I have a 90 gallon tank that I am setting up for fish and soft corals. The dimensions are 48w x 25h x 18d. I've been looking for a couple days and I've quickly become overwhelmed. I think what would be ideal is the Maxspect R420R LED 320. I like that it's programmable, and its low profile gives it a very nice look. But coming in at $900 puts it beyond what I really want to pay. Are there decent alternatives in the $300-400 range, or am I being unrealistic? Are there non-programmable ones suitable for fish and soft corals that would come in at a lower price point?
LED Lighting Suggestions
- Thread starter QuiQuog
- Start date
gone fishin
New member
I was going to suggest the maxspect. Hopefully Ron Reefman will see the thread. He is pretty savvy on LED's and will offer some good suggestions.
GimpyFin
Active member
I have a 110 (Same dimensions as yours, but 30 tall.) I went with 2 AI Hydra 26 HDs and they cover the tank well. Although, two of them run about $700. A lot of the mainstream fixtures can be kinda spendy, especially when lighting a longer tank. Some people use a Chinese black box LED fixture that is less expensive, but I don't have any experience on how good they are or how well they hold up. You might even check out the Current USA Orbit Marine "Pro" fixture. I think the 48-60" unit runs less than $400. They come with a programmable controller too. I have the non-pro on my cube tank with just a few mushrooms and it has worked well.
PufferFish20
New member
I can agree on the Maxspect razor, they are a great set of lights.
anthonys51
New member
i like my maxspect razor. good things aren't cheap and cheap things aren't good. I found in this hobby when you try to go cheap you end up paying for it in the long run
Ron Reefman
Active member
Thanks gone fishin, I appreciate the shout out.
QuiQuog, I don't think there is anything out there that is programmable that is big enough for your tank in that price range. If there was, they'd be selling faster than beer at a hockey game!
First, what is it about being programmable that you like? What feature is it that you want?
With the limited knowledge I have about what you are looking for, about the best I can think of is the ReefBreeder Photon 32 V-2. It's new, it used Cree and Osram leds (good quality), is a fairly slim case, has 6 channels of control and a built-in sunrise/sunset/optional modes controller and retails for $575. And ReefBreeders has a very proven track record on customer service. BTW, this fixture is made in China by EverGrow who sells a very similar fixture for the same price. I have 2 of the older version fixtures over my 180g for 3 1/2 years and they have run 24/7 and never missed a beat.
Thanks Gimpy, I looked into both of these. The Hydras are at a price point where, needing two of them, I would rather bump up to the Maxspect. But I really liked the price of the Current USA light. It has some built in programming for sunrise\sunset and things, plus a built in timer which is good. It would be nice to have full color spectrum control, these only have blue and white LEDs, but I maybe that's a feature of the higher end units.
It looks like these lights would work well for a tank that's not too deep, and ideally for fish only. Reviews said that for larger tanks they're needing two or more fixtures. Still, not bad for starting a tank that will be fish only for a year or so while it matures... and my wallet recovers from the whole startup cost.
Good suggestion. Thank you, and I'll keep this one in mind.
What's really cool about the Maxspect Razor light's programming ability is that it can simulate the sun moving across the sky. It will give the tank a different look throughout the day. Cool, but not a requirement. The only thing I think I really need is something that can pump PAR 25" deep, the ability to adjust the color spectrum according to what my inhabitants will prefer, and a built in timer function, preferably with a slow sunrise/sunset start/end.
My tank will be starting out as a fish only, with the intention to add soft corals as the tank matures. If I'm having success, I will may try hard corals and maybe an anemone. That's down the road, but if possible I would like to get a light that would be suitable for it now rather than shelling out for it again. But then again, one can only spend so much at once.
I'm really liking the ReefBreeder you suggested. It appears to have everything I need, and it's slim and nice looking. They have a PAR chart on their website, but I don't really know what the requirements are for different organisms. Thank you for your input.
Good point. I've looked briefly on Craigslist, that's where I found the tank I'm setting up now. It needs some upgrades though, and that's why I'm looking for lights. I'm refinishing the stand now. I also need to drill for an overflow and returns, buy an overflow box, and plumb a BeanAnimal. Can I use that as a noun? After it's up and running I'll reassess my needs. I may replace the return pump if it's too noisy, and add or change power heads. The skimmer is on Reef Octopus HOB that I will probably swap for one that can go in the sump.
It's a lot to think about, and spend money on, but one thing at a time it will eventually get done.
GimpyFin
Active member
Also, the "Pro version of the fixture is not just blue and white. It has cool and warm white, Deep/Royal blue, Magenta, and UV.
aznflyfisherman
New member
I would go with two ai hydra 26 hd for now if you want more you can add addition hydra 26 later. If you get just one big fixture n it goes out your SOL... With two you still have one light to sustain the rest of your corals until you get a replacement light.. Imo...
That's a good point, and something to consider. Thank you.
NS Mike D
New member
Most manufacturers will provide a PAR mapping to give you an idea how much light will reach different areas of your tank. I highly recommend doing this before buying any lights.
While I would loved to buy higher end lights with more options, I eventually went with the Fluval 2.0 reef lights with the WIFI. Why? At the top of the tank, they produce enough PAR for SPS while generating enough light for LPS and softies throughout the rest of the tank. The two banks of lights, white and blue, took a lot out of the guess work - the blues have 4 spectrums with 25k peak and the whites run a good blend for growth and daylight viewing (I forget the exact temp, but it's similar to what a lot of daylights target).
This enables me to be assured the corals are getting sufficient photosynthesis spectrums that also encourage the colors to come through, a bright daylight viewing and the ability to program over to actinics for my evening viewing. Plus they are waterproof, since I wasn't seeking to hang the lights, this was important for me, as I can be clumsy at times.
I am not recommending the fluvals, but rather passing along that knowing what you prefer and need can save you a lot of money.
Make sure you are confident in knowing what PAR you need, how much PAR the light fixtures can deliver and how it's distributed throughout the tank, what spectrums you want produced and the color temperatures you want.
While I would loved to buy higher end lights with more options, I eventually went with the Fluval 2.0 reef lights with the WIFI. Why? At the top of the tank, they produce enough PAR for SPS while generating enough light for LPS and softies throughout the rest of the tank. The two banks of lights, white and blue, took a lot out of the guess work - the blues have 4 spectrums with 25k peak and the whites run a good blend for growth and daylight viewing (I forget the exact temp, but it's similar to what a lot of daylights target).
This enables me to be assured the corals are getting sufficient photosynthesis spectrums that also encourage the colors to come through, a bright daylight viewing and the ability to program over to actinics for my evening viewing. Plus they are waterproof, since I wasn't seeking to hang the lights, this was important for me, as I can be clumsy at times.
I am not recommending the fluvals, but rather passing along that knowing what you prefer and need can save you a lot of money.
Make sure you are confident in knowing what PAR you need, how much PAR the light fixtures can deliver and how it's distributed throughout the tank, what spectrums you want produced and the color temperatures you want.
I have 2 ocean revive arctic t247s over my 90 that I love.
I have softies, zoas, lps, nems. All do great.
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I have a maxspect and am overall pretty happy with it - good growth. I am running it at about 45% and get a par rating of around 280 to 300 10 inches below the light which seems to be the sweet spot for the sps I do have. I do find it gets in the way of tank maintenance due to its size. I just ordered a radion to replace it with as I want something with more control-ability through Apex.
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