Light

Sebastiancrab · Mar 29, 2022

dedragon said:
these lights are trusted too, especially the newer ones it seems. Friends of mine with units from 4-7 years ago had some problems with bulbs randomly blowing. They do not have my favorite light separation or shimmer though IMO.

Also I should add I aim for a more white then blue tank and have preferred t5 led bar combo for awhile but those chihiros lights have even tempted me to switch at that price. Ecotech is really gold standard but the price is really unreasonable now to justify buying IMO

My tank appears more white and I have the default setting back on. I have had it over a year now with no issues. You can mount it over your tank in more than one way.

vetteguy53081 · Mar 29, 2022

Two Ai Prime Hd or two OR3-90 light bars by Orphek

jpark457 · Mar 29, 2022

Nicrew hyper reef. It’s on Amazon and you can buy 3 for the price of a radion. It’s not as advanced function wise but I have had the 150 for a few weeks and my corals seem happy. I keep lps and softies but I’m only running it at 20-40%. If I decide to go w something that needs higher light it can def do that. I’m just not at the point in the hobby where I can / want to drop a grand or more on lights. I totally get why people do but this seems to be working for me and after hunting around seemed like the most budget friendly but still functional option. Comes with a mount included as well which many lights don’t and adds a not insignificant cost.

dedragon · Mar 30, 2022

Sebastiancrab said:
My tank appears more white and I have the default setting back on. I have had it over a year now with no issues. You can mount it over your tank in more than one way.

I know they can be but there is still a bit of light separation which i hate, not discoball as much as i can see different streaks of colors especially near shade, i dont like that personally nor the shimmer.
IMO kessil is the best shimmer or metal halide
Orphek Great coverage (okay shimmer)
Ecotech amazing par and great colors under it (ok shimmer)

My next tank i think i will go with 1-2 kessil a 500s and some led bars to supplement them. Depends if i go 60-90 gallon cube or 120 at 48". This is all personal preference though. I have seen many lights in person and i would say the op should try to look around to see them in person as well. Just want to give my most honest opinion while also recommending great lights as well. I will say there are more out there as well just these are my personal faves for price to light output

dedragon · Mar 30, 2022

jpark457 said:
Nicrew hyper reef. It’s on Amazon and you can buy 3 for the price of a radion. It’s not as advanced function wise but I have had the 150 for a few weeks and my corals seem happy. I keep lps and softies but I’m only running it at 20-40%. If I decide to go w something that needs higher light it can def do that. I’m just not at the point in the hobby where I can / want to drop a grand or more on lights. I totally get why people do but this seems to be working for me and after hunting around seemed like the most budget friendly but still functional option. Comes with a mount included as well which many lights don’t and adds a not insignificant cost.

i also favor smatfarms over nicrew for discoball effect (ugly imo) with the nicrew lights, they do work to grow corals well though

CryptoNautical · Mar 30, 2022

+1 to Ai primes. Started with 2 but upgraded to 3 for coverage, but 2 would be a great start and under budget. The issue with Ai primes is that they can burn through their lenses if you run a high intensity (the lens replacements are super cheap), and the amount of control you have over every LED can be overwhelming to a beginner.

Jayrock93 · Mar 30, 2022

dedragon said:
I know they can be but there is still a bit of light separation which i hate, not discoball as much as i can see different streaks of colors especially near shade, i dont like that personally nor the shimmer.
IMO kessil is the best shimmer or metal halide
Orphek Great coverage (okay shimmer)
Ecotech amazing par and great colors under it (ok shimmer)

My next tank i think i will go with 1-2 kessil a 500s and some led bars to supplement them. Depends if i go 60-90 gallon cube or 120 at 48". This is all personal preference though. I have seen many lights in person and i would say the op should try to look around to see them in person as well. Just want to give my most honest opinion while also recommending great lights as well. I will say there are more out there as well just these are my personal faves for price to light output

These lights work?

Jedi1199 · Mar 30, 2022

Jayrock93 said:
These lights work?

A lot of people like the Viras...

I won't tell you that won't work because I happen to know, from all of the people who use them that they do.

That said, I have tried several of the budget options for my own 55g, and while they kept corals alive, they really only kept them alive. I really never saw any real noticeable growth on my tank while using them.

I am a convert to the Kessil lights. I got a pair of the A360x Tuna Blues on a Black Friday sale in November and I honestly have to say that these are the best lights I have had over my tank. Since installing them in early December, I am able to keep virtually anything in my tank and The explosion of growth has been remarkable!!

With a $700 budget, they are out of your range, (I paid $1006 for the pair I have including the wifi dongle and gooseneck mounting hardware) Bt they are worth every penny in my opinion.

dedragon · Mar 31, 2022

yes but those are hard to dial in and have the worst discoball effect, there also are some mixed opinions whether these can cause a housefire or not. They will work, not the best looking box though

Jayrock93 · Mar 31, 2022

Jedi1199 said:
A lot of people like the Viras...

I won't tell you that won't work because I happen to know, from all of the people who use them that they do.

That said, I have tried several of the budget options for my own 55g, and while they kept corals alive, they really only kept them alive. I really never saw any real noticeable growth on my tank while using them.

I am a convert to the Kessil lights. I got a pair of the A360x Tuna Blues on a Black Friday sale in November and I honestly have to say that these are the best lights I have had over my tank. Since installing them in early December, I am able to keep virtually anything in my tank and The explosion of growth has been remarkable!!

With a $700 budget, they are out of your range, (I paid $1006 for the pair I have including the wifi dongle and gooseneck mounting hardware) Bt they are worth every penny in my opinion.

I'll just buy some orpheks lol I was trynna find cheaper but if it's not good then it's no point in buying them

dedragon · Mar 31, 2022

They are okay is what i will say about them, there are many that like them but it isnt user friendly like some other lights are. They are considered the high end for chinese black box leds for what its worth