Coralife or Current USA Lighting?

Kawaii · #1 04/25/2006, 07:22 PM

Just between these two, which one is better?

http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro...satellite.html
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro...aqualight.html

We have a 29g Eclipse tank, 30" bulb.

mr pink floyd · #2 04/25/2006, 08:17 PM

i have a 29 AGA, and only 65 watts PC on it, i haev the satelite single 65 watt 30"

i love it, good fixture, def. better than coralife, but i am upgrading to halides by the end of the week when it comes in.

if you want LPS, go with the dual sattelite, if only softies a 65 watt single will do fine!

i8chicken · #3 04/25/2006, 08:19 PM

I think they are about the same. I have one of the satellite ones. The only reasons I chose it over the coralife fixture, is because it comes with the legs, instead of having to buy them seperately, and I have another CurrentUSA light that I'm happy with.

good luck, which ever you decide.

harrisagogetter · #4 04/25/2006, 08:32 PM

I like the current lights better. They look better with more atinic blue to them. Check it out sometime at a lfs they sometimes have both....

2crazyreefers · #5 04/25/2006, 09:19 PM

Atleast in the past year currents ballast don't seem to last more than 9 months. Have any of you had these lights a year yet. Our LFS stopped selling them for this reason. They told me customers were bringing them back sometimes only after 2 weeks because the ballast went. I was in there 1 day when 2 were returned within a hour. They said they replaced 14 hoods and also handed out six ballast in 2 months. The oldest hood was only 9 months old. They will not carry them anymore. They will only carry Coralife now.

jimchrisman · #6 04/25/2006, 09:36 PM

I have had my Current Outer Orbit for13 months it's been great, no problems. I just ordered replacement bulbs this week. Current USA was great. When I received my fixture it didn't have the suspension kit, I call and they sent me one right away.

KEstep · #7 04/25/2006, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 2crazyreefers
Atleast in the past year currents ballast don't seem to last more than 9 months. Have any of you had these lights a year yet. Our LFS stopped selling them for this reason. They told me customers were bringing them back sometimes only after 2 weeks because the ballast went. I was in there 1 day when 2 were returned within a hour. They said they replaced 14 hoods and also handed out six ballast in 2 months. The oldest hood was only 9 months old. They will not carry them anymore. They will only carry Coralife now.

If this were the case I would assume current would release information about it, I love my current lights and they have great customer service.

Kawaii · #8 04/25/2006, 11:27 PM

The legs aren't a problem because we are going to sit it on top and get a glass lid for the top since we have a cat.

otterpop510 · #9 04/26/2006, 03:21 AM

have both current and coralife light fixtures currently running.. both of them are working fine without any issues. i personally like the coralifes for mostly cosmetic reasons:

1) the coralife's come with blue LEDs, while the currents come with white ones. the blue LEDs seem to really bring out the corals 'atinic' colors at night and are brighter than the white ones.

2) the current fixture looks sleeker, more streamlined than the current..

again, both are personal preference on my part, but both seem to work fine for me reliability-wise so far. lighting color-wise, you will most likely change out bulbs every 6-9 months for reef anyway, so pick for the equipment you won't change out is my attitude..

i8chicken · #10 04/26/2006, 06:42 AM

my current Orbit came with white LEDs. The Satellite came with blue LEDs. The Sun Pod came with both white and blue.

The Satellite system is shaped more like a rectangle, though not quite. The Orbit is more rounded.

The Orbit and Satellite have worked fine since I got them and for a long time. The metal halide in the Sunpod only came on sometimes when I flicked the switch. I got it over the internet, though, so something could have gotten knocked loose by the "overly gentle"

UPS. It's being replaced by the company I ordered it through.

jimchrisman · #11 04/26/2006, 02:20 PM

If you set the light on the top it will limit air flow causing the fixture to over heat. It will also heat the glass top and cause that to crack. My experience is that I needed to raise the light 5-6" off the tank because the corals didn't like quite that much light.

ljsreptiles · #12 04/26/2006, 02:47 PM

I would choose the satallite fixture. Its a better light

robsmith32 · #13 04/26/2006, 03:55 PM

um, which models are you referring to, they both have pc, t5, and halide fixtures...
I have a sunpod from current and 3 sw aqualight t5 and 1 fw aqualight t5, the fw is on the fuge.
couldn't be pleased more, the current sunpod 14k i didn't like at first, too blue, but its lightened up and looks like i want it now.