# Do Fish Need It?



## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

*Fish Need It* - This company sells suspiciously cheap T5 HO and MH aquarium fixtures. Pretty ghetto Yahoo! Stores web site, but >99% feedback on Ebay, whatever that's worth. 

The ballast is magnetic rather than electronic, which is a minus, but at this price, I'd expect that corner to be cut. Otherwise, it looks like a decent fixture. Anyone have experience with it and care to comment?

http://www.fishneedit.com/150w-metal-halide-pendant-lig.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/Single-Double-Ended-150W-Metal-Halide-Pendant-Lights_W0QQitemZ120265360639


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

I saw those and wondered myself, only qualm would be the magnetic ballasts tey can be kinda noisy.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

http://www.barrreport.com/general-p...light-fixture-cheap.html?highlight=fishneedit


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Thanks, Mr. Barr Report linker guy. 

Looks like I'll be giving it a try.


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

Ask and ye shall receive. :icon_cool

Keep us (or me at least) updated when/if you purchase from them. I'm thinking about using that same fixture when I set up my next tank.


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## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

They offer 6700K and 8000K bulbs for that fixture. That's a +


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## fishtastic (Apr 3, 2007)

I purchased 2 - 250w versions of this, and like u was weary of the price and company. So far so good, been almost 4 mos now. The only thing with the 250w 6500k-its really green. I cant comment on the 150w bulbs. The are pretty much identical to, I believe, the ocean light fixtures. All in all, im happy and saved a bunch.

hope it helps,
mark



macclellan said:


> *Fish Need It* - This company sells suspiciously cheap T5 HO and MH aquarium fixtures. Pretty ghetto Yahoo! Stores web site, but >99% feedback on Ebay, whatever that's worth.
> 
> The ballast is magnetic rather than electronic, which is a minus, but at this price, I'd expect that corner to be cut. Otherwise, it looks like a decent fixture. Anyone have experience with it and care to comment?
> 
> ...


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

fishtastic said:


> I purchased 2 - 250w versions of this, and like u was weary of the price and company. So far so good, been almost 4 mos now. The only thing with the 250w 6500k-its really green. I cant comment on the 150w bulbs. The are pretty much identical to, I believe, the ocean light fixtures. All in all, im happy and saved a bunch.
> 
> hope it helps,
> mark


Do you know whatt brand the bulbs are?

Craig


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

man that looks nice might consider buying one or two of those for that price (has any one tested out his T5 ho's thats mainly what i would be interested in)


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## fishtastic (Apr 3, 2007)

No, the bulbs dont have any distinctive markings. I switched the 6700k out with a coralife 10000k and made a huge difference. Even with the cost of a new name brand bulb, still a deal. Ill actually have one of the 250w up for sale , Im just not using it at all.

thanx,
mark



Craigthor said:


> Do you know whatt brand the bulbs are?
> 
> Craig


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

any one have experance with there T5's?


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## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

WOW!!

Those T5 fixtures really look great!

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZfishneedit


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## fish dork (Jan 13, 2008)

I have a T5 from this guy and here's the lowdown. Great dealer to deal with, answered questions quickly, good shipping, well packaged and all that. Down side... you get what you pay for with lighting!! I ordered one of the 4 bulb light setups (T5HO) and the problems are as follows

1) the bulbs are very close together.
2) the reflector is a piece of mylar film
3) each bulb runs on a seperate electronic ballast, one of which burnt out about 4 - 5 months in. I couldn't find a replacement ballast that would fit back in the fixture.
4) bulbs are both 10,000K, 2 of which are actinic.

I still am using this light, and I grow plants very well. I ended up buying some T5H0 ballasts off another ebay store that will run 2 bulbs each. I bought 2 ballasts and now have a spare for when or if the other ballasts go on the original light. And I should add, the new ballasts are mounted under the tank, in the cabinet (these ballasts can be remotely located X number of feet away from the bulbs). I also replaced the actinic bulbs with 2 6500K ones, and still run the 10000K that came with the light as well.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

thanks fish dork that helps a lot. even with those down sides the 4 bulbs are more than enough for my 30 gallon (i was thinking of getting two of the 2 bulb fixtures for my tank so i have more control over the lighting)


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## fish dork (Jan 13, 2008)

Yeah, I figured if the ballasts go, or the lights, they're both replaceable for less than the price of a more expensive fixture. That is, if you don't mind a bit of wiring. Also, the 4 bulb one can be rewired to run 2 power cords instead of 1 if you were so inclined. Of course the bonus to 2 seperate fixtures would also be that you can spread out the light a bit more. Also T5 tubes can be found for as little as $10 if you search around. Check out hellolights.com


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

ya not afraid of a bit of rewiring, i the two fixtures aren't all that much more than 1 4 bulb fixture so i think i'll go that way


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

Those are really really nice prices:icon_eek: 

Too bad the T5 fixtures can't come with a nicer bulb spectrum for planted tanks.

