Some Jebo Questions -

[Pacifico]

Alright, I'd like to start a 55 gallon plant tank. Unfortunately, I'm pretty naive when it comes to aquatic plant tanks, so I need some help. Based on another post, it sounds like Jebo is the way to go (as far as saving in costs). So, having said that, here is what I have in mind:

Jebo Odyssea CSF4:
I've heard it is a decent canister filter, and it is relatively cheap on E-Bay. What do you think?

Jebo 36W UV Ster.:
Well, it is HUGE for a 55... However, as I understand it, you can adjust the flow rate-Also, they really aren't that much more than significantly smaller versions. Thoughts?

48 inch JEBO odyssea compact aquarium light 260w leg:
How would this be? It says it has 2 daylight bulbs and 2 moonlight bulbs--which guides me to think it is made for salt tanks. Can you use moonlight bulbs in FW tanks? If not, is it good practice to replace the moonlight bulbs with two more daylight bulbs?

Alright, I guess that pretty much covers it. I'm probably going to order this stuff off of E-Bay, unless someone else has a better place in mind. I also know I'll need the CO2 bubbler (can't think of the real name), so please give me a decent brand/place to order one of those, too.

Thanks for the help... I'll keep you posted.

-Wick

 

[rubysoho]

if th bulbs are actinic (sp?) then that is for saltwater. You can request two more normal bulbs and then that will be fine. The actinic are no good with freshwater, but nice to keep around in case you ever decide to do saltwater. I have a Jebo light on my 55 gallon and haven't had a problem (it has been up only since december/january though).

fishman911 was the guy I got my Jebo light from, he was very good to work with.

 

[greenmaji]

If all the bulbs were in correct spectrum on the light strip you would have a monster of a tank on your hands in no time..(like riding a tiger!) thats almost 5wpg of CF! and you would need pressurized CO2... http://www.plantguild.com/html/co2_systems.html seems to have cheap prices..

even if half the light bulbs were actinic you would still be hardpressed to not need CO2... so unless you plan on having high light plants I wouldnt worry about getting the correct bulbs in it.. you should be able to grow right about anything in it at 50% light output..

the canister is the most bang for your buck.. I havnt really heard anything bad about it other then its louder then the much more expensive canister filters.. and if you want UV then bigger is better.. it will more likely kill the parasites..

 

[Pacifico]

Thanks for the replies! I was just wondering how I can find out if the bulbs it comes with are actinic? Sorry it has taken me so long to reply--I've been out of town. Anyways, I'll keep you guys posted on what I decide to do. Thanks again for the help.

 

[dr_girlfriend]

I'm almost 100% positive that all jebo lighting comes with a combo set up for bulbs. And they won't replace them for you, you'll have to buy a replacement bulb for the blue one.
I think for the lighting, Jebo is cool. However for anything with water moving through it or moving parts, Jebo sucks. There is NO warranty, and no instructions. Especially if you buy it on ebay, youre screwed. If youre dead set on Jebo, buy it from www.aquatraders.com . they should have some kind of return policy if you get a lemon. (which there is a high percentage you will)
This is just my opinion, but if youre going to make a financial investment make sure its in somethng that you won't have to replace prematurely. If you spend $50 on the Jebo filter, and it conks out in 6 months, that $50 lost you could have put in a more reliable product with a 2 year warranty. And you can get a turbo twist UV for 69.99 on drsfosterandsmith and it is a far superior product to Jebo.

 

[Pacifico]

Alright, I'll have to check this out more. Decisions... Decisions...

 

[Guest]

And you can get a turbo twist UV for 69.99 on drsfosterandsmith and it is a far superior product to Jebo.

You do know you are comparing a 9 watt with a 36 watt UV, right? If you understand about dwell time, a 9 watt is going to be too weak to kill anything at a decent (above 200) gph. So now you are either going to have to buy a pump for the turbo twist (which the Jebo comes with) to get a slow enough dwell time (55 gph), or get another filter to make up for the low gph on the one connected to the UV. Not such a good deal anymore, huh?

 

[TankGirl]

I have not heard good things about Jebo anything, though I know their filters are going like hotcakes on ebay.

I have too many inferior products collecting dust on my shelves now from years of cutting corners, and now I'd rather save my money up and get high quality equipment that will last me for many years.

