# 50 PAR @ 22" inches for < $100?



## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

First light that comes to mind is the Beamswork DA FSPEC. @jeffkroll should have par data for it. Supposed to be pretty powerful and it’s around $60.

Also check this thread. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...-fspec-dhl-6500k-par-lux-kelvin-pur-data.html


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

There are alot of fancy light builds, but not many truly budget builds.

This thread shows how I used a large array of 3W leds on my 48" tank. Powered by inexpensive AC constant current drivers (ebay). 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/1164009-how-many-3w-leds-low-tech-55-a.html

The 3W leds can fit into small spaces, and this build allowed me to use the aqueon lids that came with the aquarium. I have not used a par meter, but based upon the specs (wattage, number of leds) and compared to commercial 3W fixtures, I believe it is in the high light category. Plants grow like rockets.

The cost was pretty straightforward: 

60x3W epistar leds from Ebay - $30
2x 105W/600mA AC drivers - $25
1x 8' Angle aluminum heat sink - $20
2x 3" 12v computer fans - $5
Wire - $5

$85

I'm proud of this build because it let me reuse the lids I had, and the light is enclosed, unlike a suspended fixture. The quality of the light is OK, not the highest CRI, appears to be lacking in red spectrum. If I had built this with higher quality leds with high CRI, the price would have doubled-quadrupled. At that price range there are better options than 3W leds. Could buy two commercial fixtures with remote, etc... but for pure PAR/cost, this is hard to beat.

OTH, if you have to build a canopy, space is not limited, or you want to hang the fixture, you might just consider fluorescent tubes. Less labor, less research. Specialty bulbs look great or you can go with cheap home improvement tubes to save money. I don't think it would come in less than my LED build, but close.

Keep reading the forums, there are lots of options. But its also a rabbit hole. If you are a tinkerer on a budget, leds are a good option. Otherwise just get a hanging fluorecent 4-tube fixture from Home Depot.


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

Nlewis said:


> First light that comes to mind is the Beamswork DA FSPEC. @jeffkroll should have par data for it. Supposed to be pretty powerful and it’s around $60.
> 
> Also check this thread.
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...-fspec-dhl-6500k-par-lux-kelvin-pur-data.html


Thanks Nlewls. I did see that thread you linked but those lights don't meet my PAR needs at 22". The Beamswork DHL 1W 6500K has meets PAR, but reviews say it breaks after 9mo or so. I'll use it as a benchmark though as I continue to search the googles.


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

stankyleg said:


> Thanks Nlewls. I did see that thread you linked but those lights don't meet my PAR needs at 22". The Beamswork DHL 1W 6500K has meets PAR, but reviews say it breaks after 9mo or so. I'll use it as a benchmark though as I continue to search the googles.


Other option would be a 2 bulb T5HO hydroponic fixture. Should be definitely under a $100 and usually is supplied with bulbs. Should be over 50 par at the substrate.

If you want to get crazy, you could buy a 4 bulb unit&#55357;&#56838;.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Nlewis said:


> Other option would be a 2 bulb T5HO hydroponic fixture. Should be definitely under a $100 and usually is supplied with bulbs. Should be over 50 par at the substrate.
> 
> If you want to get crazy, you could buy a 4 bulb unit��.


I have an old 48 inch 2 bulb T5HO fixture that I'll let go for under $100.


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

ChrisX said:


> There are alot of fancy light builds, but not many truly budget builds.
> 
> This thread shows how I used a large array of 3W leds on my 48" tank. Powered by inexpensive AC constant current drivers (ebay).
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/1164009-how-many-3w-leds-low-tech-55-a.html
> ...


