cheap halide,t5,or vho

I was looking at the 36" fixture on ebay 4x39watt. I have heard that they have turned it around. Is this fixture the same as their metal halide fixtures were you cant put good bulbs in it. I was going to load this fixture up with geissmann and ati bulbs. Also were can I buy this light I only found ebay and aquatraders.
Thanks

 

Ditto to all the above.Also, cheaply built lights can also mean chaeply built ballasts that can run very hot,to the point of baing dangerous in some cases.You might be able to find a used fixture but need to know its good quality and the age of the bulbs would be a factor as the can be expensive to replace. Good Luck, Dave

 

My ballast does not run hot. It is warm, but not hot.

thefishfactoryonline.com sells the fixture you need for $86.99+ s&H. 4x39watt T5. Yes you can swap out the bulbs with and 39watt T5. You do not have to use their bulbs. I am running UVL, ATI, and GE bulbs in mine.

 

I am going to buy the 36" odyssea t5 4x39watt for my tank. It is only 108 including shipping. My tank is 30" long so would it over hang a lot. Also can I keep lps and soft corals with this light?
Thanks

 

That sucks to have overhang. I would try to get a fixture that is a little smaller than 36" I think the next step down is a 24" fixture. Would look a lot cleaner. Prolly be cheaper too.

You should be able to grow lps and softies and some sps easily with that fixture. I would get some different bulbs though.

 

there are 30" fixtures out there.. you just have to look in all the right places..

 

I'm gonna stick up for cheap VHO lighting.

I got my 2bulb 220watt VHO retro for my 55 for a total of about 110$. The bulbs have internal reflectors and I used highly polished aluminum foil as a reflector on top of that. I used a cheap ARO (69ish$) ballast. I just sit the bulbs directly of the top of the tank under the hood with a couple of cooling fans behind it. It may be ugly, but I've gotten very good growth out of my sps, my derasa (who's on the bottom,) and coraline algae. I get 8$ a week for allowance and make 5$/hour from yard work for my parents; decisions need to be made.

That being said, it's not the best lighting around and I do plan on upgrading to T5s w/ an icecap ballast.

 

What brand of bulbs are the best? I was looking at korallen-zucht are they any good. I am ordering the 36in fixture because I dont think there will be that much more overhang and its worth it for 60watts more.
Thanks

 

My concern will be if you can't hang it, how will you put it on your tank? Are you just going to sit it right on the frame?

 

Just wanted to throw something out there about the odyssea lights. First of all your all right there ballasts are crap! BUT did you know that an ice cap ballast is direct plug and play compatable with there halides? Anyone who tries this swap will instantly see just how crappy odysseas ballasts are because they put out way more light with an ice cap ballast.