will a odyssea t-6 work for softys.

[salty3]

I want to give aquatraders a try and get there 48" t-6's 4x54watt lights, but I want to know from people who have used them how they work. I only want to keep various softy's in a 55 gal tank.

Please dont tell me how bad a company aquatraders is, I have read the posts, but my job closed and I'm trying to save money on my new fixture

So how good are they? Will they be fine for softy's? Will i need to tbuy new bulbs and would it be better?

Thanks for any info on these lights.

[salty3]

Anyone use them?

[kodyboy]

I would get the PCs from them instead as PCs (not a great light mind you but cheap) have a lot more industry support than T6s, which have virtually no support. 4 65 watt pcs should be able to keep basic softies alive and happy, mushrooms, zoos, leathers (not yellow), capnella, and a few others.

[luke33]

Most any light will keep gsp, mushrooms, zoo's happy. Either of the abive will work fine.

[salty3]

Thanks for your input.
Anyone else?

[Danyal]

just a thought,
if the t6's don't work couldn't you just change the endcaps and get t5's?

[Icefire]

get a workhorse ballast, some t5 endcap, presto!, t5ho :)

[salty3]

Sorry I dont know much about making lights like ballest bulbs endcaps ect... How much would it run to make a t-5 with the ballast? What else would I need? Which workhorse ballast shuld I get? I seen them on ebay starting at 31.99 BIN but which one?

[salty3]

Somthing else I just thought of, wouldnt the reflectors cost just as much as the light from aquatraders it self?

[salty3]

Anyone?

[Danyal]

you can get reflectors for 20bucks, iirc, but you wouldn't have to get all 4 of them at once and even if you did then i think you would still spend less than if you got a t5HO fixture.
<How much would it run to make a t-5 with the ballast?>
i may be wrong but i think that the ballast that's in there would likely run a 54w t5 bulb