AHSupply 2x36 PC Kit Size

[emarti20]

I'm planning on getting the 2x36W kit from AHSupply next week. I know the reflector is 17.5" long from their website. However, could anyone give me a measurement of the width with the lights installed. How much do the endcaps stick out from the reflector if any?

[jojopus]

check this this thread for how one looks installed. I can no longer measure the width of it since i cut the reflector in two and trimmed the halves to install a 70 MH between the 2 pc's but youll get the idea.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/attachment...s=&postid=70574

[ngericke]

hey jojopus do you have a pic of it w/ the MH installed inbetween the 2 cf? Aslo what size of tank do you have it on?

I was thinking of doing something similar

[jojopus]

Yeah, here ya go. It's over a 20 long.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/attachment...=&postid=126376

[emarti20]

Jojopus, thanks for the pics, if you get a minute could you just measure the length of the endcap? I know the reflector will fit, just not sure if the bulb will once the endcap is on it. I may just need to do some rework.

 

I might also do a 2x32W CSL retro and a 2x13 AHSupply kit. That would give me 90W PC with any bulb combination I could dream up.

[Chronicles]

96watt quad would be the best way, either a retro or a hood setup. It will be cheaper then your dual setup, about $100-$110. The retro is like 18" long, and the hood setup is 20". Funny how the hoodsetup costs less then the retro...

[wetworx101]

I know what youre thinking Chronicles. The 96watt by coralife is cheaper and more light. My cousin has some history with one. For $90, the bulb is included and the fixture provides alot of light for a 20" fixture (a 10gallon). But, the ballasts on the coralifes arent very good (hot magnetics)...they tend to color-shift the white part of the bulbs to a yellow-green after a month or two. And there arent many bulbs available...or different combos you can try for this...all of them are 50/50 or daylight. The fans get loud quick also...four of them. The light isnt even in the center of the fixture...it's off to the left, so to get even light in his tank my cousin has to have the fixture hanging off the right side three inches. I dont think he would buy it again.

CSL makes a powerquad retro...more expensive...but it is a much better, electronic ballast that doesnt have color shift problems. Even at that, I hear many wish that this fixture wasnt so green as it makes everything look. CSL makes a pendant with the quad, or you can get the quad as a retro...$$$. But they also make a 3x32watt in the same shell for the same price. Knowing CSL, I bet it uses much better ballasts than the coralife. No noisy fans, and since the bulbs are individual, you have more choice as to what bulbs you wish to use...so you arent stuck with just a 50/50 as your best&only choice. The only dis is that these things are expensive...like $200.

I just picked up a Jalli 2x36watt fixture on clearance at petsolutions. Less light...but enough...and clearance ($50 i think). I plan on using it as actinic supplimentation with a 70watt halide over a 10gallon or 16"cube. Might want to check it out...cuz it's price is less than the retro from ahsupply...no noisy fans...good ballast...and plenty of 36watt bulbs on the market.

Another great choice, for about $120, is the new CSL 2x40watt moonlight 20". It might be a little less light than a 96watt quad...but they put out a very nice color. Also, CSL is using some nice ballasts on these...so nice that I bet that these fixtures, rated at 80watts, prolly put out more light than the 96watt powerquads by coralife anyways...due to the very efficient ballasts. IMO, the only thing better than these CSL moonlight fistures is a 70wattMH.

For the price, you may want to check out petsolutions clearance page, otherwise the 2x36watt retro is a fine light for a 10gallon...either alone, or as actinics flanking a 70watt halide.

[Chronicles]

Well then I guess I won't be getting the quad retro today X). Maybe I'll get a 32watt smartlite to go with my 4x13s instead. I have an eclipse1 hood so I'm not looking to get a whole setup that replaces it, even though there is nothing left in the hood but the shell. :

[Chronicles]

Nevermind the one I was looking to get is:

 

96W PowerQuad Retrofit SmartLamp 1 pc (Custom Sea)

 

http://www.thatpetplace.com/MainPro/itemdy...037+0164&PgNo=2

 

$119 that store is about 45min away from me, I take trips there weekly

 

I think I'll wait till tomorrow to go get it. But it is the CSL one which you say is a lot better. Right now I have 4x13watt on my hood, I just don't like 4 cords comming out. I can throw a 32 or a 2x32 on there but then I have more cords and less room for more money.

 

2 13w - 50/50

2 13w - 6500k

 

So a 32 smartlamp would be $55 plus $25 to get 2 more 13watt bulbs to replace the 6500ks, which would be another $80 for 81watts with 5 cords. Where if I go with a powerquad it's 1 cord, 96watts, $119 and I can throw a 13watt actinic on there (I'd still have 4 setups ready to go). So quad is best for me? Or are there other lighting solutions I should be looking at?

 

I'd rather go 70watt MH but I don't know how much that is or how much heat that would make in an eclipse hood.

[wetworx101]

you wouldnt be able to have a 70watt Halide in an eclipse hood...the plastic would melt. For an eclipse hood I would try to cram as many 32 or 36 watt bulbs in there as possible. At least 2 if not 3.

 

The CSL is a nice unit...better ballast than the coralife. If you use a powerquad, just keep in mind that there are only 50/50 bulbs available, by CSL or coralife, and most wish they had a little more blue/white. You could use one and give it an extra actinic.

 

You be the judge. Heres a pic of my cousin's nano that shows the bulb color the best (with the coralife). The color is ok, but we dont care for it...

the coral in the upper left is GSP....should be nice and glowing green. the corals in the lower right are leathers...used to be very blue.

Dont get me wrong, the corals are growing great, just dont look as good as they could.

[Chronicles]

I'm still trying to decide. I really like the idea of less cords. I'm used to looking at 2 50/50s and 2 6500ks so anything will be whiter then what I have now . Thanks for the headsup on the quads though. If I do end up getting one I will use 1 or 2 of the 13w setups to run pure actinic, for that dawn dusk feeling. The smartlamps come with 50/50s too, so I'd have to replace them to get anything different right away. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[emarti20]

Originally posted by emarti20

Jojopus, thanks for the pics, if you get a minute could you just measure the length of the endcap?  I know the reflector will fit, just not sure if the bulb will once the endcap is on it.  I may just need to do some rework.  

 

I might also do a 2x32W CSL retro and a 2x13 AHSupply kit.  That would give me 90W PC with any bulb combination I could dream up.

 

Well I ended up getting the 2x36W AHSupply Kit. I ordered it on Monday, and it showed up yesterday. Bulbs and endcaps together measure about 17 3/4" long. Good thing as I have a 20" wide hood, with two 1" thick fans. Looks like it will all fit together nicely. Now I can start painting and sealing the thing.