Good budget nano sps lights?

[GHOSTLY]

Now buy one of these Chinese lights and try and return it. I bet 100% you will never get a response. If you do it will be your fault and never get resolved.

Buy whatever light suits your fancy.
Just remember the ones on top are there for a reason.
For the reasons you just discribed.

Also lets touch on this 15 gal tank for a moment.
Whats its over all plan?
Just sps? What are you gonna do when these animals in 6 months have to be cut?

If you cant afford a decent light. How are you gonna afford another low boy. Or frag tank.
Your not. Your animals will suffer and you will watch them suffer and die.


But the bigger picture and moving the hobbie foward is the goal.
Before we know it you will need a license just to have a fish tank. Because of carless handlers.

Well for when I was growing my frags before I would trade the whole colonies in for credit and get new frags. I used radions before. I really only frag my zoas. I have a separate frag tank for growing out these corals and I run a cheap Chinese light I was given on that. I just need a supporting light for my display

 

[GHOSTLY]

Im glad you think throwing corals away is an acceptable practice. Like its not somthing that those of us who care about our animals dont frown apon. Because we do.

If you understand the animal your keeping, and respect and love them. Then why in the first place would you buy them knowing that you dont have the space to fully grow them out

Why would you risk it. A sensible person wouldnt. They arent some cat you can shove in a box with fancy feast.

They are living. Breathing animals.

You wanna commit genocide go for it.
I will have no part in it. You clearly lack the knolege or understanding and respect these animals deserve.
And no respect for them means no respect for anything.

Good day to you sir and good luck

With that logic it would be best to leave them in the ocean.. he never really claimed to throw them away he even said he brings them to the lfs for other hobbiests to enjoy.

 

[Dilan Patel]

Black boxes would be a bit much for a tank my size. I'm not really using this light as my main light but I do need it as a supporting light. I still wanna incorporate my kessil A80

I am not saying get the black box. I recommend getting the Noopsyche mini as I have it on a 15g and am impressed with it. The black box was used to make my case that radions and a more budget friendly option have the same capacity to grow coral well as long as other aspects of the tank are kept in check. But each price point of lights have their own cons and pros.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I am not saying get the black box. I recommend getting the Noopsyche mini as I have it on a 15g and am impressed with it. The black box was used to make my case that radions and a more budget friendly option have the same capacity to grow coral well as long as other aspects of the tank are kept in check. But each price point of lights have their own cons and pros.

Could I see your tank? The issue is I have like.. 3(?)in of space before I have to improvise

 

[Dilan Patel]

Could I see your tank? The issue is I have like.. 3(?)in of space before I have to improvise

3in of space height wise? Pic is when i just got the light up and running

 

[reeftankdude]

I have two of these over my 20GH with favia, duncans, finger, zoas, toadstool, bubble, kenyon tree, and even monti corals growing. Recently added two torch and a goniapora corals that are doing fine.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I have two of these over my 20GH with favia, duncans, finger, zoas, toadstool, bubble, kenyon tree, and even monti corals growing. Recently added two torch and a goniapora corals that are doing fine.

How much par are you getting

 

[GHOSTLY]

3in of space height wise? Pic is when i just got the light up and running

So I can't mount gooseneck. What I do instead is custom make a gooseneck and put it in the aio chambers so it fits

 

[reeftankdude]

How much par are you getting

I never checked par. However, the corals are growing. I am using the Kent Nano Reef Part A & B to maintain buff and minerals. I only use Walmart distilled water with Reef Crystals salt.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I never checked par. However, the corals are growing. I am using the Kent Nano Reef Part A & B to maintain buff and minerals. I only use Walmart distilled water with Reef Crystals salt.

Could I see your tank?

 

[reeftankdude]

Could I see your tank?

Just sent an image to my gmaill. When it arrives I will post the image I just took with my cell.

 

[reeftankdude]

Could I see your tank?

This is a video I did this morning that uploaded to YouTube quickly. One of my corals is not doing so good. I let my nitrates get high as 25ppm which caused the problem. Going to do two more water changed to bring nitrates down. If you see one aiptasia pest you got a thousand of them. Just added some inverts to eat them. Set the video to 720.

 

[GHOSTLY]

This is a video I did this morning that uploaded to YouTube quickly. One of my corals is not doing so good. I let my nitrates get high as 25ppm which caused the problem. Going to do two more water changed to bring nitrates down. If you see one aiptasia pest you got a thousand of them. Just added some inverts to eat them. Set the video to 720.

How long have you had the montis? It kinda looks like they're growing up but if I got two for supplement it should be enough

 

[MaxTremors]

I have two of these over my 20GH with favia, duncans, finger, zoas, toadstool, bubble, kenyon tree, and even monti corals growing. Recently added two torch and a goniapora corals that are doing fine.

You will have about 20 PAR on the sandbed with two of these on a 20g tank. Your corals might survive under them and even grow, but you will not get excellent growth or coloration under these. This light is 13 watts and uses 1/4 watt LEDs, even in 6” of depth, you’re going to have less than 50 PAR. Not trying to be elitist, I don’t agree at all that you have to buy flagship brand lights to have a successful tank, but these objectively do not put out enough light for most corals to thrive.

