# aquatraders.com ... anyone investigated these??



## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

I've just noticed them until recently too. Their prices just can't be beat. If your looking for the Jebo that is a knock off of the 2028, it can be yours for for $61 w/ shipping. 55w 10,000k bulbs are $10 each. Yup, their UV section is just too good to be true too.


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## scalare altum (Apr 5, 2004)

Now do they overcharge for shipping?

-Joel


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

Thats one downside I noticed, they have a seperate shipping charge for every item. And it is all culmulative. If you ever need just one thing it seems like a good stop. You also save alot on the reg. price of other competitors.


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## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

man... one thing I do know is I might just order the uv or big light setups if I ever need one for a 48" tank...


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## chinaboy1021 (May 30, 2003)

actually believe it or not, the price they have for the jebo is not much of a deal. other online stores have it at the same price. 45$. 

looks like a good price to me, but im not sure how long hte fixture will last. especially with 110watt in 24" with no fans.


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## fedge (Mar 4, 2004)

hooking up a fan aint really abig deal if your a good DIY'r with a dremel and some time.


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## FMZ (Jul 13, 2004)

I have the Jebo 48" 220W light fixture that's going strong since april

It came with 2 * 10000k and 2 * Acitinic Blue light (not true acitinc)

I have since replaced the Acitinic light with 6700k AH supply lights.

I have read that the Jebo doesnt come with a end caps for the light fixture, but mine did and it was really easy to replace the light bulbs.


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## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

On the aquatraders site they include only 10,000k bulbs, no actinic.


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## snakeskinner (Oct 15, 2004)

just wondering if anyone's every purchased from these people yet? yeah their prices are top notch but I'm not too impressed with their customer service so far. I saw a couple items in a magazine ad that I'm interested in but there's not much info on them in the ad and they aren't even listed on their website. I called their info line listed on the website but the number isn't even any good. I called the order line and of course the lady has absolutely no info on either item but she took my number to have someone call me back but no reply. I just tried emailing them but they sent back an automated email that says I must reply with the item number, invoice, etc. to get any help. If this is any hint of how their service will be after the sale, I think I'll buy elsewhere but I just wanted to know if anyone else has had better experiences with them? If not, any suggestions on an alternative? I'm looking for a 24" FW light and wanted their 130 watt. Kyle


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## GTApuffgal (Feb 7, 2005)

*Aquatraders.com...*

I just wanted to "reinvigorate" this thread and see if anybody ever dealt with them beyond the "wondering" phase???

I am itching to upgrade my lighting and don't have an unlimited budget. I noticed a Jebo Odyssea 24" dual compact (65 watts each) on Ebay, but it looks like it's might to go out of a reasonable price range for me with the exchange rate, duties, etc... Aquatraders has the same thing for $50 US. I've emailed them to find out if they will ship to Canada and how much it is, but I haven't heard anything yet. To be fair, it's only been about 15 minutes! 

So - just wanted to know if anybody has any experience to share... Thanks!

Kathy


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

LOL

Of course the UV prices are good, $0.00, too bad not in stock


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## GraFFix (Feb 21, 2005)

I bought the 24" 65w PC fixture with moonlights about 2 weeks ago...shipping was fairly quick, packaging was good and everything arrived undamaged. 










As for quality you know the old saying you get what you pay for...well the fixture itself works flawlessly as well as the moonlight but the quality feel of certain aspects of the light gives you that feeling of cheap...the mounting legs are very thin and the way they attach to the fixture could be a little better but they do work. Same goes for the way the moonlights get attached to the light...it could be a better design but it does work. The acrylic covering the bulb is very thin and flimsy but once its in place the only time you need to mess with it is when your changing bulbs. I opted to use this without the legs on it and just sit it directly over the glass on my tank it gives less of a glare into the room...and also because my lazy boy chair is right next to the tank i got tired of having the raised up light glare into the side of my face..lol

The fixture itself comes with a 12k bulb...it looked ok but it wasnt for me. (anyone want a 12k bulb for cheap?) anyways I bought the colormax bulb and it looks great exactly the look I was going for. 

All in all I would buy this fixture again just because of the price and I like the look of it...its very light (probably only a few lbs) it has a remote ballast with on/off switch and the housing is sturdy. The legs and the acrylic cover over the bulbs are the only 2 things that seemed "cheap" to me. 
Ohh and if you plan on using this with the mounting legs you will have a hard time using a glass cover over the tank...as the tabs from the legs will sit ontop of the glass

If anyone has any other questions feel free to ask..ive been playing with the light for a week or so now.

Im going to be setting up a reef tank as soon as i get my 20g planted tank off the ground...and I will be buying their Metal Halide fixture for $150.00 you cant beat it for the price...but well see how ithe quality is on that one.


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## Gunter95 (Mar 15, 2005)

What do the moonlights do?


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## GraFFix (Feb 21, 2005)

A moonlight basically looks cool..it give the tank a nice blue glow when the lights are off for the night. you can still kinda see the fish but they act as if the lights are totally out.

its more used with reef setups but i think it looks cool and who says once the lights on the tank go out you cant still watch the tank...

heres a pic with moonlights on..this pic is a little brighter then usual...the ones i use arent as bright.

