Need some lighting advice

I just looked at Reef Geeks site and see they are selling the individual parts. Getting the individual parts would be nice if you don't mind spending the extra cash. You will have DIY work to get the reflectors to work since they are designed to be used within a fixture.

 

I did call reefgeek and they said it would be possible to get em to work by raising the reflectors to have the bulb approximately 1/2 inch from the reflectors and I would see ati like performance, however it was the harder way to go. They recommended the Miro 4 kit due to the ease of it, but piecing an ati together is cheaper actually. So I'm torn... I like easy, but I can diy it and would love optimal performance...

Thanks all for the input thus far!

 

I was curios bout that as well. I knew ATI didnt make retros but just figured since OP had mentioned it that maybe they sold reflectors. Unless OP means he has found somone that has spare ATI reflectors and ballasts for sale...

 

Oh I would forsure go ATI then. Cheaper, better, but harder...Well hey thats part of the rewards of this hobby. doing a challeging project and the great since of accomplishment once its done!!

 

Ok this thread has got me real curious now. OP I would like to know when you make your decision and how you end up liking what you got.

So does reefgeek recommend the miro-4 over the tek?

And did you ask them just form the reflectors stand point (excluding all other parts) which of the 3 was better and why.


I guess I would be weary of doing that ATI setup, correct me if im wrong but dont the reflectors made for the fixtures have less radius hen retro reflectors?

I know ATI is great but may want to find out forsure if the price of there reflectors alone justify getting them. or perhaps ballast is where the value lyes. I mean you could do a miro or a tek retro off a icecap ballast with better couldnt you? Just curious for myself to know too.

 

So afaik the reflectors in the ATI fixtures would wrap around just fine in a retro setup. From my research it seems the main concern and why reefgeek did not recommend them in the description page is that the bulb end caps hold the bulb 1.5 ish inches from the reflector. In ATIs case, the power comes from being extremely close to the reflector, so in a standard plug and play retro this would be detrimental to your final results, since using it just right out of the box would result in significantly less light output than a simple plug and play retro kit.

The kit I am thinking of would be all ATIs parts here. It would be ATI ballasts and reflectors, as the combo is why really drives those fixtures.

Now on to reefgeeks recommendation, that isn't really clear cut. I spoke to a guy there who was awesome and helped me pick out exactly what I would need from ATIs parts list to put it all together and explained how the bulb distance thing works, however they recommend the Miro even over the tek, but my feeling is they want me to get a supported kit for ease. I am assuming they wouldn't want me to buy a bunch of parts not be able to install them, then come back to them complaining about the purchase.

This is my main concern that while it is possible, the results will be lack luster. That's why I wanted some input from the community. To bounce theory off practicality

In any event since they are local I am going to talk to te guy face to face an look at all the relectors this week, as the service had been so awesome there I am sure I'll walk out with something lol.