I don't need no #@$% Thunder and lightning!!

[Skyking]

Hey folks,

I've decided to get the hobby cranked back up. I'm building a 150 Gal and have decided to go all LED. I'm in love with the A/I Vega's but I have no desire to waste good money on features that I won't use. Lightning, discotecque, etc. So long story short, any of you LED lighting afficianados out there care to recommend a comparable LED system where I can still get gradual sunrise and sunset but none of the unwanted 'extras"? (No DIY builds.)
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[chadfarmer]

if u want led might look at razor

 

[cap032]

+1 for the Razor. Hard to beat for the coverage and $$$.

 

[mikeatjac]

I thought the same thing, I really did. Then I set up a thunderstorm to come on Christmas eve. OMG my family loved it! Now I have one come on at 6:30 everyday and my family and friends enjoy it. Your tank with a good LED fixture with advanced fixtures makes your system a real show case. Isn't that what you want?

BTW I tried a Razor system and I hated it's features. I picked Radion but there other options you could look at too. Do you have friends with LEDs that you can look at? You really need too to appreciate a good LED system.

 

[mikeatjac]

Think HD

 

[arkaeus]

The storm feature is junk to me. When i first got my radions i tried it a few times and all it did was freak the fish out. The lightning flashes way too often to even be somewhat real looking. I enjoy my leds for the other features and leave the lightning off.

GalaxyS3/Tapatalk

 

[markaren]

I have never used my lighting. Simple ...just don't use it.

LOL, I want an oven that won't cook Sour Kraut...

Serious thought , I think it is a wasted idea too. I do not think you pay a price because of it to any large degree. The system is so advanced with adjust ability that the lighting is just a programming thing. thats all. What you do get is the ability to program every minute of the day as the day progresses. AND every minute you can choose the brightness of each color spectrum (every separate color and there brightness for that moment) and then over all brightness. Once the programming is done you can select a fast forward of the day and see it happen before you save it. Once it is saved you walk away and your tank enjoys a consistent morning through night when it works for your schedule. Example. mine starts to come at 10am and as soft as it starts it softly ends at 11PM. only a maximum peak of 75% for 1 hour in the middle of the day everything else is lower up to it or down from it.

Or , just reach up and touch the brightness adjustments manually using the heat sensitive type touch pads with a feather touch. Good luck with your search. My radion was bought used so I did not pay the high price.

 

[clevebill]

i love my kessils no bells and whistles just grow corals and they look good to.the shimmer people think i have metal halides on the tank.what did we do in the old days lights come on lights go off with maybe some vhos to have a moonlight effect.

 

[cap032]

Thunderstorms and lightining are cool..........the first few times you see it. Then Im sure it becomes one of those things you never use again. Hard to justify paying tons of extra cash for something seldomly used. Being able to adjust each individual led or color.........again cool but, probably more of a headache than its worth for the majority, besides, once you dial in the look youre after, probably another high dollar feature that is never used again. Leds like the Razor/Nova/etc. which offer good spread, dimmability, time points, and a simple approach to dialing in a pleasing appearancre are highly effective and offer tremendous savings when compared to the "thunderstorm systems". Nothing wrong with having one of the high dollar fixtures, but unless you plan to thunderstorm your tank to death and adjust individual colors often...........youre waisting money, when compared to many fixtures, which could have been spent on upgrading other equipment that could make a difference in your system. If you have plenty of money (not me.....lol) why not get the fanciest, if not (me) use your funds wisely to make the most improvement to your system. Thuderstorms unit for your system for extra $$$ or no thunderstorms unit along with a skimmer upgrade, reactor upgrade, & flow upgrade?

 

[BCT182]

I've left thunderstorm on 10% probability for a year now. I like it!

 

[mikeatjac]

You are not buying a unit to have storms but rather one that has complete control of each color, intensity levels that change over the course of the day. I did not want on/off like a kessils. Again, you want to look at several LED systems before you buy one, club members are a great option.

