125g LED question

[RockyProndoa]

So I am in the planning stages of my newly acquired standard 6' 125g tank and I think I have made the decision to the LED route for lighting. I have been looking at numerous options (it seems the possibilities are endless!) and upon the suggestion of several members here visited buildmyled's website. Very intriguing, however, I really have no idea what "spectrum" I am aiming for.

As a bit of background into my long term plans for the tank, my eventual goal for the tank is a mix of corals, mostly soft and LPS, with a few SPS corals (because my wife will make me...lol). Also, would like to have a Flame Angel, Yellow Tang, gobies/blennies...and open to suggestions after that.

Anyways, my concern with the above mentioned LED's is...how many do I need? 1 fixture? 2? I really want to keep lighting costs below $750, but I also don't want to skimp where it is important.

Also I noticed that they do have a pre-configured reef light, which does have amazing color, but seems to highlight the "purples" a bit too intensely for my liking. With that being said, should I forego my personal preference and buy the pre-fab light that is specifically designed for reefs, or should I attempt a custom configuration? If so, anyone have any ideas for layout?

I appreciate all responses and welcome any alternative suggestions/ideas.

 

[Bunkerbean]

I just got 2 Value Fixtures from Reefbreeders on my 180. Very happy with it.

 

[RockyProndoa]

I just checked those out, not bad either. I would assume those can be hooked up to a controller for dimming and daylight simulations as well?

 

[Bunkerbean]

That I don't know. SOmeone else might be able to comment more about that.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I just checked those out, not bad either. I would assume those can be hooked up to a controller for dimming and daylight simulations as well?

No, the ReefBreeder's value fixture, EverGrow's D120 and OceanRevive's Arctic S026 will not dim with a reef controller. Maybe if you swap out the drivers?

Look at OceanRevive's IT2060 or ReefBreeder's Photon24. You would need 2 and the cost would be about $640-$660 delivered. You'd be better of with 2 of the 32" units, but for what you want and inside your budget, the 24" fixtures are probably the best fit. BTW, the IT series and Photon series both have built-in controllers (but can only be turned on and off by a reef controller). You are likely to have to pay more than your budget to get enought light AND be reef controller compatible (I think... but I'm not 100% sure).

 

[RockyProndoa]

Thanks Ron! The lights do not have to be reef controller compatible (especially since I don't even own one yet). I checked out the photon24 and it looks like a great deal for the price...surely there must be a catch as similar units seem to cost double that?

If I purchase 2 of the photon24's, will that be enough light to cover my 6' tank AND to grow LPS/softies with some SPS?

Secondly, any idea how high those need to hang off the water? I plan on building a custom hood for my tank and want to be certain that they can comfortably fit inside my hood.

That being said, it certainly seems that (2) Photon24's are my first choice so far.

Thanks for all of the input everyone!

 

[OCCOFNY]

Rocky, I lean towards the Ai's lights. I have had them on my personal tank for years now. Can grow the type of corals you mentioned as well as SPS too. If fact I love them soo much that I use thm in my coral business on all my frag tanks. If you need more info go to http://aquaillumination.com/ and look at what they have to offer. Good luck, Neil

 

[wildman926]

I have the buildmyled strips on my 150. No purple look here. You could get away with two strips since your tank is not as deep. You can save some money and go with the 5' strips also. If you want a more blue look, 2 of the 14000k strips would do. Less of one, then 1 14000k and 1 Custom Reef Spectrum. Hardly any blue, more of a white, then 2 of the Custom Reef Spectrum.

I could not be happier with mine. I have 3 with 90" optics, the Super Reef Actinic, the 14000k, and the Custom Reef Spectrum. A little overkill, and I only run my Custom Reef Spectrum for 3 hours due to my LPS still not accustomed to them for almost two months now. Here are some pics of them. The front one is the 6' Custom Reef Spectrum, the middle is the 5' Super Reef Actinic, and the back is the 6' 14000k strip. I should have gone with all 5' strips. If I can help any, please let me know.

 

[RockyProndoa]

To revive this thread, I am getting close to purchasing a light and I am really considering the ReefBreeders Photon series. Would one 48" unit be sufficient? My 125g has one cross-brace in the center of the tank. I would theoretically position this light in the center of the tank, using the sides of the tank as lower light areas and the center of the tank for the more light-demanding corals.

That being said, is a single 48" Photon light enough to keep SPS? I plan on having a mix of softies and LPS with "a few" SPS mixed in. Thoughts?

 

[Reef_Breeders]

To revive this thread, I am getting close to purchasing a light and I am really considering the ReefBreeders Photon series. Would one 48" unit be sufficient? My 125g has one cross-brace in the center of the tank. I would theoretically position this light in the center of the tank, using the sides of the tank as lower light areas and the center of the tank for the more light-demanding corals.

That being said, is a single 48" Photon light enough to keep SPS? I plan on having a mix of softies and LPS with "a few" SPS mixed in. Thoughts?

It will cover a 5 foot long sps tank, after that, the light will drop off quite a bit with 90 degree optics. If you go with no optics you can probably pull it off. My reccomendation though, is if you are on a budget, go for three value fixtures. It is better to have plenty of light, with no doubts on coverage, and a little less control, than to try and stretch the light out as much as possible, and gain the controllability. That has been my experience, however I have heard of the 48 being used on a 125 locally, and apparently it did pretty good.

 

[RockyProndoa]

Thank you for the reply. That was the sort of honest answer I was looking for. I believe it was stated above, but apparently my best bet would be (2) 32" units.

I definitely want to stick with the controllability, so at this point, while they are very nice, are not an option. I do appreciate the help though and am certainly getting excited about getting this build up and running!