60G Cube Lighting

[bwagner_vt]

I’m starting a 60 gallon cube and trying to figure out the best lighting option. From past experience with freshwater it’s worth getting the best lighting vs settling then upgrading in the future.

I currently have (3) 360x’s suns on my 180g wild discus, (5) 360x’s on my 180g planned tank and (1) 160 sun on my 60g cube African Cichlid tank…I was going to start with (1) 360x blue and then most likely add another in the future. After doing research here on R2R it doesn’t seem like the Kessil has much love.
So looking for help deciding.

Option 1: (1) 360x
Option 2: (2) 360x
Option 3: (1) 360x + T5
Option 4: (1) XR15
Option 5: Other

I plan on starting with fish/shrimp/basic corals, but once I get more comfortable I know myself well enough I’ll be wanting to do more difficult corals that will be light ‘s.

 

[Bpb]

I think the issue many here have with kessil lighting has a lot to do with the ultimate goal of a reef light being stand-alone sps dominant capable, which kessil just isn’t the first choice for.

It is my opinion that kessils render the best aesthetic appearance to a tank among all led units on the market. I’m not referring to the ability to grow or color corals, cost, efficiency, or reliability. I just mean at face value. Take a tank, throw a light over it, and to my eyes, kessils just look the best among led choices.

They do fine by themselves for mixed tanks. But if you follow most of the bigger more household name retailers and reviewers, kessils just aren’t as often mentioned as the defacto solution as a stand alone sps dominant light source. Whether a person has an sps dominant tank or not, those recommendations tend to stick. People are just gravitating toward diffused panel style lights in the saltwater hobby.

Among your choices I’d likely go with the single 360X + T5

 

[bwagner_vt]

Bpb…I see that you use a Reef Breeder and Kessil, what made you decide on the Reef Breeder….are you happy with it? Would you recommend it? Would you do the same setup of you were to start over?

 

[bwagner_vt]

.

 

[Bpb]

Bpb…I see that you use a Reef Breeder and Kessil, what made you decide on the Reef Breeder….are you happy with it? Would you recommend it? Would you do the same setup of you were to start over?

I’ve used the reef breeders for many years. I was originally drawn to them seeing the endorsement by @Battlecorals and @therman

While there is much more to running a successful sps tank than lighting, the fact that they’re a simple unit with a single cord, easy to program, affordable, and well made was enough for me. I’ve been pleased with the results of using them. Full disclosure I got them at wholesale pricing which made a huge difference in the price tag. If I had to pay retail I’m not sure I’d go that direction.

I acquired the kessils very recently. I did get them used and at a fairly heavy discount. But I know their history and The previous owner so it was a good buy. I’ve always been jonesing for kessils just because of how Amazing they look so I jumped on them when I had the chance.

I managed to retrofit them to my reef breeders panels perfectly so I didn’t have to modify anything at all. Rather than sell the reef breeders, buy a t5 hybrid fixture, and figure out a new hanging solution, I just decided to keep the reef breeders and changed the program/profile I was running

Previously I was running the BRS SPS recommended setting on the reef breeders. Now I run the kessils at 100% color, with 60% intensity on violet, red, green, and overall. And the reef breeders are run with the blues and violet channels at 15%, with red green and white turned off. Essentially I use the reef breeders like blue fill light/supplements, and the kessils as bright white point sources. Similar to a 10k halide with actinic t5’s. Rather than hard dark shadows of unusable tank areas, it’s blue shadows that are still suitable for lower light corals. Or to fill in shading, but I still have the illusion of those hard sharp white shimmer lines and contrast. It really does look terrific and I have plenty of par. If I were to crank everything up to 100% I would be well beyond unnecessary on intensity.

 

[RedoubtReef]

Option 5: Halide/T5 combo

 

[bwagner_vt]

Thanks for the details and sharing that information.

And the reef breeders are run with the blues and violet channels at 15%

Such a nice light and only 15%!

 

[bwagner_vt]

Option 5: Halide/T5 combo

What halide light/t5 combo would you use?

 

[Bpb]

Thanks for the details and sharing that information.


Such a nice light and only 15%!

As my sps growth and light demand increases, so will the intensity levels lol

 

[design.maddie]

My cube is 22" and the ReefLED90 is plenty capable of lighting that tank. It has grown SPS really well for over 2 years. I do run it at 100% blues/60% whites.

 

[RedoubtReef]

What halide light/t5 combo would you use?

Giesmann makes some really nice pendants. There's also Hamilton pendants but that would be more DIY as as far as adding T5s. I haven't looked into it, but you might be able to add a halide pendant to one of the Aquatic Life T5 hybrid fixtures. There's also folks selling used fixtures here on R2R. That's where I got mine.
There's also the option of just going all T5.

 

[djf91]

Giesmann makes some really nice pendants. There's also Hamilton pendants but that would be more DIY as as far as adding T5s. I haven't looked into it, but you might be able to add a halide pendant to one of the Aquatic Life T5 hybrid fixtures. There's also folks selling used fixtures here on R2R. That's where I got mine.
There's also the option of just going all T5.

I would say a single DE 250 watt phoenix metal halide would be great. Maybe a couple of T5s on the sides.

 

[rtparty]

XR15 out of your choices above. 1 360x won't cover that tank properly.

I would add the ReefBrite Halide/XHO combo to your list personally. I have tried almost every major LED out there and none compare to a halide.

 

[bwagner_vt]

You guys just reminded that I have an old T5/MH combo from 15 years ago that I had on my OG planted tank. The memories are all coming back…had the LED moon lights too. I’ll just have to get new bulbs and see what it looks like.

 

[Saltysecondsreefing]

i ran 2 kessil a360 on my 60 gallon cube. and it looked great but i did want a little more blue to really make my corals pop.

 

[PeterErc]

250w over the 60 cube, waiting for the parts to make the led strips. If money wasn’t an issue I would go with the reef brite pendant. I posted in the WTB section and found everything I needed pretty quick for the cube. I imagine there’s still a bunch of old halide gear tucked away in attics, basements. Mine sat in the attic for years and I finally set it back up on the display and realized what I was missing