. In the Tek fixture, you can get away with 12-14 months since it isn't overdriving the bulbs. Other setups won't really give you as much light nor be as efficient as these two. Many of the prefabricated fixtures perform very well and will mount in a canopy. The only downside is that they will be more expensive. You can get more light from a retrofit kit (especially IceCap) for much cheaper than you can buy one of the higher-end fixtures. Case in point: german ATI fixtures for 4 48" 54w bulbs would cost you $550 compared to your retrofit options. A good fan-cooled IceCap kit is brighter.