Let us know how these fixtures work for everyone who tries them!

-Andrew


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the 150w Pendant with an 8000k bulb!
I hope it turns out nice!

I don't think I'd buy the T5 rigs though ...they look a bit cheap.


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## thefishmanlives (May 20, 2008)

i just ordered one of the 150 watt ones for my 29.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

FYI, after using it for several months, nothing but glowing reviews thus far.
I opted for an ADA Bulb, I did not like th 10K bulb they sent. Growth is excellent, every bit as good as any Aqua Medic Ocean light for 1/2 the cost.










and it was easy to mount into the light conduit for a nifty light bar vs the 180$ ADA bar........










Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Thanks for the update Tom. Is the magnetic ballast noisy?

I'm hoping that the 8000k bulb is nice; we'll see. According to their website, they just started carrying the 8000k bulbs at the end of May.

I might do something similar to that DIY light bar when I build the stand. :icon_twis


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

well i just bought two of the 3f 2 bulb T5's so lets see how thay work out


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

I got my 150w metal halide pendant today.

Quick Review: 
Fast Shipping.
Well packaged.
Metal Work on Pendant is nicely done (but thin/weak metal - be careful).
Pendant is very light - no worries hanging from ceiling.
8000k bulb is a nice neutral color.
Bright as the Sun!
Metric ballast is as big as a loaf of bread and weighs a metric ton, but is silent.

All in all, very good value!


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

any pics of ballast and close ups?

Craig


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## thefishmanlives (May 20, 2008)

setup up my 150watt over my 29 gallon today using hte mounting legs. Am extremely happy. I ordered it with a 6700 and then order an 8000k so I had one spare. the 6700k is a bit green for me. Im hoping the 8000k is closer to my favorite bulb, the GE 9325.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Craigthor said:


> any pics of ballast and close ups?
> 
> Craig


Nope, not yet. But Tom posted pics of the pendant and you can see the ballast in the pics linked in the original post. That should give you some idea of size.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

thefishmanlives said:


> setup up my 150watt over my 29 gallon today using hte mounting legs.


Jeez, good luck with that! Does the water boil? :angel:


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## thefishmanlives (May 20, 2008)

nah, its actually cooler then my 65x2 px + 20x2 t12 fixtures which sat rite on the tank with no legs.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

right so i got the lights today and so far i like them, nice light and compact.

Packing was decent not superb but not that bad ether (got the job done)

























the light them selves look good and nothing was broken out of the box. thay don't have individual reflectors but with two fixtures this should not be that much of a problem with two fixtures.

























the only thing that i truly find anoying are the mounting legs that come with it. thay are rather cheap plastic and don't fit over the plastic rim that tank has (fairly standard rim). even if i had a rim less tank i think i would try and find something else to use as legs. i'll try to get some better pictures of the legs latter tonight.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Approximately how far out does that tank mount hold the fixture? Just wondering if it's far enough to get the fixture almost centered on a 18" wide tank.


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

whats the k rating on those bulbs?


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

i think 10000K, i need to check how far off thay are.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

right after one day i like it so far produces a nice amount of light and stays cool (warm to the touch, better than my CFs). As of now i'm only using one fixtures till i get my pressurized CO2 set up (still need a tank). for the legs, i'm more worried about side to side movement on them than anything, haven tried front to back yet but really i dont see that being as much of an issue. I'm thinking i can glue them to the fixture so this isn't problem but am hesitant to do this because of the finality of that. again sorry for no pictures of the legs and reflectors but been busy with work. i think i should have some time on Sunday to take some shots of them then.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

lights have been running grate and thay really are no warmer then the 18" Nova extreme i have. but i have some questions about bulb replacement. what is a good 39 watt bulb that brings out the reds in plant i've heard that Geisemann makes something in the 8K spectrum any other suggestions


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## Akira (May 21, 2008)

I <3 my T5H0 36"
fishneedit. FTW


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## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Akira said:


> I <3 my T5H0 36"
> fishneedit. FTW


Can someone please decipher this for me??