Thanks ChrisX. I'll take a look at that option. I like everything about your build and I match your philosophy of reusing what you have. But for some reason, especially with LED, I'm paranoid that I'm going to buy a low PAR setup that will result in me fighting to keep my plants healthy. <--would be a bad way to start

I'll see if I can find any PAR data on the epistar LEDs


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

If it were me, I'd bite the bullet on the Beamswork DHL or the FSPEC before dealing with the T5HO. I've been through more 48" bulbs in the past than any other light bulb in my house. They are expensive to replace and are unable to be dimmed. Throw a cheap $8 PWM dimmer on the Beamswork and you won't have to bother wit raising/lowering the fixture. If you want to take it a step further, you could also get a programmable pwm dimmer for about $30 and be able to create different lighting modes and effects. I use one of these on my finnex LED to create a sunrise and sunset effect. Even with the fancy dimmer, I doubt you'll be much over your budget, if at all.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

stankyleg said:


> Thanks ChrisX. I'll take a look at that option. I like everything about your build and I match your philosophy of reusing what you have. But for some reason, especially with LED, I'm paranoid that I'm going to buy a low PAR setup that will result in me fighting to keep my plants healthy. <--would be a bad way to start
> 
> I'll see if I can find any PAR data on the epistar LEDs


You make a good point, but I did some basic comparisons before I arrived at this setup.

Most of the commercial product LEDs have 1W or less leds. Probably the best comparisons in terms of PAR data are the old "Build my LED" fixtures (now out of buisiness) and the Greenelement EVO fixtures that use 3W leds (likely epistar).

On amazon, this fixture for a 24" tank has 16x3W leds. Over the same tank length, my fixture has almost TWICE as many leds. There use to be a Greenelement Quad 64 x3W led with planted tank spectrum (6500k). I don't see it for sale on amazon, but that is the closest equivalent to my light. 

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Elemen...899082&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=greenelement+evo

I cant compare on efficiency, but my lights are at the capacity of the two 105W power supplies, so its roughly 200Watts of LED lighting. Honestly, the highest setting on my lights is too bright, I run them on the lower settings and wish they could go lower. It is serious light!

Just to give you an idea how bright, you cant look at them without some pain and the image burned in your retina. When I was testing them, I had to wear sunglasses and squint, and even then it was too bright to look at.

The only PAR/cost solution that may come close are several hanging LED flood lights, but they can't be customized and aren't as versatile.

Over the past year, after the initial burn-in, I only had one led fail. If the led comes separated from its base, it will burn out. Each led only costs .50, so its cheap to maintain and uses less power than a fluorescent light, so its definitely the most economical in the long run. Best? That is another question, but it suits my build.

Here is the build thread that shows growth. This was on the lowest setting.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/12-tank-journals/1177217-50-gallon-keyhole-cichlids-friends-diy.html


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

Jeff5614 said:


> I have an old 48 inch 2 bulb T5HO fixture that I'll let go for under $100.


Deal!
@Nlewis - 2 Bulb T5HO seems like a practical tried-and-true option. Not the prettiest thing, but I don't care. I like the versatility of being able to swap out bulbs to adjust the CRI/Spectrum. Would 2 bulb fixture give me enough versatility or would a 3-4 bulb fixture be more appropriate in this case?


Thanks for you suggestions everyone.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

I'm not NLewis, obviously, but four bulbs would give you more options as far as mixing bulbs to get the appearance you desire and more options on PAR levels, not that you really need four bulbs to get enough light at 22 inches.


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

stankyleg said:


> Deal!
> 
> @Nlewis - 2 Bulb T5HO seems like a practical tried-and-true option. Not the prettiest thing, but I don't care. I like the versatility of being able to swap out bulbs to adjust the CRI/Spectrum. Would 2 bulb fixture give me enough versatility or would a 3-4 bulb fixture be more appropriate in this case?
> 
> ...


The 4 would be more versatile for sure when it comes to color rendering. Problem is that’s a lot of light, you’d have to raise the fixture quite a bit or you’d be well over 100 par. I pretty sure @burr740 has taken some par measurements of a 2 bulb fixture and if I recall correctly it was in 80 range. I think it was raised roughly about 6 inches.


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

madcrafted said:


> If it were me, I'd bite the bullet on the Beamswork DHL or the FSPEC before dealing with the T5HO. I've been through more 48" bulbs in the past than any other light bulb in my house. They are expensive to replace and are unable to be dimmed. Throw a cheap $8 PWM dimmer on the Beamswork and you won't have to bother wit raising/lowering the fixture. If you want to take it a step further, you could also get a programmable pwm dimmer for about $30 and be able to create different lighting modes and effects. I use one of these on my finnex LED to create a sunrise and sunset effect. Even with the fancy dimmer, I doubt you'll be much over your budget, if at all.


