View RSS Feed

doomicon

Advice Needed

Rate this Entry
4 Comments
by
doomicon
, 01-08-2010 at 09:03 AM (844 Views)
I'm preparing my shopping list for this Saturdays trip to my local LFS(FAOIS). So far my list consists of the following:

Replacement Filters for RO/DI, Calc/KH test kits, Salt.

Here's where I need advice. I have an OLD Nova Extreme 8x54w T5HO fixture with the single reflector. It's not ideal, and bulbs are 13months old so they need replacement. I bounced a couple of ideas around. I would hate to spend the money on new bulbs for a fixture that isn't ideal, and that I didn't research well before purchasing. I thought of tearing the fixture apart and creating my own with the existing parts and purchase some individual reflectors... That however will be quite pricey.

So should I just stick with a fixture, and drop the dough on the bulbs, or pony up and replace to meet long term goals?

Note, I do plan on focusing more on SPS.

If it's yes on the replacement, what should I go for? Was thinking a couple of IC 250 Ballasts and a couple of 14k's.

Sidenote, near term water quality goals are to focus on getting the water changed and TEST to get an idea of where I'm at. Hopefull this Saturday afternoon after my LFS trip.

Submit "Advice Needed" to Digg Submit "Advice Needed" to del.icio.us Submit "Advice Needed" to StumbleUpon Submit "Advice Needed" to Google

Categories
‎ Tank Entry

Comments

  1. VulcanRider's Avatar
    Well sounds like you may pay up to 190 bucks for 8 bulbs at roughly 23 bucks each. I would probably save that money and use it to buy a ballast kit but some dont have the bulbs included so you may be looking at the price of buying a full fixture where you can pick your own bulbs. At that point I personally would probably just buy a fixture like ATI Sunpower or Powermoduale or the Tek Elite and be able to select my own bulbs.
  2. doomicon's Avatar
    Yea around $190 for bulbs, and if I were to try and pull it apart and add reflectors it would be another $185 on top of that. Thanks for the input, just gonna investigate a new fixture. Tough part is deciding on whether to stick with T5's or go MH, lol. I love the color combo's available with the T5s', but the "shimmer" of MH's is sweet lol.
  3. VulcanRider's Avatar
    Yeah I agree about the shimmer. If I could spare the few extra bucks for the lighting I would probably go with the MH but T5's for me do to the energy efficiency. You could go T5 and add LED strips, I think IceCap just came out with led T5 bulbs, they should add a little shimmer. Won't be great though. I was thinking of doing that myself. Buying like a 6 bulb fixture using 4 for the real lighting and putting two of the LED bulbs for some pretty effects.
  4. doomicon's Avatar
    Guy I know from the LFS told me the same thing about the LED strips. Funny thing, I told him I was going to MH, and he told me he's selling and rebuilding.. and he's going with T5s and LEDs. lol