Convince me to keep my lights!

[fishybizzness]

So, I'm currently running 2 ocean revives on my 55 gallon, 48x13x21". I also have a 120 that I set up a little over 4 months ago. I am going to be transferring all the livestock (except the surgeon fish. Its going in the 120), and all the coral and most of the rock to a 50 cube, 24x24x20". My dilemma is that I am thinking about replacing the lighting with a kessil or other light. I actually don't plan on adding any more coral but all the flashy advertising has been tempting me to upgrade. Please convince me that I really don't need new lights... or try to convince me that I do...

 

[Cory]

Ive had every older kessil. 160, 360 and now an ap700.

What do you expect from the light? It wont grow coral better than what you have imo. It will provide good shimmer, not the ap 700 though, the lights more washed looking.

 

[fishybizzness]

I'm just trying to find out if there are any real benefits with the newer LEDs. I may eventually try a few sps and I'm just wondering if I would be more successful using the newer lights with more control of intensity of each color vs just having 2 controls with the ocean revives, one for whites and the other for everything else.. I've been watching videos and reading up on different settings for several of the newer lights and it seems like its beneficial to adjust each color intensity separately. I just wanted to get opinions from each side regarding how much success people have had. As always. Thanks for the responses!!

 

[Thaxxx]

I think you might be getting bored.
Before getting any new lights,why not finish your 120 set up with your current lights to see how it works out. Get a couple sps and see how they do with your current lights.
I know that's not probably what you wanted to hear. Sounds like your ready to switch.

 

[fishybizzness]

I think you might be getting bored.
Before getting any new lights,why not finish your 120 set up with your current lights to see how it works out. Get a couple sps and see how they do with your current lights.
I know that's not probably what you wanted to hear. Sounds like your ready to switch.

I'm one of those reefers that enjoys the build as much as the completed product! I'm actually not ready to switch unless there are actual solid benefits to switching. I don't mind spending the money if it's going to benefit the tank and the inhabitants in a measurable way. When I started my 55 almost 4 years ago, it was mainly because I wanted to see if the hobby was something that I could do long term. At this point, I'm definitely hooked! I am changing to a 50 cube because the silicone on the 55 is pretty beat up and the glass has multiple scratches due to my cleaning learning curve. The 120 that I set up is in the space that the 55 was in and the 55 is currently in an area behind the 120 because it can't fit anywhere else. I have a corner in my dining room that the 50 cube will fit perfectly. I want to move it out where I can enjoy it more and not have it hidden away from view! I am running redsea reef LEDs on my 120 but they are a little too much on the blue side by themselves so I will be adding a t5 hybrid at a later time when I start adding coral to hopefully even out the look.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Gotta pay to play. Get some Hydra 32s. Love mine.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

You do you, man. Only you can make up your mind.

 

[RJKain-777]

If your contemplating it, you obviously want it. So get it.

 

[Katrina71]

Keep your lights. Lots of heavy hitter reefers going retro on here.

 

[Cory]

I'm just trying to find out if there are any real benefits with the newer LEDs. I may eventually try a few sps and I'm just wondering if I would be more successful using the newer lights with more control of intensity of each color vs just having 2 controls with the ocean revives, one for whites and the other for everything else.. I've been watching videos and reading up on different settings for several of the newer lights and it seems like its beneficial to adjust each color intensity separately. I just wanted to get opinions from each side regarding how much success people have had. As always. Thanks for the responses!!

Once i set the kessil ap 700s color that i liked, it hasnt changed in a year. The only thing i thought was important was dusk to dawn effect. But then i was mad after i found out it shuts off at 10% intensity and not dim like 1%. Apparently the new 900x fixed this..

 

[fishybizzness]

I'm definitely leaning strongly towards keeping the ocean revives. For anyone running them, do you have any photos of your reef that you would like to share?

 

[cvrle1]

I'm definitely leaning strongly towards keeping the ocean revives. For anyone running them, do you have any photos of your reef that you would like to share?

Might be easiest to do this search in google, and go to the Images. You will get a lot of photos of them: ocean revive site:reef2reef.com

With that said, if you really want to change something for the sake of change, did you think about adding T5s to your current lights. That may be enough to scratch the itch and would be more beneficial than just straight up replacing your lights (and much cheaper a well) Only reason I would change from OR is if LEDs burned out and you dont want to muck around with replacing them. As was said already, if it works dont mess with it.

 

[secret_reefer337]

Keep your light, I used to have it and it grows sps well.

 

[fishybizzness]

Keep your light, I used to have it and it grows sps well.

Thanks for the positive reply!

 

[Snoopy 67]

Had a friend with a 90, he could grow anything with his Ocean Revives.

 

[fishybizzness]

I'm liking what I'm hearing about ocean revives! I think that i will be spending some money on a par meter to get both tanks dialed in. I think that part of the problem is that I have been just going by what looks good and winging it as far as intensity goes! I feel that I need to take the lighting of my tanks to the next level and dialing in the par will help me to get there.

 

[fishybizzness]

Had a friend with a 90, he could grow anything with his Ocean Revives.

Your response makes me feel better about keeping the ocean revives! If I can keep getting responses like yours it will definitely make my decision easy!

 

[cvrle1]

I'm liking what I'm hearing about ocean revives! I think that i will be spending some money on a par meter to get both tanks dialed in. I think that part of the problem is that I have been just going by what looks good and winging it as far as intensity goes! I feel that I need to take the lighting of my tanks to the next level and dialing in the par will help me to get there.

Another thing you can do is actually rent a meter for a week from BRS. After you set your lights up, par meter isnt really used again until you replace lights, make big changes to the existing ones or if you want to check how they function after several years of owning them. If you really want to buy one I would look into Seneye Reef. It is good par meter and cheaper than Apogee ones. Works just as well.

 

[Uncle99]

Corals acclimate to available light, so when changing lights, this does not always result in better.
If your corals look good and have been under your lights for at least 6 months, I would not make any changes.

I have been under CBB for going on 4 years, nothing wrong, so no changes.

 

[fishybizzness]

Another thing you can do is actually rent a meter for a week from BRS. After you set your lights up, par meter isnt really used again until you replace lights, make big changes to the existing ones or if you want to check how they function after several years of owning them. If you really want to buy one I would look into Seneye Reef. It is good par meter and cheaper than Apogee ones. Works just as well.

I live in the Caribbean so I can't rent one because no company rents outside the continental us. I'll just have to suck it up and buy one or just keep guessing the intensity