Good lighting

[Miamireefs]

Hello all, :wavehand:
I'm upgrading my tank. I'm going from a 46 bow front to an 80 bow front.
I'm undecided about the new lighting fixture I should
Get. I was recommended the hydras 52, which I love but I was wondering if there any other type comparable in quality and price ???:fun4:

 

[mudskipper1]

I have an onyx fixture from rapidLED, and I like it, and have had good success growing SPS under it. It is a little over half the price, which is a plus as well.

 

[Ron Reefman]

For a $100 less you can get a single 32" or 48" fixture with more leds and a built-in controller that will do sunrise/sunset/ moonlights. I've had 3 of these over 2 tanks for over 30 months and they have never caused any issues. Look at OceanRevive, ReefBreeders and ReefRadiance who are all sponsors here. Most of the fixtures all 3 companies sell are made by EverGrow.

 

[Perth_reefer]

Hello all, :wavehand:
I'm upgrading my tank. I'm going from a 46 bow front to an 80 bow front.
I'm undecided about the new lighting fixture I should
Get. I was recommended the hydras 52, which I love but I was wondering if there any other type comparable in quality and price ???:fun4:

Lighting is one of those things you have to spend money on IMO. I haven't been through all the tank journals on here but I'd be willing to bet that out of the really successful tanks there won't be many, if any, running 'cheaper' LED lighting. I used to have Hydra52s before I upgraded, great lights but you do need to make sure you have enough to fully cover the whole tank, there is quite a steep drop off in PAR from the centre point with them. Similar class products would Radions and Kessils IMO.
Huge advantage of Hydra52s is that they're Apex ready which is a far better controller that the AI Director.

 

[Jimmydks]

+1 spend the money and get the right lights the first time. The last thing you want to do is spend more money by getting the wrong light.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Lighting is one of those things you have to spend money on IMO. I haven't been through all the tank journals on here but I'd be willing to bet that out of the really successful tanks there won't be many, if any, running 'cheaper' LED lighting.

Maybe a few years ago, but many of the "cheaper" leds do great at PAR and coverage. I agree there are some 'name brands' that still sell junk leds, Marineland and Current to name a couple. But they are easy to pick out if you just look at the wattage of their leds (0.3 watts vs 3.0 watts) and the color ranges (just 1 spectrum of white and one of blue vs 2 or 3 whites and 2 or 3 blues along with some violet... reds and greens don't do much).

I've been running 'cheaper' leds for over 3 years now, after 5 years of MH and 7 years on fluorescents before that. My 180g reef is very 'successful' with 80% sps and 20% lps.



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