 

[cap032]

You are not buying a unit to have storms but rather one that has complete control of each color, intensity levels that change over the course of the day. I did not want on/off like a kessils. Again, you want to look at several LED systems before you buy one, club members are a great option.

Once you dial in the color you like, are you ever going to mess with it again? There are many units that allow for "less fine tuned" color adjustment, but very good adjustment with time points nonetheless, for a much better price point. Ex, you can dial in a 14k look on a 16k Razor that very closely resembles the appearance of a 14k Phoenix. If you have to light a big tank, you can have a great look, save a thousand dollars +, and upgrade equipment that will make a real difference in your tank. If you have plenty of money, then its a non issue. If you are like most and on a budgette, saving money with an equally effective lighting unit and being able to upgrade flow, reactors, skimmers, etc., should be a much more appealing option than thunderstorms and individual led adjustment. At least it was for me! lol. I managed to save enough for two Vortech MP40w and what will probably be a Reef Dynamics BP reactor by ditching my Vega plans for the Razor. That said, my comments are not meant to be a an attack (if you will) on those with the higher priced point led setups. There is nothing wrong with those units nor owning them. They are excellent fixtures without a doubt. My comments are more geared to "what you get" vs "what all you could have" for the average reefer.

 

[mikeatjac]

Once you dial in the color you like, are you ever going to mess with it again? There are many units that allow for "less fine tuned" color adjustment, but very good adjustment with time points nonetheless, for a much better price point. Ex, you can dial in a 14k look on a 16k Razor that very closely resembles the appearance of a 14k Phoenix. If you have to light a big tank, you can have a great look, save a thousand dollars +, and upgrade equipment that will make a real difference in your tank. If you have plenty of money, then its a non issue. If you are like most and on a budgette, saving money with an equally effective lighting unit and being able to upgrade flow, reactors, skimmers, etc., should be a much more appealing option than thunderstorms and individual led adjustment. At least it was for me! lol. I managed to save enough for two Vortech MP40w and what will probably be a Reef Dynamics BP reactor by ditching my Vega plans for the Razor. That said, my comments are not meant to be a an attack (if you will) on those with the higher priced point led setups. There is nothing wrong with those units nor owning them. They are excellent fixtures without a doubt. My comments are more geared to "what you get" vs "what all you could have" for the average reefer.

I understand what you are saying. Thunderstorms is just an option of many. My point is that if you get a great LED system you will enjoy your tank more, so will others. If you want to save money forget the Razor and go with an asian system.

 

[cap032]

I understand what you are saying. Thunderstorms is just an option of many. My point is that if you get a great LED system you will enjoy your tank more, so will others. If you want to save money forget the Razor and go with an asian system.

Razor=Maxspect=China=Asia. Lol. Razor is a good compromise between no bells and whistles/maxed out bells and whistles. You get the important bells and whistles (spread, dimming, time points, & spectrum control) for slightly more $ than the light only fixtures and for much less $ than the fixtures with lightning effects and individual led control. Most 16k Razor owners are able to dial in a nice spectrum and are extremely pleased with them and enjoy their tanks. Most who do product reviews on Led lighting consider them to be "a great Led system".

 

[mikeatjac]

Well I always tell people to look at tanks before you get anything. I did see many types of LED systems for before I jumped. Even then I tried several over my tank including the Razor, I am very picky. I do not always trust people that have made an investment.

The bottom line is you need to go and see some tanks.

 

[cap032]

Well I always tell people to look at tanks before you get anything. I did see many types of LED systems for before I jumped. Even then I tried several over my tank including the Razor, I am very picky. I do not always trust people that have made an investment.

The bottom line is you need to go and see some tanks.

I would agree 100%. Before making a big lighting purchase, you should definately go and see some tanks with systems you are considering. Also, as you stated, dont always go with an individuals review. Some people cant or dont want to admit when theyve made a costly mistake! (like an Aqua C Remora skimmer a few years back.....Errrrrrr) Lol. Independant reviews from sources "who dont have a dog in the fight" are always worth a look as well.

