Difference between retrofit and non-retro

harif87 · 07-12-2006, 02:51 PM

Stupid question.....as the name of the thread says, whats the difference betweena retrofit and a non retro fit?

violet · 07-12-2006, 03:32 PM

Without more info, I would take it to mean one is unchanged, as it came from the factory. The other has been upgraded using the original housing. I see this most commonly in lighting. The strip is fine but the ballast etc can't handle the new high ouput bulbs. A new ballast and endcaps... voila!

There are a lot of really nice furniture style stands and canopies out there. But they take the old lowerer output bulbs.

Reefneck · 07-12-2006, 04:08 PM

A Retro Kit is bare bones (Sockets, Wiring & Ballasts) that you have to build into an existing fixture or Canopy. Non Retro as you called it would be a complete fixture.

harif87 · 07-12-2006, 04:21 PM

Ahh beautiful. I didnt know the difference and was gonna buy an assembled.....Its a good thing you told me because im making a DIY canopy so a retrofit would be ideal for this....why spend more right?

I just realized that the PC kit i have my eye on doesnt have cooling fans with it. I have a 55 gallon. Is it worth the extra 20 bucks to buy a complete one? I wouldnt mind bouncing cause i havent spared a single cost for my tank, im trying to do everything perfect so cost really isnt such an issue. its just that i wouldnt want to waste money for no good reason...

Reefneck · 07-12-2006, 04:58 PM

Getting PC's (IMHO) is wasting money. You need to replace the bulbs every 6 months and that adds up. Look at T5 HO's or even VHO's. Metal Halides would be best and then you would never need to upgrade to keep certain corals. Halides only need replacing once a year. T5 HO's last 1-1 1/2 years before replacement and are less expensive.

harif87 · 07-12-2006, 07:05 PM

Really? cause when i was looking i found PC's for around $200 give or take 30 bucks, and T5 HO's were like $290...Im scared to get metal halides only because of the heat they give off. I dread tanks with higher temps cause therese no controlling them!!And the truth is i wouldnt want to invest another $300 in a chiller just for the lights.

Reefneck · 07-12-2006, 07:27 PM

I run 2 150W HQI DE 10K Halides & 2 T5 HO Actinics on my 75G tank with no chiller in a room that stays 80-82F all the time. Open top with no glass tops to trap heat or reduce gas exchange and no problems at all. My Corals and Clams grow like crazy. Don't believe everything you hear about halides. Not all are alike. And I meant that T5 Bubls are cheaper to replace.

P.S. Wow, I just hit 500 posts.

harif87 · 07-12-2006, 08:07 PM

Gotya, i was looking at this fixture.. I figure the price is reasonable for what its got

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113352

My second choice was this:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...es.asp?CartId=
I know the 2nd one is cheaper but is it true that i get what i pay for when im looking in the lighting department?

leveldrummer · 07-12-2006, 09:03 PM

the only difference is the housing, you can get a good set up cheap if you do retro fit, but you need a canopy, if you have a canopy, then the 2nd on is the way to go, sometimes the case of the non retro wont even fit under a canopy.

Reefneck · 07-13-2006, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harif87

Gotya, i was looking at this fixture.. I figure the price is reasonable for what its got

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113352

My second choice was this:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...es.asp?CartId=
I know the 2nd one is cheaper but is it true that i get what i pay for when im looking in the lighting department?

The second one would be great for you to build into your Canopy. The first one is a great light but I just had to replace one (2 months old) for a customer. It just died.

The second one is Mogul based and may produce more heat but if you install fans in the canopy you can offset that problem for the most part. After reading more about the second one......You do get what you pay for......You would need to buy the individual reflectors seperately and also the upgraded ballast is a good idea. That jacks the price way up.

Check out www.sunlightsupply.com for a retro kit.

harif87 · 07-13-2006, 10:22 AM

Ive checked out sunlightsupply before, but the thing is there are no prices so it makes it hard to go final on somehting over there..

Reefneck · 07-13-2006, 10:35 AM

Try http://www.premiumaquatics.com then. Look at the IceCap or PFO Retros for quality.

harif87 · 07-13-2006, 11:19 AM

Very good site, their step by step explinations are great. But now im thinking of scraping the canopy idea. Now i want to get somehting like 2 10k HQIs with 2 VHO true blue actinics but i want to mount it on the tank wiht mounting legs. Sound like a good combo?

Reefneck · 07-13-2006, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harif87

Very good site, their step by step explinations are great. But now im thinking of scraping the canopy idea. Now i want to get somehting like 2 10k HQIs with 2 VHO true blue actinics but i want to mount it on the tank wiht mounting legs. Sound like a good combo?

Thats how mine are....Mounted on legs. Works great for me.

harif87 · 07-13-2006, 12:29 PM

Nice, now i just got to find it somewhere lol, but thanx for all the help

harif87 · 07-13-2006, 02:03 PM

one more quick Q, actinics are only to make the yellowish light more blue? Or is it also used for moon light at night?

Reefneck · 07-13-2006, 02:07 PM

Actinics are used to create the Dawn/Dusk effect and Corals benefit from them as well.

harif87 · 07-13-2006, 02:30 PM

I also want to be able to view my tank at night, is it suggested to get a moonlight lamp? Or is that a waste of money?

