Psychlist1972

Anyone here have any lights by Catalina Aquarium? Specifically, I'm looking at their Solar brand t5 HO 48" kit that is on sale for $189.

http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/prod...oducts_id=1423

It says all the right things, and the cost is really good. Wattage looks perfect for a heavily planted 55g tropical tank. Ballast is a quality electronic ballast by Advance. They'll do it up with all freshwater lights, and even add lunar lighting to it if I want.

Sounds like a great deal.

Pete

Psychlist1972

To close this up, I went over to www.plantedtank.net and looked around there. The Catalina lights have a really good reputation there, and are affordable. I'll almost certainly be picking something from them. It'll probably be a 3 light instead of 4, though. One common bit of info over there is that 2-3 T5HO lamps is more than enough for almost anything.

Pete

pepetj

Those lights look like a good investment. Thanks for sharing the info.

Pepetj
Santo Domingo

Neji

I agree with pepetj about you sharing us the information about the lights

Psychlist1972

Thanks. My 4x55 T5HO fixture is due to arrive around August 31, so I'll be sure to post about it.

Pete

Neji

Oh that's good

If you do want to post some pictures that would be great! If you can't that's okay

Good luck with your new lights!

Neji

Psychlist1972

I'll definitely post some pics when it arrives. Oh, and it's 4x54 - typo on my part.

That's probably way too much light for my 55g aquarium, but it has two switches and two cords, so I can run half and half if I want.

Pete

Neji

Well if you ever get plants that have like a red color or pinkish color, then you will need those two lights on Unlike green colored plants, you can run two on for 12 hrs or run 2 on for 6 hrs and then turn the one light off so then you will only have one light running for the next six hrs. Depending on what you like. But if you have a lot more light, then your plants will be able to flourish better If you don't have a lot of light, you plants will flourish but not as fast.

Especially if you have Amazon Swords with Angels or Severums (they can't be together) and plecos, you will need to have the two lights on because Severums are HUGE plant eaters. They leave holes in my Amazon Swords along with my angels and pleco.

Good luck!

Neji

Psychlist1972

Good to know, Neji, thanks.

The light comes with 4 54 watt lamps, two one one switch, and two on a second. I can play around quite a bit there to find one that works.

FWIW, this is the aquarium the light will go over:
Tropical tank - just finished planting

Pete

Neji

Oh alright. I can see on your pictures that you have taken of your tank. The lights don't seem to be very strong. Is that the light that you leave on through out the day?

Also, I do like the setup of your tank I see some Rotala plants. The pinkish red color, those will need the strong T5 H0 lights in order to remain their color. Otherwise with the light you currently have, I don't think the plant will survive

So when will your lights be coming? later on today?

Psychlist1972

Yes, those lights are really weak and are just a stop gap. The 4x54 is coming on tuesday/wednesday.

Neji

Alright, so what day is it over there?? It is 1:07 AM Thursday in Peru here. Which is one hr below the Eastern Time in Toronto, Ontario.

Psychlist1972

It's 2:13 on Thursday morning. 6 or 7 days until the lights show up.

If you think it'll all die by then, let me know. I can temporarily relocate my 130w coralife that's sitting on the goldfish tank, presiding over doomed plants

Pete

Neji

I definitely recommend that you put in some stronger lights. Your plants are going to start to wither away before the lights even get to your house. I had that problem with the Rotalas I had before. Also, I recommend that you get some Plant fertilizer too You can use it when you put in your 130W that is on your goldfish tank and then if you use Fertilizer that will keep the plants healthy. If you have Flourish use it either once or twice a week. If you use Flourish once a week it is best if you put Flourish in when you put in new water. Like when you are doing a water change or siphoning the gravel. Which is pretty much the same thing since it is sucking out the water along with the fish waste.

Anyways, good luck!

PS: It's best if you waited to get the plants in when your T5 H0 lights came in Stronger and better lights are better for your plants you know

Neji

Psychlist1972

@Neji

I'll do that. I already use flourish, so I'm good there. The plants in the goldfish tank aren't doing that well with the GFs, so the light there isn't going to make a huge difference.

