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Post by BriMc on Sept 18, 2014 10:07:13 GMT -5
Your best bet is NOT to ask distributors and stores about the fixture as they will tell you anything to get you to buy. Go into the stores and distributors and find the fixtures you are interested in and then research the crap out of the fixtures you like. As I said earlier in this post I listened to one distributor tell us how great a certain manufacturer was and then three weeks later six of the nine fixtures were either broken with lights completely out or leds flashing etc. We were there last weekend and Four out of the nine were still out and another was replaced with another model fixture. When researching my lights and making my choices many retailers were very up front and honest with me. Especially about weather a light would be good for sps growth. Many retailers sell multiple lights and are more then willing to explain the differences and pro's and con's. Take frag freaks as an example they sell reef breeders and kessil lighting, more times then not your gonna spend more on kessil's if you have to buy multiple lights. They still highly recommend reef breeders over the kessil's. They use them their selves and have had success with them. Now manufacturers, that's probably a different story all together. They only sell there lights so of course there's will always be the best no matter the situation. Listen to people that have the different lights you want from different brands. Good or bad and weight your options. As stated before do your research everywhere. Google it, ask about it and go visit places that have the lights you like. Ultimately it's up to you and your preferences. Because there's always gonna be a ton of haters and lovers of all. But it's most likely the hardest thing you'll have to choose in this process. Jason your on your third or fourth set of lights? Some of you guys and gals really can't be that jaded can you? There is so much behind the scenes things that drive retailers to sell or recommend certain products. Floor plans, incentives ( sell four get one free ), employee / store discounts, margin, some companies pay the store for the shelf space to have their items in the store, Even special manufacturer advertising plays a roll on what a store focuses on selling. Syntax I wish you the best of luck with your fixture and hopefully it will last for years. I don't think the person you bought it from did you any favors, he knew he had a fish hooked and at this time with the bad press Pac sun has been getting any sale is a good sale. It is like buying a car, you are there on the lot for a reason especially when you show up driven by someone else, the dealer knows this. You told them you love Chevy and the looks of the Corvette and want it. After talking to the sales person and finding out the price you started he-ing and hawing about the price, oh the wife, can I afford it, so much for a car. Problem is instead of being stone faced you are telling your concerns to the opponent the sales person. The sales person knowing your concerns tells you the Corvette is way over kill and steers you into the Camaro stating this will do you just fine and stands on the fact that you get all the performance ( under his breath is says " close to it minus a few features" ) but you are saving a couple of thousand dollars ( in your case a couple hundred dollars) which now in your mind you can justify the car. No another thing to remember the person you talked to at the shop Retails and is a distributor for Pac sun, the rep you talked to at the store setting up the fixtures was a rep from Pac sun. When you call Pac sun what do they sell? |
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Post by jasonandsarah on Sept 18, 2014 10:50:17 GMT -5
Third set of lighting and I didn't like kessil's so I don't recommend them for sps tanks. I had them for a month and was very unhappy with them. I had my first set of Chinese leds over a year and I'd take them back in a second over t5 or halide lights... Have you ever had leds over your tank? jaded tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something. I'm just saying.... by definition it seems as though you'd be the only jaded one?  You don't have to argue in every led argument. There proven....weren't you one of the ones that said Pacific sun were top of the line awhile back? Idk why I'm even responding really it's a moot point really. Maybe we should start a thread with t5, halide and led lit tanks for comparison? I've heard Vho lights make a reef tank look fantastic! |
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Post by Syntax on Sept 18, 2014 11:20:08 GMT -5
Lol! Thanks for the chuckle Brian.
I'm sorry to the op that I have contributed to the thread going off topic.