When it comes to the Jebo UV sterilizers, there is a whole lot of ways for an inferior product to cause big problems for you. These units need to have quartz sleeve maintenance about every six months, with bulb replacement (factor bulb price into your budget - you will be amazed at how much these cost) as well at that time. It is easy to crack the bulb, crack the sleeve and crack the fittings so that the entire thing either shorts out or leaks, draining your tank onto your floor when you don't realize it. I would strongly recommend you get the kind of UV sterilizer that has a "wiper" mechanism built in so you don't have to take it apart to wipe off the sleeve. I'd also get a higher wattage than what it is rated for your tank, because you can't "overdose" UV sterilization.

 

[Pacifico]

Thanks TG - you're probably right... I shouldn't be cutting corners here. Really, the biggest issue is that my girlfriend wants to get me one (or several) of these things for my birthday. And... I'd feel guilty if I put a 200+ dollar canister filter on my 'wish list' :-(. I'm just at a loss for what to do...

 

[TankGirl]

Maybe she and other friends or relatives could go in together on it as a gift to you?

I'd definitely get an inexpensive canister filter before I'd get an inexpensive UV sterilizer, that's my main point, since the canister is a simpler machine and is usually not such a pain to maintain. You might leave off the UV until later on down the road, since it is not essential to your setup anyway at this point.

As for the lighting, I have 4x65w CF fluoro on my 55 and this tank is extremely tricky to keep balanced - I have to constantly test and dose to keep things under control. I do not recommend that kind of lighting unless you are experienced with planted tanks and the issues that high light will bring. If you could find 2x65w PC that would be ideal, and you could grow just about anything you wanted.

 

[Guest]

You can get a fluval 404 for less than $100 and it would be more than enough for that tank. Even a 304 would work.

Re: a UV, you are either going to have to get a jebo or spend close to $200 for one of the ones that Tank Girl is talking about. Personally I would not spend $200 on a UV, but if its in your budget knock yourself out.

 

[Pacifico]

Good points made by all -- thanks for the help. At this point, I think I'm just going to ask for the Fluval 404. I know it can be purchased locally, and I am hearing nothing but good things about them.

I won't worry about the UV for now.

I'm still uncertain about the lighting. I may just go to one of my LFS and see what they can tell me. I recall him trying to sell me a used fixture for $185 a month or so ago... I wasn't sure if it was a good deal or not, though. I'll get the specs for you guys so that you can give me your .02.

 

[greenmaji]

The fluval 404 is generaly $160 at a LFS.
A CF lighing outfit from the LFS would run over $200.. I wouldnt pay more then $100 for any used lighting unless it had multiple MH + CF in it...

 

[TankGirl]

Here are a few things I pulled up for 2x65w lighting in the 48" length:

http://www.aquariumarts.com/lighting.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2367386478&category=46314
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2343401217&category=3212
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4341500663&category=46314

Some are just under $100, which I think is excellent. You are looking at Coralife and USA Current Satellite fixtures above. I have both brands and I think they are very comparable, and usually the USA Current fixtures can be had for much less than the Coralife when purchasing retail.

 

[piranha]

I use a Jebo 828 ,the same as a CSF4,with no problems. The filter is extremely quiet,easy to maintain,and has all the features of the Eheim Pro 2. Check out superfishstore.com for great prices. I once purchased the smaller 9 watt Jebo UV as a recomendation for a small pond. It helped,but your better off with the larger unit.Most units recommend bulb replacement every season.

 

[DocBaker69]

Jebo CSF4

I purchased an odyssea CSF4 from fishman911 on ebay (come to find out he's like 10 miles from me) and it is a wonderful filter...may go and get some more just for the helluvit. Easy to set up and easy to maintain...he has them for 44.95 + s&h. can't beat that price with a stick...especially when I saw the same filter in one fish store for 219.99 and another for 159.99. grab 'em while ya can!!!

 

[piranha]

Docbaker69 Check out aquatraders.com CFS4 for $39.99 superfishstore.com also sells them.

 

[LAGlocker]

As for the moonlights on the fixture, if they are moonlights and not actinic bulbs, then those are simply there to light the tank at night, to make for better night time viewing of your fish and so you can actually watch your nocturnal fish act as they normally would at night. most of the moonlights are supposed to be set up so that the fish doesnt see the light, or think it is actually the moon shining down through the water. I actually have a 1watt led moonlight on one of my tanks and love how it looks