Nova Extreme T-5 Fixture

[onnen]

Anyone have this fixture? Anyone have any feedback or opinions on this? I can get it from DFS for $340!!!!!!!!:banana: :banana:

It would go on a 75 gallon tank. I would like to be able to put SPS and or LPS corals. I currently have an anemone (BTA) and some 'shrooms.

[David Grigor]

Unless they have improved they are one of the worst performing T5 fixtures around. You get about half the output of quality T5 light figtures. The main reason they suck so bad is becuase the bulbs are so close together and don't incorporate individual parabolic reflectors. Theres lots of light restrike and potential light that never reaches the tank.

[kpete4]

Is there a t-5 fixture that you have been happy with, or is it just the retro kits that you can put what you want in????????

[Chris Goetz]

I don't think there is one t-5 fixture that doesn't have it's flaws, hence the popularity of the retro kits.
Chris

[onnen]

I do not have a canopy, so which fixture is the "best" then?

[clownnut]

Tek hood T5HO fixtures are the best.

[David Grigor]

If this were me, I'd build a canopy before I'd buy a fixture. Flexability of the number of bulbs etc. being able to choose the highest quality components is important to me.

Nova, aquamedic, odyssea, finnex are you lower end with bad reflectors.
Tek has okay reflectors but lack fans, Keeping the bulbs cool add 20% percent increase alone.
Aquaactinics have pretty good reflectors and fans. It's downside is the ballast being a workhorse.

Of those, I'd personally choose the aquaactinics.

If you want a really good then you your looking at the solor flare, and the ati fixtures but be prepared to spend some $$.

My frag tank is a 75g and I've got 3 T5 bulbs on it. For a community tank, that's all you would need if you have good quality components and keep the bulbs cool with fans blowing across the bulbs. With retro, you can start out with 3 and if you need to add more depending on your corals you can always do so. With a fixture, your limited once you have it.

[sea monkey]

I have been extremely happy with my Tek fixtures. Functionally i have no issues with it . I like that it is very low profile and attractive looking. To me its a perfect option if you would like to go without the added expense of a hood.

[RogersCG]

What do you think of IceCap? I was thinking about putting this over my 110 in a custom hood.

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/48_inch__4x54W_SLR_T5_Very_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap

or this if I can afford it:

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/IceCap/SLR_Retrofit_Kits/48_inch__6x54W_SLR_T5_High-Output_Retrofit_Kit_w!_Bulbs_by_IceCap


Thanks!
Chris

[David Grigor]

Is your 110 and 60" tank ? Mine is a 110 and I have 5 X 48" t5 bulbs on it. I wouldn't change a thing.

Me personally, don't think the icecap ballast is needed. I ran T5s for about 14 months on icecap and went to spec ballasts and things still did great. Especially a community tank with a little bit of everything. You can keep just about anything with the proper placment. I don't care for clams but that's abot the only reason I could see using the icecap ballast to get a little more umph to the bottom.

Tek is probably the most popular mass produced of them all. Between cost and functionality certainly nothing wrong with them. Becuase of the deficencies in reflector and cooling though, you can get as much light with less bulbs by doing a retro. Electricity wise saving 50ish watts isn't much but more importantly less bulbs means less replacement costs and have freedom of increasing number of bulbs as your tank grows/changes.

[RogersCG]

Actually it is a 110 Extra High so it's 48X18X30. I was thinking I might need the High Output ballast for that depth though I plan on having a DSB of about 6" also which would still give me a 24" water column.

[mattb]

I have the Solar Flare from Aquactinics and the output is pretty amazing. While I'd like to have another 2 bulbs on it. All SPS and clams (even on the bottom) are doing fine... I couldn't stand the wait for ATI fixtures so I bought this....I'm still on wait for a 48" 10 bulb ATI PowerModule fixture and don't expect to see this anytime soon.

I went from 3 x 250 hqi halides, which were brighter, but due to having the fixture 12" above the tank, I was losing a lot of that light (should got lumenarcs!). But I have the Solar Flare 1" off the tank, so the net-net is that I have a bit less PAR, but not that much.... Like David said, if you are doing LPS-some SPS-softies, you may be better off not paying the premium for Ice Caps.... For a sps only, I think it's worth it.....

[kpete4]

Do you have 8 t5 bulbs on your solar flare???

[David Grigor]

If your just going to keep some open brains, fungia, mushrooms and other lower light lps softies on the bottom or near the bottom, spec ballast would likely do just fine. But likely anything more than that on the bottom 1/4 of the tank your going to want halides or icecap ballast T5s. The upper 10" or so using spec ballasts you can keep pretty much anything you wanted to. The middle sections would be more of community stuff ( echinos, acans, frogspawn, pociliiporas, montiporas etc. ), bottom 1/4" your lower lighting lps and softies.

[mattb]

No, 6, I wish I had 8... I talked to the owner of Aquactinics and he said they haven't had enough demand for them...

[onnen]

I looked at some of those fixture mentioned and man are those nice, however, I don't have that kind of money!!! If I did I would buy a metal halide fixture set!!

For the money I am spending, am I getting an OK light? I know it may not be the best, but I don't have the money for the best!

Thanks so far for everyones input!!!!!!!!!

[David Grigor]

You would be spending double the amount on electricity and double the bulbs to replace. So that pretty much negates any initial cost savings IMO.......

You would be better off with a 4 bulb Tek than an 8 bulb Nova which including bulbs will end up basically the same cost as buying Tek fixture/bulbs from Ryan at twopartsolution.com here locally. I don't think legs are included so if you don't plan to hang that will cost a bit extra.

[sea monkey]

I agree . the fixture is inefficient because of the lack of reflectors and the included "Slimpaq" bulbs are "ok" at best. I would also guess that a 4 bulb tek with good bulbs would emit close to the same light as the 8 bulb nova with crappy bulbs . certainly the 6 bulb tek would and with better color .

resale on undesirable aquarium equipment is often very low. it is often best to really think about your purchase and get what you will happiest with long term , even if it means saving up and not buying today. Nothing worse than buying the same piece of equipment over and over .

[sea monkey]

You I don't think legs are included so if you don't plan to hang that will cost a bit extra.
I have the hanging kit at home and the legs at the office .

I like the cheaper hanging "cable" kit much more . I think it looks nicer but it is also a really slick way to move the hood up and out of the way while you are working in the tank. I wouldn't buy the legs again unless i had nothing to hang it from .