I hear you. LED fixtures seem like a more high-tech and low maintenance option. But there's so many that lack PAR at the substrate on a medium/large tank. 

According to clownplnated's post, the 48" FSPEC lacks PAR at 22" depth. The DHL is powerful but has awful reviews consistently noting failure in less than 1 year. Maybe I should just risk it with the DHL?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

2 costs $130...........
https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-FS...ns&keywords=beamswork+led+aquarium+light&th=1
Eventually you can add dimmers to each.. About $5 a piece.. 

2 is probably over 70 PAR @ 22"


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

jeffkrol said:


> 2 costs $130...........
> https://www.amazon.com/Beamswork-FS...ns&keywords=beamswork+led+aquarium+light&th=1
> Eventually you can add dimmers to each.. About $5 a piece..
> 
> 2 is probably over 70 PAR @ 22"


Lol. Lots of hardcore Beamswork fans here. 

Thanks jeffkrol


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## madcrafted (Dec 23, 2017)

stankyleg said:


> I hear you. LED fixtures seem like a more high-tech and low maintenance option. But there's so many that lack PAR at the substrate on a medium/large tank.
> 
> According to clownplnated's post, the 48" FSPEC lacks PAR at 22" depth. The DHL is powerful but has awful reviews consistently noting failure in less than 1 year. Maybe I should just risk it with the DHL?


After seeing jeffkrol's post, I'm sure you are aware of the various FSPEC models. If you go that route, be sure to get the one he linked... not the EA Timer model. Depending on depth of substrate, you might be getting more than enough light. You could also create a slope(s) with your substrate to give higher areas that receive more light for those high light demanding plants. 

I can't really say that I'm a big fan of Beamswork either. Never owned one. On paper, they look great. On the 'zon they receive great reviews for certain models... others not so much. However, I am planning to purchase one soon for another tank I'm setting up. While I love my little 16" Planted Plus, I won't be spending a fortune on a 36" version for said tank when I can get a Beamswork Pent model for more than half the cost. In theory LEDs should last a very long time (40,000 hrs. +/-). Unfortunately some manufacturers don't have the best quality control. If you are decent at soldering, most of these issue can be fixed easy enough.


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

alright now I'm crazy and keep going back to this 4 bulb T5 unit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FGE6C0?tag=vs-powersports-convert-amazon-20&th=1

4 bulb because I can change the colors around. Crazy high par, but I throw in lower watt T5 bulbs in right? 

In planted tanks - other than algae issues, is there a downside to having too much light? Can a low light plant not grow in a high light environment?


*edit - 4 bulb T5 HO on a 55g is probably dumb for a beginner. 2 bulb T5 HO meet my needs? - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P8EFOF4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

A 2 bulb T5HO at 22" will give you about 70 PAR at the sub running something like one 6500K and one red/pink type flora bulb, and have pretty good colors.

I have this one at 20" its in the 85-90 range, $99 bucks and comes with 6500K bulbs. You'll need to replace one with a flora type, Zoomed flora suns are nice, German made around $10 each. Geishman flora if you want to spend more money, 

https://www.htgsupply.com/products/growbright-4-foot-2-lamp-high-output-t5

Ive got the 6 bulb version of this one, also a good light

https://www.amazon.com/Agrobrite-Designer-FLP42-2-Tube-Fixture/dp/B00P8EFOF4


4 bulbs will give you more color options for sure but it'll be way too much if you get a unit with individual reflectors like the ones above. Plus the 4 bulbs units are almost 14" wide, thats wider than your tank.


The other 4 bulb option is a model that does not have individual reflectors for each bulb, only one for all the bulbs. 

