Getting t5's undecided

I am upgrading my lights in December, I have two fixtures picked out but am undecided on which.

the first one is the Current USA sundial:
48 inch Current USA SunDial T5 HO 4x54W w/ Timers & LED

I like the fact of the integrated timers and one plug.

the other is the Current USA 6x54W Nova Extreme Pro:
48 inch Current USA 6x54W Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 3-10k/3-460nm Actinics
I am leaning more towards the nova Extreme pro but is having 6 t5's overkill for a 55 gal. After reading other post I am worried about bleaching out my corals from to much light.
any thoughts ?

 

having 6 T5's is not over kill at all!! I would actually scrap the nova's and go for Tek lights, They're a lot better and reasonably priced.

 

6 bulbs is not too much for a 55, I have four and have a wide variety of corals and inverts under them, but 6 will even expand the possibilites more. Also with 6, if you upgrade you could much easier use the same fixture. So out of your two choices, I would go with the pro. However, you may want to look into a tek light. They are very good. They are abuot the same price, appro. $400, give or take a few dollars, However, you do need to pay extra for a hanging kit or legs, and a protective lens.

 

I vote tek with uvl bulbs.

 

I have the sundial and it is a nice light its time for me to replace the bulbs and im going with the uvl bulbs to make it that much better. I am not unhappy with the light the built in timers are mint!

 

With a 55 being only 12 wide you will most likely run into issues with anything over 6 bulbs, and I believe a Tek 6 bulb would fit but I want to say its more like 14" wide. But in all honesty bulb amount isn't what its all about. Take a fixture with 6 bulbs w/ 1 reflector and a unit w/ 4 bulb w/ individual reflectors. The second light is going to kick the other lights tail!! And its going to be more energy efficient and you'll save money on bulbs and electricity. I would say in a 55 you could EASILY get a Tek 4 bulb or a TX5 and grow ANYTHING you want in the tank. ANYTHING! Personally, I would buy a better light off the bat than regret buying one later when you choose to upgrade and can't sell the light you originally bought. This is something I wish I would have known years ago. ATM I have 4 DIFFERENT sized PC lights in storage and luckily sold 2, so I had 6 at one point!! If I would've known then I would've saved for a couple more weeks and bought something better, then I WOULDN'T have to upgrade and even if I did it would be a heck of a lot easier to sell.
My vote is an overwhelming Tek 4bulb or TX5 with Gieseman bulbs and most likely the Actinic+ and the AquaBlue+ The TX5 is going to be a "better" fixture but it is obviously going to cost you more.

Good luck and PLEASE look into Tek and TX5 before you jump into a light purchase, you won't regret either, whereas that might not be the case w/ Current!!

 

thanks for the advice guys, I 've looked at the tek 5 might be a little out of my price range, if it wasn't for the fact that the legs cost an extra 60 bucks,(still a awesome looking light though) so I might go with the tek 4.

 

Check out DIYReef.com Reef Aquarium Lighting and Supplies they have some really good prices. Also send them an e-mail they might be able to set you up with some recommendations.

 

The Tek 4 should be enough on the 55, but again you will need to mull it over on your own!
If you are still having issues picking a light let me know.

Good luck

 

I have a 6 bulb and a 8 bulb, IMO The best T5 fixture on the market and I've used a few different ones, their not cheap but you get what you pay for, you may want to look at the New Wave fixtures if your on a tighter budget, they are basically identical to the tek's cept their a silver color and don't accept the acrylic lens cover same reflectors and ballasts though I believe for quite a bit less $