T5HO light fixtures from www.fishneedit.com

[jpappy789]

Company
Fishneedit.com
Model
24", 2x24 watt
Link to product description
http://fishneedit.com/t5ho-ligh.html
Price range
$55-140 + shipping
Pros
Durable, bulbs are shielded well, external ballast, comes with bulbs and mounted legs
Cons
Fixture gets on the hot side, at the ends the glass is covered, reflectors are not the greatest
Star rating (1-5 with 5 being the best)
****
How long have you used the product?
2 months
Build quality and value for your money.
Could definitely find a nice fixture, but for the cost its not too bad

 

[jpappy789]

Almost 2 years later and I just replaced both bulbs. Probably should have done it earlier but the ones from the manufacturer didn't even begin to burn out until a few weeks ago. Ballast is still working as well as it has since the beginning as far as I can tell.

While replacing bulbs I was able to get into the actual fixture. Pretty easy to do and the only issue was after a year of sitting over a fish tank it had some hard water stains that made it tough to get the "shield" out the very first time. Nothing a little vinegar didn't solve. Otherwise it was easy to get the caps off and get in to replace the bulbs. Four simple screws...