Lighting A 65 Mixed Reef 2023

Reef Guy 04

Reef Guy 04

Member
Hello All!
I am looking at upgrading the lighting for my 65 gal mixed reef. Mostly sps. Last similar post I've seen was 7 years ago, so things have changed dramatically since then.
The dimensions of the tanks are 36L×18W×24h. I currently have a pair of oldschool Fathom LED Hydras. I have a several replacement options I'm looking at. Some may be overkill, but that's ok because the new lights will eventually be lighting a larger upgrade or a 50 gallon lowboy frag tank.

Here are the 4 options I'm considering:
1. One Kessil AP9X. There's a lot to like about this one and possibly my favorite of the 4. Only problem I'm unsure about is the tank has a center brace and the lights are only about 9.5 inches apart. 12" spacing would be ideal for avoiding brace shadowing and lighting the ends of the tank. If that would even be an issue.
2. Two Radion XR15 G6's. If it weren't for the price, I probably would have already purchased these already. Sounds like a good option and would provide similar performance as the AP9X.
3. Two Kessil A360X's. I was considering these at first, but I'm not sure if they're a viable option at this point. Performance is good, but other options seem to have better programabilty without having to purchase aditional items. Unless, I'm mistaken.
4. Finally, Two Maxspec Jump 65's. Sounds like they have good performance and good par ratings without emptying the wallet. Not sure if the depth would be a problem. The main problem I've seen is the app and wifi functionality.

Any feedback, experiences, and relavant info would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to mention any other options to consider.
Thanks!
 
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I am not a fan of the company or parent or the interface. The G2s we’re fine for their time, but I think the general offering has gone downhill and they are too expensive for what they are.
 
Gotcha. I don't know anything about the company or past products. I just saw the G7 has great reviews.

The Mitras sound like great lights, but $1100 for a pair of LX 7204s is a lot. The 7206 would work if it weren't for the center brace on the thank. It may be worth the price if they have great longevity. The ability to change singe led clusters is a great feature.

I'm looking into the noophyche K7 III. I have a couple questions about them that I seem to be have trouble figuring out. Does anyone know how long these units typically last? Also, what is their origin? I'm a little skeptical about the longevity.
 
Noopsyche is Chinese but there is US based support. They’ve been in the game for a few years now cause they had the Pro II when I was first looking into them which means to me they probably had a V1 as well
 
reefing102 said:
Noopsyche is Chinese but there is US based support. They’ve been in the game for a few years now cause they had the Pro II when I was first looking into them which means to me they probably had a V1 as well
Click to expand...


They don't (or at least last I checked) have US based support. They have an R2R member acting as their US distributor. Their support is facebook based is pretty bad. They basically abandoned their R2R sponsor forum and moved to FB (likely because they were so unresponsive and people were starting to get upset).

If you get a working light, the output and color rendering are pretty darn good. The wifi is not great and the app is absolutely terrible. Not a big deal if you are a set and forget guy. I built a tool to build and import/export k7 lighting schedules. Noo-Psyche K7 Profile Generator | BeanAnimal's Reef

It is somewhat obvious that component substitutions or board revisions are not published, so who knows what hardware you actually have inside the thing. Lately there are people reporting that settings will not save on brand new fixtures and the fix appears to be board replacement. There was an issue many months ago where buttons were not working so buttons and the carrier card were mailed out. Warranty "service" is DIY diagnosis and repair... they mail the parts, not a new light even for new DOA or malfunctioning units. The "diagnosis" part is cumbersome given their 48-72 or longer response times and the Shenzhen Support Shuffle where it takes 10-15 email back and forth iterations (with days between each) to get anything done.

Absolutely great lights if everything works out of the box and you have a bit of patience with the wifi and app. A nightmare if you have a hardware problem. Not that GHL support is stellar either....
 
Apologies, yes I meant distributor in the US. Thank you for the correction :)
 
OldReefGuy said:
You might want to take a look at these....I just got the X300w version and those are awesome! (and only $660).
The smaller 200w is on close-out also!
www.coralvue.com

Maxspect Razor X 200w LED Lighting Fixture (CLOSEOUT)

Limitless Spectral Combinations to Fit Your Tank’s Needs Effective Coverage: 48in x 22in | Maximum Coverage: 50in x 26inDimensions: 33in x 10.2in x 1.25in (LxWxH) | Suited for tanks: 32.5in - 47in
www.coralvue.com www.coralvue.com
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Thanks for the link. I just picked up two of these for a 72" tank. Did you get a controller? They don't make the ICV6 anymore and nobody has it in stock, including Ebay.
The Gyre XF300 wavemaker controller is marketed as able to work with Maxspect compatible equipment, including lights. Does anyone know if this compatibility includes the Razor-X lights?
 
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zeeter said:
Thanks for the link. I just picked up two of these for a 72" tank. Did you get a controller? They don't make the ICV6 anymore and nobody has it in stock, including Ebay.
The Gyre XF300 wavemaker controller is marketed as able to work with Maxspect compatible equipment, including lights. Does anyone know if this compatibility includes the Razor-X lights?
Click to expand...
Picked up a ICV6 from a local reefer here . There is another one for sale on another forum.....PM me
 
OldReefGuy said:
Picked up a ICV6 from a local reefer here . There is another one for sale on another forum.....PM me
Click to expand...
I purchased a Maxspect wavemaker that comes with an XF300 Advanced Cloud Controller. That controller claims in its marketing to be able to control compatible Maxspect lighting. I'm going to see how that goes before buying the IVC6.
The guy at Saltwater Aquarium says that they discontinued the IVC6 and it is likely that the new controller takes its place.
 
I had read the new controller was only for the gyre's, which initiated my search for the ICV6 unit....LMK if it works....
 
zeeter said:
Thanks for the link. I just picked up two of these for a 72" tank. Did you get a controller? They don't make the ICV6 anymore and nobody has it in stock, including Ebay.
The Gyre XF300 wavemaker controller is marketed as able to work with Maxspect compatible equipment, including lights. Does anyone know if this compatibility includes the Razor-X lights?
Click to expand...
How you like the lights? I just set it on pre-set #3 and its all forgotten about now...just let it do its things. Corals seem to like it.....
 
OldReefGuy said:
How you like the lights? I just set it on pre-set #3 and its all forgotten about now...just let it do its things. Corals seem to like it.....
Click to expand...
They'll get here today. I don't even have my tank yet. Waiting for Glass Cages to finish building it. Currently I have a cycle running in a stock tank in the basement to get a running start when the tank arrives.
 
i run a couple Noopsyche K7 pros off the ends of my rack. i have a mitras running center and the noopsyche's compliment it well. i have a 75 DT and if i shut down the mitras i still have plenty of coverage with just the Noops off the ends. I try to stay away from Chinese products as much as i can but it is very hard these days due to price and availability. Also the Noopsyche app works well off my cell. a little time consuming to make tweaks to the schedule but overall pleased with purchase. Good support too!
Screenshot_20230506_183633_Lorex Home.jpg
 
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