Ill see if i can get a shot of my moonlights on my planted tank and not on a reef tank.


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## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

*you get what you pay for!*

I'll make this quick since im on my way to work.
I have their lights and they work fine- Like someone mentioned above, the case feels cheap and flimsy.

I also bought a uv filter for less then 30 bucks, a 9 watt unit.
here is what it looks like know!










When i hook it up to my xp3, it cant handle the pressure buildup- works fine on my old fluval 203.

Dont get me wrong, im not bashing on any of their products- all im saying is you get what you pay for.


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## FMZ (Jul 13, 2004)

I'll have to add one comment...i have their Jebo 48" light (4X55W) and from what i've read, they still have the blue protective film on their reflectors. I had to take mine apart to get rid of it. (i had to scrap it off with a screwdriver)

anyways, reflectors sucks big time, and i am about to ditch this light and go with Corallife 4X65


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## jeff63851 (Oct 17, 2004)

has anyone ever tried their ODYSSEA 48" 260W Dual Strip Compact Fluorescent? It's here:

http://www.aquatraders.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=13

Is this a good buy? I know the jebo reflector sucks, but I was wondering if this lighting is good.

-Jeff


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## daFrimpster (Mar 7, 2005)

A friend of mine just received the 48" 260watt light yesterday. It looks good. Time will tell though. It was a little over 100bucks with shipping. That's mighty cheap. I paid more for my 20" CSL 2*40 light!


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## GTApuffgal (Feb 7, 2005)

*Aquatraders.com...*

Well, Aquatraders never answered my email... The good news is - I won my lights on Ebay! I've got a Jebo Odyssea 24# dual 65 watt fixture on its way for my 20 gallon - I shall be smokin.... ! I know, I know - there are better fixtures and retrofits out there, but between shipping and currency exchange it was $93 CA ($76 US). The equivalent-ish "usual suspects" around here are around $200 and up so I am happy! (Hubby is elated...) Jart, Swervedriver, the rest of the Canadians - don't burst my (husband's...) bubble on that one. :wink: 

I'll let y'all know what I think. Now off to the hardward store for stump remover; and silicone for my 2L bottle... (That's it, Dear - I swear!)

Kathy (Don't feed the monster...)


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## accord86 (Jun 6, 2005)

sorry to bring up an old topic but anyone have updates on their thoughts of this site and their products? i am thinking about getting the 65w 24" fixture for my 10 gal. anyone with this light think it would fit nicely over my 10 gal using the legs?

Graffix, did the fixture come with the moonlights like they appear on the website, or did you pay extra for them?


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## Lotus (Mar 5, 2005)

We bought the Oddyssea 4 x 65w fixture with fan and moonlights. It really was a good deal. It's perhaps not the sturdiest fixture ever, but it has been working fine for a good 6 months. The fan is a little noisy when the lights first come on. I'm happy with the purchase.


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## Sorenweis (May 5, 2005)

I have a 2x65w setup and I like it just fine over my 30 gallon. The fans are truly crap though and I ended up removing them since they created such a racket. They seem to keep the same temperature with or without the fans so don't let the crappiness of the fans deter you. Also the moonlights run on a different switch from the main lights but both are powered by the same cord so if you use a timer the moonlight will be useless. 
That said, if anyone wants the moonlights and or the legs/light stand thingies for a 2x55w PC unit (they can probably be used on other 2x units), PM and you'll just pay shipping. cool


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## ridns (Aug 9, 2002)

I ordered 4 CF bulbs from them since the sale price was fantastic. They arrived after a week via UPS. The way I knew they had arrived was I heard a loud thump on the side of my house. The driver must have thrown them at my door. Upon opening the door I saw the package on my porch kinda crushed on one end. I brought it in and waited for my wife to get home before opening it. She opened it ans there were 4 bulbs laid on a piece of bubble wrap that only reached 3/4 of the way around them and held on with shipping tape. There were also a few peanuts in the bottom of the box. We didn't break the tape, just picked the end flap open to inspect the condition of the bulbs. 2 were broken in the web, one was broken so glass fell out when the flap was opened and 1 survived. I e-mailed Aquatraders and they said "make a claim with UPS. I e-mailed them back saying UPS WASN'T TO BLAME FOR THE LOUSY JOB OF PACKAGING. They answered back that UPS has approved the packing methods they use so make a claim with them. I called the toll free number and spoke to the person in charge and got the same run around again. My wife is now going to call UPS because I am no longer able to speak coherantly with anyone on the phone to discuss this matter. I guess you can make your own decission from here on.


