Opinions Please...

[Clownfish]

I'm thinking about one of these new fixtures. They are T-5's with LED's.


My tank is 48L x 20D x 16W with clams and anemones.

I have Icecap 54w (4) overdriven on an IC 660 ballast, with a seperate Workhorse ballast for actinic dawn-to-dusk. This is a retrofit inot a 7" hood, and has been set up for about 5 years now. I can keep clams on by sandbed, but the bulbs are a PITA to change out, and the endcaps and such are getting kinda old.

I'm thinking about one of these:

http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=ICE-SHHL-1200-D_B&Category_Code=Icecap-t5hood

Or this is a little cheaper...

http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=ICE-H48T5LED&Category_Code=Icecap-t5hood


Opinions, please good or bad, and thanks.

:fish2:

[ReeferRob]

I have always been a huge fan of IceCap and their quality products. But to be honest I was very disappointed and let down with the performace, color, and quality of craftsmanship with this new fixtures.
Since you willing to spend a couple bucks on a really nice fixture, I would consider dropping a couple extra bucks and go for the ATI fixtures. You won't be sorry with an ATI fixture. They are well built, sexy looking and have tons of performance.

HTH

[Clownfish]

I have always been a huge fan of IceCap and their quality products. But to be honest I was very disappointed and let down with the performace, color, and quality of craftsmanship with this new fixtures.
Since you willing to spend a couple bucks on a really nice fixture, I would consider dropping a couple extra bucks and go for the ATI fixtures. You won't be sorry with an ATI fixture. They are well built, sexy looking and have tons of performance.

HTH

HTH??? OH HECK YES, AND THANKS!

I am have to replace my bulbs in a few months, and I noticed my reflectors have some salt spray, and such. I figured $125 on bulbs, need new fans $50, plus shipping so a total of $200 to keep the retro I have...

OR,

Sell my used IC ballast a 660 $60 bucks. I have a NIB 660 $100 bucks.

With the free IC bulb special, and no fans neeeded, it almost seemed worth it. Maybe not.

I'll have a good look at the ATI fixtures, thanks.

:fish2:

[jimsflies]

Preuss is running that fixture on one of their tanks. The LEDs are off the hook....they can make a texas trash paly look like it was plucked off mars! It seems like a pretty solid unit to me... T5's run by an icecap ballast doesn't get much better in terms of tried and true.

[Clownfish]

Preuss is running that fixture on one of their tanks. The LEDs are off the hook....they can make a texas trash paly look like it was plucked off mars!

Yeah, I saw those LED's at their shop, and I'm going to have to figure out how to get thim into my stytem, by retrofit or a new fixture.

The LED's totally rocked!

:fishbones:

[ReeferRob]

Every tank no matter what needs LED's. They are just too sweet not to have them! The way they make the water shimmer and the colors pop.
And will all the different LED options out there you could easily add some to an ATI fixture.
I personally like the ReefBrite LEDs and their aluminum mounting bracket and hinge.

[Clownfish]

Every tank no matter what needs LED's. They are just too sweet not to have them! The way they make the water shimmer and the colors pop.
And will all the different LED options out there you could easily add some to an ATI fixture.
I personally like the ReefBrite LEDs and their aluminum mounting bracket and hinge.

I'll have to check those out. I've only really seen the IceCap at Pruess' Pets.

The LED's were jaw dropping. A must figure out how to have...

:mouth_zipped:

[ReeferRob]

The LED's in the IC fixture are purely for lunar lighting. They will provolke the yellow and green proteins to fluoresce some, but not nearly as much as a PowerBrite fixture. A ReefBrite fixture however will make the entire tank "POP" Many reports state that the RB's fixture can put out twice the PAR of the ATI Blue + bulb. Which is great, and has far better spread than any other out there.
I personally couldn't afford the cheese at the time for the RB fixture, so I bought two of the PB's and it is truly amazing the difference they make!