One of these would be about right, comes with all 6500K which you'll need to swap out 2 or 3 for other types if you want the good colors. (also why you should ignore the beamswork fanboys if you care about colors  )

I run the 2 bulb version of this on a couple 20 gals, good light for the money. Plus it has mounting legs to sit on the tank, unlike the hydroponic units above.

https://www.amazon.com/Odyssea-Timer-Aquarium-Freshwater-Discus/dp/B016VBC108/

*edit; just to be clear you'll want the 4 bulb version of that one^


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

There's a lot of ways to go. The 2 Bulb T5HO would be enough to grow pretty much anything especially with co2, and your going to be using co2. I had one on my 72G (22" deep) and I grew an HC carpet and other highlight plants. I don't see why you would need 4 bulbs, but that's me. 

I currently have 3 Beamswork fixtures on grow out tanks one being a DHL. What would make the DHL less reliable than the other Beamswork fixtures? One thing about the 6500K DHL Beamwork. The color is awful. I guess it's a personal thing but it's very yellow looking. I have it on a grow out tank so I don't mind, but wouldn't enjoy it on my display tank. Personally I like 8000-10k better for viewing. I don't remember my T5HO 6500 looking that yellow.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

madcrafted said:


> I can't really say that I'm a big fan of Beamswork either. Never owned one. On paper, they look great. On the 'zon they receive great reviews for certain models... others not so much. However, I am planning to purchase one soon for another tank I'm setting up. While I love my little 16" Planted Plus, I won't be spending a fortune on a 36" version for said tank when I can get a Beamswork Pent model for more than half the cost. In theory LEDs should last a very long time (40,000 hrs. +/-). Unfortunately some manufacturers don't have the best quality control. If you are decent at soldering, most of these issue can be fixed easy enough.


Bottom line is they are relatively cheap solid state lighting..
and as such few "parts".. 
Most will have power supply failures...ALL brands..

If they had high failure rates we'd know.. I have warned against the 1W diode ones ( circumstantial evidence of higher than "normal" issues) and mentioned the inefficiencies of the 3W ones so its not all peaches and creme here..



> 6500K DHL Beamwork. The color is awful. I guess it's a personal thing but it's very yellow looking.


well you are not alone here.. 6500k diodes are made w/ a blue emitter and yellow phosphor w/ little concern for CRI (or red) so it is unfortunate..
I suspect the 7000k that like Finnex uses are just 'better" becuase they just have less yellow phosphor..

Oh and fixtures like Beamswork probably accept a "range" of 6500k diodes so there is that..


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

burr740 said:


> A 2 bulb T5HO at 22" will give you about 70 PAR at the sub running something like one 6500K and one red/pink type flora bulb, and have pretty good colors...^


Woohoo! Thanks for your post Burr! I'll post what I end up going with. Definitely will do one that you suggested


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Mine is a diy version of this light. Dunno par.

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Element-Aquarium-Light-Fixture/dp/B00ASVH0BS/ref=pd_day0_199_18?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00ASVH0BS&pd_rd_r=M1T09DHH32PH97XQ30C2&pd_rd_w=Ke1VF&pd_rd_wg=BUoaS&psc=1&refRID=M1T09DHH32PH97XQ30C2


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## KrypleBerry (May 23, 2017)

My light is capable of >100 par at 24 inches. I removed the lenses and raised it a bit to get closer to 50ish par at substrate. 100w 6000k LED flood, 60 dollars, grows plants like a champ.


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## RLee (Sep 21, 2008)

KrypleBerry said:


> My light is capable of >100 par at 24 inches. I removed the lenses and raised it a bit to get closer to 50ish par at substrate. 100w 6000k LED flood, 60 dollars, grows plants like a champ.


Please show a pic of your tank. 1 picture = 1000 words?


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## Kampo (Nov 3, 2015)

DIY idea

Steves LED 48in Heatsink $41
22xsunplus 6500k LEDs from Steves LED $40
6xDeep Red LEds $12 Stevesled
2x700mah LDDH Drivers $10 from LEDsupply.com

100watt 48V powersupply 15-30 depending on if you can live with a chinese one or wan a UL listed one

prolly will put you a smidge over 100. this is a very simple on/off type of light you could add dimming/ramping control for 20-100 dollars or add a potentiometer if you just want a knob to dim for pretty cheap.


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## KrypleBerry (May 23, 2017)

RLee said:


> KrypleBerry said:
> 
> 
> > My light is capable of >100 par at 24 inches. I removed the lenses and raised it a bit to get closer to 50ish par at substrate. 100w 6000k LED flood, 60 dollars, grows plants like a champ.
> ...