07-12-2006, 02:51 PM	#1
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Difference between retrofit and non-retro Stupid question.....as the name of the thread says, whats the difference betweena retrofit and a non retro fit? __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

07-12-2006, 04:08 PM	#3
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 46 Posts: 1,351 User Feedback: (0)	A Retro Kit is bare bones (Sockets, Wiring & Ballasts) that you have to build into an existing fixture or Canopy. Non Retro as you called it would be a complete fixture. __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

07-12-2006, 04:21 PM	#4
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Ahh beautiful. I didnt know the difference and was gonna buy an assembled.....Its a good thing you told me because im making a DIY canopy so a retrofit would be ideal for this....why spend more right? I just realized that the PC kit i have my eye on doesnt have cooling fans with it. I have a 55 gallon. Is it worth the extra 20 bucks to buy a complete one? I wouldnt mind bouncing cause i havent spared a single cost for my tank, im trying to do everything perfect so cost really isnt such an issue. its just that i wouldnt want to waste money for no good reason... __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan" Last edited by harif87; 07-12-2006 at 04:34 PM.

07-12-2006, 04:58 PM	#5
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 46 Posts: 1,351 User Feedback: (0)	Getting PC's (IMHO) is wasting money. You need to replace the bulbs every 6 months and that adds up. Look at T5 HO's or even VHO's. Metal Halides would be best and then you would never need to upgrade to keep certain corals. Halides only need replacing once a year. T5 HO's last 1-1 1/2 years before replacement and are less expensive. __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

07-12-2006, 07:05 PM	#6
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Really? cause when i was looking i found PC's for around $200 give or take 30 bucks, and T5 HO's were like $290...Im scared to get metal halides only because of the heat they give off. I dread tanks with higher temps cause therese no controlling them!!And the truth is i wouldnt want to invest another $300 in a chiller just for the lights. __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

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07-12-2006, 03:32 PM	#2
violet Gone to ego-free waters Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Thankfully not near fishnut or simpte Posts: 184 User Feedback: (1)	Without more info, I would take it to mean one is unchanged, as it came from the factory. The other has been upgraded using the original housing. I see this most commonly in lighting. The strip is fine but the ballast etc can't handle the new high ouput bulbs. A new ballast and endcaps... voila! There are a lot of really nice furniture style stands and canopies out there. But they take the old lowerer output bulbs.

07-12-2006, 07:27 PM	#7
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 46 Posts: 1,351 User Feedback: (0)	I run 2 150W HQI DE 10K Halides & 2 T5 HO Actinics on my 75G tank with no chiller in a room that stays 80-82F all the time. Open top with no glass tops to trap heat or reduce gas exchange and no problems at all. My Corals and Clams grow like crazy. Don't believe everything you hear about halides. Not all are alike. And I meant that T5 Bubls are cheaper to replace. P.S. Wow, I just hit 500 posts. __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef. Last edited by Reefneck; 07-12-2006 at 07:31 PM.

07-12-2006, 08:07 PM	#8
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Gotya, i was looking at this fixture.. I figure the price is reasonable for what its got http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113352 My second choice was this: http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...es.asp?CartId= I know the 2nd one is cheaper but is it true that i get what i pay for when im looking in the lighting department? __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

07-12-2006, 09:03 PM	#9
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933 User Feedback: (1)	the only difference is the housing, you can get a good set up cheap if you do retro fit, but you need a canopy, if you have a canopy, then the 2nd on is the way to go, sometimes the case of the non retro wont even fit under a canopy. __________________ The meek shall inherit the Earth. Big deal. By the time they get it the rest of us will have messed it all up.

07-13-2006, 10:22 AM	#11
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Ive checked out sunlightsupply before, but the thing is there are no prices so it makes it hard to go final on somehting over there.. __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

07-13-2006, 10:35 AM	#12
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 46 Posts: 1,351 User Feedback: (0)	Try http://www.premiumaquatics.com then. Look at the IceCap or PFO Retros for quality. __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

07-13-2006, 11:19 AM	#13
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Very good site, their step by step explinations are great. But now im thinking of scraping the canopy idea. Now i want to get somehting like 2 10k HQIs with 2 VHO true blue actinics but i want to mount it on the tank wiht mounting legs. Sound like a good combo? __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

07-13-2006, 12:29 PM	#15
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	Nice, now i just got to find it somewhere lol, but thanx for all the help __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

07-13-2006, 02:03 PM	#16
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	one more quick Q, actinics are only to make the yellowish light more blue? Or is it also used for moon light at night? __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

07-13-2006, 02:07 PM	#17
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 46 Posts: 1,351 User Feedback: (0)	Actinics are used to create the Dawn/Dusk effect and Corals benefit from them as well. __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

07-13-2006, 02:30 PM	#18
harif87 Minor Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 990 User Feedback: (1)	I also want to be able to view my tank at night, is it suggested to get a moonlight lamp? Or is that a waste of money? __________________ sorry for beating you senseless "The human torch was denied a bank loan"

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