serratus

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to these threads so please point out if I'm breaking any forum rules. I've been doing research on tons of websites as to where to buy the cheapest supplies for a reef tank (canopy/lights, filter, powerheads, salt and sand, and live rock etc...). I realized that instead of wasting many hours on finding the cheapest place for every item, then calculating shipping, etc,... I could just ask you guys for help. Is there a one stop store (physical store or online store) where you can get pretty much anything for very close to the best price? (For my hobby of photography, there is such a thing, so I'm hoping there's something like this for aquatics too). Specifically, right now, i'm looking to buy these items right now: 36" 4x39W T5 HO light setup: Current Nova seems to be the established brand here am I right? I also found on Ebay a brand called Odyssea that is way way cheaper. Are they any good? Canister Filter: Debating between Filstar XP2 or Fluval 305. Fluval is more expensive it seems but the 305 line seems to be newer than the XP line. Is there any newer technology that makes them better than the XP? Also heard of a new comer JEBO 828/838. They are super cheap but I can find any retailers that will ship to Edmonton for cheap. Have you heard of a good place to get JEBO's? This is for a 50gal tank and not looking to grow any SPS or LPS. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the offer Murminator! The plan: 50G tank 36"x18"x18" live rock + fish + crustaceans + molluscs + soft corals + anemones btw, i'm looking for used equipment if anyone is considering selling plz let me know.

Oh sweet! Thanks for the link!!

Thanks for the tips bosshog. Do you know what is the most efficient fluorescent setup? Also, do you know any websites where I can find circuitry for the LED lights, or even what LEDs are used? I am very comfortable with designing and building electronics and LEDs are extremely easy to power. Looking at the prices of those LED lights, I bet those LED fixtures have a HUGE $$$ margin.

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to this thread and new to aquariums in general. I'm trying to setup a salt-water reef tank and have been doing some research on lighting. I find that there is a lack of information on what's this subject. I desire to find lights with most light output for the amount of money I'm spending. I'm going to just stick with fluorescent lights for now. GOAL: To find the fluorescent light with the highest light output to price ratio. I see in a lot of references, including books, where they just suggest the power (in terms of wattage) of lights that are needed for a particular setup. However, power isn't the thing that matters. What matters is the light output ("radiant flux" usually in units of Lumens), not the electronic power that's being drawn from our walls. A more efficient bulb might output more light at lower power draw than a less efficient light. Right now, I don't know enough about efficiency or how many lumens each particular light outputs, just know their power so I need some help to figure out what the light with the highest light output to price ratio is. I basically don't have any idea as to how efficient these lights are. I don't know how many Lumens they output and only heard of people saying one is more efficient than another but don't know by how much. It seems like most manufacturers have the same power ratings on the same type of lights so I can leave the manufacters out of the equation for power. Here is what I have gathered for 36" 10,000K bulbs: T12 Normal Output (NO) 36" Power = 30W 36" Radiant Flux = ? T12 High Output (HO) - Do these things exist? Are they used in aquariums at all? T12 Very High Output (VHO) 36" Power = 95W 36" Radiant Flux = ? T5 Normal Output (NO) - Do these things exist? Are they used in aquariums at all? T5 High Output (HO) 36" Power = 39W 36" Radiant Flux = ? T5 Very High Output (VHO) - Do these things exist? Are they used in aquariums at all? How about T8 lights? How do they fit into all of this? I've heard that a T5 HO produces more radiant flux at 39W than a T12 VHO at 95W. Is this true? The price varies by manufacturer and it would not be surprising if the efficiency varried by manufacturer as well so this makes it extra difficult. Any help/tips would be appreciated. Weiyang

What is a retrofit kit exactly? Is it just the ballast and connection without the reflector and cooling fan? The name "retrofit" kind of confuses me and I had thought that they meant lighting setup for older fluorescent bulbs. Kayen >> You suggested the 6 light fixture. Is it in your opinion that for anemones, i need 6 lights instead of 4?

Hello Alberta Aquatica members, this is my first post. I am completely new to keeping an aquarium but have somehow convinced myself that I should start out with a 50 gal reef aquarium (36"x18"x18"). I've been doing a lot of research on this for the past week and have learned so much and it has only made me more interested in the hobby. The only thing that sort of holds be back is how expensive the setup is. I plan on having anemones and have read and heard that they need pretty intense lighting. Some say I need TWO pairs of 36" T5's and some say I need THREE pairs (each pair being one 10,000K and one actinic). The two pair four light setup is over $300 (although someone mentioned you can get them for $200 new), so I am considering making the light canopy myself. Now here is where I'm a little confused. There's regular T5's, high output T5's and very high output T5's, is that correct? Do these bulbs all require different kinds of ballasts? Are all the parts available at hardware stores like Rona or Home Depot? What are some of the things I need to watch out for? Any tips and advice would be welcome. Thanks, Weiyang