I got in my Tek-5 light the other day and thought I would post a review. While this light is for a planted tank, reefers should take note as well. The fixture is 48" and holds 4 54w bulbs.
Sunlight Supply makes lighting fixtures of various types for aquariums and horticulture. T5 lighting was developed for aquarium use, so I figured, what the heck, let's check it out. The Tek 5 fixture comes in two models of various sizes: plant grow and aquarium. After sending in an email about the differences between the two, I got a reply saying that the plant grow model came in black only, had one switch, and included bulbs of either 6500K or 3000K, while the aquarium model came with 2 switches (one power cord) and no bulbs, but you get a choice of fixture color: black or silver. Interestingly, the aquarium model with no bulbs was more expensive than the plant grow model with bulbs. Hmmm....
Of course I got the plant grow and the optional cable hanging system. The fixture does come with a "garage style" chain hanger, but it's not exactly "wife pleasing." I was suprised that the fixture I actually got had two power switches, and came with some nice GE Starcoat T5 bulbs. Man these things are tiny! They rant and rave about their reflectors, so that was the first thing I checked out. They are bent 9 ways, and are very shiny, but have a strange texture to them. The company says it's to further disperse light, giving the reflector a 90+% efficiency rating. They are very well made with rounded edges, and are nicer than AH Supply's. I didn't expect this. Most companies just slap in a piece of polished aluminum.
The fixture was plug & play ready. All you had to do was pop the bulbs in and hang it up! The fixture is very well made, but not quite as slick as some on the market, but it's not bad at all. I plugged it in and blinded myself. Holy cow this thing puts out some light! Much more than I thought those tiny bulbs would! I swiftly proceeded to hang the thing up and get it going. Here's some pics:
After turning it on, my plants began to pearl nicely after about 20 minutes. There was a drastic increase in light...almost too much! And to think they make a 6 & 8 bulb version! About an hour later my tank looked light a champagne bottle on new years eve!
I think anyone needing a good light should check these fixtures out; all those big name fixtures don't hold a candle to this thing. The plant grow model is substantially cheaper than the aquarium version that's sold at some aquarium supply places. I have no doubt that you could grow some nice corals under these things, as well as plants. Needless to say, I'll have plants on the trading block soon...
Sunlight Supply makes lighting fixtures of various types for aquariums and horticulture. T5 lighting was developed for aquarium use, so I figured, what the heck, let's check it out. The Tek 5 fixture comes in two models of various sizes: plant grow and aquarium. After sending in an email about the differences between the two, I got a reply saying that the plant grow model came in black only, had one switch, and included bulbs of either 6500K or 3000K, while the aquarium model came with 2 switches (one power cord) and no bulbs, but you get a choice of fixture color: black or silver. Interestingly, the aquarium model with no bulbs was more expensive than the plant grow model with bulbs. Hmmm....
Of course I got the plant grow and the optional cable hanging system. The fixture does come with a "garage style" chain hanger, but it's not exactly "wife pleasing." I was suprised that the fixture I actually got had two power switches, and came with some nice GE Starcoat T5 bulbs. Man these things are tiny! They rant and rave about their reflectors, so that was the first thing I checked out. They are bent 9 ways, and are very shiny, but have a strange texture to them. The company says it's to further disperse light, giving the reflector a 90+% efficiency rating. They are very well made with rounded edges, and are nicer than AH Supply's. I didn't expect this. Most companies just slap in a piece of polished aluminum.
The fixture was plug & play ready. All you had to do was pop the bulbs in and hang it up! The fixture is very well made, but not quite as slick as some on the market, but it's not bad at all. I plugged it in and blinded myself. Holy cow this thing puts out some light! Much more than I thought those tiny bulbs would! I swiftly proceeded to hang the thing up and get it going. Here's some pics:
After turning it on, my plants began to pearl nicely after about 20 minutes. There was a drastic increase in light...almost too much! And to think they make a 6 & 8 bulb version! About an hour later my tank looked light a champagne bottle on new years eve!
I think anyone needing a good light should check these fixtures out; all those big name fixtures don't hold a candle to this thing. The plant grow model is substantially cheaper than the aquarium version that's sold at some aquarium supply places. I have no doubt that you could grow some nice corals under these things, as well as plants. Needless to say, I'll have plants on the trading block soon...
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I'll add a shot later to show how it cleanly mounts to the ceiling.
