What light fixture would you choose?

[AlexR]

It's honestly impossible to say without a PAR meter, but my overall observation with running LED lighting over 5+ years is that the intensity directly underneath a fixture mounted close to the water may well be a bit much for even high-light SPS corals. Having said that, the principle problem I've encountered is shadowing; unlike diffuse lighting such as T5HOs or Metal Halides in a large reflector, a lot of the light coming from a puck-type LED fixture is point-like and unidirectional, which is why I'm running twice to three times the number of Radions that would be minimally recommended by EcoTech.



If you choose to do this, you can actually rent a PAR meter from Bulk Reef Supply. Another thought would be a local club, many of which have members that will lend their PAR meter, or at least come over and check out a fellow member's tank.

Before I mounted the lights I tested different heights to get the best lighting spread between the 3 fixtures.
I'll ask around about a PAR meter. That would really be helpful to get it right.
I was a bit worried about the lights being this low but more due to the light intensity which is adjustable on these units and the heat coming from the lights.
So far heat from the lights has not been a factor.

The intensity by eye looks good. But without a PAR meter I'm just guessing and can be wrong.
I do have some zoas closer to the top of the tank.
I'll give it a week or so and see how they react.

 

[AlexR]

So if these lights I have now do not work out for me.

I really like these:

https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/photon-50-v2/

The Radions look amazing but the cost is just not worth it for me considering I would need at least 3 of them.

From a bit of research I've done on the reefbreeders light, it looks like this would work for me.

 

[Green Chromis]

So if these lights I have now do not work out for me.

I really like these:

https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/photon-50-v2/

The Radions look amazing but the cost is just not worth it for me considering I would need at least 3 of them.

From a bit of research I've done on the reefbreeders light, it looks like this would work for me.

:fish1: Hi, the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ lights are an excellent mid priced light, that will grow any type of Coral you can keep. I use one on my Fuge, and I love it, simple to program, very well built, high end Cree LED lights and components, with a 2 year warranty. :fish1:

 

[AlexR]

:fish1: Hi, the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ lights are an excellent mid priced light, that will grow any type of Coral you can keep. I use one on my Fuge, and I love it, simple to program, very well built, high end Cree LED lights and components, with a 2 year warranty. :fish1:

Sounds good to me. I suppose i will wait a little while to see how my cirrent lights hold up.

Worst case i may end up just getting the reefbreeder lights when they have their next sale. Maybe around 4th of July.

 

[mattgumaer]

Keep in mind that the Naso tang will get far too large for your tank in a big hurry - these are giant fish typically housed in very large tanks. Your powder blue tang should be OK with your tank's size.

Anyway, keep in mind that all of the particular brands that you've listed are chinese-made. That doesn't mean they aren't suitable for a reef tank, just that fit and finish, and perhaps longevity, is exchanged for a lower purchase price.

Looking at your lighting setup, I'd recommend raising the lights significantly. The achilles' heel of all puck-type LED fixtures is lighting intensity spread and shadowing; the area immediately under the light gets very high PAR, but that falls off very quickly when not immediately under the light. One solution is to raise the lights significantly off of the tank's water surface, which increases the illuminated area at the cost of lower intensity under the lights. Another solution is to add more lights (which is, of course, more $$$).

To give you an example, I run a Radion XR30 and 2 Radion XR15s over a 2 foot by 2 foot 50 gallon tank. That's not because these lights lack intensity - they're more than enough to nuke every coral in the tank if run at 100% and close to the water's surface. Instead, I have this many lights over the tank, and mounted about 12" over the water surface specifically to provide an even light field that doesn't produce hard shadows under the corals that would cause tissue die-back and odd growth shapes.

I think this lighting advice is exactly right. With 'puck style' LEDs, hang them high or getting many more than the 'recommended' number to even out the lighting. I had 3 XR30s over a 180 and it 'looked good'. A par meter quickly revealed that there were huge par differences from directly under the pucks to the perimeter of the tank. I was scorching some corals at the same time others were starving for light. My solution on my 180 was to supplement with T-5s (4 5 foot t5s). I also set up a 60 gallon cube (2 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot) with 2 XR30s which also works well. I certainly don't need the intensity of 2 fixtures but, boy does it help creating even lighting.

I have 5 XR30s between two tanks, 3 of which were picked up pretty cheap used. If budget is an issue, I'd look at t5s, used or a hybrid LED/t5 setup. I would also try hard to find a par meter to borrow. Your eyes (or at least mine) are definitely not good at determining lighting intensity.

Matt

 

[Joe0813]

gen 4 radion pros

 

[AlexR]

gen 4 radion pros

I love this hobby but there is a limit. These are the most expensive high end lights on the market. I suppose if I was single and had no responsibilities then this would be ok to do. Well ... that's not the case for me.

I see no need to spend so much when I can get a similar outcome from the reefbreeders v2 48" for a fraction of the cost of gen 4 radions.

 

[Joe0813]

I love this hobby but there is a limit. These are the most expensive high end lights on the market. I suppose if I was single and had no responsibilities then this would be ok to do. Well ... that's not the case for me.

