College_Reefer
Active Member
I came to the conclusion that the Aquatic Life T5 hybrid fixture was the right choice for me so I spent time searching for the best deal and then last week the BRS glitch happened, and I saw they had the Coral Cover fixture (all LED but made to mimic the T5 coloration and spectrum) so I bought it and BRS decided to honor the price glitch for me which was amazing! I looked more into it and couldn't find a ton of information about the light, so I figured I'd make a thread and talk about my experience and further down the road update with more long-term experience.
Out of the box, there was not a whole lot of information provided. There was a small pamphlet that generally showed you what to do and a video that did about the same, not very impressed with the directions. The screws they give you are self-tapping, SMALL screws. Getting the pressure on that allen wrench correct was super important because if you slip even once, they're stripped, and you're stuck with a very small screw halfway into aluminum. Here's a pic of what the install looked like halfway through:
Attaching the lights themselves was easier only because you had threaded holes to screw into which was nice.
The app they give you to use is definitely not as refined as some others on the market however I really wasn't worried because the bulk of my lighting will still be supported my two Prime 16s and a Hydra 26 so I can use them for a more detailed lighting schedule. The LEDs were designed to mimic T5 bulbs so in my opinion, any control other than on/off is an upgrade. Plus, no bulb budget every year! I had to 3D print two hanging brackets for my Primes because you can't use the brackets they provide without the ceiling hang kit, and I wasn't interested in paying $40 each when I only needed one piece. Here it is lit up to 25%... this thing is BRIGHT (ft. Gerald, our lovable PITA Roomba).
The one critique I have so far is the hanging options are rather limited for this thing if you don't want to hang it from the ceiling. You can purchase the back of tank mounts however I struggle to see how those would work well with all the plumbing, etc. seeing as though they have to sit flush against the stand. Not to mention, you need to screw into the stand and most all new aquariums are coming with aluminum stands these days which are far more difficult to just drill. The other option is floating wall mounts which are great in theory, however, they have to be within 3.75" of the back of the tank. Thats great for someone without a sump where they can snug the tank against a wall however for someone (like me) who left room to be able to access plumbing and has an external overflow box, there's no way I would be able to use them as my tank sits roughly 8" off the wall.
All-in-all it seems like it will work out for me well and I will update this when I get it hung from the ceiling!
Out of the box, there was not a whole lot of information provided. There was a small pamphlet that generally showed you what to do and a video that did about the same, not very impressed with the directions. The screws they give you are self-tapping, SMALL screws. Getting the pressure on that allen wrench correct was super important because if you slip even once, they're stripped, and you're stuck with a very small screw halfway into aluminum. Here's a pic of what the install looked like halfway through:
Attaching the lights themselves was easier only because you had threaded holes to screw into which was nice.
The app they give you to use is definitely not as refined as some others on the market however I really wasn't worried because the bulk of my lighting will still be supported my two Prime 16s and a Hydra 26 so I can use them for a more detailed lighting schedule. The LEDs were designed to mimic T5 bulbs so in my opinion, any control other than on/off is an upgrade. Plus, no bulb budget every year! I had to 3D print two hanging brackets for my Primes because you can't use the brackets they provide without the ceiling hang kit, and I wasn't interested in paying $40 each when I only needed one piece. Here it is lit up to 25%... this thing is BRIGHT (ft. Gerald, our lovable PITA Roomba).
The one critique I have so far is the hanging options are rather limited for this thing if you don't want to hang it from the ceiling. You can purchase the back of tank mounts however I struggle to see how those would work well with all the plumbing, etc. seeing as though they have to sit flush against the stand. Not to mention, you need to screw into the stand and most all new aquariums are coming with aluminum stands these days which are far more difficult to just drill. The other option is floating wall mounts which are great in theory, however, they have to be within 3.75" of the back of the tank. Thats great for someone without a sump where they can snug the tank against a wall however for someone (like me) who left room to be able to access plumbing and has an external overflow box, there's no way I would be able to use them as my tank sits roughly 8" off the wall.
All-in-all it seems like it will work out for me well and I will update this when I get it hung from the ceiling!
