Tek vs ATI Sunpower question

[XCrunnr36]

okay guys, i've posted a couple questions about my current frag tank and i have another one for ya...

It's a 30 breeder (hoping to do chalices, acans, sps, aka all the hot stuff)


Originally i was planning on going with the ATI sunpower, but at the LFS i work at i recently set up a frag tank using a tek light and it's having pretty good luck. i'm wondering if you guys have any advice, i know there are some pretty die hard tek fans out there (plus it's more affordable )

So sway me!

thanks,

Ben

 

[nayrgaijin]

ATI PM!!! ALL THE WAY! haha
Just because it's what I have

Plus if you read up on it, it's probably one of the best, if not the best, in the market!

 

[Tenacious716]

There's no doubt that at the moment, the ATI line is the 'Ferrari' of T5 fixtures and they produce mass amount of par.

With that being said, your 30B is only 12'' tall and personally I don't think it's worth another $300 to buy an ATI when a 6x39w. Tek can easily keep any corals you'd like. JMO

 

[XCrunnr36]

hahahaha well in that case would you suggest 4 or 6 bulb unit?

 

[nayrgaijin]

I will admit a friend of mine keeps his coral under tek light, I would go 6 bulb, easily change the coloration with just the change of a single bulb, you won't regret it!
I would still go with ATI bulbs

 

[Tenacious716]

+1 to having six ATI bulbs.

 

[XCrunnr36]

most excellent advice friends.

ATI bulbs have been in the plan from the get go. now just trying to decide tek or ati. sunpower or power module

 

[nayrgaijin]

Tenacious knows whats up!

If budget is any issue just go with tek, still has independent reflectors and bright as heck!

 

[Goby-Wan Kenobi]

If you can afford it get an ATI power module. If not get there bulbs great color choices.

 

[ricwilli]

There's no doubt that at the moment, the ATI line is the 'Ferrari' of T5 fixtures and they produce mass amount of par.

With that being said, your 30B is only 12'' tall and personally I don't think it's worth another $300 to buy an ATI when a 6x39w. Tek can easily keep any corals you'd like. JMO

+1 on this. I would get the Tek and use the extra money to fill the frag tank with corals.
Though I'm looking for a 60" ATI light fixture for my 215 DT.

 

[mojo]

having done a t5 retro in the past, Owning a tek 6x54 and a ATI sunpower 6x39.

You can have too much light. the 6x54 over a standard 90g tank was plenty of light.
I had my ATI fixture on a 3ft tank, 57g illuminata and I was bleaching the chalices on the sand with only 5 hrs of light. I had to take high par bulbs out and put in UVL super actinic bulbs in place to take out par of the fixture.

With that being said I am using my 6x39 3ft fixture over my new 4ftx 2ft rimless tank and its more than enough light. For a 30 breeder I would use a 4 bulb 2ft fixture 3 ati blue plus and a kz figi purple or uvl actinic white. for the bulbs. still more than enough light for that shallow tank. Been running t5's for a couple years now and have tried every popular bulb on the market. even did a par rating and my 6 bulb t5 fixture 3ft long put out similar par readings to a local reefers tank running 2 250w radiums, lumen max 2 reflectors galaxy ballast and s t5 54watt bulbs. My light was just a little less par at the top of the tank but was within 40 par or less on the sand.
So my 234watt fixture was pumping out almost the same amount of par as 608 watts of halide t5 combo.

Sorry to ramble but thought I would share some of my experience on the subject.

here is the old tank with the par readings. 57 g rimless 3 ft by 18 by 21 6 bulb ati

 

[crab0000]

Does the Tek have fans? I've had both and just like the Sunpower better than the Tek. It's just a higher quality fixture IMO.

 

[mojo]

yhe new tek elites have fans but the standard fixtures do not.

 

[returnofsid]

Tek5 does not have fans. Tek Elite does have fans. ATI is the top of the line, followed by Sunlight Supply. IMO, if money is not an issue, go with the ATI Power Module or a step down, to the ATI Sun Power. This would give you the ability to grow ANYTHING, even if you upgraded to a much deeper tank. If money is an issue, Tek Elite, or Tek5 are still exceptional fixtures. I ran a Tek5 6 bulb fixture, over a 75, for 3 years. The tank was predominately SPS and I grew anything I wanted. That same fixture, along with a 4 bulb Tek5, is now over my 200 Deep Dimension. Still growing anything I want, in a 27" deep tank.

The addition of active cooling will increase PAR, and bulb life. Any of these fixtures will compare to 250MH, favorable, down to at least 24".