Neptune SKY LED

A. grandis

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I love reading your comments you always prove so many valuable points your one of the reasons I switch to mh for my new build
Thanks very much! Every time I get tired and think I should stop publishing my comments I receive good compliments like this. It's a pleasure to know we are not wasting time here!
 

A. grandis

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I've watched a lot of BRS investigates YT vids and they a lot of work to get data on lighting. By no means would I consider it peer-reviewed / lab grade, but I trust their methodology and their investigations of the coralcare (led panel) shows it not only has the correct spectrum to grow coral, but the coverage and intensity as well. I expect this light will do similar.
They are an online store and will promote ANYTHING they want to sell with their videos, making the videos for that very purpose! If you watch carefully you will see that almost everything they sell has a video about it and all of hem are" great" at one point or another. That is what they do for a living. They are very good! Although many interesting things are published by them, some other stuff is to manipulate stock. Business is business! Not flaming them, just calling the cards here. That's the reason why they are successful in what they do. I personally can't think of other reason but promoting LEDs when they removed halides from their site! Specially because the excuse is shelf space and halides are selling great by Hamilton and ReefBrite, per them. They could simply still sell and send from manufacturer. Too bad Ryan "doesn't have a direct line"!
 

A. grandis

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Why is the capability of being able to control these thru the Apex such a huge advantage?
Just another line in their script to sell. "Compatibility" is a huge thing for those who already invested so much money on their Apex. It helps the content and comfort those who buy. And matches the colors!
 

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The SKY looks promising, but as others said we will have to see how it plays out. Price point seems reasonable with XR30 @ 839, CC2 @ 899 (seperate controller).

I think they have done a good job of marketing in terms of leading up and getting info out quickly. Sending out lights to high profile community members is appreciated (Melev, Mr Saltwater, BRS). The Melev video came off a bit "canned" but it was very informative. My biggest comment on the marketing would be to reduce the direct comparison on the product page, it just feels like they are chasing the XR30 too much.

My personal concern is that uniform illumination can look dull. I was running G5's previously and they did a good job at making a blanket of light, but it was a bit blah. Switched to kessil + RB, and the dual sources just give that sense of life. If the shimmer holes bring that effect, then that would be great. Also, It would be nice if it used the Kessil AP9X mount.
 

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Why doesn't anyone make an LED (like in the image below) and put it in a large reflector? Wouldn't that give the same result as MH? The issue I see, with all current LED light, is that all the LED's all point down. If some pointed down for shimmer and others pointed up into the reflector to give large even distribution...all would be perfect.

1621271876788.png
 
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ReefRxSWFL

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What is the cost? I haven’t seen that yet. I’ll finally get to see them tomorrow at reefapalooza... pretty stoked about them. Considering selling my XR30 gen5’s. Getting away from all things mobius one step at a time.

Mark Levenson had someone from Neptune on his last video, and i think its XR30 priceish
 

ReefRxSWFL

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The SKY looks promising, but as others said we will have to see how it plays out. Price point seems reasonable with XR30 @ 839, CC2 @ 899 (seperate controller).

I think they have done a good job of marketing in terms of leading up and getting info out quickly. Sending out lights to high profile community members is appreciated (Melev, Mr Saltwater, BRS). The Melev video came off a bit "canned" but it was very informative. My biggest comment on the marketing would be to reduce the direct comparison on the product page, it just feels like they are chasing the XR30 too much.

My personal concern is that uniform illumination can look dull. I was running G5's previously and they did a good job at making a blanket of light, but it was a bit blah. Switched to kessil + RB, and the dual sources just give that sense of life. If the shimmer holes bring that effect, then that would be great. Also, It would be nice if it used the Kessil AP9X mount.

I agree with the large panel looking a little flat. Id like to see a mount for the new Kessil X500 that mounts it upside down with a reflector to see if it can both cover area without shadow and provide shimmer. Ya know. Like a halide without the heat.
 

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$869

 

A. grandis

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$869

Beautiful dog in your avatar!! Give it a treat for me!
 

