180 gallon aggressive tank lighting

[wes_slavens]

So I am in the process of moving my agressive fish from a 55 gallon to a 180. I am having a hard time deciding on what kind of lighting to use. I don't want to spend a fortune on them but I would like to keep a couple corals ( anenome, maybe a couple other lps). I would like led and at least dimmable, but prefer programmable. I've been looking at this one, does any have any opinions or experience with this one?

 

[gacolt]

I would get tthe cheap black box led fixtures x3 should be fine.and shouldn't cost over 200 bucks

 

[Kershaw]

Don't see you have any issue with some lps. But a NEM night not like it.

 

[mcarroll]

There are better options from reputable makers that are in your price range.

Can you tell me what your local stores carry?

 

[wes_slavens]

What other brands would you suggest. My lfs doesn't really have any lights and the other one nearby can order pretty much whatever I ask him to, just don't really know what to look for. I have looked and some of the Chinese boxes just didn't know which ones would actually work

 

[wes_slavens]

Can you get programmable black box leds?

 

[mcarroll]

Well, first, it's very likely you'd need from three to five of those eBay units to get up to normal reefkeeping levels.

If you're keeping coral, then you pretty much forget about all of the cheapest lights you will find - those are all for fish-only tanks, or low-light planted freshwater tanks. Not to say they can't be made to work, but what can't?

Can you consider building it yourself, if the build process it much easier than usual?

Check this out to see if it looks understandable and liek something you'd want to try...this and the too-cheap-to-fail $cost was the main appeal of this DIY to me.
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/267432-gu10-led-build-thread-chinese-ebay-lights/

 

[wes_slavens]

Well, first, it's very likely you'd need from three to five of those eBay units to get up to normal reefkeeping levels.

If you're keeping coral, then you pretty much forget about all of the cheapest lights you will find - those are all for fish-only tanks, or low-light planted freshwater tanks. Not to say they can't be made to work, but what can't?

Can you consider building it yourself, if the build process it much easier than usual?

Check this out to see if it looks understandable and liek something you'd want to try...this and the too-cheap-to-fail $cost was the main appeal of this DIY to me.
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/267432-gu10-led-build-thread-chinese-ebay-lights/

Well I'm not very inclined in that department, I would be better off buying a light.

 

[mcarroll]

Do you have a set budget?

As a starting point I would check out current USA's page for their orbit marine PRO 72 inch model probably the dual. Tell me what you think.

 

[wes_slavens]

Do you have a set budget?

As a starting point I would check out current USA's page for their orbit marine PRO 72 inch model probably the dual. Tell me what you think.

I would really like to stay around $300 for this set up. I have a 75g that I will be setting up for more of a reef set up but this one is mainly fish. I would like an anenome and maybe a hammer or frogspawn that's about it. I'm in the middle of planning a wedding and my fiance would have a cow if I spent that much on light for my tank right now.

 

[mcarroll]

That's a tall order, even at China-shoebox price levels.

How about starting with a single Orbit Marine Pro to light the front of the tank, and then saving up for the second one later down the road? If you're stocking it slowly as you should, you'll have plenty of time before you have to mount any corals in the back.

Since you have the 75 already in the works (and it will be MUCH cheaper to light) I'd focus on having your coral fun there until the budget opens up again after the wedding....or search for a killer deal on some used lights. People trade up and over for different lights all the time, so it might not even take long. Great way to keep in a budget!!!

For reference, my gu10 link earlier is the cheapest lighting route I know of to this day - I've used several that I made and they do work. There are a few ways you can do a light like this for a 180, but you're still looking at spending around $350 on sockets and bulbs. It would probably take a few bucks more worth of wire/extension cords and some wire nuts, unless you have those around.

The only real trick for your as the builder is finding or making something cool to screw the sockets into. A stick of wood like a 1x2" hung over the tank works fine and can be finished how you like it, or left bare. Or they can even be installed in a respectably tall hood. People have even recycled old T5 fixtures and screwed gu10 sockets into place where the bubls would go.

For a commercial fixture (even cheap-from-china) on a tank with that surface area it will be at least 3x that cost or more I think.

 

[wes_slavens]

That's a tall order, even at China-shoebox price levels.

How about starting with a single Orbit Marine Pro to light the front of the tank, and then saving up for the second one later down the road? If you're stocking it slowly as you should, you'll have plenty of time before you have to mount any corals in the back.

Since you have the 75 already in the works (and it will be MUCH cheaper to light) I'd focus on having your coral fun there until the budget opens up again after the wedding....or search for a killer deal on some used lights. People trade up and over for different lights all the time, so it might not even take long. Great way to keep in a budget!!!

For reference, my gu10 link earlier is the cheapest lighting route I know of to this day - I've used several that I made and they do work. There are a few ways you can do a light like this for a 180, but you're still looking at spending around $350 on sockets and bulbs. It would probably take a few bucks more worth of wire/extension cords and some wire nuts, unless you have those around.

The only real trick for your as the builder is finding or making something cool to screw the sockets into. A stick of wood like a 1x2" hung over the tank works fine and can be finished how you like it, or left bare. Or they can even be installed in a respectably tall hood. People have even recycled old T5 fixtures and screwed gu10 sockets into place where the bubls would go.

For a commercial fixture (even cheap-from-china) on a tank with that surface area it will be at least 3x that cost or more I think.

How do you think 3 of the China boxes would do?

 

[mcarroll]

BTW, the "fanciest" gu10 light I've built so far....

Used parts harvested from a steel garage-shelving unit kit...can't remember if it's galvanized or stanless steel, but it's shiny and looks decent.

On the other hand, my "favorite" fixture so far is the simplest on by-far. A single 1x2" with the sockets screwed in down the side of it. It's anchored to a shelving unit that's on the side of the tank by a cheap home depot bookshelf bracket. Could not be simpler...no soldering.

If you can operate the twist-tie on a loaf of bread and play with legos, you should be able to build a gu10 light for your tank.

 

[wes_slavens]

BTW, the "fanciest" gu10 light I've built so far....

Used parts harvested from a steel garage-shelving unit kit...can't remember if it's galvanized or stanless steel, but it's shiny and looks decent.

On the other hand, my "favorite" fixture so far is the simplest on by-far. A single 1x2" with the sockets screwed in down the side of it. It's anchored to a shelving unit that's on the side of the tank by a cheap home depot bookshelf bracket. Could not be simpler...no soldering.

If you can operate the twist-tie on a loaf of bread and play with legos, you should be able to build a gu10 light for your tank.

I will look into it thank you for your help!

 

[mcarroll]

How do you think 3 of the China boxes would do?

Not enough spread even if it was enough watts... Usually they are 165 watts * 3 = 495 watts at 100%. That's a little over 40 watts per square foot, but it tends to come down like a laser beam due to the concentration of all the emitters into such a small light platform. They use 120º lenses to make up for some, but it's not a great solution...it's laser beam in the middle coupled with too-soft light on the sides.

The best way to use them is to have lots of units and run them at lower power. A) they burn up less fast, and B) you don't rely so much on their design. You essentially just cover your whole tank with emitters.

It's not how I'd do lights, but you can look around and see folks who've done it this way - it can work. It's un-coincidentally also how the best Radion and AI tanks are set up. They aren't getting away with the fewest fixtures - usually one for every 12"-18" of tank surface...one for every 24" would be on the minimal side. Exceptions are rare and have the whole aquascape planned around the spotlight format of the light in the tank.

I would plan on using 4-5 of them. (I would spend my money on something nicer, used....or build.)