Help light my 120

[cjb428]

looking for lighting suggestions for my 120 measuring 60x18x24 deep. This tank has one center brace. Jumping back into the hobby after being away for about 15 years. Lots have changed since then. I’m not sure exactly what I plan on keeping yet but I want some type of reef tank. Still researching and learning about the different inverts and they’re requirements. I’ve talked with every one at our local shops and each shop has had different recomendations. One shop said 2 primes with bracket costing around 500, one said 2 oceanic 165 watts also coming in around 500 and the other shop scared me away with a 1400 dollar quote for some 4 puck style I want to say Radions at about 625 a fixture plus a mounting bar. Claiming due to the depth of the tank I’m going to need some lights that can punch that far down. I’ve looked for a lot of these lights online but can’t seem to find the exact brands available for sale at the shops and am skeptical about their performance. 500 to 600 is a good price range and from what I see 2 300 watt viparspectras are what I’m leaning towards. They are similar to the 165 watt oceanics I was looking at locally. The 300 watters claim they punch down 1 meter or 3 feet. They are identical to the mars mars aquas aswell. Does anyone have any experience with these lights? They tend to cost around 220 a fixture!

 

[Crabs McJones]

While they are big, the 300 watt black boxes are a good choice. They can absolutely get the par to the bottom of the tank. There are many users on here with very successful tanks running black boxes. @redfishbluefish and @Flippers4pups and @saltyfilmfolks just to name a couple

 

[redfishbluefish]

You have my tank....plus three inches. My five foot tank is 60 x 18 x 21 inches. Love that size....people who see my tank think it's much bigger. I started with T5's, dabbled with LED's when they first came out....$300 white boxes from China, no controls, blue and white only, aluminum foil thick cooling piece. Quality so-so. Went through the progression of different fixtures, and in the process watched the quality of Chinese boxes improve immensely. Current running three SBReef basic fixtures (Actually one is a Mars Aqua with a new SBReef board in it), and couldn't be happier.

From my build thread....Installing SB lights Link

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Welcome to the forum. #WelcometoR2R


Good starting question. There is so much out there it can be crazy confusing. I run AI hydra 52, 600 about each. I like the radions but they are even more. I always say if I could do over I would do T5 or hybrid.

Nice cabinet by the way

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r !!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Welcome to reef2reef!

Chinese black boxes work well.
Three Mars Aquas, modded to SB reef lights diode layout.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Just realized you're new to R2R.....Welcome! You're going to like it here.

By the way, two 300W fixtures is way overkill...and I believe too long for a five foot tank. You don't need to bring the diodes right to the edge of you tank. When I first set up my five foot tank with LED's, I only ran two 165W fixtures. This was when they had no controls....they were either ON at 100%, or OFF. Everything grew like crazy. Once fixtures came out with controls, I went with three, and I have them set at 60% blue, 30% white.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I apologize. I missed that as well, Welcome to R2R!!

 

[Gareth elliott]

Welcome to r2r!!

As a 5’ tank t5’s are always a great option.

I also had success with a black box light grew whatever i wanted. They no longer make the galaxy hydro i used but they are all pretty similar. Though mine was(i still own just dont use) a bit more controllable 2 intensity dials 1 for white 1 for everything else primarily blues with a few diodes of green, red and 1 or 2 uv. Set mine at 100 blue 30 white.

What i would suggest is a canopy to mount them in. As the lights themselves are not very attractive to look at and come with few mounting options.

Edit mine was a 165w fixture on 20g long about 12-14 inches off the tank.
Progression of an acro under this lighting after a few months and it settleed in

Was briefly under ai primes between these shots but most of the growth is under the black box.(it also moved tanks [emoji23])

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

T5 style coverage. End to end boxes.

 

[cjb428]

You have my tank....plus three inches. My five foot tank is 60 x 18 x 21 inches. Love that size....people who see my tank think it's much bigger. I started with T5's, dabbled with LED's when they first came out....$300 white boxes from China, no controls, blue and white only, aluminum foil thick cooling piece. Quality so-so. Went through the progression of different fixtures, and in the process watched the quality of Chinese boxes improve immensely. Current running three SBReef basic fixtures (Actually one is a Mars Aqua with a new SBReef board in it), and couldn't be happier.

From my build thread....Installing SB lights Link

Love to see a pic

 

[cjb428]

Welcome to the forum. #WelcometoR2R


Good starting question. There is so much out there it can be crazy confusing. I run AI hydra 52, 600 about each. I like the radions but they are even more. I always say if I could do over I would do T5 or hybrid.

Nice cabinet by the way

Thank you, the cabinet was my grandparents

 

[redfishbluefish]

Love to see a pic

Of my lights?

 

[cjb428]

Lots of great answers here, exactly what I was hoping for. So some think the 300’s are overkill? Would 2 165’s suffice? Considering a canopy but need one that doesn’t look odd on my cabinet. I liked the mounting brackets of the ai primes but was concerned two of them would not be sufficent

 

[cjb428]

Of my lights?

Very nice

 

[redfishbluefish]

Lots of great answers here, exactly what I was hoping for. So some think the 300’s are overkill? Would 2 165’s suffice?

Simple answer, YES. That's what I ran for maybe 6 - 7 years, and grew everything. Might just need to watch coral placement.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Lots of great answers here, exactly what I was hoping for. So some think the 300’s are overkill? Would 2 165’s suffice? Considering a canopy but need one that doesn’t look odd on my cabinet. I liked the mounting brackets of the ai primes but was concerned two of them would not be sufficent

It’s coverage not wattage. Several “pucks” will light it too. Like radions
But some of us are coverage snob so.

A 165 fwiw will light a 20x14 or so area.

 

[cjb428]

Lots of great answers here, exactly what I was hoping for. So some think the 300’s are overkill? Would 2 165’s suffice? Considering a canopy but need one that doesn’t look odd on my cabinet. I liked the mounting brackets of the ai primes but was concerned two of them would not be sufficent

Welcome to reef2reef!

Chinese black boxes work well.
Three Mars Aquas, modded to SB reef lights diode layout.

So what do you mean by modded? Is this something you had to have done to the lights?

 

[Flippers4pups]

So what do you mean by modded? Is this something you had to have done to the lights?

Switched some diodes out. Pretty easy.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Also do look at the SBreeflight and Reefbreeders sites. Price comes in under radions but slightly above no name.