# info on zoo med aquasun t5ho fixture? pros-cons?



## zavikan (Jan 5, 2009)

In the market for a 2x39w t5ho light....This seems to be pretty cheap and really nicely made...(and locally purchasable at petco). 

Out of all the makers, within my needs, what would set them apart?

Nova Extreme
zoo med aquasun
catalina
current usa


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

I think for what you're looking for, all 3 (Current USA makes the Nova Extreme) of your options are pretty similar. If it was me, I'd go for Catalina, good company with a good reputation, price is competitive and you can customize your light if you'd like


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

I have a zoo med fixture above m 36 gal (the 30" fixture) I like it, I have the plant bulb, and a 10,000k bulb. It comes with a suspension kit, which I am using. The only downside is that it has a single reflector, but the bulbs are spaced enough apart that it probably does not make much of a difference.


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I got a zoo med t5ho on my 29G that's been there for maybe 2 months now. If I were going to buy a light now, I probably wouldn't buy another, but that's mostly because it's more light than I need. I would get something t5no instead, but your needs may vary. As far as quality, it seems to be ok so far. I only have 2 complaints that I would have designed differently. 

1. I don't like the way the light attaches to the legs. If you unbox the one at the store, you will see a little slot that runs all the way across the back of the light. The plastic legs have a little piece that fits in that slot so that the light can slide on the legs and fit different length tanks. This is also the pivot point for the light so that the front lifts for access into the tank. To me, the little plastic piece on the legs seems like it could be a weak point in the construction. It's fine now, but I feel like one day if I opened it with too much force I could break something off.

2. I bought this light with a glass top at the same time, only to come home and find out that there was no way to use the glass top because of the way the legs attached to the tank. They hang over to the inside of the tank too far for me to fit the top, so I'm stuck with an open top and adding water every other day now.

If your hanging the light neither of these will be an issue and they give you some cables to hang it with in the box also which is nice. Hanging would also solve the issue of too much light for me, but I just haven't felt like rigging up something to hang it from. This is the first light I've purchased like this, so I can't compare it to others on the market, and I don't know if they have a better way of dealing with these two issues since I don't know how they mount to tanks. But I do remember seeing some that can just be layed on top of the tank with thin extendable legs that hang over the outer edges of the tank. If your not hanging it and you want a top, I would imagine one of those would be a better option. Hope this helps some.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

Loop said:


> I got a zoo med t5ho on my 29G that's been there for maybe 2 months now. If I were going to buy a light now, I probably wouldn't buy another, but that's mostly because it's more light than I need. I would get something t5no instead, but your needs may vary. As far as quality, it seems to be ok so far. I only have 2 complaints that I would have designed differently.
> 
> 1. I don't like the way the light attaches to the legs. If you unbox the one at the store, you will see a little slot that runs all the way across the back of the light. The plastic legs have a little piece that fits in that slot so that the light can slide on the legs and fit different length tanks. This is also the pivot point for the light so that the front lifts for access into the tank. To me, the little plastic piece on the legs seems like it could be a weak point in the construction. It's fine now, but I feel like one day if I opened it with too much force I could break something off.
> 
> ...


I ended up anchoring mine directly into the ceiling. I went and purchased the hooks, and a set of loops and straps to hold things together. It looks nice, I was thinking of doing a counter weight system to have the cable run on pulley's with a counter weight attached at the back of each cable, but I could not match the weight lol. I have moved the light height several times now with very little problems. I figured that I would not be able to use my glass lid if I had the darn legs either.


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## DKRST (Jan 20, 2011)

Weighing in late, but I like my 24" aquasun T5HO (agree the legs can be the weak point). I like the option to use only one bulb - the separate switches. I'm going to purchase a 36" soon.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

For those of us using this fixture, which bulbs are you using? I myself am using the 10,000k and the flora bulb. The colors in the tank really POP. and the plants are growing great


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

When I picked bulbs, I grabbed the FloraSun bulb because I assumed it was good for plants. On the side of the FloraSun box it says - 

"Combine with Zoo Med's UltraSun for maximum full color viewing pleasure of your fish and plants"

So I grabbed the UltraSun bulb box and on the side it says - 

"Combine with Zoo Med's FloraSun for maximum plant growth"

I figure they make lights so they probably know more than me, so I got one FloraSun 5000K and one UltraSun 6500K. I think the combination looks pretty good.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

i had that combo for a bit too, but I thought it looked too yellow.


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I've never really noticed a yellow tone. Maybe just differences in substrate and stuff reflecting different colors. Or it might look different depending on which bulb is toward the front or back.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

could be, I have the equivalent of Florite substrate, and the light is suspended 6" above the top of teh tank, pink bulb in the front, and my 10k in the back. The 10k makes the greens just pop.


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## DKRST (Jan 20, 2011)

Loop said:


> When I picked bulbs, I grabbed the FloraSun bulb because I assumed it was good for plants. On the side of the FloraSun box it says -
> 
> "Combine with Zoo Med's UltraSun for maximum full color viewing pleasure of your fish and plants"
> 
> ...


Same combo I use. The color looks good on my plants using a black substrate, never noticed a yellow tint using both bulbs. Don't like the daylight bulb alone though, has a distinct blue tint. Can't comment on the fish color yet, just have some peppered corys in there so far.


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## fishyjoe24 (Dec 10, 2009)

bump, for you guys/girls that have had the zoomed fixtures for a while how do you like them... i'm trying to deside on either a zoomed or hagen or a coralife... the lfs zoomed 79.99 hagen 109.99 coralife 119.99 . 

it's for a osaka 155, so i was thinking of going all hagen and using my eheim as the filter....


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

How much light were you looking for? The zoo med fixture has a pretty bad reflector, I have mine mounted about 6" off the top of my tank, and am getting 30 par at the substrate, which is considered low light. of course the closer you get to the light, the more intense. At about 1/3 height I had a good solid mid light, and the upper 1/3 a good high light.


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