Seeking light advice

A

AzGuido

New member
I am seeking advice on what light I should buy. I have a 65 gallon tank and need to upgrade the light ASAP so that I can start mixing in corals and anemones moving to a mixed reef vs just fish.

The tank measurements are 36"L x 18"W x 25"H. I really like the features of Ecotech Radion Gen 3 but am not sure that I am prepared to invest $1500.00 in two (2) units that I will need to supply the light for the tank. Any suggestions on what else is available that is programmable and will have moon lighting as well? I am told that buying the EcoRadion's would be the best but I am just breaking aback into reef keeping after some 15 years out of it and lots has changed.

Appreciate any and all advice.
 
Get a Radion Gen 2. No UV and less intensity but I don't know many people that run any Radion at 100%. $549 a piece. Dont forget you can get the TIR lens which give a 3x3 footprint and the new Wide Angel give a 4x4 footprint.
 
You can get some panorama pro and mount them yourself on timers and buy a separate moon light led..... unless you are doing some serious sps you dont need the other fixtures
 
Here are a couple crappy snapbucket pics right now of my panorama pros

Here is just the blues pic does no justice
<a href="http://s217.photobucket.com/user/briankmarsh1980/media/Snapbucket/484F4D51-orig_zpsdaf9f32a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc262/briankmarsh1980/Snapbucket/484F4D51-orig_zpsdaf9f32a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 484F4D51-orig_zpsdaf9f32a.jpg"/></a>
and with all the lights
<a href="http://s217.photobucket.com/user/briankmarsh1980/media/Snapbucket/D1F1211F-orig_zps65bb4389.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc262/briankmarsh1980/Snapbucket/D1F1211F-orig_zps65bb4389.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo D1F1211F-orig_zps65bb4389.jpg"/></a>
I could grow just about anything sorry about the crappy pics
Could show the moon lights it was to dark. But everything is on timers so I just set it and forget it..... unless I take late night pics lol
 
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IMO, get a cpl 165w chinese units on amazon or ebay and then spend the leftover on a controller and/or timers.

I am not bad talking the radions or reef breeders in any way, Im sure they are great....but 5-600 a unit compared to 135 shipped for an aquamana.....Besides the programability Im not seeing what they have over the black box units. And considering the difference of 270 for 2 units to 1000-1500 for 2 of the brand names....could use the extra 800 on a nice controller.

edit: Here is the unit I got and then I took out the 90* lenses so they now put out light at 120*, lights a 46g bowfront perfectly.
http://www.amazon.com/AQUAMANA-LED-...8&qid=1400095103&sr=8-6&keywords=aquarium+led
 
I have a Malibu S300 (LEDzeal) on my 55" tank. I am sure you can get a better deal with shorter models. For my 48", the pricing is more decent than reefbreeders. However, with international shipping, it costs basically the same.

I like the fact that mine is dimmable/programmable. You can have up to four zones in each of the clusters. You can customize the color temperatures (they have three types of blues and two types of white (10K & 14K). Also, you can program it with 8 photo periods for each of the zones, giving it unlimited combinations. Another plus would be the LEDs are spaced further apart, unlike on many fixtures, where they are clustered so tightly together. You can also customize the optic lenses: 120, 90, and 60 (for each of the colors) [Yes, you heard me correctly; you can designate a different angle for each of the colors.]

Our sister RC club in Miami has a thread going about this light: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2338097
Last time I checked, they are at post #793!

The programming is very easy. I wouldn't recommend the remote control, though, as I have not even touched it. I like the manual better. Also, don't overdo it with the reds, as the reds drown out the blues, which give it a red-purple appearance. I read some where recently that the red LEDs inhibit the photosynthesis and growth of SPS. (This is totally different than what I've learned in the past, as some of us use red LEDs to light our refugiums.)
 
Have reefbreeders photon 48 also for 9 months now and have been very pleased with it so far. Its programable to 1 hour or 1/2 hour increments so easy to simulate sunrise to noon to sunset.
 
In case anyone didn't know, you can control DIY LED drivers with Apex for sunrise/set based on seasons.. All the programming stays in the controller and cheap.
 
I'm building my own light. I'm taking a 6x39w ati power module and removing the 2 center bulbs. I'll have 4 clusters of LEDs along with the option to run 2 or 4 of the remaining t5s. I'll have full control over the LEDs including storm features and Geo location possibilities. Ati's led power module runs approx $1500 for the 36" and I'll have approximately $700-800 into mine and my light will out do the ATI unit in both power, spectrum, and control.
 
+1 having messed with Halide, t5, and LED.. The t5 definitely rounds out LED's for a great combo. I like that it toned down the glitter effect some.
 
Exactly. I have had better success with t5 but miss the extra pop that the LEDs gave me. So why not have the best of both worlds.
 
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