120gal lighting

Keith_hay1 · Mar 25, 2020

About to switch from a 54gal corner tank to a 120gal 48x24x24. I’ve been l have been looking around and searching to try to find some really good led lighting but on a bit of a budget. I really like the new AI Prime 16hd. Just don’t know how many I would need. Looking to put primarily lps and softies into the tank and maybe a couple lps but I’m not jumping right into it. I was hoping that I could get away with 3 of the AI Primes for a while and add some more as time goes on. Any advice on this would be great. Thanks

Bpb · Mar 25, 2020

3 primes for softies would be fine. Just make sure you mount them high enough and have the intensity up.

Uncle99 · Mar 25, 2020

Two 165w Visparspectra on my 48”

Keith_hay1 · Mar 25, 2020

Bpb said:
3 primes for softies would be fine. Just make sure you mount them high enough and have the intensity up.

thanks. How high would you mount them off the water? 10 inches or so

Bpb · Mar 25, 2020

That ought to be fine

Keith_hay1 · Mar 25, 2020

Uncle99 said:
Two 165w Visparspectra on my 48”

how do you find those lights for being able to setting different light cycles throughout the day

Keith_hay1 · Mar 25, 2020

Bpb said:
That ought to be fine

Thanks so much.

cvrle1 · Mar 25, 2020

Keith_hay1 said:
how do you find those lights for being able to setting different light cycles throughout the day

They cant do different light cycles, like ramp up ramp down, moon light and so on, but thats not an issue at all. All those features wont grow corals any better or worse, they are for your enjoyment only. People get hung up on all these details and think they are mandatory, but forget that MH and T5s, which have been around for ages, never had any of these features. it was just on and off. And man, even to this day when it comes to color and growth they cant be beat.

Keith_hay1 · Mar 25, 2020

cvrle1 said:
They cant do different light cycles, like ramp up ramp down, moon light and so on, but thats not an issue at all. All those features wont grow corals any better or worse, they are for your enjoyment only. People get hung up on all these details and think they are mandatory, but forget that MH and T5s, which have been around for ages, never had any of these features. it was just on and off. And man, even to this day when it comes to color and growth they cant be beat.

Thanks. I have a mars aqua light on my 54 now and seems to work good. I’m just not very fond on the lack of adjustability.

cvrle1 · Mar 25, 2020

Keith_hay1 said:
Thanks. I have a mars aqua light on my 54 now and seems to work good. I’m just not very fond on the lack of adjustability.

Thats fair enough. since you hav MA units, Viparspectra is 99% same, with exception of having built in timers for 2 channels. They also have a bit of a different spectrum, but those are just minor details.

Keith_hay1 · Mar 25, 2020

cvrle1 said:
Thats fair enough. since you hav MA units, Viparspectra is 99% same, with exception of having built in timers for 2 channels. They also have a bit of a different spectrum, but those are just minor details.

Thanks I appreciate the info