# Replacing the Coralife reflector?



## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

Is this possible to do that for this fixture? I've read a lot on how bad the coralife reflectors are, and was thinking about trying out an AH Supply reflector. If it's possible, which AH Supply reflector should I buy? Also, I've asked this question several times but it seems to be ignored each time, can T5 bulbs of lower wattage be placed in the linked fixture? I've read people saying that T5s can be placed in the coralife fixtures, and they will simply be overdriven, but want to make sure before I replace the lights on my 10 gallon and 20 gallon.


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## pitabread (Jul 14, 2006)

I'm curious what you've read about Coralife reflectors. Do you have a link?


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## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

pitabread said:


> I'm curious what you've read about Coralife reflectors. Do you have a link?


Yeah, that. Source? No complaints with my Coralife reflectors.


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

coralife Reflector is good as AH supply reflector the only difference is Coralife fixture is "Plug and Play" and the AH supply needs a DIY hood, if your not good to DIY then coralife is right for you.


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## Ransom (May 3, 2006)

I think the AHSupply reflectors are probably wider than the bulb section of the Coralife fixtures - check here AHSupply Reflector dimensions


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## xcooperx (Jun 24, 2006)

yeah reflectors of the AH are wider, okay lets just say that coralife will give you 100% of light while Ah kit will give you 120% of light, but guys where not growing marijuana here i think bought are just equal in terms of Aquarium Plants, anyway this only my IMO


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

a quick search should yield the answers you guys are looking for. anyway, here is a thread i came across a while ago. i believe i also came across the same topics on the plantedtank.net forum

the quality of the aluminum itself isn't what i want to replace, it's the effectiveness of the reflector shining too much light back onto the bulb, if i understand the situation correctly. if you take a quick look at your coralife fixtures and look at the angles the reflector is bent into, you'll notice what i'm talking about. apparently AH Supply's reflectors are supposed to be better at avoiding the lost light.

cooper, that statement is fine if you think i'm going low maintenance with some anubias and crypts, but that actually is a big deal when you consider making sure that the bottoms of stems get enough light or making sure that all the plants get the fair share they need to thrive. you're not going to get anything over 100%, but it might be the difference between 75% to 90% (probably still too ideal of a situation) that determines whether a plant is going to do well or fail. also, a wider light spread is more desirable to me because i use a glass top and there is a band in the middle that blocks some light out (my fixture is raised), and partially shades the foreground. don't know about you, but the idea of alternating the placement of my lights every other day doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun to me. finally, since most of the plants i like require high light, i'd rather try and provide all areas of my tank with those 3 wpg than say "oh well" and have the placement of my plants be the the determining factor in its success. of course that's assuming that my fertilization, photoperiod, and dozens of other factors are ideal, but hey, it's better to have one more thing perfect than not, especially in a hobby where so many things can go wrong.

anyway, if anyone has done this with their coralife fixture, please respond with the ease/results. also, the t5 question still stands.


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## John N. (Dec 11, 2005)

James I pondered replacing the reflector to that exact coralife a while ago with an AH reflector. But the angle and size of the reflector just won't fit properly, without ruining the shape of the new reflector, defeating the purpose. I eventually just went and purchased the full kit, and couldn't be happier. I still have the coralife on another tank with less light demanding plants. For me it was a win win..cause I got another tank. 

As for the T5 question, I'm not sure, but would be interested in that answer as well.

-John N.


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

Ah, that sucks. Oh well, at least I know now lol.


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