Stuck On Which To Choose..

[tbright]

I've got the rio125 atm and wanna upgrade to about twice as big so am looking at the rio240 range. On seapets the tank is 300 and aquariums delivered 355 but the AD one has the new T5 light system with it which the other one doesn't and as I wish to introduce more plants into this tank I've gathered the T5 will be more beneficial towards this..

So.... my question is which one to get for the best price, if I go with seapets should I upgrade my lights and will this end up being cheaper than the orginal AD price? I have no experience in fitting lights so don't really know how much it would cost to do this. Or are the new T5 lights another selling gimmick which won't actually make much difference?

Opinions needed please,

Tony.

 

[Kevstir]

the t5's are not a gimmick but good old Juwel has put a spanner in the works, as far as iv read you can only replace them with Juwel tubes (which aren't cheap) as no other make of tube will fit. unlike the old style t8 light bar where any t8 tube would fit.

I dare say some company will start producing tubes at some point to under cut Juwel..

I know they say change you lights every 9 to 12 month but im unsure if t5's fall under it, if they do it would be worth checking to see how much it will be to replace the tubes..

another idea is to see how much the Arcadia light bar is ,if you don't already know , this replaces the t8 light bar with t5 lighting and you can still use the original flaps. might work out about the same as the extra that aquariums delivered want, but you would need to buy t5 tubes, might work out more expensive in the short term but in the long term work out cheaper as you don't have to pay Juwel prices for new tubes every year or so..

Kev

Edit : scrap that idea m8, the Juwel light bar is 2 x 54 and the Arcadia i bar is 2 x 38w plus its £90 without tubes, so looks like your better sticking with the Juwel hi light system. juwel light system would give 1.7 wpg and the i bar would give 1.2wpg. only thing you will need is a set of reflectors..

 

[Luketendo]

By the way all Juwel tanks on Seapets actually have T5s now!

I know it says T8s but I sent them an email and they said all their Juwel Tanks (except Rekords of course) are now T5s.

I have proof because I ordered a Lido 120 from them and it does indeed have the T5s.

So you're fine in the first place.

 

[tbright]

Ok thanks alot you two.

 

[Kevstir]

no probs m8

Mind order a set of reflectors with the tank