I want them all!!! Please help me decide :)

[that novice guy]

Well its whatever you like it's all personal preference

Sent from my LG-MS770 using Reef2Reef Aquarium Forum mobile app

 

[MadTownMax]

I'm going with an AJM LED. Very similar to the reefbreeders fixture (same generic box with dimmer knobs).

Michigan reefers has a thread called "tips and tricks..." showing how to control it using an apex.

I cross-referenced the LED spectrums included from AJM, Reefbreeders, and Coral Compulsion against this composite graph I assembled from an article on reef lighting. I wanted wavelengths to fluoresce the pigments (dots) and also fuel the zooxanthellae (solid, continuous curve shows coral light utilization).

The AJM swapped a few extra 395nm Uv's for the greens and replaced the 630 nm reds with 660nm.

Good enough for me at the moment. If I end up not liking it I can always buy a few replacement LEDs and replace those in the fixture on my own.

Also - with these only running at 2 watts I'm not worried about premature failure from heat.

 

[MadTownMax]

Graphs were from this article http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/aafeature - just giving credit where due.

 

[CyanoFarmer]

I would go with one of the fixtures with the built in controller. I have one very similar to the d120, may even be the exact same model you're looking at, but the one I have is a custom layout. The reason I say go for the controllable one is that the d120 has two power cords and it's either on and off at the setting you have it at on the manual dimmers. With a controllable fixture, and I'm not familiar with the other models that you're looking at, you get a sunrise and sunset that you can program. It's not important, just a preference of mine. The other advantage to it is I believe they come with one power cord instead of two. I could be mistaken, but I could only see one in the larger models. As far as size goes, that's up to you. One larger fixture would be easier to deal with than two IMO. Hope this helps.

 

[specvjeff]

I have been a metal halide guy for many years. When LEDS came around, I was very skeptical. As they improved, I started to pay attention. Primarily to price. That's when the China boxes started showing up. I've never trusted them so I waited and waited for the name brand fixtures to come down in price. After seeing many in action of both types, I settled on the AI Vega. I simply do not feel comfortable with the cheap Chinese made led fixtures. So far I've been very happy with the Vega. My corals are responding very well and much better then I've seen coral respond to the Chinese fixture. I would suggest you invest in something decent from the start. If you're unhappy with the Chinese LEDS, you'll end up spending more money on other LEDS and will have invested a lot more. Just my two cents. I like to see everyone be successful and I am in no way steering you towards the Vega. Just what I like. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Sent from my Kindle Fire HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dsdaley77]

Thanks for the input I do love the AI line


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[specvjeff]

Thanks for the input I do love the AI line


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

I know it's a big investment but like any investment, it's best to look at it over the long term. You will eventually get your investment back through saving on electricity and the cost of replacing bulbs. I know for many of us, it's easier to spend the money spread out over time but it's definitely worth it.

Sent from my Kindle Fire HD using Tapatalk 2

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

I wouldn't worry about where they are made, most of the big names are full of the same Chinese parts. Instead, I'd concentrate on things like spectrum. Certain wavelengths are used for photosynthesis and even a PAR meter is often a very poor indicator of how a light will perform. Concentrate on fixtures that use a Royal Blue that peaks below 450nm and make sure there are more than just a couple Violet emitters. Stay away from any fixture that uses Cool White LEDs and if there are no Warm Whites, make sure there is a Deep Red or two present. Avoid Green LEDs, they make great PAR but they are useless for photosynthesis.
The only light in your post that shows what emitters are included is one I would be quick to eliminate. It does include a couple red and violet LEDs but the rest of it is a good example of what to use if you want to be disappointed with the results.
Edit: Having gone to the sites and checked the specs, I'd call the 16" Reef Breeders the least objectionable. Basically, it's the winner by default since everything else on the list is worse. Can you swap out emitters on these fixtures? If so, You could swap out the greens and about a dozen RB in order to get at least a minimal number of violets. The downside of that is that you'll need to spend $50 per fixture on the replacement LEDs.

You only need about 4 violets per 2 feet of tank, 11 violets would fry every coral in your tank. A few reefers who have tried 20% of their LEDs as violets experienced just that. We use all nuetral whites which have an impressive spectral curve without being too yellow, and include 2 660nm reds to get a nice spike in the deep red spectrum, mostly for colors, but they are also absorbed for growth by Chlorophyll A. We include both greens and blues, as cyans are not available from our manufacturer. It is my understanding that cyan is responsible for pink coloration in some corals (created by unspecified ChromoProteins), and green also hits the emission peak for DiaDinoxanthin, a protein that will emit a yellow color in the corals it is present in. The cool blues hit the peak for Peridinin, which is responsible for creating a brick red color in corals. We picked all of our diodes for a reason, and based on extensive research and testing.

 

[Dsdaley77]

Thank you so much for weighing in RB. Tomorrow is the day..... So excited


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Dsdaley77]

Hey, what gives...... If your gonna vote for "give your option" you gotta give a suggestion lol I'm torn enough already

 

[Ryan's reef]

I would look at nanoboxreef.com he has some nice stuff that's what I'm running has every thing on it.


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Dsdaley77]

Man am I sooooooo excited right now!!!!! For those of you past your first major lighting upgrade you know how I feel T-70 minutes and counting


Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

 

[Dsdaley77]

Thanks to the 20 of you who voted!! Really appreciate you talking the time to help me have a little fun with my upgrade. For the rest who dropped comments, thanks for the information you posted, it was very helpful in making this decision.

And now for the winner.......

I will be placing my order right away and will post some pics when I get them

Thanks again



Sent Via the R2R Forum APP