ATI decision..

J Rog · Oct 9, 2017

Hi guys, so long story short I'm starting my 70 gallon tank. Ordered up all the equipment and lighting. I ordered an ATI 6 bulb dimmable from Marine Depot. But what came in when the shipment got to me was the ATI non dimmable. On top of that they are out of stock of the the dimmable. I was originally on the fence with going with the dimmable because a lot of people say it has issues. But decided I was going to try it because I liked the one cord and built in control that I would mainly use as just a timer. So I can either keep the one they sent me and get a little money back or they can try to resolve my issue and I may have to wait a while to get the light.. all the dimmable vs non dimmable threads I'm seeing are old so I wanted to see what everyone's thoughts are currently on the subject.. Need advice.. lol thanks

rtparty · Oct 9, 2017

The only benefits I've ever found from the dimmable is the single cord and controller. However, if the controller goes out, no more light until replaced. It's just one more part to fail. Dimmable ballasts also seem to fail more often than the non dimmable ballasts.

I'd save the money and put it towards something else

cracker · Oct 9, 2017

I have the same ATI dimmable. I run it at 100% anyway. You will like this light. What bulbs did Ya choose?

nautical_nathaniel · Oct 9, 2017

Put the money into a good digital outlet timer. A guy in my local club had to change the control panel on his dimmable fixture twice.

Dhoggs · Oct 9, 2017

Return it and buy it from somewhere else...I think BRS has it in stock.

I had the 8 bulb unit and I loved how it only used 1 chord. I had mine for over a year with no issues. I decided to give LED a try so I sold it. It is also a lot more easier to sell than the non dimmable version.

J Rog · Oct 9, 2017

cracker said:
I have the same ATI dimmable. I run it at 100% anyway. You will like this light. What bulbs did Ya choose?

Thanks, I went with 4 blue+, 1 coral +, and 1 purple +. I also got 2 reefbrites XHO all blues to stick on the sides [emoji12]

J Rog · Oct 9, 2017

pensacola-aquarist said:
Put the money into a good digital outlet timer. A guy in my local club had to change the control panel on his dimmable fixture twice.

Good point.. What's everyone using these days for timers. Everyone has an apex these days.. lol Can't swing that at the moment. I have one of those day/night coralife strips on my last tank

nautical_nathaniel · Oct 9, 2017

The reefkeeper lite is a good alternative to the Apex and a bit more affordable, it sometimes has a bit steeper of a learning curve for some applications but it is a good foundation for aquarium monitoring/controlling.

You can also go with non-aquarium branded digital outlet controllers like these. That link is a two pack which would work well with the dual corded ATI fixture you have now.

J Rog · Oct 9, 2017

Ok so I bit the bullet. I ordered the apex classic and I'm keeping the non dimmable ATI. I had a decent amount of reward points, plus the price difference or the fixtures plus a $20 inconvenience fee they gave me. So I made out pretty good. I was going to order the pin point ph and a heater controller.. so I won't need that anymore so the price difference wasn't as big as I thought.. So it looks like I'm in the Apex club! Lol

nautical_nathaniel · Oct 9, 2017

J Rog said:
Ok so I bit the bullet. I ordered the apex classic and I'm keeping the non dimmable ATI. I had a decent amount of reward points, plus the price difference or the fixtures plus a $20 inconvenience fee they gave me. So I made out pretty good. I was going to order the pin point ph and a heater controller.. so I won't need that anymore so the price difference wasn't as big as I thought.. So it looks like I'm in the Apex club! Lol

Funny how it all works out sometimes! Good luck with everything!

Water Dog · Oct 9, 2017

Good call. I prefer the non dimmable for its simplicity and reliability. And if something ever happens, fixing it is a much easier and straightforward DIY job.

J Rog · Oct 9, 2017

Thanks guys!

CanadianReefer · Oct 9, 2017

How do you find the reefbrite XHOs? I'm contemplating this. I wish I had bit the bullet and bought the ATI with the built in LEDs, but since I didn't, I'm trying to find an alternate solution. Do you find the XHOs bright enough? My fixture is 8 bulb.

BTW, I do not have the dimmable version and I'm not disappointed in the slightest.

J Rog · Oct 9, 2017

CanadianReefer said:
How do you find the reefbrite XHOs? I'm contemplating this. I wish I had bit the bullet and bought the ATI with the built in LEDs, but since I didn't, I'm trying to find an alternate solution. Do you find the XHOs bright enough? My fixture is 8 bulb.

BTW, I do not have the dimmable version and I'm not disappointed in the slightest.

I got the XHO's from Marine Depot. My tank is not up and running yet. Hopefully by the weekend it will be starting the cycle. But on an older set up I had the regular reefbrites and I was in love with them. Then when I switched to radions on my old set up I didn't use the reefbrites and ended up selling them. But I missed them. I heard the ati hybrids leds aren't that great as well

B-ridge · Oct 9, 2017

@CanadianReefer-I would also look into the SB reeflight led strips. Awesome lights with a awesome price. Very comparable to the reefbrites without the cost. Plus they have/make a holder completely combatiable with ati fixtures

ATI North America · Oct 11, 2017

For what it is worth the 6x54w Dimmable is in stock at our distributor, so anyone looking for one can pick one up.

Also, most people report problems with the Dimmable because they fail to properly season their bulbs. Always season your new bulbs for 50 hours at 100% prior to dimming.

Those reporting controller issues is very strange, we sell less than 12 per year. Considering how many DSP's are out there and how long ago they were released that's not bad. Many of them were also replaced because the user broke the buttons off when trying to service a ballast.

Here to help if anyone has questions.

Cheers