Light Recommendations?

[You Got Reef?]

Hi, I have the old Oceanic 29g biocube that i'm looking to get a new light for. Right now i'm using the stock hood with the fluorescent lamps. The colors look bad, the bulbs have'nt been replaced in a long time and i'm looking to start adding corals soon so I think id like a new light. To add to that, the laps that I have now are causing annoying heating issue for my tank that I have temporarily under control but would like to get rid of. I'd prefer a LED light, one that would work well for this size tank, due to that they don't really heat up as much. I also need one that is not going to break the bank, poor college student here. I have been recommended the light linked below by a few people now but the reviews talk of terrible customer service issues, not to mention it is basically at the top of my ideal price range. Other than that I love the app control but that is not really required for any other light I get. So i'm asking you great people, given my circumstances, what would you recommend?


https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/prime-hd-led-module-black-body-aqua-illumination.html

 

[Billldg]

I personally don't use a AI prime but have heard good things about the fixture. Plus, for the money u can't go wrong with that fixture.

 

[ndrwater]

Agreed. On my reef Tanks I run Radions, but also run a Prime on my Mangrove tank. Both great lights, but the AI are at a more reasonable price point.
As for customer service at AI, I have had nothing but great experiences. None of the times I have called was because of a defect, but sometbiso dumb I did... Like lose the nylon screw for the flex arm mount...

 

[pshootr]

I also looked into AI Prime, and just like you I was not very happy to see a fair amount of failures in the unit. and worse than that, the company's refusal to provide customer support. Apparently, no matter what goes wrong with the light they always blame it on water damage. In the event that I ever do go LED, I will look at other options. If you need an option that cost less than the AI Prime, I believe a eBay/Amazon Black Box is likely your best option in terms of output. Current USA orbit Marine is also an affordable option, and it has more features in terms of control. However they do not put out as much light as the black boxes do. Having said that, if you only plan on keeping soft corals and some LPS it should do fine. Generally speaking it is considered a light for beginners. Whereas with a black box you can grow anything. As a matter of fact, I have seen some outstanding SPS tanks running on black boxes.

https://www.chewy.com/current-usa-orbit-marine-ic-led-reef/dp/151004

https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Timer-165W-Aquarium-Dimmable/dp/B00UMXAR5S

 

[pshootr]

I personally don't use a AI prime but have heard good things about the fixture. Plus, for the money u can't go wrong with that fixture.

I agree they are nice fixtures when they work. Trouble I see is that oftentimes when they do fail, the company blames it on water damage every time. Making any claims of warranty useless.

This is based on many claims not just one or two.

Which is unfortunate, because I do like the feature/price ratio.

 

[You Got Reef?]

I also looked into AI Prime, and just like you I was not very happy to see a fair amount of failures in the unit. and worse than that, the company's refusal to provide customer support. Apparently, no matter what goes wrong with the light they always blame it on water damage. In the event that I ever do go LED, I will look at other options. If you need an option that cost less than the AI Prime, I believe a eBay/Amazon Black Box is likely your best option in terms of output. Current USA orbit Marine is also an affordable option, and it has more features in terms of control. However they do not put out as much light as the black boxes do. Having said that, if you only plan on keeping soft corals and some LPS it should do fine. Generally speaking it is considered a light for beginners. Whereas with a black box you can grow anything. As a matter of fact, I have seen some outstanding SPS tanks running on black boxes.

https://www.chewy.com/current-usa-orbit-marine-ic-led-reef/dp/151004

https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-Timer-165W-Aquarium-Dimmable/dp/B00UMXAR5S

Ive had my eye on this one (linked) for a little while now. Most of the reviews are for a desk lamp for some reason, which is a little concerning. Im not sure how good it is and nobody seems to know anything about it. However, amazon returns are absolutely amazing (I accidentally bought the wrong water test kit once and talked to them, even told them I purchased the wrong one, and they let me keep the product and completely refund me) so i think ill try it out and just return it if its not what it seems to be.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F1BJB8...olid=2UBWE4XIHMWCC&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[pshootr]

Yeah for some reason certain products are lumped together on Amazon's review section. Seems this happens more so with some products than others. The viparspectra does have reviews which consistent with the product which I find useful. Also it does have some control ability as far as blues coming on 1st and turning off last. Like you said Amazon does have a very good return policy. I would consider researching each Black Box manufacturer before I placed an order. So far, out of the black boxes I like the viparspectra and Mars aqua.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UMXAR5S/ref=psdcmw_2975458011_t1_B074DRCVC4

 

[ihavecrabs]

If you end up going with the Viparspectra or something like the Ocean Revive t247 you can make some LED diode swaps and get a really decent light. I use 3x T247's on my system and these lights put out some power..

If you want plug and play, I think the prime is a good bet. I guess just mount it a little higher to avoid the "water damage"

Edit: I can't speak to the quality of the Viparsepctra but it looks similar to others I have used in the past (i.e. evergrow).