LED advice

ddamerell · Mar 10, 2020

I'm looking for a lighting solution for a new tank (90cm x 55cm X 53cm) which initially will be fish only but I will probably transition to having some corals on the easier to care for end of the spectrum this year. Needless to say the shear number of LED options makes the decision difficult especially given the wide price differences between products. If possible I'd like to keep the budget within the range £300-£400 do people think this is doable and if so any recommendations for product and number required would be greatly appreciated.

Ron Reefman · Mar 10, 2020

Any number of black box led fixtures (Mars Aqua, Viparspectra, Ocean Revive) will work fine and keep you well within budget. The difference in light between most black box fixtures and the high end fixtures is negligible. Seriously. Even the build quality which used to be better is now about the same.

If you want features like sunrise/sunset or multiple channels of color control, you'll spend a lot more. Reef Breeders Photons or EverGrow's version of the same fixture are probably your best value. Just understand that those extra controls do almost nothing for the growth or health of any coral. The extra controls just make them fun to play with, allow fussy reefers to fine tune the color of the tank and can make the tank a bit more interesting to watch over the course of a day as the light changes. But they cost 2 to 4 times more than black box fixtures.

lpsouth1978 · Mar 10, 2020

Check out the Noopsyche K7 Pro as well. It is VERY similar to the AI Hydra 26HD, but at a fraction of the cost. It is a solid option with control you just don't get with the "black box" lights.

Mr Fishface · Mar 10, 2020

I started with an Orbit Marine LED. It's a real slim light that uses really small energy. Doesn't produce high par though but it always has worked well for my soft corals and even a few LPS do ok with it. It has the sunrise/sunset/moonlight features I personally like and even when I used a better light system on my second tank (T5) I still used this little led for the looks of the sunrise and sunset. I will say with all certainty it does not do good with SPS though. Just simply not enough light from it.

Mhart032 · Mar 10, 2020

I really like the reef breeders, ive seen them in person, for a lower light tank with some fish and softies to moderate lps corals i think its a great option.

Ron Reefman · Mar 10, 2020

Mhart032 said:
I really like the reef breeders, ive seen them in person, for a lower light tank with some fish and softies to moderate lps corals i think its a great option.

I used RB Photons over an all sps tank for several years and it was great. The PAR at the sand (24" deep) can be as high as 200 if you run both the blue and white channels at 100%. But a PAR of 200 at the sand is more than almost anybody needs. And in shallower tanks it's even higher.

Auquanut · Mar 10, 2020

Ron Reefman said:
Any number of black box led fixtures (Mars Aqua, Viparspectra, Ocean Revive) will work fine and keep you well within budget. The difference in light between most black box fixtures and the high end fixtures is negligible. Seriously. Even the build quality which used to be better is now about the same.

If you want features like sunrise/sunset or multiple channels of color control, you'll spend a lot more. Reef Breeders Photons or EverGrow's version of the same fixture are probably your best value. Just understand that those extra controls do almost nothing for the growth or health of any coral. The extra controls just make them fun to play with, allow fussy reefers to fine tune the color of the tank and can make the tank a bit more interesting to watch over the course of a day as the light changes. But they cost 2 to 4 times more than black box fixtures.

Nailed it!!
I run black boxes over my 125 gallon tank and keep everything from softies to acroporas. It really comes down to the features you want within a price range.
Welcome to R2R by the way!

Ron Reefman · Mar 10, 2020

I didn't even notice that was your first post here! #Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Marty13 · Mar 10, 2020

Auquanut said:
Nailed it!!
I run black boxes over my 125 gallon tank and keep everything from softies to acroporas. It really comes down to the features you want within a price range.
Welcome to R2R by the way!

Which lights do you have on your 125?

oreo54 · Mar 10, 2020

ddamerell said:
I'm looking for a lighting solution for a new tank (90cm x 55cm X 53cm) which initially will be fish only but I will probably transition to having some corals on the easier to care for end of the spectrum this year. Needless to say the shear number of LED options makes the decision difficult especially given the wide price differences between products. If possible I'd like to keep the budget within the range £300-£400 do people think this is doable and if so any recommendations for product and number required would be greatly appreciated.

Hard to say.. W/ exchange rates and what you locally have available or are willing to ship in (at add$$$).
Maybe a list of your options you have already looked at/considered would be helpful...You may even have some things not often considered or available here in the states.

you light needs are err.. "low" but one choice is do you buy high w/ dimming as to be low now or go low and reconfigure later.

ddamerell · Mar 11, 2020

Ron Reefman said:
Any number of black box led fixtures (Mars Aqua, Viparspectra, Ocean Revive) will work fine and keep you well within budget. The difference in light between most black box fixtures and the high end fixtures is negligible. Seriously. Even the build quality which used to be better is now about the same.

If you want features like sunrise/sunset or multiple channels of color control, you'll spend a lot more. Reef Breeders Photons or EverGrow's version of the same fixture are probably your best value. Just understand that those extra controls do almost nothing for the growth or health of any coral. The extra controls just make them fun to play with, allow fussy reefers to fine tune the color of the tank and can make the tank a bit more interesting to watch over the course of a day as the light changes. But they cost 2 to 4 times more than black box fixtures.

Thanks for the advice I've gone ahead and ordered two Vipaspectra 165w units. Now I just need to figure out the best way to hang them as they are pretty heavy. Also thanks to all for the friendly welcome to reef2reef.

Ron Reefman · Mar 11, 2020

Mount a pair of shelf brackets to the wall and hang the fixtures from them. If you want, you can even have a shelf! Just be sure to either make sure you hit studs in the wall or use the proper anchors if it's just drywall.

Auquanut · Mar 11, 2020

Marty13 said:
Which lights do you have on your 125?

Sorry. I kind of lost your post for a while.

I have 4 used no name black boxes that I bought second hand at the LFS for $50 a piece. I've been running them for over 2 years now. Full spectrum and blue lights are adjustable separately, but there's no ramp up or down. No remote control or any of the bells and whistles. I just have the full spectrum's on one timer, and the blues on another. I'm just really pleased with the growth of the corals. Even at the sand bed.