WavePoint 36" T5 HO 4-Lamp Aquarium Retrofit Kit

Update: Purchased this 12/03/2013. Today, 06/23/2015 it is dead. Both ballast are shot. Unit had a total light cycle of 6 hours per day. I changed the bulbs once and was gearing up to change them again in a few weeks. For this reason I am knocking it down to two stars from four. It's past warranty and at this point its cheaper to find another light option than look for two ballast which run hot due to how it was designed.I service several marine/reef tanks that use this setup. This is a good light compared to low-end LEDs (which still cost a few hundred) and power compacts. In tanks 20" high or less you will be able to keep clams, anemones and some SPS/acros if your other requirements are met. There is a enough light produced for photosynthesis needs.The only three issues I have are that the ballasts are built in to the back of the reflector and thus the unit runs hot. You must run fans on both ends where the rubber boots/T5s are or the boots will melt/seal/crack. The boots are proprietary due to a slot design and yes, you can rewire with new boots, but you'll have to rig a different fastening system to hold it on after that.The second issue I've had is that the rocker swith (on/off) runs hot and although Wave Point was good about replacing the cord for free it did not come with a plug. I also had one of the reps tell me that the unit should not be used with a timer. I've used them and continue to use them with a timer with no issues that I can tell...and not sure if that has something to do with the hot rocker switch which does eventually fail. I have had a problem though with a 48: unit on an Apex controller system...for whatever reason the light pops its GFCI button when installed on the controller.Lastly, changing the bulbs in a PITA because the screws are micro small and you have two on each end of every T5 stick...so, if one bulb goes out then I've gotten into the habit of replacing all the bulbs at the same times simply because those screws are a pain and as it happens the other bulbs will fail shortly after the first. The screws also come loose...and often. Thankfully I have found all of them on the top of the tank or floor and not IN the tank.All that said, its a good unit IF you run fans. There are unfortunately very few plug/play T5 retro kits out there for those with canopies. Just know that this unit is hot, loose and may need manufacturer parts down the line. Bulbs can be had almost at cost on other websites. I pay around $10 on average per bulb and they last about 6-9 months...I never run any bulb past nine months due to spectrum degradation.

The light bulbs are a pain you know where to replace because of the super small screws and nuts...any one with a better idea or to replace the screws - nuts instead of using the original ones from wavepoint? Help!