# No more Coralife t5 no's



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Big al's is all out of the Coralife T-5 NOs. They had them seriously discounted and now they are out of stock. I talked with customer support and they reported that Coralife is discontinuing them. I missed my chance to get one of these lights. 

Now what? What light should low tech planted tank folks buy now?


----------



## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

They werent really anything great, unless you were trying to grow plants in shallow tanks. You can buy replacement bulbs at Walmarts, and probably other hardware stores.

If you're really try to find a fixture, start a WTB thread, there are people practically throwing these away occasionally.


----------



## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

I have this same problem too!! I cant find anything comparable for around the same price. I made a wtb but haven't gotten anything yet. Nor have I found anything comparable for the same price


You can call me Bob 

"have no fear, help is here!"


----------



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Riiz said:


> They werent really anything great, unless you were trying to grow plants in shallow tanks. You can buy replacement bulbs at Walmarts, and probably other hardware stores.



Not anything great!?! From everything I have read on this forum that is the go to light for medium size low tech planted tanks. 

I need a fixture, the bulbs I can find.


----------



## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

What size fixture, I have a 24" collecting dust, PM me if you or anyone else needs it.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

I think we're going to have to DIY our own, now, from T5NO shop light fixtures at Home Depot or Lowes.

Unless we can get someone else to step in and "step in the gap" as it were.

Has anyone tried calling www.catalinaaquarium.com to see if they'd be willing to do custom T5NO fixtures rather than T5HOs? They seem pretty willing to work with hobbyist needs... www.AHSupply.com also might be willing.


----------



## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> I think we're going to have to DIY our own, now, from T5NO shop light fixtures at Home Depot or Lowes.
> 
> Unless we can get someone else to step in and "step in the gap" as it were.
> 
> Has anyone tried calling www.catalinaaquarium.com to see if they'd be willing to do custom T5NO fixtures rather than T5HOs? They seem pretty willing to work with hobbyist needs... www.AHSupply.com also might be willing.


That would be cool if Catalina did a fixture, they would utilize a better relfector, I hope.


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Riiz said:


> That would be cool if Catalina did a fixture, they would utilize a better relfector, I hope.


Well... that actually might NOT be such a good thing for those wishing to stick with low tech tanks LOL


----------



## Java Moss (Jan 17, 2011)

A couple months ago stopping into an aquarium "super store", I did see a big stack of lights "Made for Coralife Units", but the manufacturer name was definitely not something I recognized.


----------



## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Buy them all become a power seller. And get rich! Lol


You can call me Bob 

"have no fear, help is here!"


----------



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

I have a 30" I am
Looking to get rid of, so far only one bite on craigslist, lol and they did a no show


----------



## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

Catalina already uses ballasts that sense and properly drive HO and NO T5.

I'm running 2x T5NO right now in my Catalina. 

Jim


----------



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Do you mean they already do carry NO ballasts, not just HO, or do you mean that you have NO bulbs in your HO fixture?

I'd imagine running NO bulbs in an HO fixture will overdrive the NO bulbs and won't lower the light level much if any from an HO fixture... so that really won't help for those wanting a lower light level.


----------



## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

Jim Miller said:


> Catalina already uses ballasts that sense and properly drive HO and NO T5.
> 
> I'm running 2x T5NO right now in my Catalina.
> 
> Jim


Interesting, do you know if the fixture will still fire with one bulb?


----------



## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

@Laura: It isn't overdriving the bulbs at all. I previously did a test with a lightmeter to confirm that. T5 ballasts are different than ones previously used for T12 and T8.

@Ritz: Catalina uses a ballast per bulb so you can tailor as you wish. Don't know about one bulb in a dual bulb ballast.

Call Catalina and talk to Jim the owner. 

Jim (just a customer...)


----------



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Riiz and Noahma I PM'd you both.


----------



## ktownhero (Mar 21, 2011)

kamikazi said:


> Now what? What light should low tech planted tank folks buy now?