I read it as I less than 3 blah, blah ...

Dave


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## Akira (May 21, 2008)

I *heart* my T5(type of flouro fixture) high output 36" fixture.


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## adamprice271 (Jun 10, 2006)

Akira said:


> I *heart* my T5(type of flouro fixture) high output 36" fixture.


Don't forget the... fishneedit FOR THE WIN.

Adam


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## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Got it, thanks. I was just stuck on the "<3" part. I am text challenged I suppose.

Dave


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## fish dork (Jan 13, 2008)

Just remember, as I posted in an earlier post on this thread... If the ballast in these T5 fixtures burn out, a replacement will not fit in the fixture. I had one go and then I mounted a replacement under the tank.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

How long was it before your ballast went out?

I looked at these a long time ago, and they just reminded me too much of Odyssea fixtures... (is anyone sure that they aren't?)


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## eyebeatbadgers (Aug 6, 2007)

They do look very similar to the Odyssea T5 system, I owned one. The throw away ballast they use burned out on me in about two months of use I believe. I'm hoping the MH they sell is of better quality.


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

i read some where that thay are switching there ballast on there MH to electronic. for the ballast on the T5 i'm really not so worried about them and don't mind having it out side of the fixture


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## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Yes, the ballast can be replaced if it kicks the bucket, even if you have to do an external mount. The real question is: will you still have saved any money at all after replacing the ballast, or would you have been better of paying the extra money for a quality fixture? It will be interesting to follow the success rate versus failure rate of the T5 fixtures to see how good of a deal these really are.

Dave


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

really in the end it will work and i'm not worrying about the price as much. it more to see if it actually works and to test out the fixture so i can give other people a better idea of what to expect


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## DaveS (Mar 2, 2008)

Ozymandias said:


> really in the end it will work and i'm not worrying about the price as much. it more to see if it actually works and to test out the fixture so i can give other people a better idea of what to expect


Trust me, I and probably a lot of others here appreciate it. I am looking at the same fixture and will be very interested to see how they work out.

Dave


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## Ozymandias (Jan 17, 2008)

yup so far so good hope to have a better review of it as time goes on and will see how it works out


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## fish dork (Jan 13, 2008)

DaveS said:


> Yes, the ballast can be replaced if it kicks the bucket, even if you have to do an external mount. The real question is: will you still have saved any money at all after replacing the ballast, or would you have been better of paying the extra money for a quality fixture? It will be interesting to follow the success rate versus failure rate of the T5 fixtures to see how good of a deal these really are.
> 
> Dave


 
It's really not that bad for replacement ballasts, I read good things about these guys http://www.ballastwise.com/category.asp?FID=15&level=1

I used some Sylvania ballasts that I found on ebay, and so far, so good. The ones I bought were salvaged, but I got 2 for the normal price of 1.

I had the light for around 5-6 months when the ballast went.


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## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

For what you think you are saving on initial costs with a magnetic ballast, you are spending on your electric bill and the short life of the ballast. I have had my e-ballasts from Blueline running 250wt MH's since 03'. They are totally quiet, small, and you can lay your hand on them while they are running,they are so cool. Try that with a magnetic ballast.


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## fish dork (Jan 13, 2008)

I get the feeling there may be a bit of 2 subjects going on here  The ballasts I replaced were for the T5 fixtures, and were electronic to begin with.


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

Yeah...the magnetic ballast for the 150w MH is quite cool. Magnetic are about 15% less efficient than Electronic. But for $130, I'm not complaining. Hell, I'm still in the green if I replace the ballast with an electronic.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Back from the dead! Anybody have the new version on these? The fixtures now have individual reflectors and moonlights. Thinking about getting the 4 light 36".


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## macclellan (Dec 22, 2006)

They always had individual reflectors and moonlights were an option.


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## prjct92eh2 (Apr 8, 2008)

Ozymandias said:


> the light them selves look good and nothing was broken out of the box. thay don't have individual reflectors but with two fixtures this should not be that much of a problem with two fixtures.


Not according to this. Now that i've looked at the website closer it appears only the 4 bulb fixtures have the individual reflectors and moonlights (which look to be standard on them, no option).

For reference:


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