I know I should have waited on the light, but originally it was coming sooner (Fedex home delivery changes their estimates constantly), and I really wanted to get that tank finished up and the fish moved over into a new home. :P

Pete

Neji

Oh I see. So then why don't you go by a different shipping company. Like the UPS instead of Fedex.

PS: Patience pays off in the long run

Psychlist1972

The purchaser almost never gets to pick the shipping company.

Pete

Neji

Oh that isn't very good Shouldn't it be the other way around? Since the person is buying it. They should at least be able to choose which company should deliver it. If Fedex changes the schedule again, you should probably tell them they have to stick to that time and not allow them to change the schedule

Neji

Did the aquarium lights come in yet?

Psychlist1972

Just got them today.

++ Nice and bright. Good quality light

- The aluminum extrusion they use seems a bit flimsy; thinner than the one used on my Coralife. I only really noticed that, though, because I had a hard time installing the legs.

- A bit big. I can't open the glass tops on the tank to feed the fish, and the light would need to be completely removed for cleaning. I have it up on its legs and the back end touches my HOB filter, the front is about 1" back from the front of the tank. This would be no problem on a deeper tank, but a 55g is pretty narrow.

+ I asked Catalina to install hanging brackets in case I decided to hang it from the ceiling. I may do that, but not for a bit.

+ Individual reflectors for each T5 lamp.

+ Included 4 lamps (2 10k and 2 6500 plant lamps)

No big minuses, just a few nits. I'll try and take/post pics tomorrow or Friday.

Pete

Nate McFin

CONGRATS!
Thanks for the update. As I mentioned before the tilting legs from coralife should fit these as well. That way you could just tilt the lights out of the way for water changes. I think I will set mine up hanging as well though.
Interesting you thought they were a little flimsy as I had read that it wasnt just simialr but the exact same outer housing. Not verified by myself obviously.
How is the heat?
BEfore and after side by side comparison LOL

Psychlist1972

@Nate

Thanks!

The housing I got is the new vented housing they offer. It's really two extrusions with vent material between them and plastic caps on the end. Naturally, something like that will have more flex to it. Like I said, I only really noticed it because of the difficulty I had installing one of the legs. FWIW, I think the coralife legs are a better design, and look like they'd fit.

Catalina also offers a housing that is the same as the Coralife. However, it isn't vented.

I can't use the coralife adjustable legs because I have a glass top. If I remove the glass top, I can't use the light without the $75 splash guard kit; or my own version of same.

This is the unit I got:
http://www.catalinaaquarium.com/prod...oducts_id=1423

For that price, you get 4 bulbs, two name-brand quality electronic ballasts, two switches and cords, individual reflectors and a vented black housing. That's pretty hard to beat without a severe sacrifice in quality.

I didn't get their moonlights as I haven't heard great things from them. I've been extremely happy with the moonlights I've ordered from:
http://shop.ebay.com/gsolom/m.html?_...1&_from=&_ipg=

I need to order a set to go with this light, but I have a set of 6 on my 55g tank with the plecos in it.

On the heat: not sure yet. I'll let you know after I have it running all day tomorrow.

Pete

Psychlist1972

Had all 4 lamps on for 2 1/2 hours this morning, and the glass top on the tank was hot. Despite catalina saying this doesn't need a fan, I really think it does. I hate to add the noise of one, but the ambient air around that lamp was really hot. Given that the tank was already 79/80 degrees due to August temps, I was concerned about it getting any hotter.

I cut it down to 2 lamps until I decide what to do about cooling.

I don't think lamps get hot enough to damage themselves, but they will transfer heat to the tank.

Pete

Psychlist1972

Photos here

New 4x54 T5HO Catalina light (pics)

Pete

Neji

Oh good

I hope you can deal with the small light problems. Like that it is fairly close to your HOB filter.

Psychlist1972

Agreed it is close to the AquaClear 110 HOB. That also makes getting into the tank a royal pain.

What I may do is hang it up a few inches higher, and run with all 4 lamps going. I should get better airflow, no issues with the filter (which is really good about not producing spray anyway) and still have solid medium lighting. I can then run with at least one of the glass tops off, which is my preference for dealing with temperature and oxygenation.

As always, thanks.

Pete