I recently switched over to mostly moss and cryptocoryne sp recently for ease of maintenance and a natural look that complimented the fish species in there but this light can grow stems beautifully too.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Kampo said:


> DIY idea
> 
> Steves LED 48in Heatsink $41
> 22xsunplus 6500k LEDs from Steves LED $40
> ...


30 leds over 48" not going to grow plants very well.


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## Kampo (Nov 3, 2015)

ChrisX said:


> 30 leds over 48" not going to grow plants very well.


its more actual power than the beaswork DHL is rated for. i grow plants quite well in my fishroom in 75 gallon tanks with beamswork DA lights which is even less power than a DHL


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Kampo said:


> its more actual power than the beaswork DHL is rated for. i grow plants quite well in my fishroom in 75 gallon tanks with beamswork DA lights which is even less power than a DHL


Beamswork dhl not enough either.

Most ppl use two bars, unless lo tech, lo light. 

He will need 45+ 3w for high tech at 21".


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## Greggz (May 19, 2008)

Nlewis said:


> The 4 would be more versatile for sure when it comes to color rendering. Problem is that’s a lot of light, you’d have to raise the fixture quite a bit or you’d be well over 100 par. I pretty sure @burr740 has taken some par measurements of a 2 bulb fixture and if I recall correctly it was in 80 range. I think it was raised roughly about 6 inches.


Agreed. 

Two bulbs is probably enough to grow about anything in a 55G. Mixing different bulbs could get you a variety of PAR values, as different bulbs provide different PAR. With 4 bulbs you would be getting into a whole different ball game. That would be a LOT of light.

Personally I prefer the "look" of T5 to LED, but that's just me. Some feel the complete opposite.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

https://www.mouser.com/productdetai...rknbu83y%2bQ48TVwP8epIcQE3hQlpxgCaGaWZV5zsQ==

4 of these, 4 drivers and a ps..................
Throws 11,500 Lumens over your tank......................

95+CRI...............


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

Thanks for your help everyone. I value both the LED suggestions and the T5HO suggestions. Both are valid options but for the best bang for my buck I just ended up buying this - http://a.co/4MXn6ON. 4 bulb T5 HO is definitely more then I need but I'm going to try and keep the algae under control by hanging it up high so I'll elevate it, plus I'll probably pop out 2 bulbs and run 2 to begin with until I understand my light-to-CO2 Ratio a bit better. Hopefully if I get good at this planted-tank thing, I won't need to supplement this light, I can just lower it and crank up the juice.

Thanks again, I appreciate all the replies. I'll post my first planted-tank setup soon. Now on to CO2...


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## Kampo (Nov 3, 2015)

jeffkrol said:


> https://www.mouser.com/productdetai...rknbu83y%2bQ48TVwP8epIcQE3hQlpxgCaGaWZV5zsQ==
> 
> 4 of these, 4 drivers and a ps..................
> Throws 11,500 Lumens over your tank......................
> ...


I really love these leds. honestly prolly one of the best all in one COBs out there for the planted tank hobby. only thing spectrally they need is a little deep red, but I don't think its needed, my plants are growing great under one right now.


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

Update - my 5 week old Odyssea 4x54W T5HO fixture sucks. Really sucks. 

1 ballast died last week, which will cost $25 to replace with the same sucky ballast or $40+ to upgrade to a decent one. And when the other one burns out, which I've read it probably will, then I'm in for spending a minimum of $50... 50% of the cost of the fixture.

I'm just gonna run 2 bulbs until the other ballast dies, then I'm going Office Space on this sucky thing.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Wow, that sucks. 90 days parts and labor is terrible plus you have to pay shipping and it looks like you just missed the 30 day return. I'd contact the seller anyway and you should definitely leave a review about your experience.


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## RLee (Sep 21, 2008)

stankyleg said:


> Update - my 5 week old Odyssea 4x54W T5HO fixture sucks. Really sucks.
> 
> 1 ballast died last week, which will cost $25 to replace with the same sucky ballast or $40+ to upgrade to a decent one. And when the other one burns out, which I've read it probably will, then I'm in for spending a minimum of $50... 50% of the cost of the fixture.
> 
> ...


