Coralife Aqualight Advanced: user Reviews

[mr pink floyd]

im looking into buying this fixture, anybody who has it, can you help me out?

1. is it sturdy?
2. are the fans loud?
3. is the glass UV protective (it doesnt say it in the description)
4. would you buy it again?

Aqualight Advanced Series HQI Metal Halide Fixture

* A compact, low profile metal halide fixture, an ideal solution when space is limited
* Adjustable intersections allow for perfect fixture placement
* Light penetrates deep into the water, simulating natural conditions

Perfect for hexagon or custom aquariums. Hang-on-tank fixture uses a heavy duty bracket that fits over aquarium lip for easy and secure mounting. Adjustable locking arm allows multiple lighting positions. Features sleek, anodized black aluminum housing, ventilation grill, glass lens cover, polished reflector, built-in cooling fan, and easy-connect remote magnetic ballast. Includes 150 watt, 14000°K double ended HQI metal halide lamp. 10-1/2" x 8" x 3" thick.

thanks in advance!

~Mike

[64Ivy]

I've had one over my refugium/frag tank, a 40g breeder, for about eight months now.

1. Pretty sturdy, yeah. It's adjustable from several points so it's easy to move out of the way when I'm working in the tank.
2. I think so. But then, my fuge is in my workroom with many of the pumps for my big tank so it would have to be exceedingly loud for me to hear it.
3. Yes.
4. Absolutely. Haven't had a moments trouble with it, so far.

[HartfordWhalers]

bumping you mike!

[Pekkle99]

1. It's pretty sturdy as long as you screw them on tightly.

2. The fan isn't loud at all but I'm starting to have trouble with it. Sounds like it's starting to malfunction.

3. Pretty sure it has UV protection.

4. No because it doesn't fit my tank the way I want it to. It needs to be modified. The light hangs over my tank so the front glass gets more light than the back glass and there are shadowy areas. It might be the way I have it adjusted.

The light is over a 29 g tank.

HTH.

[masterswimmer]

I own it also. Been using it for 5 months now.
It's relatively sturdy. I had the middle mounting screw snap off though. It did not effect the operation of the unit.
The fan is fairly quiet. I do notice some vibrating noises. I just tap the fixture and it silences.
Coralife uses UV protection within its bulbs. I tried to swap out the stock 20k bulb for a Phoenix 14K 150w and was very disappointed to find my coral start to get 'sunburnt'. Coralife has since released its own 14k bulb (UV protection built into it). I bought one but haven't swapped out yet. My 20k will be about 6-7 months old in June. I'll swap it then.
I would buy it again. It serves my needs on my small 16 g bow.

I did do the mod to it to reverse the armature so that it doesn't sit too far forward like Pekkle99 mentioned.

Russ

[steve the plumb]

I am using the phoenix bulb I like it alot.I have the aqua medic fixture.I liked it better so I bought that one.It came with a 20 k aqualine bushe bulb.Vey nice bulb.I switched it out after 6 months.I kept the bulb because its still good.I have heard that 20 k need to be chaged because they start to lose par after 6 months.Both phoenix and aqualine busche(aqua medic) make good bulbs.The 14 k are more blue they are dimmer than the 20 k.I like the fixture better than the corallife.The fixture is seperate from the ballast and the ballast has a fan.The fixture comes with a uv glass.I bought it from Marine depot. comes in 70 150 250 pendants.

[masterswimmer]

steve the plumb, if I had the wherewithall to hang a pendant (in my living room, my wife would have hung something else :smile: ) I would have gotten a different fixture as well. At $250 for this tank mount fixture I had quite a few pendant options. Unfortunately I had limited options due to the location. I was lucky to have the boss lady agree to a tank in the living room as it is.

master

[Moreta]

Originally posted by masterswimmer
... Unfortunately I had limited options due to the location. I was lucky to have the boss lady agree to a tank in the living room as it is.

master

...and you call yourself "master"...
sorry master, that just struck me as funny!


====================
To answer the question asked:
I found it to be fairly sturdy, I didn't find the fans to be loud and would probably buy it again.

[masterswimmer]

Originally posted by Moreta
...and you call yourself "master"...
sorry master, that just struck me as funny!

me too!

The humbled master

[mr pink floyd]

i think i might get an odeyssea fixture, a guy in the CTARS has one with MH lunars and PC, says its great, many peopel have said their halide fixtures are much better than their just PC ones

[Zoalander]

when I switched from a coralife 20K bulb to a 14K phoenix it also burned my corals which leads me to believe that the glass isn't UV protection. My concern is that I can only use coralife bulbs.

[masterswimmer]

Originally posted by Zoalander
when I switched from a coralife 20K bulb to a 14K phoenix it also burned my corals which leads me to believe that the glass isn't UV protection. My concern is that I can only use coralife bulbs.

I personally spoke with the R & D guru at Coralife. He specifically told me they build their bulbs with the UV protection right into the bulb itself. Yes, you will only be able to use the Coralife bulb. They now have three bulbs to choose from, 10k, 14k & 20k.

The color on the 20k's are ok. I get about zero growth from them though. I'm patiently waiting for it to run its useful life so I can switch out with a good conscience to their 14k. I hope that is better.

Russ

[mr pink floyd]

yea, im going to go with the odyssea fixture, i have talked to many more people, they all love it, it will fit on my tank, has lunarl ights, actinics built in too.

i wouldnt be abel to get actinics on my tank with the coralife, so im not gogin to get it, plus i only can use coralife bulbs