I see no need to spend so much when I can get a similar outcome from the reefbreeders v2 48" for a fraction of the cost of gen 4 radions.

I've always gone by the "you get what you pay for." I love mine

 

[AlexR]

I've always gone by the "you get what you pay for." I love mine

I think the radion gen 4s are awesome. But I have a budget. I've just about fully decided on the reefbreeders. My Chinese puck lights kind of suck.
I'm not sure about the par readings since I don't have a meter but by eye it looks strong enough.
Yes the shadowing is an issue. But I don't have many corals to be effected by that yet.

The heat from the puck lights are almost so strong where I will require a chiller. And I really don't like the color from them. And the fan noise is really annoying.

So it's either stick with my current lights and get a 1/2hp chiller or get the reefbreeders light and don't get a chiller (for now).

 

[Joe0813]

I think the radion gen 4s are awesome. But I have a budget. I've just about fully decided on the reefbreeders. My Chinese puck lights kind of suck.
I'm not sure about the par readings since I don't have a meter but by eye it looks strong enough.
Yes the shadowing is an issue. But I don't have many corals to be effected by that yet.

The heat from the puck lights are almost so strong where I will require a chiller. And I really don't like the color from them. And the fan noise is really annoying.

So it's either stick with my current lights and get a 1/2hp chiller or get the reefbreeders light and don't get a chiller (for now).

What about a hybrid T5 fixture?

 

[AlexR]

What about a hybrid T5 fixture?

Do you have any suggestions?

 

[dkeller_nc]

I love this hobby but there is a limit. These are the most expensive high end lights on the market. I suppose if I was single and had no responsibilities then this would be ok to do. Well ... that's not the case for me.

I see no need to spend so much when I can get a similar outcome from the reefbreeders v2 48" for a fraction of the cost of gen 4 radions.

Actually, Radions are nowhere near the most expensive lights on the market. And the ReefBreeders lights are actually chinese-made. Nevertheless, the principal difference between these "black box" lights and something like a Radion with a diffuser is spectrum diffusion. Many call it the "disco effect", but it's caused by having different point sources for the different spectra with a good bit of distance between them.

If you look carefully at sand in the tank picture on Reefbreeder's page, you can see what this will look like. If that doesn't bother you, you will indeed save a few hundred with the Reefbreeders and similar black-box lights. Overall, many reefers seem to really hate this effect, and many could care less. But it's good to know ahead of time before dropping $700 on a fixture.

 

[AlexR]

Actually, Radions are nowhere near the most expensive lights on the market. And the ReefBreeders lights are actually chinese-made. Nevertheless, the principal difference between these "black box" lights and something like a Radion with a diffuser is spectrum diffusion. Many call it the "disco effect", but it's caused by having different point sources for the different spectra with a good bit of distance between them.



If you look carefully at sand in the tank picture on Reefbreeder's page, you can see what this will look like. If that doesn't bother you, you will indeed save a few hundred with the Reefbreeders and similar black-box lights. Overall, many reefers seem to really hate this effect, and many could care less. But it's good to know ahead of time before dropping $700 on a fixture.

Really? I could t find any more expensive. That's considering I would need 3 of them over my tank.

I'm definitely open to other suggestions, but needs to be within my budget with is under 1k.


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[dkeller_nc]

Personally, and for a tank that big and that budget, I would go T5HO. That will get you a really nice ATI fixture (either 6 bulb or 8 bulb), and still have $$ leftover for bulbs. And T5HO is bulletproof, just plug it in and grow coral, no shadowing, no spectrum adjustment guessing, no intensity adjustment guessing with a PAR meter, and no disco effect.

If your choice is LED, then unfortunately I think you're going to be stuck with the disco effect for that budget. If that doesn't bother you or you're willing to ignore it for the $$$ savings, then the chinese black box LED units make sense. Just a rough guess, but I think you'd have to raise your budget to around $2k if you want non-disco-effect LED lighting for full-tank coverage. For example, 4 Kessil A360X ($1800 + mounts), 4 Radion XR15W G4s ($1700 + mounts and diffusers), 2 Kessil AP700s ($1600 plus hanging kit), etc...

 

[AlexR]

Personally, and for a tank that big and that budget, I would go T5HO. That will get you a really nice ATI fixture (either 6 bulb or 8 bulb), and still have $$ leftover for bulbs. And T5HO is bulletproof, just plug it in and grow coral, no shadowing, no spectrum adjustment guessing, no intensity adjustment guessing with a PAR meter, and no disco effect.



If your choice is LED, then unfortunately I think you're going to be stuck with the disco effect for that budget. If that doesn't bother you or you're willing to ignore it for the $$$ savings, then the chinese black box LED units make sense. Just a rough guess, but I think you'd have to raise your budget to around $2k if you want non-disco-effect LED lighting for full-tank coverage. For example, 4 Kessil A360X ($1800 + mounts), 4 Radion XR15W G4s ($1700 + mounts and diffusers), 2 Kessil AP700s ($1600 plus hanging kit), etc...

Here is a picture with my current lights on. The shadowing is pretty obvious. But as you can see the tank is currently empty of coral and will stay that way until I get everything worked out.