 

[Skyking]

Great ideas guys. And EVERY one of them is pertinent and practicle. IF I had unlimited funds I would most certainly lean the way of Radion Gen 2 or Vega. But, I would rather spend less, aquire a LED system that has the features that I would ACTUALLY use more than once or twice, and OVERspend my on a great skimmer. Heres another thought. I'm quite certain that these LED systems are ever-evolving. Much like your smartphone or tablet. Theres an upgrade or better system right around the corner. CAP032 makes a strong argument.

 

[markaren]

Once you dial in the color you like, are you ever going to mess with it again? .

Yes and I certainly have. Skimmers have to be tuned to work best as well. The sun does not come up every day with snapping motions of just brightness. Spectrums no doubt change throughout the angle. It is not gimmick you pay for (that might be a unique ability). You are paying for the adjust ability. Sure , plenty of LED's have time points. I should ask if you have had a Radion? Yes? If you have , then you know that it is in deed cutting edge. I mean, it would not make sense to speak like it was not worth it without using it and trying the detailed adjustments, since that "IS" the point of advancing into and around the next corner of lighting technology, Right?

I'm quite certain that these LED systems are ever-evolving. Much like your smartphone or tablet. Theres an upgrade or better system right around the corner....

I think you have made the statement of recognition. A system like a Radion "IS" the corner and "IS" the future in the making. It "is" upgradable.

Those tiny adjustments of each color and intensity of each at any moment in the above statements are tossed out the window as gimmicky, as if a lazy approach of a Radion is a given scenario. I am not here to predict others use of investment but I would suggest common sense would say a person that had choices of less adjustable and less expensive decide over all that fine tuning is the future....probably....and likely....is actually certain to adjust them from time to time. We adjust our water, right. the water is not finally set and perfect. Lighting I suppose (obviously) is from the sun naturaly for our corals. The sun does not snap on and snap off. (I know other LED lights can fade in time intervals)

For that "Future" as it is spoken to actually arrive in the lighting seen, we are going to see more and more lights either being finely adjustable or some computer simulation with dissected modeling of actual sun spectrum's programmed in that are perfect sun simulations of each separate color relation for the time sloping of the day. The Radion is just the beginning. right now we can manually tune in a cave man sense. but the time will come when units of different makes have a beautiful slow ramping from sun rise to sun set , with all the complicated configuration already done. Since corals have been doing fine with snap on snap off, they will do even better when home feels more like home. I say money well spent on lighting , defines money well spent for aquariums. Lighting is a foundation of life. Buy everything used and you can not go wrong.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Skyking,

I agree about the lightning on the high end leds (I have a ecotech radion). Now if they came with a quality speaker system and a good sub-woofer to do the thunder and maybe even an adjustable time delay, or a delay that evolves from far away to right on top of you and then fads away again... that would be cool. But just lightning, blah.

I just got 5 new leds from EverGrow (see the Chinese led thread). Two IT2080s for my 180g DT, an IT2040 for my 70g hex anemone tank and 2 D120s for my 55g QT and 24g frag tank. They all work really well and I've had one apart to remove some led lenses and the construction is top notch. The IT units have a really good timer/controller built in that allows you to adjust each channel independantly evry 30 mintues (even the moonlights!). And you can order whatever led color layout you want (not some company looking to save a dime) and you can get Bridgelux or Cree leds.

Long story short, I've pulled the ecotech radion off my frag tank and have an EverGrow instead for 1/5th the price! Unless my ecotech radion sells, I'm going to put it where it belongs... over my sump! What a waste of money! $750 vs $150. I agree with markaren above, fine tuning is nice and will become far more common and the prices will come down. But do you need that control, absolutely not. And to pay 2 to 5 times more for it... I'd better be getting a federal grant to be studying spectrum control to justify the extra expence!

 

[markaren]

I love the thunder delay idea !!

every 30 minutes...how natural. Just kidding Ron. Mine are every hour right now and i do not notice.

Is there a source you recommend? Pm me , I am interested for supplementing. I can not ignore that kind of savings.