Favorite "Black Box LED Light"

[glagunda]

I like all black box LEDs. Personally, I go for the wifi controlled. I have both Mars Aqua and Populargrow(wifi). I think they are all created equal. Best part about them, is the interchangeable parts, lenses and LEDs.

My old 20 gallon used the Mars Aqua for a year. Then switched to the populargrow.


The new tank has the popular grow here. (old old picture)


Switched out LED diodes and lenses here..



Since changing LEDs, I'm having bleaching issues. But, here is working progress.

How do you like the popular grow leds?

 

[reeferfoxx]

How do you like the popular grow leds?

Well, the led diodes are the same epistar 3 watt diodes found in any black box. However, the popular grow has more warm whites(3500k) compared to mars aqua 165w. For some reason I found that most(if not all) WiFi boxes(except for SB reef lights) have more warm white(3500k) diodes than the basic on/off boxes like Mars Aqua. So it's a weird trade off. If you are comfortable with a soldering iron and purchasing some new LEDs for a few bucks, I would consider the WiFi version with future modifications. Or for $100+ more go with the WiFi(ramping) SB Reef Light.

 

[glagunda]

Well, the led diodes are the same epistar 3 watt diodes found in any black box. However, the popular grow has more warm whites(3500k) compared to mars aqua 165w. For some reason I found that most(if not all) WiFi boxes(except for SB reef lights) have more warm white(3500k) diodes than the basic on/off boxes like Mars Aqua. So it's a weird trade off. If you are comfortable with a soldering iron and purchasing some new LEDs for a few bucks, I would consider the WiFi version with future modifications. Or for $100+ more go with the WiFi(ramping) SB Reef Light.

Thanks for the advise

 

[hybridazn]

Radions....

 

[reeferfoxx]

Radions....

I'm not a fan of the disco effect Though, I hear their new lenses helped that?

 

[ifarmer]

i like my ati powermodule/led black box. just got about 2 weeks and loving it thus far

 

[reeferfoxx]

i like my ati powermodule/led black box. just got about 2 weeks and loving it thus far

Is that a T5/LED hybrid setup?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I know that a lot of people shy away from the Chinese black box issue, but the more time I have with my mars aquas, the more I love them. Yes I pulled lenses from the edges of each light fixture to eliminate the slight shadowing I had at first, but since all is good.

Just had to say it. Not trying to persuade anyone to get them, just happy I and my corals got them.

 

[Maritimer]

I've been running a 300W, 30" MarsAqua over a 65 for about a year. Liked it enough to simply buy a second to hang over the 220 . . .

~Bruce

 

[Bpb]

Honestly. I'd pick one that pairs all blue and Violet on a single channel. Not all of them do that and to me that's an incredibly important feature to have. Certain black boxes will put the 470 and 420 nm diodes paired with the white green and red which isn't desirable. I'd prefer to be able to run those as hot as the royal blues. And be able to dial in just enough white/red/green to make the fish colors show. I know the sunspect black boxes have this design but I'm unsure of what others do

This enables you to closely mimic the AB+ program on the ecotech lights. Since the coral lab study was released I know dozens of people who have had phenomenal growth and color results using the AB+ program on radions and hydras. If a black box has all 450,460,470, and 420nm diodes paired to a single channel, and the whites, greens, reds on another, you can come close to mimicking the AB+ program on a black box in theory. Because it's such a well proven ratio of colors id basically insist any black box I purchased to have that layout

 

[reeferfoxx]

Honestly. I'd pick one that pairs all blue and Violet on a single channel. Not all of them do that and to me that's an incredibly important feature to have. Certain black boxes will put the 470 and 420 nm diodes paired with the white green and red which isn't desirable. I'd prefer to be able to run those as hot as the royal blues. And be able to dial in just enough white/red/green to make the fish colors show. I know the sunspect black boxes have this design but I'm unsure of what others do

This enables you to closely mimic the AB+ program on the ecotech lights. Since the coral lab study was released I know dozens of people who have had phenomenal growth and color results using the AB+ program on radions and hydras. If a black box has all 450,460,470, and 420nm diodes paired to a single channel, and the whites, greens, reds on another, you can come close to mimicking the AB+ program on a black box in theory. Because it's such a well proven ratio of colors id basically insist any black box I purchased to have that layout

The wifi units run 3 channels. My unit runs what you've described. 1 channel is all 450-470nm blues with 2 395nm UV, 1 channel has 2 reds, 2 greens, two 3500k, the rest are 6500k 10000k and 14000k. 3rd channel has 3 420nm violets. I need to make a chart as I've forgotten what exactly I did to my unit lol!

 

[ReeferBee]

Ocean revive t247 are keeping everything colorful and growing well in my reef

 

[SashimiTurtle]

My tank is new and I don't have corals in yet but I'm really liking my SB Reef sbox elites. It has three channels that are independently adjustable. Channel 1 is whites, reds, greens, and yellows. Channel 2 is all the blues and violets. Channels three is 4 violet "moon lights." They can be set to as low as 10 minute intervals, so you can simulate sun rise and sun set. I have it set to have the moon lights come on an hour before my faux sun rise, then the blues slowly come and the whites start shortly after the blues come on. Sun set is the opposite. I went with those lights after seeing several YouTube videos of coral growth out of the SB Reef LED set up.

 

[NanoDJS]

I run 2 x znet4 120w 52led 24" 50/50 white/blue on my main display 48x24x16 @24" off the water and wow the coral loves these lights more than anything I own including MH , t5 , and alot of high end leds ! Black Box FTW !!!

 

[Dave1045]

Everybody in my area swears by SBReef lights.
I currently have MH, but I just purchased 3 RapidLED Corona fixtures. I have used RapidLED lights in the past- and my coral growth just EXPLODED! The Coronas should be here tomorrow. FedEx tried to deliver them Saturday- but I wasn't home- and they just left a door tag.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Everybody in my area swears by SBReef lights.
I currently have MH, but I just purchased 3 RapidLED Corona fixtures. I have used RapidLED lights in the past- and my coral growth just EXPLODED! The Coronas should be here tomorrow. FedEx tried to deliver them Saturday- but I wasn't home- and they just left a door tag.

They look just like the radions.

 

[RobertP]

Do the Coronas have any king of tank mount? I dont have a canopy and really dont have to do a ceiling mount.

 

[Dave1045]

They look just like the radions.

They do. If they perform like them too, I should be "in like Flynn". Lol.

 

[reeferfoxx]

They do. If they perform like them too, I should be "in like Flynn". Lol.

There are couple youtube videos on them. Couple things I liked where the asthetic appearance and the fishbit software to choose auto light scheduling and spectrum. Couple things I didnt like was the radion G3 spread with disco and the zero manual button functions. Sometimes having the manual ability to turn lights on or off with spectrum adjustments without messing with a phone is nice. But I have confidence they will grow coral.

 

[Dave1045]

There are couple youtube videos on them. Couple things I liked where the asthetic appearance and the fishbit software to choose auto light scheduling and spectrum. Couple things I didnt like was the radion G3 spread with disco and the zero manual button functions. Sometimes having the manual ability to turn lights on or off with spectrum adjustments without messing with a phone is nice. But I have confidence they will grow coral.

I ABSOLUTELY agree that I wish there were manual controls on the box.