Lights for my tank????

hi everyone.. well today i went to the LFS to get the rest of my rock for my tank;D pics in a moment on my tank thread.

well while i was there it occurred to me to ask for the price of the lights ill be needing for the 150............ to my surprise.. its WAAYYYY to expensive.. more than what i had expected. they cost $1200........ idk if this is a good deal or not but it is really a lot for me to afford.

so.. what im asking is, i know that many people have found things from craigslist but i tried and look and i completely failed to find anything.. so can you guys tell me of a place where i can find the lights i need at a better price? and if your lucky to find one at craigslist can you PM me the link or just post it here? it will be greatly appreciated.
ill be looking into it too.:-/

 

What kind of lights were they?

 

they were T5's

 

i doubt that they are that much. and if they really are, try going the metal halide route. Thats way too much

 

Yeah, I agree. That seems too high for a T5 fixture.

 

What kind of lighting are you looking for? I got my T5 lamps, reflectors and endcaps over my 125 used (4 months old) on a local reef forum for $150, then 3 workhorse 7 ballasts for $35 each. All in all I spent around $350 for enough light to keep anything I want and built a canopy to house it all.

~Will.

 

i think he said something about metal halide...t5's but idk. it did sound to expencive to me, for just t5's

 

my tank is a 150....72"x18"x29" i think??? and i really want to have all types of coral... so, regular T5's are enough? or do i need those lights he said?

 

Some will say you need 250 - 400 watt halides for a tank that deep, others will argue six [ATI or G-Man] 80 watt T5's with quality reflectors will do the job just as effectively. Its all about preference. Halides will suck down way more juice and will run hotter, but you will get a really cool shimmer effect and some will say the penetrate deeper. T5's are cheaper to run, but more expensive to replace every 12-18 months. You have WAY more options for color combos, but might not be able to grow SPS on the sand.

Either way you go, a retro fit kit will save you a TON of cash.

~Will.

 

I'm not sure what your price range but this fixture should cover you no matter what you want to keep.

Current USA Outer Orbit 10K HQI-MH w/ PC Dual Actinic & Lunar Lights

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.