I bought this t5 aquarium lighting unit after some trouble with my older lights. This unit has served me well for a couple of months now and I figured I would review it for anyone else that has been interesting in trying a T5 aquarium light or the Current Nova Extreme Pro. The exact light is theNova Extreme Pro T5 High Output Lighting Fixture – 6x39W – 36 in. I have this Light over my 46 gallon bowfront reef aquarium.
The T5 lights are a high output light (HO), that run on an electric ballast. T5 lighting uses less energy and puts out far less heat then T12 and metal halide lighting. There is even talk that these bulbs can last 2-3 years without loosing that much lumen content. The T5 lighting bulbs are only 5/8″ and in the Nova Extreme Pro they come in a 10k and 460nm spectrum. This enables the reef keeper to have a dawn to dusk effect on there reef tank. I use this light on a Coral Life timer to mimic this effect.
Current currently has four sizes for these lights the 20″, 36″, 48″ and the 72″. The only difference between the four are the wattage. The 36″ has three 10k bulbs and three 460nm bulbs, each bulb containing 39watts of light for a total of 234 watts. The Nova extreme pro also has a individual bulb contoured reflector, meaning that the reflector is one big unit but it is molded to reflect each bulb individually. Having individual reflectors or countered reflectors plays an important role when choosing T5 lighting as most lower end units do not have this and the light is not as effective penetrating the water.
Having using four lighting units so far in the hobby I can say that the nova extreme pro is the quietest light I have used this far. This lighting unit is also very bright and hardly puts out any heat. In fact this unit puts out less heat than some power compacts that I have used. The 36″ unit uses two fans to keep the lights cool and comes with a splash lens for the bulbs. This unit also came with docking mounts, this is a major plus since some units charge extra for them.
There are more expensive T5 lighting units for this hobby that have individual reflectors, these lights are usually in the $500-$700 range. For the $300 that I spent on this T5 lighting unit it was well worth the purchase. This unit is a solid construction and so far as been very dependable. I am very happy with this purchase and so are my corals.
You can see more pictures of the Nova Extreme pro on another post of mine, Current Nova Extreme Pro Shots.
Great review I am about to buy this light myself for the exact tank you have … i currently have the 36″ CF corallife and would really like to upgrade to this… do you think it has helped your growth of coral at all?
Hi Travis,
Simply put, yes! I have noticed that my xenias and palys have really taken off with this light and I am extremely happy that the nova extreme does not produce a lot of heat. I get amazing coloration from my corals and my crocea clam has started to morph from purple/blue into purple/blue/gold. I have some monti caps in the tank that have shown excellent growth as well.
thats awesome yea i really wanna get it i been reading and reading and only hear great things about it! I have that same 46 bow front and cant wait to get it!
Hey I havn’t got the pro yet but i want it still!!! Just thought id ask how ya like it since you have had it for awhile now… still happy with it? I been reading up on it and the only complaint I read is that the reflectors are not true individual contour reflectors.. do you feel that its even a problem for you? and have you noticed any growth in your coral with the pro?
Hi Travis,
Im still very happy with the current nova extreme Pro. It took a little while for my soft corals to get used to it but right now i frag my green sinularia on a monthly basis, it really likes this lighting unit. My Crocea clam has shown significan growth as well as my monti’s. Even though the unit has contoured reflectors it still outdoes the basic T5 units and i would put this model up to any t5 unti with individual reflectors anyday. For the price its one of the nicest lights in its class imho.
The best thing about this light is that it puts out very little heat. Owning it though the summer was the ultimate test and i very rarely had to cool my aquarium this year due to lighting issues.
thats awesome i wanna get it asap!!! You should post some new pics of your tank so we can see how its lookin……
WOO HOO my light has been order I cant wait for it to come!!!!!!
Goodluck with it Travis!!!