These ballasts will work way better than the crap that came with your fixture. Odyssea products are junk especially the t5 light fixtures. https://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-514...qid=1522461080&sr=8-14&keywords=t5+ho+ballast or https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Ac...rd_wg=hwbEy&psc=1&refRID=YMJ8VKBNCA3RT6TM8H4S or https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Li...rds=t5+ho+ballast&refinements=p_85:2470955011
FleaBay has lots even cheaper.
What brand was the bad one?
I switched to dimming ballast so I have some stock ballast that come in the Aquaticlife fixtures lying around as well. I have run some of them for 5 + years but I have a few that are new. PM me if interested


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

RLee said:


> These ballasts will work way better than the crap that came with your fixture. Odyssea products are junk especially the t5 light fixtures. https://www.amazon.com/Sylvania-514...qid=1522461080&sr=8-14&keywords=t5+ho+ballast or https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Ac...rd_wg=hwbEy&psc=1&refRID=YMJ8VKBNCA3RT6TM8H4S or https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Li...rds=t5+ho+ballast&refinements=p_85:2470955011
> FleaBay has lots even cheaper.
> What brand was the bad one?
> I switched to dimming ballast so I have some stock ballast that come in the Aquaticlife fixtures lying around as well. I have run some of them for 5 + years but I have a few that are new. PM me if interested


Thanks RLee, but I think the Amazon seller is going to let me return my light back even though it's out of the 30 days. 

I just went to the hydroponics shop and bought a seemingly good quality used 4 bulb, 4ft fixture that has a 5 year warranty and it came with 4 PowerVeg lights for $130. It's been ony tank for 2 hours now and I can watch the algae growing - gah! Raising it up now. 

I think this story will have a happy ending afterall, we'll see if I actually get my $100 refunded.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

Kubla said:


> Wow, that sucks. 90 days parts and labor is terrible plus you have to pay shipping and it looks like you just missed the 30 day return. I'd contact the seller anyway and you should definitely leave a review about your experience.[/quote @Kubla - I took your advice and emailed the seller and to my surprise the seller says he is going to let me return it for a full refund!
> 
> Running to FedEx now and crossing my fingers I get my $$ back.
> 
> Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


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## RLee (Sep 21, 2008)

stankyleg said:


> Thanks RLee, but I think the Amazon seller is going to let me return my light back even though it's out of the 30 days.
> 
> I just went to the hydroponics shop and bought a seemingly good quality used 4 bulb, 4ft fixture that has a 5 year warranty and it came with 4 PowerVeg lights for $130. It's been ony tank for 2 hours now and I can watch the algae growing - gah! Raising it up now.
> 
> ...


 I have a 60 gallon tank. My light is 25" above the substrate and I am using only 3 bulbs and dim those by 25%. I would suggest only use 2 bulbs @ 25" or more above substrate until you get the plants going then increase the light.


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## stankyleg (Feb 17, 2018)

RLee said:


> My light is 25" above the substrate and I am using only 3 bulbs and dim those by 25%. I would suggest only use 2 bulbs @ 25" or more above substrate until you get the plants going then increase the light.


RLee - your fixture is dimmable? That's fancy. Do you have one of those remote controlled units?

I pulled a bulb and now I'm running three 54W T5HO bulbs @ 16inches above the full 55gal. 

The substrate is 2 inches thick so... Math is 21-2+16 = 35inches above substrate I'm blasting 162 Watts.


Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


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## RLee (Sep 21, 2008)

stankyleg said:


> RLee - your fixture is dimmable? That's fancy. Do you have one of those remote controlled units?
> 
> I pulled a bulb and now I'm running three 54W T5HO bulbs @ 16inches above the full 55gal.
> 
> ...


No DIY a couple of old Aquaticlife 2 bulb fixtures. I run (4) 1 bulb dimming ballasts and use a TC420 through PWM to Analog 0-10v signal converters. I used to use the reefkeeper ALC module to control the ballasts but the program was lacking and only had 2 channels.


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