'

Sunblaze single strip T5HO


----------



## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

I have a Nova Extreme SLR 4x39 watt fixture with two ballasts. I'm running just one bulb per ballest, ie... 2 x 39 Watts. So maybe, you could buy a two bulb fixture and run just one HO bulb. One HO bulb would be roughly equivalent to running 2 NO bulbs. It might even be cheaper to buy one replacement HO bulb vs. two NO bulbs. The new Nova extremes have the so called SLR reflector so it has a bend around each bulb.

That being said, Catalina uses Advance ballasts I believe and that would definitely be a benefit.


----------



## kevgsp (Mar 7, 2011)

1 T5HO bulb has really bad coverage on a tank more than 12" front to back


----------



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

The fixture I had was sold to a local forum person yesterday late afternoon. Sorry I forgot to post back in here to let those who have PM'd me know.


----------



## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

*cheap fixtures for parts*

hey i just picked up a 3' fixture for 22$ at home depot! I just bought it for the ballast, sockets and wires.

It comes w/ a bulb although i do not yet know the color until i test it but i'm gonna run a t5HO in it anyway for extended run time and more choices.

they come in 2', 3' or 4'...

kirk


----------



## orchidman (Dec 15, 2010)

Do they have reflectors?


You can call me Bob 

"have no fear, help is here!"


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The Home Depot T5 light strips don't have reflectors, and there is very little room behind the bulbs to fit in a reflector. An advanced DIYer could make it work though.


----------



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

Hoppy said:


> The Home Depot T5 light strips don't have reflectors, and there is very little room behind the bulbs to fit in a reflector. An advanced DIYer could make it work though.



Aluminum foil taped or glued to it? How would you get one of those to rest on the frame of the tank though?


----------



## ktownhero (Mar 21, 2011)

kevgsp said:


> 1 T5HO bulb has really bad coverage on a tank more than 12" front to back


Ah, I use mine on a 29g and it works extremely well. I can understand it not working on something deeper like a 40g breeder or 75g.


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

kamikazi said:


> Aluminum foil taped or glued to it? How would you get one of those to rest on the frame of the tank though?


It requires that you make a wood or aluminum housing for the light strip, which could be made to sit on the frame of the tank. Check the DIY forum for a very recent post where such a housing was made from a piece of rain gutter.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

kevgsp said:


> 1 T5HO bulb has really bad coverage on a tank more than 12" front to back


That's why you use two, three to four inches off the top of the tank.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Hoppy said:


> The Home Depot T5 light strips don't have reflectors, and there is very little room behind the bulbs to fit in a reflector. An advanced DIYer could make it work though.


They're T8 six tube fixture has nice reflectors though. 
It's a good start for medium budget DIYers.


----------



## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

*relectors*

sorry i didn't respond earlier, i had to go....

but as others had replied there are no reflectors. i wouldn't bother w/ the fixture - i just found it's the best deal for the parts i wanted

Hey for 22$ though i picked up the sockets i needed, the ballast, a bulb.

I have a reflector from ah supply. it should give me the output i want. I'm going to retrofit the parts in to a standard T8/T12 junk aquarium light fixture that i got from my LFS.

i had the reflector from the 96 watt PC kit i bought but decided i want less light and heat. It's a nice reflector - ah supply sells the reflectors alone if u want 'em, i think.

kirk


----------



## kirk (Apr 4, 2011)

*T5NO availability*



Hoppy said:


> The Home Depot T5 light strips don't have reflectors, and there is very little room behind the bulbs to fit in a reflector. An advanced DIYer could make it work though.


hey does this make me an advanced DIYer? cool :icon_cool ha ha ha



Hoppy said:


> It requires that you make a wood or aluminum housing for the light strip, which could be made to sit on the frame of the tank. Check the DIY forum for a very recent post where such a housing was made from a piece of rain gutter.


i was just thinking this morn i could use a piece of rain gutter, but i don't have any... Oh well.



