Light fixture opinions........

mindtonic

mindtonic

AC Members
Nov 15, 2004
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Easton, PA
I'm setting up 90 gallon with some crypts, anubias, ferns and moss, and I need to upgrade from my 80 watts of light. I'll be heading out to do some shopping tomorrow and I wanted to know if anyone could offer an opinion on the 48" Aqualight (Fresh) 2-65W Lamp Str Pin(ESU),listed at That Fish Place.

48" Aqualight (Fresh) 2-65W Lamp Str Pin(ESU)

How does this fixture stack up? I'm not prepared to spend a ton of money but this is in my price range.
 
I have the double bulb version, and have been happy with it. The double bulb ones also come with built in fans, not sure if heat will be a big issue with the single bulbs, but you might need to watch that.
 
I have the same model, and have been extremely impressed by it. The 2x65W doesn't have fans, and doesn't get hot at all (a little warm to the touch, but you certainly won't burn yourself or anything else with it).

HelloLights.com has this model for $106.29 (http://www.hellolights.com/482xcofraq2x.html). But, if you order over the phone from BigAlsOnline.com, they'll beat the price by 5%, so it'll end up being around $100 (+S&H).

Be sure to get the Freshwater version.

Also, you should know that unless you are using this in tandem with the 80W you have already, you really won't be supplying adequate light. You could consider the 4x65W version (this one does have fans) or two of the 2x65W units.

Mike
 
Thanks for the input......my wife and I are making the two hour trip to That Pet Place tomorrow.

Another question..........the actual tank is a 90 gallon, but I attached cork bark to the back panel to use as a living backdrop. Near the top of the aquarium, it sits flush against the glass, but then slopes towards the front front of the tank till it reaches the bottom......about six inches from the back. There is still water flowing behind the backdrop, but virtually no light penetrates behind it. Guestimating, I'd say that shaves off a little over ten gallons of usable tank space. Should I take this into consideration when calculating WPG?

But, yes, I do plan on running the 2 X 65 watts in tandem with my current 80.

Also, will I be able to contimue using my oak canopy with this fixture, or will it get too hot since it doesn't come with fans?
 
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The WPG rule is really to get a ballpark idea for how much light you need. Some say it really only accurately applies to a tank-size range of 20-30 gallons or so.

The real issue is more likely to be how deep the tank is, since the light should penetrate all the way to the bottom of the tank. Since you aren't changing the depth of the water, I'd still base your estimates for the full size of the tank. Even if you had a deep substrate, I wouldn't alter your estimates; more light is almost always better.

You should still be able to use your canopy, provided the back of the canopy is open for ventilation. If not, you may want to consider adding fans to the canopy or removing it altogether if the temp inside gets too hot. That being said, I wouldn't anticipate a problem with the Coralife 2x65W fixture, as it really doesn't generate much heat at all.

Mike
 
I see your point.......thanks for the advice.

I'm really excited that this tnk is finally going to be set
and running soon.
 
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