JZinCO
New member
Hey everyone. I am eventually upgrading my 125g (72 x 18 x 22ish ) to a 270g (72 x 24 x 36). The 270g will have seagrasses though, so the actual water depth will range from 24 to 34" (not sure yet). Currently I have four 165w marsaqua units but I'll be wanting to upgrade. I value multichannel control and programmability. This tank will be a biotope as well so being able to replicate day/moonlight cycles of a specific lat/long will be a small benefit, though not a requirement. My ideal color temp is somewhere between 7K and 10K. For example, the marsaquas are set at 70% white, 20% blue right now. Consider this photo: https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtoA55F4Te8/U-O6gz4o0cI/AAAAAAAAR4k/HltBm5a-ueo/s1600/coral+reef+light.jpg
I'm not the cram everything wall to wall type of reefer. I like ~50% cover of rock and sand.
My ideal budget is $1000, though even this is a challenge. I considered 3 hydra twentysix, 3 radion xr15w pro, 3 Euroquatics Angel, or 3 Rapid Led Corona (I considered other companies but rejected those). Since these are roughly the same tier of lights, I think the latter two are the best (most control). As I was thinking however, it seemed the only way to stay under budget was to get the 180 gallon DIY kit from Rapid Led and couple that with a Bluefish controller. Attached is the conversation from Rapid. I didn't ask if I could publish it, but seeing as how great their customer support is, this could only be seen in a positive light.
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Me: How many Corona units would you recommend? 3? How does that compare (PAR, wattage, light spread) compare against the 180 gallon DIY kit?
On another note, it looks like all controllability of the Corona depends on the Fishbit app. I'm concerned about that company based on responses of their initial backers and others who made pre-orders and have waited years with little communication. Is there anything to reassure me? Will Rapid Led help Corona owners if transition to another controller/app is required?
Rapid: I'd go with 3 units on a 6' tank, 2 if you really need to budget wise but 3 is ideal. It's going to be very similar to the 180g kit, benefits being ease of assembly, better looking (way less wires) and built-in wifi.
I understand the concern with Fishbit, and they would readily admit they haven't handled their Kickstarter/pre-order situation that well. That is a hardware issue they were having with manufacturers but on the software side (which is where they're helping us) it's been good. They've been very responsive to any app or connectivity issue that our customers have had with the Corona and we haven't had any issue with them. We definitely won't leave people in the code if something does happen with Fishbit, we've discussed this with them prior to beginning the project and have been reassured that our users would always be taken care of regardless of what happens to them.
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So what are your thoughts? Anyone here have experience with Rapid LED units? I'm pretty sold on Rapid LED. McPuff, on the forum, told me they would recommend 4 Corona units ($1500 yikes!). I could get a quote for a custom DIY kit to upgrade from 3 to 4 units, but whatever choice I make is likely to start with 3 and see if a fourth is warranted. My guess is 4 units would come in around $1200.
I'm not the cram everything wall to wall type of reefer. I like ~50% cover of rock and sand.
My ideal budget is $1000, though even this is a challenge. I considered 3 hydra twentysix, 3 radion xr15w pro, 3 Euroquatics Angel, or 3 Rapid Led Corona (I considered other companies but rejected those). Since these are roughly the same tier of lights, I think the latter two are the best (most control). As I was thinking however, it seemed the only way to stay under budget was to get the 180 gallon DIY kit from Rapid Led and couple that with a Bluefish controller. Attached is the conversation from Rapid. I didn't ask if I could publish it, but seeing as how great their customer support is, this could only be seen in a positive light.
---
Me: How many Corona units would you recommend? 3? How does that compare (PAR, wattage, light spread) compare against the 180 gallon DIY kit?
On another note, it looks like all controllability of the Corona depends on the Fishbit app. I'm concerned about that company based on responses of their initial backers and others who made pre-orders and have waited years with little communication. Is there anything to reassure me? Will Rapid Led help Corona owners if transition to another controller/app is required?
Rapid: I'd go with 3 units on a 6' tank, 2 if you really need to budget wise but 3 is ideal. It's going to be very similar to the 180g kit, benefits being ease of assembly, better looking (way less wires) and built-in wifi.
I understand the concern with Fishbit, and they would readily admit they haven't handled their Kickstarter/pre-order situation that well. That is a hardware issue they were having with manufacturers but on the software side (which is where they're helping us) it's been good. They've been very responsive to any app or connectivity issue that our customers have had with the Corona and we haven't had any issue with them. We definitely won't leave people in the code if something does happen with Fishbit, we've discussed this with them prior to beginning the project and have been reassured that our users would always be taken care of regardless of what happens to them.
---
So what are your thoughts? Anyone here have experience with Rapid LED units? I'm pretty sold on Rapid LED. McPuff, on the forum, told me they would recommend 4 Corona units ($1500 yikes!). I could get a quote for a custom DIY kit to upgrade from 3 to 4 units, but whatever choice I make is likely to start with 3 and see if a fourth is warranted. My guess is 4 units would come in around $1200.
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