So all, i'm a newb here. Will a single t5NO _*w/ a quality reflector*_ be a good choice for low tech 46 gal. bowfront? i here lots folks talking HO! just a simple answer - no derail please...

As far as no more T5NO bulbs availability - i here you can just use the T5HO bulbs and they last longer at the lower wattage (t5NO ballast) and there is better selection!

kirk


----------



## kevgsp (Mar 7, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> That's why you use two, three to four inches off the top of the tank.


That would put you into high light, unless a tall tank. If your shopping for T5NO fixture chances are it's for a low tech tank.


----------



## kamikazi (Sep 3, 2010)

kirk said:


> As far as no more T5NO bulbs availability - i here you can just use the T5HO bulbs and they last longer at the lower wattage (t5NO ballast) and there is better selection!
> 
> kirk



It's not the bulbs I'm really concerned about, it's the fixture.


----------



## sylvia (Apr 7, 2011)

Hey people petsmart carries coralife bulbs. But ya I bought mine cause they are reduced to clear. I am going to buy 2 more tmrw, 10,000. K $35.00 canadian


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

I have seen the coralife at Pet Blvd. Just check and found them in 20, 30, 36, 48. They also have the bulbs. If I hadn't gotten the coralife for $18. I would have got the SolarMax dual light strip. Bulbs are 14 watt thus must be a NO. Con is 1 of the bulbs is an actinic bulb. Jacob has it over his 20g high tank and has had no problems. 

Another inexpensive ideas is to get a T5HO strip from a hydroponics store. Hyzer did this for $45 for 29G, include reflector.

I had it over 29 gallon and some plants started dying. I now have it over 20 gallon long. For 29 gallon trying an LED flood light that waterlogged has over his 10g tank. It simulates light at a river. You can see in my photo album.


----------



## HolyAngel (Oct 18, 2010)

aquaeon bought coralife, they still have everything, just rebranded them.


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Some of the aquaeon light strip reflectors don't last long. Got 1 and it fell apart. Read review on 1 in amazon and some had the same results.


----------



## Darth Toro (Mar 6, 2010)

HolyAngel said:


> aquaeon bought coralife, they still have everything, just rebranded them.


 
Thank you for that information. So there products (bulbs) should fit our coralife fixtures? At least I hope. Guess I could bring the fixture in and test or just call aquaeon.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

I bought my Coralife NOs from That Pet Place just a few weeks ago. I see thay have the same pics up (and descriptions) but the name is now Aqualight...they still have the Coralife bulbs - the 30" is $10.99 (Colormax, I think)


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

Darth Toro said:


> Guess I could bring the fixture in and test or just call aquaeon.


Pet Smart sells them.


----------



## R_Barber001 (Oct 5, 2011)

I have the aqueous NO dual ballast with two 14 watt bulbs one colormax and one daylight. Seems to be working for me. Check my signature for a link to see how it looks.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

Even though I've only had mine a few weeks, I'm really liking them too.


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

At Pet Smart each 30in bulb is $17.99. With tax 2 would cost $38.14. At Pet Blvd each bulb is 9.27. Total of 2 with shipment is $26.59. It is a savings of $11.55.


----------



## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

driftwoodhunter said:


> Even though I've only had mine a few weeks, I'm really liking them too.


Which tank do you have it over, for you have more than 1 tank.


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Jul 1, 2011)

Oops!
The 55 had a twin bulb T8 over it - a shoplight. That tank is still broken down - I'll be redoing it next week.
The 29g tanks are the ones with the Coralife fixtures, 30" ones, one per tank.
They are the same Coralife Petsmart had (before it became Aqueon) for $69.99. The Pet Place has it for $49.99, and free shipping. (The shipping is a special they're running) If I had the $$, I'd get the 48" ones for my two 55g tanks. They go in & out of stock pretty often...


----------

