# Cheapest T5HO worth buying....



## mach_six (Sep 12, 2005)

If your current strip like is like a perfecto or all glass then no, I probably wouldn't recommend retrofitting htem. 

You cany spend like $50 for a 48" dual T5 2x28W or at minimum 2-3x that for a dual T5HO strip depending on brand.

It really all depends on what plants you are keeping and want to keep. 

Even if you get a multi T5HO fixture, you can always just use 1 bulb to keep lighting to a minimum.


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## Gtdad2 (Nov 21, 2010)

I highly recommend the kits at AH Supply. Quality products at reasonable cost. I just upgraded my 55 from PC to T5. One 54 watt bulb and my plants are thriving now.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

mach_six said:


> If your current strip like is like a perfecto or all glass then no, I probably wouldn't recommend retrofitting htem.
> 
> You cany spend like $50 for a 48" dual T5 2x28W or at minimum 2-3x that for a dual T5HO strip depending on brand.
> 
> ...


No...not using one of those hoods...just shop lights. I figure I could use the shop light housing and install a single T5 bulb with reflector. I am not going for looks, just functionality at this point.

As far as plants...right now all I have are low light plants (not even growing well under current lighting) but I'd like to be able to expand the possibilities. Not sure I want to get up into high light stuff but I'd like to at least be able to do medium and medium high stuff.




Gtdad2 said:


> I highly recommend the kits at AH Supply. Quality products at reasonable cost. I just upgraded my 55 from PC to T5. One 54 watt bulb and my plants are thriving now.


I was actually just looking at their site. I was also looking at Hellolights. They seem to have decent stuff at decent prices too. I have ordered from them before. I actually have a CF light retro kit from them I never put together. Needs reflectors. Might use that over a 40b tank when I get one next time Petco has a sale.


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

You could look into the Zoomed Fixtures that Petco sells, they are great lights, not priced that much, come with suspension system for hanging it. and the reflector is not the greatest so you would not need to hang the light to far above your tank to get the light levels down.


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## koldsoup (Feb 21, 2011)

There have been a lot of bad things said about the Odyssea fixtures, but I've been using one for 2-3 months now with no problems. Cheapest fixture out there... I think.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Your local hydroponics shop can fix you up with 24" and 48" T5HO strip light. They should have decent reflectors. Strip and reflector for 48" should run under $50.00


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## Iron Chef (Feb 7, 2011)

koldsoup said:


> There have been a lot of bad things said about the Odyssea fixtures, but I've been using one for 2-3 months now with no problems. Cheapest fixture out there... I think.


I second that, maybe i'm just lucky but I've been using the power compacts over my reef for about 2 years and no issues other than the bulbs they come with are kinda lame.


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## Storm (Aug 7, 2011)

Fishneedit has some pretty decent T5HO fixtures that are not too expensive. I got a 2x24 watt 24" fixture for $65 including bulbs.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

No local hydroponics places but I did find a place to order from. I am looking at a single strip Sun Blaze setup. Comes with aluminum housing, reflector, 6500k bulb, all ready to plug and play. $50 each. So I figure two for $100 and shipping is free. Me thinks that will be hard to beat as long as the setup isn't complete junk. A quick search on here tells me that the Sun Blaze stuff is a nice little budget brand that gets good marks. I like the idea of separate units two so I can have as much spread as I want, I can turn each unit on/off as I play, and the reflectors are individual.

Order placed...guess I'll do a little review once the lights get here and I get them working.


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## Centromochlus (May 19, 2008)

Storm said:


> Fishneedit has some pretty decent T5HO fixtures that are not too expensive. I got a 2x24 watt 24" fixture for $65 including bulbs.


+1 for FishNeedIt... good quality light fixtures for reasonable prices. Haven't had any problems with mine yet. Great customer service too.


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## Calmia22 (Aug 20, 2011)

Ebay. Look up Topdogsellers. They have a Odyessa T5ho light that comes with 3 6500k bulbs, 8 moonlight LED's, and a built in timer. It also has a splash guard. It comes with brackets to mount to the tank, but they are a bit flimsy. I had metal ones made for mine instead, since I really didn't want to try and hang it, but it's $89.99 free shipping. I don't know how other feel about it, but I really like mine.


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## junko (Sep 9, 2011)

Nubster said:


> No local hydroponics places but I did find a place to order from. I am looking at a single strip Sun Blaze setup. Comes with aluminum housing, reflector, 6500k bulb, all ready to plug and play. $50 each. So I figure two for $100 and shipping is free. Me thinks that will be hard to beat as long as the setup isn't complete junk. A quick search on here tells me that the Sun Blaze stuff is a nice little budget brand that gets good marks. I like the idea of separate units two so I can have as much spread as I want, I can turn each unit on/off as I play, and the reflectors are individual.
> 
> Order placed...guess I'll do a little review once the lights get here and I get them working.


That's what I'm doing! I have mine now but haven't built the light box yet. Nice little fixtures- the reflectors did fit quite right- the hole for the on/off switch was off so I had to do a little mod with a tin snips- no big deal. The hanging brackets are going to have to be a bigger mod though.


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## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

Light overkill for a very good price is the Sunblaze T5HO.

They come with bulbs. In your case I think the 2-bulb would suffice. The 4-bulb model might be overkill. 

2-tube
http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Blaze-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture/dp/B002YXPFRE

4-tube
http://www.amazon.com/Sun-Blaze-T5-..._1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1318881597&sr=1-1-catcorr


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