Ok, this is going to be a bit of a rant. I've always been a fan of Ecotech and its innovation. I can't imagine not having my MP40s. I was an early adopter when they introduced Radion. I've been running my Gen 1's up until a month or so ago when I broke down my tank for a rebuild. One of the big selling points was modularity and upgradability they pushed.
But, after speaking with them yesterday and finding out they don't have parts to update Gen 1's to Gen 3 Pro anymore, I realized that anything below a Gen 5 is essentially a lame-duck fixture. Even if you own a Gen 4 Pro, once the parts are gone your fixture will be useless at some point if it needs to be repaired because they are not making parts for it. At least that is the way I understood what I was being told. I'm not a fan of this type of built in obsolescence as I think it contributes to a 'throw-away' culture. Reminds me of the cell phone industry and everyone getting suckered into the latest and greatest hype. Ecotech did offer me a 40% discount on 2 Gen 5's, but that is not something my budget supports. I also don't want to find myself in the same spot 5+ years down the line when they decide to change the design again. If you are going to drop almost $2K on a lighting fixture(s), it ought to last a very long time. Just my opinion. I think this is where LED fixtures/lighting fail. They are always trying to innovate to the point that they really can't support long term viability of anything they come up with and I think they are ok with that. It's great for their bottom line if your customers drop $2K plus or more every 5-7 years.
All this got me thinking about my old halide/T-5 fixture and all T-5 fixtures. Bulbs are available, ballasts are available, have been for decades. And there's no reason to think they won't be in the future. Honestly, I think the colors and growth on my coral was better under the hallide/T-5 fixture I used to run. No disco ball, no shading, much better coverage. So, I think I'm going to go to a T5 only fixture and not look back.
Has anyone else make a similar choice and are are you happy with it?
But, after speaking with them yesterday and finding out they don't have parts to update Gen 1's to Gen 3 Pro anymore, I realized that anything below a Gen 5 is essentially a lame-duck fixture. Even if you own a Gen 4 Pro, once the parts are gone your fixture will be useless at some point if it needs to be repaired because they are not making parts for it. At least that is the way I understood what I was being told. I'm not a fan of this type of built in obsolescence as I think it contributes to a 'throw-away' culture. Reminds me of the cell phone industry and everyone getting suckered into the latest and greatest hype. Ecotech did offer me a 40% discount on 2 Gen 5's, but that is not something my budget supports. I also don't want to find myself in the same spot 5+ years down the line when they decide to change the design again. If you are going to drop almost $2K on a lighting fixture(s), it ought to last a very long time. Just my opinion. I think this is where LED fixtures/lighting fail. They are always trying to innovate to the point that they really can't support long term viability of anything they come up with and I think they are ok with that. It's great for their bottom line if your customers drop $2K plus or more every 5-7 years.
All this got me thinking about my old halide/T-5 fixture and all T-5 fixtures. Bulbs are available, ballasts are available, have been for decades. And there's no reason to think they won't be in the future. Honestly, I think the colors and growth on my coral was better under the hallide/T-5 fixture I used to run. No disco ball, no shading, much better coverage. So, I think I'm going to go to a T5 only fixture and not look back.
Has anyone else make a similar choice and are are you happy with it?
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