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pecan2phat · 02-06-2007, 10:01 AM

If your mainly keeping fish and some soft corals with a splash of LPS, then go with this T5 retro kit. Two sets will give you a total of four 54w T5 bulbs. It will easily mount to the top of your canopy and you will have plenty of room to work with when you do maintenance or what not. I mount 3 of these to my 90g @ work and it will sustain an rose anemone, mushrooms and yuma polyps. I would recommend 4 though since the second ballast can handle 2 54w lamps.
You can wire the first set to be actinic or blue bulbs on first and the 2nd set as your whites but stagger the blue and white bulbs. Just wire accordingly.
If you have no need for metal halide pendants, then don't get them as they will definitely heat up your water 8 months out of the year and you will eventually need a chiller plus the evaporation will be less without halides.
Here's a link to the retros. This is one set, you will need two. You also need to pick up bulbs.

Whatever you do, do NOT go with power compacts

http://www.hellolights.com/482x54wt5hor.html

Before ordering, check with Ronen (Deepwater Extreme). He is a vendor on this forum and can get usually get you the same item for about the same price or sometimes less. He can also probably get the bulbs also.

02-06-2007, 10:01 AM	#4
pecan2phat Professional Commuter Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wallingford, CT Posts: 2,053 Reefer Ratings: (26) Friends: (8)	If your mainly keeping fish and some soft corals with a splash of LPS, then go with this T5 retro kit. Two sets will give you a total of four 54w T5 bulbs. It will easily mount to the top of your canopy and you will have plenty of room to work with when you do maintenance or what not. I mount 3 of these to my 90g @ work and it will sustain an rose anemone, mushrooms and yuma polyps. I would recommend 4 though since the second ballast can handle 2 54w lamps. You can wire the first set to be actinic or blue bulbs on first and the 2nd set as your whites but stagger the blue and white bulbs. Just wire accordingly. If you have no need for metal halide pendants, then don't get them as they will definitely heat up your water 8 months out of the year and you will eventually need a chiller plus the evaporation will be less without halides. Here's a link to the retros. This is one set, you will need two. You also need to pick up bulbs. Whatever you do, do NOT go with power compacts http://www.hellolights.com/482x54wt5hor.html Before ordering, check with Ronen (Deepwater Extreme). He is a vendor on this forum and can get usually get you the same item for about the same price or sometimes less. He can also probably get the bulbs also.