please tell me what you thank

[darron863]

i found these lights on ebay and wonted some advice on them have not found any thing bad about them just looking for a second opinion sorry dont know how to put up a link







http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-48-760W-M...101366235QQcategoryZ46314QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Ziggy953]

Looks like a great price for that kind of lighting...I would do a search for it on google or soemthing and do a little reading about it before I spent the money. It looks like some more expensive systems on the market. Do some product comparison. If it is a no name company I would be careful!

 

[melosu58]

Moved to General hardware and equipment discussion.

 

[tecwzrd]

The old saying "you get what you pay for" rings true when it comes to cheap MH lighting. This is an Odyssea MH light (which conveniently was omitted by the seller) and you can do a quick forum search on this product and see most are fairly unhappy with the lights.

This thread in particular is pretty good.

Also from what I've read the PC lighting from the same company isn't as prone to failure or heat issues. A couple of users on this site have bought them without issue though so it's really a hit/miss kind of product.

Similar higher quality lighting like Current USA & Coralife costs 2-3 times as much as Odyssea but IMO will last 2-3 times longer as well.

 

[roka64]

I bought This System http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12772&N=2004+113175 and love it. I agree, you do get what you pay for....

 

[darron863]

was hoping someone had bought them you just saved me alot of money and i think i am going to go with the dr. fosters T5's it seems it would be sufficient for what i want

 

[msamsonz28]

If the OP doesn't mind me jumping in on this, I have a couple questions regarding the Dr. Foster's T5's. Do you have any issues with the lights heating the tank? Do you have to run a fan across the tank to keep it cool? The instructions say "Important:... These light fixtures are to be used over completely covered aquariums only." Is this really an issue or is it a disclaimer? Thanks

 

[roka64]

I have mine oon the legs. It is about 5 inches above the water and the temp stays steady at 78 degrees (that tank is in the living room). I don't use a fan at all. My other lighting system (MH) gets really hot and is in a smaller room, so I use a fan over that tank.

 

[MT79]

Heat is usually not an issue w/ fluorescents. They may increase the tank temp by a couple degrees, but it's easily dealt with.

light fixtures are to be used over completely covered aquariums only

It looks like it does not have moisture resistent end caps on that fixture. That could cause problems overtime if exposed to salty, humid air.

 

[msamsonz28]

with that in mind, do you think it is a bad idea to run them over an open tank? salt and humidity leads to corrosion which could lead to failing equipment. i wouldn't want to waste money on something that will not last.

 

[Ziggy953]

I would be equally concerned about completely covering a SW tank. Not a good idea for gas exchange and PH. Just my $.02

 

[darron863]

ok so if they cant be used over open tank is there a way to protect them from the salt and i live in florida where it is 100% humidity most of the time if not cant you suggest a alternative

 

[Ziggy953]

Well...there are other light fixtures out there that do have the moisture resistant endcaps and are designed to go over open top tanks. I personall built my canopy and lighting system. I had a 260w PC fixture that worked well but I wanted high ligh SPS corals and it just didn't have the power. There are a lot of options out there you just have to look around. Ebay is a great place to find awesome deals, also check out craigslist.com You can sometimes find aquarium stuff there.