Help me decide between cheap lighting options?

reef_grrrl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
173
Reaction score
71
Location
Durham NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey guys!

Little background on the tank and current lighting...

It's a 20 gallon rimless with a 5 gallon sump, it's been running about 3 years. It has lots of frogspawn, a big Duncan colony, zoanthids and palys, Ricordea, and I've recently been bitten by the monti bug.

Current lighting is a eBay special Odyssea 4 bulb 24w T5 running ATI lights. It's time to replace the bulbs. I love the color, growth has been ok, not spectacular, but that could be for a number of reasons, including a salinity spike early last year which stressed everything out and killed a few corals.

So should I replace the bulbs, or buy a MarsAqua165w LED?

I'm kinda concerned that the Odyssea has an anecdotal history of catching on fire, and I believe the MarsAqua is UL listed, so I feel a little better about that.

The two options are about the same price, and I've been going over pros and cons for weeks now. Yeah, I'd totally love to get a fancy programmable LED or an ATI t5 fixture, but that's not in the budget this year.

Opinions?
 

zach_discus

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
557
Reaction score
195
Location
Snohomish WA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Never ran the Marsaqua, but have run the ReefRadience and a couple years back a couple Taotronics fixture. Had really good luck with both
 

ss95003

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
347
Reaction score
86
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Cheap find a used 175w double ended MH fixture and call it a day. I still love the look and growth I get with MH.
 

redfishbluefish

Stay Positive, Stay Productive
View Badges
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
11,701
Reaction score
25,694
Location
Sayreville, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a Mars Aqua and love it. Use to have 6 bulb T5's and the yearly bulb cost was $130. This inexpensive LED has already paid for itself. When I purchased, they were $78.....I think they are something like $83 now....but still a deal. Although it is sold as 165 watts (55, 3 watt LEDS), at 100% it's only around 115 watts (LEDs running at about 2.1 watts each). But I will guarantee that you'll have that unit turned down to 30-40%, if even that. The lens really focus the light. My preference would be no lens.
 
OP
OP
reef_grrrl

reef_grrrl

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2012
Messages
173
Reaction score
71
Location
Durham NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a Mars Aqua and love it. Use to have 6 bulb T5's and the yearly bulb cost was $130. This inexpensive LED has already paid for itself. When I purchased, they were $78.....I think they are something like $83 now....but still a deal. Although it is sold as 165 watts (55, 3 watt LEDS), at 100% it's only around 115 watts (LEDs running at about 2.1 watts each). But I will guarantee that you'll have that unit turned down to 30-40%, if even that. The lens really focus the light. My preference would be no lens.


Cool, I think you sold me! Should I remove the lens myself, or is it something that I request the seller do?
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.0%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top