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Post by BriMc on Sept 18, 2014 11:21:50 GMT -5
Absolutely not I said I liked the design of the pac sun and the ATI hybrid fixtures. At that time they were pretty new to the market and I do not commit comments to anything new on the market. Now that I see all the issues with them I wouldn't touch either of them. I have had LEDs over my tank a few years ago I didn't like them at all but they are starting to come around. I was over a friends house the other day and he has LED's on his tank, yes I do like them and the tank was absolutely stunning but again back to previous comments way too much shimmer it was not the color disco effect but the blue and white shimmer. and there was noticeable shading. jaded adjective 1. tired, bored, weary, worn out, done in (informal), clapped out (Brit., Austral., & N.Z. informal), spent, drained, exhausted, shattered, dulled, fatigued, fed up, wearied, fagged (out) (informal), sapped, uninterested, listless, tired-out, enervated, zonked (slang), over-tired, ennuied We had both become jaded, disinterested and disillusioned. tired fresh, keen, eager, enthusiastic, refreshed, naive, life-loving, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (informal) 2. satiated, sated, surfeited, cloyed, gorged, glutted scrumptious little things to tickle my jaded palate Someone used google and pasted and copied the first definition of Jaded he found instead of digging a bit to find more meanings for the word.  Jason I should have used Naïve, Blind, or easily led. |
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Post by BriMc on Sept 18, 2014 11:23:28 GMT -5
Yeah time to get back on topic but it shows the op the variables when looking at lights and different opinions and that is what makes forums great! |
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Thomas
New Member
i can grow LPS really well but SPS are a tottaly diffrent ball game
Posts: 31 
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Post by Thomas on Sept 18, 2014 13:29:23 GMT -5
so on the lighting topic. I talked to my boss today and radaions for this sps tank are kind of out of the question. I am leaning more towards a t5 fixture and supplementing with some led strips that I can build. what do you guys think of this Idea or should I go with something form reef breeders. they seam to work for our LPS tanks and was wondering what you guys know about sps. also he what's to use ozone as part of our filtration thoughts. I am for it because it will help over clock our protein skimmer
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Post by Syntax on Sept 18, 2014 14:16:59 GMT -5
Knowing the budget would help. Did you check out the Reef Brite halide/led fixture? Beautiful fixture but a little pricey.
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Post by ryansweatt2004 on Sept 18, 2014 14:22:00 GMT -5
Reef breeders over radions doesn't make any sense to me other than from a price standpoint. Otherwise there's just no comparison. But to each their own.
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Post by maineultraclassic on Sept 18, 2014 15:24:19 GMT -5
Reef breeders over radions doesn't make any sense to me other than from a price standpoint. Otherwise there's just no comparison. But to each their own. I was thinking the same thing. |
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Thomas
New Member
i can grow LPS really well but SPS are a tottaly diffrent ball game
Posts: 31
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Post by Thomas on Sept 18, 2014 15:28:34 GMT -5
okay so my budget I have no idea. this is for a lab for UNE and I happen to be in the class as well as part of the company. I know the university will help pay for some of the equipment. and my boss only has so much he can invest at this time. so money is a little dicey for lack of better words. I guess we are looking for a mid ranged fixture. radaions even wholsale are still pretty expensive. I talked to him today about it and there was a study done that looked at led compared to t5 and t5 have much better growth but do not produce the colors. I was thinking that I would go with a 6 bulb t5 fixture and then build some LED light strips (with blues) to go with it. the blues would be for the color enhancing. in addition another idea that was thrown around was build my LEDS has a new 20,000K light. has the same spectrum as a halide with out us needing a new bulb every couple of months. I would still love to get my hands on the readions but money is tight in the company
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Post by maineultraclassic on Sept 18, 2014 15:42:50 GMT -5
So if this is for a lab at UNE, have you been in contact with Rick Oellers?
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Post by gotareef on Sept 18, 2014 17:15:38 GMT -5
evergrow d2120 are on sale on ebay for under $90 shipped.... something to think about
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Post by speedyron on Sept 18, 2014 17:49:14 GMT -5
evergrow d2120 are on sale on ebay for under $90 shipped.... something to think about Rob what is the life expectancy of these lights? I know you have used a lot of these. How long have they lasted for you and have u had any problems with them? |
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Thomas
New Member
i can grow LPS really well but SPS are a tottaly diffrent ball game
Posts: 31
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Post by Thomas on Sept 18, 2014 18:10:29 GMT -5
to answer your question yes I am in contact with rick. and I am a student in the class so I have to use my outside resources. plus rick and I whant to see what others are doing.
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Post by BriMc on Sept 18, 2014 21:07:51 GMT -5
Hi Thomas,
Are you looking for growth or for the colors to fluoresce decide what you are trying to accomplish and that will make your decision easier. Two things you don't want to skimp on is lights and skimmer, I do have to disagree on the color between t-5 and LEDs, yes Led's do give you a bit more pop but there are a few t-5 lamps that really make corals pop and come real close. Just like anything else you get what you pay for. Halides with the electronic ballasts you can push the lamps to a year plus. The problem with Halides is heat and operating costs. Ozone yeap I dismantled a tank destroyed by ozone, you think a tank gone bad stinks times it by ten. Ozone does work and works well but it needs to be monitored closely and often. Ozone also needs to be run through a reactor or two ( a lot of people don't do this ) and should be vented out doors.
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You don't have to argue in every led argument. There proven....weren't you one of the ones that said Pacific sun were top of the line awhile back?