In terms of a recommendation, I can’t say enough good things about Noopsyche, I have their full size light on my tank right now and it’s excellent, the mini on a 15g would be more than enough light. Here’s my tank under the full size Noopsyche (color is true to life):

 

[reeftankdude]

How long have you had the montis? It kinda looks like they're growing up but if I got two for supplement it should be enough

The monti at the left of my problem coral was my first into the tank with the favia. It has grown and oranged up a bit. The problem coral was growing and really changed shape. I raised my nitrates to high with out monitoring which caused the problem. The two mystic monti started to lose color, but went back to their normal color soon after the first water change. A tank with sps corals should stay under 5ppm nitrates.

 

[Poochaku]

See my point exactly, minimum standards right from the horses mouth

Jabao retun pumps. Yes i agree are amazing.
The others ive burned through many over the years about $2k worth .
You will just learn the hard way.
When you go on vacation and come back to dead pumps. Been there done that.
Trust me ive tried the budget methodology it dosent work its a recipe for disaster. Your basically running on barrowed time.
Now i only use AI nero and ecotech MP's
Cause guess what when and if they ever break. I have a 3 year warantee. Jabao what 1 year max if they dont just tell you to F off when trying to return.

Ask fish of hex he will tell you simular story.

Everyone wants the cheapest options these days.
If you have to go with cheap. Then why are you bothering to put your animals at risk?
Just go to fresh water.

I dont mean to be an a** but if you cant afford a respectable heartbeat fro your tank why put the animals at risk in the first place. Makes 0 sense at all.
So whats next reef crystals. And api test kits what a laugh..

You guys make an impressive argument.
Now only if you spoke about the bad times you have had with these products. Not just blindly leading with all the good.

Pros vs cons brotha. Gotta show both not just a single side of it thats all sun shine and rain bows bro cmon. You know better.

What do you think of fish of hex moving to nicrew lights?

 

[GHOSTLY]

You will have about 20 PAR on the sandbed with two of these on a 20g tank. Your corals might survive under them and even grow, but you will not get excellent growth or coloration under these. This light is 13 watts and uses 1/4 watt LEDs, even in 6” of depth, you’re going to have less than 50 PAR. Not trying to be elitist, I don’t agree at all that you have to buy flagship brand lights to have a successful tank, but these objectively do not put out enough light for most corals to thrive.

In terms of a recommendation, I can’t say enough good things about Noopsyche, I have their full size light on my tank right now and it’s excellent, the mini on a 15g would be more than enough light. Here’s my tank under the full size Noopsyche (color is true to life):

Would you suggest the noopsyche or fluval nano 3.0 w/ an A80? I can get both for roughly thr same price

 

[ProvidenceTidalReef]

What do you think of fish of hex moving to nicrew lights?

Most of his radions. Like mine are gen2-3 so for Travis its probbly the right move.
as they are old and failing out of warantee. He has been in the hobbie long enough to know to use google and reasearch properly the lights he plans on using. If there isnt any research to back up the light and its companys claims then i doubt he would go with it.
Hes a wicked smart guy, also kind and dedicated to the hobbie.

It would be nice for the ones suggesting lights to use that have had success with them to post the Research they have preformed.
Its hard to pick a light that 2 guys say oh yeah it work. But dont tell you they aslo use them as supplemental lighting rather than just those alone. And dont post there findings. No par test. No spread test, no lumens tests, no spectrum tests to show anyone to support the findings.

Just a number oh i get 400 par blah blah.
My current usa light strips can get 400 at the surface too and there is plenty of data to back them up.

You can use basically any light. If you do your reasearch and plan your tank around those numbers. Rather than adding 5 acros and finding out there way to weak after water penetration or whatever.

I find its best to not shoot for 4-500 par. Shoot for 200-300 ish and go up from there if ever needed.
Most all sps will grow and color in those ranges.
Also you should find a solution that works properly. Light spill is a thing. Its best not to waste your light spred or electricity. And plan your tank out throughly. Cause if you use a 3 puck over a 18" 25" nano tank. Your gonna be loosing alot of light getting wasted outside the area of the tank.

So proper implementation and planning is key

 

[MaxTremors]

Would you suggest the noopsyche or fluval nano 3.0 w/ an A80? I can get both for roughly thr same price

I don’t have any experience with the Fluval, but similar to the clip on coralife light above, it uses cheap 1/5 or 1/4 watt LEDs, it’s 20watts and has 100 diodes. The Noopsyche uses higher end 3 watt OSRAM and EpiLEDs diodes (which are what Radion and AI use), and is 20 diodes/60 watts (though I would venture to guess it puts out more that three times the light of the Fluval). To me, if you’re wanting to grow SPS, there is no debate, the Noopsyche would be the better option.

 

[GHOSTLY]

J t

I don’t have any experience with the Fluval, but similar to the clip on coralife light above, it uses cheap 1/5 or 1/4 watt LEDs, it’s 20watts and has 100 diodes. The Noopsyche uses higher end 3 watt OSRAM and EpiLEDs diodes (which are what Radion and AI use), and is 20 diodes/60 watts (though I would venture to guess it puts out more that three times the light of the Fluval). To me, if you’re wanting to grow SPS, there is no debate, the Noopsyche would be the better option

Is there any way to control say colour, intensity, and spectrum with it?