And it's not a rush at all.

I think I would be ok with the disco light effect, as long as the corals look pretty and are healthy I don't think I'll even notice it.

 

[JTL]

I have been using the Reefbreeder's lights for a couple of years and have zero complaints. They look nice and have quality components, the fact they are made in China is of no concern to me. I could buy whatever I want and this turned out to be the best product for the money. They used to be a sponsor here but have moved their sponsorship elsewhere.

 

[Bpb]

What light fixture would you choose?

After briefly scrolling the thread I may have missed it being mentioned, but quality of light fixture is neither perfectly linear with price, nor is it any indication of algae growth or lack thereof honestly. Changing over to any other reef capable light is unlikely to impact your algae growth really at all. There's somewhat of a relationship of more light growing more algae faster, but even that is imperfect.

Many of the most nuisance type algae's people are plagued with can grow and thrive in little more than ambient room light. Algae is more a result of rocks being nutrient vessels for algae to liberate phosphate from despite a zero test reading, and a lack of appropriate herbivores based on what algaes are present. Just wanted to throw that out there. Cost of fixture will have virtually zero impact on whether it dominates the tank or if your tank is without a spec.

But onto your question. If you want an all in one, mid priced unit capable of growing a mixed reef for your tank size, that uses quality diodes with solid construction and a decent warranty, the reef breeders photon v2+ is a winner. T5"s would work also if you got a 60" ati sunpower 6 bulb fixture. It would cost around the same as the reef breeders

You get what you pay for is only true about half the time. I've seen black boxes go 5 years before having problems, and kessils and radions go belly up in less than 2. I've personally got a pair of jebao first generation WP pumps from 2013 still running currently, and had vortech and tunze powerheads fail within a year. I'd take my $200 eheim AC pump any day over a $600 vortech return pump, simply because data indicates they simply last longer and are more reliable. The price tag of modern gear is more reflective of software cost and brand marketing than quality of the guts. The components that really
Matter all made in Asian and Indonesian countries anyway, even on the ultra expensive domestic brands.


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[AlexR]

After briefly scrolling the thread I may have missed it being mentioned, but quality of light fixture is neither perfectly linear with price, nor is it any indication of algae growth or lack thereof honestly. Changing over to any other reef capable light is unlikely to impact your algae growth really at all. There's somewhat of a relationship of more light growing more algae faster, but even that is imperfect.

Many of the most nuisance type algae's people are plagued with can grow and thrive in little more than ambient room light. Algae is more a result of rocks being nutrient vessels for algae to liberate phosphate from despite a zero test reading, and a lack of appropriate herbivores based on what algaes are present. Just wanted to throw that out there. Cost of fixture will have virtually zero impact on whether it dominates the tank or if your tank is without a spec.

But onto your question. If you want an all in one, mid priced unit capable of growing a mixed reef for your tank size, that uses quality diodes with solid construction and a decent warranty, the reef breeders photon v2+ is a winner. T5"s would work also if you got a 60" ati sunpower 6 bulb fixture. It would cost around the same as the reef breeders


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Thank you.

I've just added a cleanup crew and a few algae eating fish just a couple weeks ago. It was going years without any.

In just 2 weeks I already see a significant difference. I'm now also running a phosban reactor and a biopellet reactor. Which I just setup.

I'm going to wait this out for a while. I have had one fish death (blonde naso) and the rest of the fish are eating great and look like they are thriving. Some fish have been in for 3 weeks and the others at 2 weeks now.
The powder brown tang is picking at the algae and also eats nori off the lettuce clip. The Cora beauty is helping a ton with random algae on rocks.
I'm sure the 250+ snails, crabs and emeralds are doing their part at night.

Maybe in a couple months I'll be ready to see what I should do about lighting. I will start with a few zoas to see how they react. Then move forward from there.

 

[Bpb]

Thank you.

I've just added a cleanup crew and a few algae eating fish just a couple weeks ago. It was going years without any.

In just 2 weeks I already see a significant difference. I'm now also running a phosban reactor and a biopellet reactor. Which I just setup.

I'm going to wait this out for a while. I have had one fish death (blonde naso) and the rest of the fish are eating great and look like they are thriving. Some fish have been in for 3 weeks and the others at 2 weeks now.
The powder brown tang is picking at the algae and also eats nori off the lettuce clip. The Cora beauty is helping a ton with random algae on rocks.
I'm sure the 250+ snails, crabs and emeralds are doing their part at night.

Maybe in a couple months I'll be ready to see what I should do about lighting. I will start with a few zoas to see how they react. Then move forward from there.

If it's bryopsis, just do a flucon treatment, but otherwise if you can get ahold of a couple common Florida pincushion urchins those will out work every crab, snail, and fish combined


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[AlexR]

If it's bryopsis, just do a flucon treatment, but otherwise if you can get ahold of a couple common Florida pincushion urchins those will out work every crab, snail, and fish combined


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To be honest I'm not sure what this is. But it is ugly and covers all the coraline encrusted rock.
Here is a closeup pic where it's worst.
I have some bubble algae mixed in there too.

Your right about the urchin. I need to look into getting one.