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## magicmagni (Nov 7, 2003)

The store is a few blocks from my house. It used to be called 99 Cent Fish and Pets. Was in business for maybe a year and then shut down for reasons unknown to me- every time I was there it was empty although they were very busy in back picking large orders of live fish from the holding tanks and packing/ shipping them. Then a few months later they opened this business down the street under the new name. The hard goods were very cheap, but of poor quality like others have said you get what you pay for. They have all the aquariums (rows of holding tanks really) somewhat isolated in back- and for good reason. If you saw the fish first you'd turn around and walk out immediately. Lots of sick/dead fish. Made 6th ave Aquarium in SF (for those that are familiar) look like a paradise. Customer service was bad and that was person to person- I can't imagine over the phone or e-mail. I just didn't get that good feeling dealing with this place. Much rather pay a little more and give it to a place that is more into the hobby and not as much into making a buck. Now I haven't stepped back into this place for almost a year now- so they may have changed, but I'm never planning on going back to find out.

Jeff


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## BrianKGarrison79 (Jul 24, 2005)

Gunter95 said:


> What do the moonlights do?


The real purpose for moonlights in FW aquariums is have it turn on before the main lights go out and when the main lights come back on. Basically, it keeps your fish from stressing out due to timer lighting.


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## BlueRam (Sep 21, 2004)

I would argue that moonlights entertain the aquarium keeper.



BrianKGarrison79 said:


> The real purpose for moonlights in FW aquariums is have it turn on before the main lights go out and when the main lights come back on. Basically, it keeps your fish from stressing out due to timer lighting.


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## stormrider27 (Jun 30, 2005)

As an update to this thread I ordered and recieved two of their 96 watt cf fixtures 36". The only problem I have found was their legs seem cheap to me but work fine. The shipping was prompt and everything arrived in good shape. It took me a little while to get the courage to order from them because no EVER answers the phone there but other than that I had a good experience and will order from them again.


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## Pseud (Oct 2, 2005)

I bought a 48" Odyssea CF strip light. Works fine, don't have any problems with it. Was a good buy for $50. Much cheaper than some of the other options


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## edschmidt (Oct 4, 2005)

*Good Feedback*

I am enjoying reading this thread. Many people have answered questions that I have had about their equipment. I will probably get a lighting kit or two and a UV Sterilizer(sealed with my own epoxy) . Their prices look very attractive on the lighting. Thanks for the great responses in this thread.


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## kunerd (Jul 19, 2005)

Dont want to beat the horse but any recent updates on them. I want to get a light from them but for the past 2 weeks it has been out of stock and it seems that nothing has changed on their webiste since either. Maybe taking a long holiday???? If not any other good places to get lights from with out spending my whole paycheck for a 55g


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## organic sideburns (Dec 22, 2005)

Well I ordered the 65 watt 24 inch single strip from them a few weeks ago and it did not come with a moonlight which isnt a big deal, and it works like a charm. It gets preety hott but it gives my tank that extra blue I wanted plus a lil over 3 WPG. Shipping was fine and fast and I am going to be ordering from them in the future. WHY??, because you cant beat the price, man!


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## Zulu (Aug 18, 2005)

I've got two coralife aqualight dual t5 strips, just regular output t5s. The reflector is pretty crappy, obviously not wanting to spend a heap of money I was thinking of selling both of my coralife dual t5 units and picking up either one of these guys T5HO setups or a Power Compact setup... The reflectors on their T5HO look a lot better than what's on my current setup, but still not great, any input? You guys all seem pleased with your Power Compact orders... What colour are these 12000k bulbs putting out? White? Red? Blue? I'm not a fan of the coloured output, 6700k white and 10000k white are more my style.


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## organic sideburns (Dec 22, 2005)

Well my tank was preety yellow with 110 watts 6700 K. so I thought the white/blue color of the 12000 K. would balance the yellow out and it does...


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## Zulu (Aug 18, 2005)

Are we talking a clean white, or a noticably blue bulb?


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## organic sideburns (Dec 22, 2005)

It is preety noticable but mixed with a 6700 k bulb its a good color.


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## Zulu (Aug 18, 2005)

Thanks. Now I just have to decide between T5HO or Power Compact.


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## edschmidt (Oct 4, 2005)

I just bought a few canister filters from them. I had no problems with any of the filters. Some of the parts looked a little cheap, but everything works.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

are you planning on using the 12000k bulbs? They may not be the best bulbs to use. Probably not as much usable light as bulbs in the 6000-10000k range.


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## Zulu (Aug 18, 2005)

I would like to swap to 6700-10000k bulbs that are "white", none of this red/pink/purple junk. It's a question of "Do I think the t5ho setup with reflectors of unknown quality are better than the power compact setup with no real reflectors (just reflective backing)" - there is certainly more wattage in the power compact setups but what'll be usable to me. Cost of replacement bulbs comes into it a bit too. *ponders* And of course I'd have to sell my coralife regular t5 fixtures first.


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## Zulu (Aug 18, 2005)

Here's an interesting discussion on T5HO vs Power Compact

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-lighting/ask-your-t-5ho-questions-here-32789.html


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## a deadly fart (Jan 12, 2006)

The place is ok. Like most folks say you get what you paid for but so far I have no real qualms. I picked up a 45 gal tank, stand, hood, t5 78watt lighting, and a jebo canister filter for $220. Been happy with the setup so far (its been about 8 months). As for the quality of the fish, they seem ok but there were a few times when their stock looked pretty bad. Then again I believe they arent really aiming to sell walk ins, more to lfs and bulk orders.


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