How are you guys choosing a new lighting system?

I'd seriously consider a ReefBreeders Photon 32 V-2 and add a t5 in front (white) and behind (actinic) and you'll have everything you could possibly want! Enough light to grow anything, sunrise/sunset control, 6 channels of leds so every color can be set individually, great full coverage and no shadows (due to t5's).

If you don't care about led control or sunrise/sunset, there are much less expensive options that can still grow healthy corals.
 
Hey, thanks.

I am looking at LED because it runs cooler, is cheaper on the electric bill, doesn't need the bulbs changed all that often, etc.

I also like some (some) of the effects - not the cheesy ones like lightening or clouds, etc.
 
Would any of these options work?

On a 60" x 18" x 26 (24" with sandbed) tank?

Ecotech Radion - three 15w instead of two 30w?
Giesemann Vervve - two?
Aqua Illumination Hydra -?
Maxspect Razor - two of the 27" models?
 
Well, as noted LEDs just don't turn out to be cheaper, even including the on-going costs of electricity and bulb changes with T5HO/MH because of high capital cost outlay and the number of fixtures required to get the equivalent coverage.

I suspect most would advise you to go with either 3 XR30w Pros or 5 XR15w Pros on a 5' long tank for the reasons already stated (coverage). However, you could choose to go with 2 XR30w Pros on 2/3rds of the tank, then simply add another one later when the need arises and the funds are available.

With respect to the AI option, coverage would be similar between the Radion XR15w and the Hydra 26 HD. But in a similar manner to the above paragraph, you could get 3 Hydra 26's and expand to 5 later.
 
Salty150 said:
So in that sense - two XR15 provide more coverage than 1 XR30...?
Click to expand...

Yes. Two XR15ws will cost you $800, while a XR30w Pro will cost $750. Given your tank's depth and width, you won't be close to using the entire output - perhaps 50% or so. So the extra $50 lets you put 12" between the pucks instead of 6" in the XR30w fixture.

Salty150 said:
Does it matter that the Giesemann Vervve has 56 LEDs and the Radion XR30 only has 42?
Click to expand...

No, not really. In both fixtures, the available LED diode colors are well represented, and you won't be using either fixture's max output.

There's one other argument for the Ecotechs over the Geisemann. You may well decide that you need to add some T5HO supplementation as many others have done in the SPS forums. The XR15ws are small enough that they could be incorporated into a custom-built fixture that includes 4-6 T5HOs.
 
dkeller_nc said:
You're likely to be disappointed with that set-up, unless you setup the Radions on the first 3' of the tank, set your aquascape up under them, and leave the remaining 2' for fish swimming room. 2 Radion XR30w Pros simply won't cover 5' of tank length, unless you mount them very high indeed (2 feet off of the water surface, minimum) and grow lower-light animals.

As an example, I currently have an XR30w Pro over a 2' x 2' x 20" cube (about 50 gallons). It is definitely not sufficient to cover the whole area, so my aquascape is setup as a "center mountain" that's about 15" x 15". This light is hanging from the ceiling, 14" off of the water surface.

If this is the way you choose to go, don't buy the RMS mounting system - buy the ceiling hanging kit and connecting rails instead. I have the RMS mounts and several XR15ws over other tanks. While the mounts work well for my application - a 24" x 12" x 16" high 20 gallon long, that's only because I run 2 XR15ws over this tank, so the 7" mounting height is OK.

I'm not kidding about reading through the SPS forum. LED lights offer many upsides, but don't expect everything to grow well under them, particularly not acropora. If that's your goal, and you wish to save money on both the initial outlay and the total cost of ownership, then a far better choice for your tank would be a 5' long, 6 bulb T5HO ATI SunPower fixture for mixed corals, or a 5' long, 8 bulb fixture for an SPS-heavy population. Both fixtures would require you to locate the high-light corals in the top 2/3rds of the water column, but for most of us, this is where we want the "stick corals" anyway.

If cost-consciousness is a big factor, but you want the shimmer effect as well as the ability to grow anything at all levels of the tank, then a metal halide T5HO hybrid fixture would be ideal. On the lower end, the 4' Hamilton Cebu Sun (2 x 250w MH bulb version) would be a good choice. More expensive, but better looking, IMO, would be 2 Reefbrite Single-Ended 250w MH fixtures with XHO LED strips. Even better looking for about the same money as the ReefBrite fixtures would be the Geisemann Spectra or Infiniti 4' MH/T5HO hybrids.

If cost is less of a factor, and you want a fixture that will grow anything and everything, are OK with the "disco effect" that separated diodes create, and put a high priority on gradual brightening/dimming throughout the photoperiod, then the Geisemann Aurora or ATI Powermodule fixtures would good choices.
Click to expand...
Im surprised by your comments that an xr30 w pro light cannot handle 24 inches of width on your cube I have a gen 3 light and same dimension tank and I don't see how u have an issue. I have a rock mountain which is higher in the rear than front and only in the center but that's because I don't believe in putting rock near glass .

Ecotech states there xr30 specifically does 24 at minimum.

eab742e1dc4daecd33c4a1c98bd28701.jpg


Sent from my BlackBerry PRIV using taptalk
 
I wouldn't mount xr 8 inches above water ...and I use an awesome mount that allows height adjustability. Best mount available for ecotech there is.

Sent from my BlackBerry PRIV using taptalk
 
I've looked at a ton of LED fixtures, and the only ones that appear to be different are the Kessils. Not saying they'll perform any better, just that they are different. Otherwise it just seems generally to be about what diodes get chosen and the layouts. They'll all grow corals.
 
rudy.guzman.925 said:
What mount are you talking about? I just acquired the xr15wpro and am about to buy the rms for it
Click to expand...
www.6061.com/xr15.htm

Heres my xr30 pro on my cube. U can select what depth u need incase your tank is not 24 inch like mine. Mount to stand. Well built and solid. After mounted can adjust up and down as well as select mounting place on stand as needed. See any cords ? :)

42f187a1f95a3ac93a7f6f1def394370.jpg


5deb45322d8fb6ca826e643459322752.jpg


109b2d7e6d9b7fe73eaa69281e595b2f.jpg


2466e1adeacaccbc87cf3bd3e0640bfb.jpg


d75ff9335425e2e2d3d6153c8d575d5c.jpg


Sent from my BlackBerry PRIV using taptalk
 
It's a mount built for ecotech and they make other popular light brand mounts but it's not ecotech brand of course. Every ecotech owner is aware of the rms and the ceiling option not many know of this one, the best ecotech light mount available :)

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