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What is the cost? I haven’t seen that yet. I’ll finally get to see them tomorrow at reefapalooza... pretty stoked about them. Considering selling my XR30 gen5’s. Getting away from all things mobius one step at a time.

And people try telling me changing T5 bulbs is expensive.

I tell them not when compared to changing LED light fixtures...
 

ReefRxSWFL

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Is it me, or have we all been chasing LEDs that look like halides, grow corals like halides but paying way more for failed attempts by manufacturers every few years?

So we get disco balls, or shadow from single points of light, or panels with diffusers that get a flattend look, not quite T5 flat, but limited shimmer.

So we get these lights that get it part right, but then need to buy more than needed, because they dont cover a 2x2 area without shading, or having to add LED strips or T5s to fill gaps.

So we chase the dragon. It’s probably easier for those who have never run halides to find something satisfactory.
 

ReefRxSWFL

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And people try telling me changing T5 bulbs is expensive.

I tell them not when compared to changing LED light fixtures...

And LED diodes are not the issue. Its all the other stuff that craps the bed. The fans, the power supplies, or other electronics component sitting 9 inches over the harshest environment on the planet
 

BZOFIQ

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And LED diodes are not the issue. Its all the other stuff that craps the bed. The fans, the power supplies, or other electronics component sitting 9 inches over the harshest environment on the planet

I was referring to those who change fixtures like their cell phones.

I have friends who tell me that changing T5 bulbs blah, blah, blah, expensive blah blah blah even....

They are on their 7th set of LED fixtures!

Ecotech, AI, 3rd gen, 5th gen, panel type, puck type, block box, cheap, expensive you name it they had it. Willing to wager that some here have probably spent 5-10K on swapping fixtures....all because changing T5 bulbs was expensive.

Can't make this stuff up.

And at the end of the day, a decade in we are still chasing output we already had from MH and/or T5s....

That said, do buy the SKY. Besides the fact that Neptune needs your money, these lights will take your tank to the next level.
 

flourishofmediocrity

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I was referring to those who change fixtures like their cell phones.

I have friends who tell me that changing T5 bulbs blah, blah, blah, expensive blah blah blah even....

They are on their 7th set of LED fixtures!

Ecotech, AI, 3rd gen, 5th gen, panel type, puck type, block box, cheap, expensive you name it they had it. Willing to wager that some here have probably spent 5-10K on swapping fixtures....all because changing T5 bulbs was expensive.

Can't make this stuff up.

And at the end of the day, a decade in we are still chasing output we already had from MH and/or T5s....

That said, do buy the SKY. Besides the fact that Neptune needs your money, these lights will take your tank to the next level.
Terrence did say in the video from Melev's reef that they should be replaced every 5 years or so. There are clearly pros and cons to both approaches.
 

A. grandis

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Terrence did say in the video from Melev's reef that they should be replaced every 5 years or so. There are clearly pros and cons to both approaches.
Tullio have also said that the average time to change any of the LEDs is 4 to 5 years. That alone is more than if you run an ATI fixture changing all bulbs every 12 months, in most cases, if you buy enough LEDs to apply accordingly. The initial cost of LED is for every 4 or 5 years.
 

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Tullio have also said that the average time to change any of the LEDs is 4 to 5 years. That alone is more than if you run an ATI fixture changing all bulbs every 12 months, in most cases, if you buy enough LEDs to apply accordingly. The initial cost of LED is for every 4 or 5 years.

It's been debunked already that the T5 bulbs need to be changed every 12 months. BRS investigates did an episode showing that bulbs last even upwards of 18 months.

I believe this was the episode.

 

A. grandis

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It's been debunked already that the T5 bulbs need to be changed every 12 months. BRS investigates did an episode showing that bulbs last even upwards of 18 months.

I believe this was the episode.


Depend on your point of view. I've been using T5s for long enough to know what needs to be done for it's optimal performance in many ways. 12 months should be the norm in most cases IMO.
 
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