Super Cheap T5 HO fixture $160

Hey reefers I'm 4 months new to the hobby and have enjoyed every bit so far. I am running a 48" Sunleaves Pioneer 6 bulb T5 HO fixture over my 135g reef tank (20" deep). I have been trying different combos of bulbs to find the best color to growth ratio possible. The fixture I'm using is one I had originally purchased to house flowers and cacti over the winter and when I was flirting with the idea of a reef tank I immediately knew I already had the light. I really love this fixture because of its price alone, I hope I can get the results I want out of it. Maybe I just need to wait longer for the results; as we all know, it's easy to get a little antsy.
My questions are:

Has anybody ever used this fixture for reef keeping?
Quality of reflectors?
Power output?
Why might high end models be more expensive and/or more effective (and why?)

The reason I ask these ?'s is because this fixture, as far as I can tell, puts off great color and light, it has individual reflectors (curious about others' thoughts on quality), and bulbs really last with this fixture (have ran 11,000k lamps for 4 months straight @ 24hrs). Also, some of my corals, specifically my zoas and green star polyp, have lost their bright colors and have faded to duller colors. I believe I am running a good combo of bulbs (back to front), 1 MarinelandGlo Actinic, 1 6500k vitalume GROW bulb(i know this is a cheapy but is just temporary until i decide what I need next, still pretty white), 1 coralife 10000k daylight, 1 MarinelandGlo Actinic, 1 Coralife 10000k daylight, 1 MarinelandGlo Actinic.

Again I like the color and its really looks like everything is getting good light, but since I took a brake on my stocking/spending (2 months ago) I havent seen much growth, although all looks healthy, and have lost the original super bright coloration from LFS.

btw most of my colorful corals I purchased at LFS weren't under MH lighting, they were all under overdriven T8 2 bulb fixtures(1 daylgiht, 1 actinic) and they looked great at purchase.

Thanks in advance for your help. Again I really like this fixture because it has individual reflectors and puts out a ton of light for the low price of $160. Let me know any thoughts you have, the more the better.

 

also, I really would like to know how to change/or add a pic to my avatar or profile pic or whatever

 

The bulbs you have are all low quality. Buy 4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 UVL Actinic White and 1 GE 6500K. Check our ReefGeek > Aquarium Supplies for Marine, Reef, and Saltwater Aquariums for buying the bulbs. It would be nice to know what the reflector % efficiency are. Your ballast may be a problem also.

 

Well thats another bit I'm looking for, I cant seem to find any ratings on the fixture's reflectors or ballast. I really must say though, I've seen $300 T5 fixtures in stores and I really have come to find that my light really (as far as I can tell) is just as bright.

Btw, I am working on building fans into my fixture as I have recently read that even with fluorescent lights "cooling fans can boost efficiency of penetration anywhere from 10 to 20%.