Best overall led fixture

[Murica]

I'm looking to go from t5 to led and wanted to know what the best overall led light fixture is (budget aside). I don't really know much about led fixtures and it appears there's a lot of mixed reviews out there. This includes penetration, color, WiFi ability... Or anything else you feel makes a fixture better than another.

It would really help if you include your top three or so.

Thank you!

 

[TheHarold]

Well, you can look at what professional acropora growers use- typically Radion XR30w Pros.

 

[link81]

radion, kessil and ai are the top three I think. but they're far from the only successful brands.

I was going to go with kessil's but ended up with a smoking deal on some radions.

 

[Murica]

Are leading led's that different from each other? Are they all similar with a few differences? Or do some truly stand out from the rest?

 

[AlainD]

Me too i’m in search for the best led but in my case for sps only tank and for now I think that I will go for Orphek V4 or Reefi extrem.

 

[jda]

There is no such thing as "best" - but you can probably find a best-for-you Some stores get sponsored and get free lights from EcoTech so that people will post what they do in threads like this, but the truth is that nobody knows what they would have chosen if they had to pay. If you got some for free, then they would indeed be the best for you.

Since you likely live in the real world, decide between pucks vs panels (shadows vs blending), if you will desire T5s some day (some do, some do not), then if you need the couch apps and thunderstorms. Once you get a handle on this, then your selection will be very much narrowed down for you.

 

[ca1ore]

Who knows! I've used trulumens, reefbreeders, Kessil and radions, with the latter as my favorite amongst the four. Doesn't make them the 'best' though. Plus, wait a bit and a whole new generation of lights appears which are marketed as the 'best' - regardless of whether they actually are or not. I've personally been intrigued with the ReeFi light, though intrigued has not yet progressed to buying.

 

[AlainD]

Who knows! I've used trulumens, reefbreeders, Kessil and radions, with the latter as my favorite amongst the four. Doesn't make them the 'best' though. Plus, wait a bit and a whole new generation of lights appears which are marketed as the 'best' - regardless of whether they actually are or not. I've personally been intrigued with the ReeFi light, though intrigued has not yet progressed to buying.

Ca1ore, when you said to wait for new generation, you make reference to ATI Straton and Philips or you heard about other rumors?

 

[Silent]

I think Orpheks are the best overall. You could always start a poll. Can never have enough of those lol.

 

[Tom Blevins]

Reefbreeders Photons for me.

 

[ca1ore]

Ca1ore, when you said to wait for new generation, you make reference to ATI Straton and Philips or you heard about other rumors?

I was talking conceptually, not with any specific advance knowledge. There's ALWAYS a new light just around the corner …..

 

[Bpb]

There is no single best. What you NEED to do is make a list something like this

Best in class for:

Build quality
Spectral blending
Power
Spectra options
Diode quality
Coverage
Spread
Aesthetic appeal
Price
Cooling
Longevity
Mass appeal (reviews/unite sold)
Warranty coverage
Service after the sale
Availability.

These are all factors to consider in a light

NO SINGLE FIXTURE will win every single category for anyone.

You need to personally decide what unit hits the most marks for you.

 

[Murica]

There is no single best. What you NEED to do is make a list something like this

Best in class for:

Build quality
Spectral blending
Power
Spectra options
Diode quality
Coverage
Spread
Aesthetic appeal
Price
Cooling
Longevity
Mass appeal (reviews/unite sold)
Warranty coverage
Service after the sale
Availability.

These are all factors to consider in a light

NO SINGLE FIXTURE will win every single category for anyone.

You need to personally decide what unit hits the most marks for you.

Let's use your list. Which fixtures have the best overall performance in all those categories.

I understand that everyone has different needs with their tanks, I'm just looking for which fixture has the best overall ratings. This is to give me an idea where to start looking.

 

[Dana Riddle]

Consider the size of your tank as well. Many of the LED fixtures on the market will deliver more than enough light which gives you leeway on height above the aquarium, which in turn can help with spectral blending. As for raw power, the Orphek Atlantik V4 is a beast and has the widest spectrum that I'm aware of. Some of the inexpensive products coming out of China (such as Noopysche) offer good performance at an economical price. ReeFi products offer easy programming.
I hope to add a Radion and perhaps another product to the testing list soon.

 

[oreo54]

Consider the size of your tank as well. Many of the LED fixtures on the market will deliver more than enough light which gives you leeway on height above the aquarium, which in turn can help with spectral blending. As for raw power, the Orphek Atlantik V4 is a beast and has the widest spectrum that I'm aware of. Some of the inexpensive products coming out of China (such as Noopysche) offer good performance at an economical price. ReeFi products offer easy programming.
I hope to add a Radion and perhaps another product to the testing list soon.

Think you need to add the Phillips to your list..IF they ever sell it in the US...
From a trust/design/quality factor/engineer aspect.. find little to not like about it.
From a DIY standpoint their diodes are hard to beat, though there are some arguments here and there..

Given enough light for your desired needs/wants/goals.. Pick any one that matches..

Nothing in life is perfect...

 

[oreo54]

Some stores get sponsored and get free lights from EcoTech so that people will post what they do in threads like this, but the truth is that nobody knows what they would have chosen if they had to pay.

Really need proof of that.
Yes I live in the real world and a light or 2 gratis would be sort of standard.
But a bank of 50?? No way.

Discount maybe but these companies aren't GM or any equiv scale where they can throw money away like the Fed gov..

and if their "crops" fail or are substandard.. free or not.. wouldn't be used..
FREE becomes expensive quite easily..
Granted, every business decision is a balancing act of competing needs..

 

[Oldreefer44]

Have had one version or another of most of the big names mentioned above. Agree that a lot depends on the dimensions of your tank and what you are trying to grow. Also agree that most work fine. Currently have the v4's that Dana mentions and wouldn't change.

 

[Rick5]

Really need proof of that.
Yes I live in the real world and a light or 2 gratis would be sort of standard.
But a bank of 50?? No way.

Discount maybe but these companies aren't GM or any equiv scale where they can throw money away like the Fed gov..

and if their "crops" fail or are substandard.. free or not.. wouldn't be used..
Granted, every business decision is a balancing act of competing needs..

Why is that inconceivable? It's a common practice in the retail sector, among many other sectors.

How many times have you heard people talking about Sanjay Joshi's or Mike Paletta's or Jon Copps' tanks and attempting to emulate portions of their systems?

 

[Dana Riddle]

Think you need to add the Phillips to your list..IF they ever sell it in the US...
From a trust/design/quality factor/engineer aspect.. find little to not like about it.
From a DIY standpoint their diodes are hard to beat, though there are some arguments here and there..

Given enough light for your desired needs/wants/goals.. Pick any one that matches..

Nothing in life is perfect...

I've heard Philips will bring their coral fixture to the US. I've also heard claims that it produces the best light for corals, but their test results differed from mine (possibly due to differences of zoox clade within the coral, which opens up a can of worms.) Tim Wijgerde and I discussed this after this article was published:

Effects of Different Spectra Generated by LEDs on Growth of the Stony Coral Porites lobata

Stony coral nubbins (tentatively identified as Porites lobata; see Figure 1) were exposed to light of the same intensity (128 µmolm²sec) but different spectra for 75 days. Growth rates were determined by weighing the fragments periodically with an analytical balance.

www.advancedaquarist.com

 

[Rick5]

@Murica - As others have recommended above, I encourage you to consider spread and the number of pucks/LED clusters as compared to your tank footprint.