reefbreeders photon V2 is OUT...reviews here.
- Thread starter Devaji108
- Start date
I just s/w Logan @ reefbreeders....there are plans now to make the steps every 6 minutes....still enter it by the hour, but it will change every 6 minutes. This may be available sometime within the next few months. If you already have a fixture without this upgrade reefbreeders will offer an upgrade for older light fixtures @ an extra cost.
Now we're talking !!!!!!!
Ron Reefman
Active member
Yes, and I don't find it an issue at all. If I happen to be looking at the tank at the top of the hour I can see it change. Not a big deal and I'll guarantee you the fish and corals couldn't care less. I think of it like having a clock that chimes on the hour, it's just the lights do it really quietly! :beer:
youcallmenny
Member
Ron, how did you mount this LED and can you show us a FTS with it on and off? I'm interested in one of these for my 48" V2.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Photos of mounting:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=25118441&postcount=205
and FTS's:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=25113450&postcount=193
There is discussion and more info in my full tank build thread. Link address is in my signature below.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Thanks. I'm really happy with the way it looks. The front is bright but still has shimmer and the back is quite blue and the back glass wall corals fluoresce some even at midday light! And it looks better in person than it does in photos. The blue light just doesn't register well in photos.
I hope to improve the legs and how the led strips are mounted. I'm considering trying to move them up about as high as the Photon and attached to (or resting on) the Photon legs. I want these to be further away from the Photon than the new Reef Breeders LumenBars allow (especially the front one). Having the led strip way to the front has reduced the shadows under rocks almost as much as adding a t5 and with lots of other advantages (dimmers, 2 channels so color control...).
twood68
New member
I am looking to upgrade my lighting on my 125g and am considering the Photon V2. The tank is 72" long and has 2 cross braces. The braces create three separate openings. I currently have 3 Chinese Black Box LED fixtures. One over each opening. I know I would need more than one Photon V2, but not sure which size. The Reef Breeders web site says 2 Photon 32-V2s will work over a 6ft tank, but my concern is shadows from the cross braces. Any suggestions for which size?
Also, I have a canopy over my tank, so the mounting height will be restricted to about 8" above the water. Will this be too low?
Also, I have a canopy over my tank, so the mounting height will be restricted to about 8" above the water. Will this be too low?
McPuff
New member
It seems that the clusters would allow for minimal interaction between light and the frame. That's my guess though as it's hard to know exactly how the clusters will be positioned over your tank. But I do wonder the same thing as my 300DD also has 2 cross braces.
Ideally, I'd get 3 of the 24" fixtures and it would only be $50 more than getting 2 of the 32" fixtures. Perhaps you could consider 3 of the 16" fixtures? Then you don't have to worry about any shading and you'd end up with more light/better coverage and for only $20 more than 2 of the 32" fixtures.
Ron Reefman
Active member
And one other advantage of having 3 fixtures is that if one has an issue, the other two can still do the job of keeping everything in the tank alive while you tend to a damaged fixture. That's not as easy with just two 32" fixtures.
BTW twoods68, how wide are the braces? Unless they are quite wide, shadows under array style leds (most of the black box fixtures... including the Photon V2 which is a very nice, high end, good looking version of a black box fixture) is MUCH less of an issue than under fixtures that are pendants or those using a puck or two as point light source (Radions, AI...)
twood68
New member
I don't know how I missed the Photon 16-V2. :headwally: I think because I am trying to decide between the Photon and the Aquasanrise, and got the two mixed up. The Aquasanrise doesn't have a 16" version.
I agree that 3 fixtures would be better. That is what I have now. 3 16" black box fixtures. The braces are about 2 1/2" wide. The openings are about 21 1/2" wide, which is a little smaller than the Photon 24-V2. However, I think it would still fit. Now I just have to decide between the Photon V2 and the Aquasanrise. I have an Aquasanrise Nano light on my 12g and love it.
I was looking at upgrading my current lights, (Reeftech...3 channels all Cree LED's but only cool white, royal blue and blue, each fixture has 60 3 watt LEDs) and was considering the new Mitras LX7206's....I would need 4 @ $750 each, (total of $3000)....pretty hefty price tag. My other consideration was waiting for the Photon V2 upgrade (programmability every 6 minutes) and picking up either two 32 V2's or possibly four of them. My problem with this is if I purchased 4 of them then I would be spending $2K ....and if I'm going to spend that kind of money would I be better off just going for broke and purchasing the Mitras....I don't want to spend $2K and be disappointed. I may just go with two V2's and continue supplementing them with my 4 x 80 watt T5's that I have now around my existing LED fixtures. It's a lot of money.....
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Ron Reefman
Active member
Where did you hear that the Photon V2 would be upgraded to being programmed every 6 minutes?
I think that's a bad rumor to start. It already takes time to program every hour and that's fine by me.
Ron.....I posted that here last month...it's NOT a rumor....I heard it directly from reefbreeders/Logan. He will offer an update for existing fixtures at a cost....but that would be your choice...the new fixtures will come with the upgrade. Just because the AVAILABILITY to program changes every 6 minutes for each of the 6 channels is there doesn't mean you have to program it that way. Personally, I like having that option but....to each his own!!!
Ron Reefman
Active member
I don't know about any other specifics other than the capability to program changes every 6 minutes. The GHL Mitras Lx7206 has 4000 dimming levels. I currently have Reeftech LED fixtures, only 3 colors/channels, but I can program each channel for every minute of the day if I chose to do so. In reality the most programming comes when you ramp up and then ramp down....once you set your highpoint you really don't touch the settings until sunset kicks in so....it's not that bad. In all probability you are NOT going to use all 4000 or 1440 data points. Besides, as I stated earlier you don't have to utilize this feature...Personally I prefer the option to be able to do what I want rather than being limited...but that's just my opinion.
Quick question... I've finally settled on the E.G. IT5012 for my reef... after much deliberation.
Tank is 8'3" long, 30" back to front and 30" deep (actual water depth is 24" once sand and gap below bracing is taken into account)
Will I need just the two IT5012 units or for full coverage am I better off with 4, ie 2 banks of 2 side by side?
Cheers.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Tank is 8'3" long, 30" back to front and 30" deep (actual water depth is 24" once sand and gap below bracing is taken into account)
Will I need just the two IT5012 units or for full coverage am I better off with 4, ie 2 banks of 2 side by side?
Cheers.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Ron Reefman
Active member
It depends on what you plan to do in the tank (i.e. type of coral and rockscape).
Lots of sps corals all over the place, then I'd go with 4.
If you rockscape up the back wall rather than islands with space between the rock and the back wall, I'd do 4.
If you do islands and keep corals a bit away from the front glass and back wall, 2 is probably enough.
Here's an alturnative idea. Rather than going all out and doing 4 fixtures (if you have the budget, it's an excellent idea), have you considered just doing led strips or t5 to supplement at the front or front and back?
I use the 50" Photon version of your fixture (and I love it). But my rockscape is a slope up the back wall and I have sps coral from very close to the front glass to 3/4's of the way up the back glass (24" front to back but only 16" deep). I added a blue & white led strip at the front (with dimmers for each channel) and all blue led strip at the back. It added to my PAR, gave me better front to back coverage, reduced shadows and actually makes the tank look a bit deeper from front to back with the back being more blue than the front.
Photos don't do it justice, but there are some in my build thread. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017
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