Lights... hit me...

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

Right... in a few months I'll be buying new lights (I have a wedding to pay for first lol) for my 320g... question is what do I go For?

For reference, this will cost me more than my entire set up so far, so I wanna buy the right thing and something that will last. It HAS to be led for the energy savings over time and has to be fully controllable with sunrise / sunset etc.

Maximum budget is £2,500 (about $3200). They need to cover 8'3 x 26" and 26" depth and be good enough for SPS long term. I won't be upgrading again for a LONG while (10 yrs maybe)...

EVERYTHING for my set up has been bought second hand, but as I need these to last I am buying new... this is a big purchase for me, hence the researching already.

First thought was 4 hydra 52HDs but would love to hear suggestions and your reasons...

Ta muchly.

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

Oh... should have put this under the led forum I guess! Anyone wanna move it, feel free [emoji4]

saltyfilmfolks · Jun 27, 2017

Gweeds1980 said:
Oh... should have put this under the led forum I guess! Anyone wanna move it, feel free [emoji4]

#mods.

You'd have to hang the hydras high to get the spread you want for good coverage. And you have to double the. Number
of fixtures I believe.five or six may work.

Take a look a reefbreeders, Mitras and Orphek. It's a non puck style multi led and has better coverage off the bat because of that. Just a though.

Edit
Oh and your in europe ,Look at the new Phillips coral care lights.

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
#mods.

You'd have to hang the hydras high to get the spread you want for good coverage. And you have to double the. Number
of fixtures I believe.five or six may work.

Take a look a reefbreeders, Mitras and Orphek. It's a non puck style multi led and has better coverage off the bat because of that. Just a though.

Edit
Oh and your in europe ,Look at the new Phillips coral care lights.

Thanks for that, I had been told that 1 hydra 52hd would give coverage for a 2' cube, so had just x that by 4... I guess a non puk style light would give better coverage as you say, I'll check out your suggestions.

Cheers.

brett_schn · Jun 27, 2017

Radions g4 pro xr30would work perfectly but they are expensive. Here’s my $.02 get as many radions as you can get and then add them on as you need them or if you need them

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

brett_schn said:
Radions g4 pro xr30would work perfectly but they are expensive. Here’s my $.02 get as many radions as you can get and then add them on as you need them or if you need them

Thanks, yes I did think of them. Do you know what the coverage is like for each radion? Any reason you'd recommend them above the hydras?

brett_schn · Jun 27, 2017

Gweeds1980 said:
Thanks, yes I did think of them. Do you know what the coverage is like for each radion? Any reason you'd recommend them above the hydras?

30x30 I believe. I’ll look. The radions are the best on the market and the new lenses make the leds great and they are pretty powerful

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

saltyfilmfolks said:
#mods.

You'd have to hang the hydras high to get the spread you want for good coverage. And you have to double the. Number
of fixtures I believe.five or six may work.

Take a look a reefbreeders, Mitras and Orphek. It's a non puck style multi led and has better coverage off the bat because of that. Just a though.

Edit
Oh and your in europe ,Look at the new Phillips coral care lights.

I like the look of the orphek atlantik v4... looking at the site it seems to cover about 3' x 2'... so id need 3 for full coverage... looks like that set up would be $3075 with the controller... leaves a little left to fabricate a decent hanging for then too... Happy days... does anyone know if anyone here runs these lights? Just after a bit of genuine feedback rather than marketing gumph which is all I can find online...

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

brett_schn said:
30x30 I believe. I’ll look. The radions are the best on the market and the new lenses make the leds great and they are pretty powerful

Thanks, at £700 a pop I'd need 4 to completely cover the tank... I guess I could get away with 3... but that's still £2100 before I've factored in a controller and hanging bracket... nice but I fear just out of my price range [emoji20]

madweazl · Jun 27, 2017

Lights are like buying a new car; when it comes down to it, you'll get what you think looks nice and has the features you want. There are success and horror stories with every manufacturer of LEDs out there with claims ranging from will grow nothing to will grow anything. The recommendation from the manufacturer in regard to number of lights needed for specific size is the minimum number. The coverage claimed by the manufacturer is the absolute maximum. Now grab a drink, sit back and relax, and maybe flip a coin for the manufacturers you're seriously considering and click buy now.

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

madweazl said:
Lights are like buying a new car; when it comes down to it, you'll get what you think looks nice and has the features you want. There are success and horror stories with every manufacturer of LEDs out there with claims ranging from will grow nothing to will grow anything. The recommendation from the manufacturer in regard to number of lights needed for specific size is the minimum number. The coverage claimed by the manufacturer is the absolute maximum. Now grab a drink, sit back and relax, and maybe flip a coin for the manufacturers you're seriously considering and click buy now.

Normally that would be my approach too!! I'm trying to be a bit more subjective... this will easily be the most money I have ever spent on my tank (everything combined so far has come in under £2500!) So I want to make sure I'm making the best decision I can... I don't want to regret it in 2 years!!

I think hydra 52hds are still favourite... at £530 each I can get 4 well within budget and afford a nice hanging rail for them too... apparently I don't need a director for them?? They'll connect directly via the app... which is another bonus... I can then add a couple of 26hds or 52hd later if I need more coverage down the line without having to remortgage... they seem more popular in the UK so seem to come up for sale second hand more often too... guess I should be asking why people are selling them tho!

Gweeds1980 · Jun 27, 2017

madweazl said:
Lights are like buying a new car; when it comes down to it, you'll get what you think looks nice and has the features you want. There are success and horror stories with every manufacturer of LEDs out there with claims ranging from will grow nothing to will grow anything. The recommendation from the manufacturer in regard to number of lights needed for specific size is the minimum number. The coverage claimed by the manufacturer is the absolute maximum. Now grab a drink, sit back and relax, and maybe flip a coin for the manufacturers you're seriously considering and click buy now.

I note I can source spares in the UK for the hydras too which is a big positive and the puks can be switched out if needed.

mtraylor · Jun 27, 2017

I would go with GHL Mitras or Radion's personally. They have wide spread and can grow anything. How many you buy depends on if you want corals and what kind of corals you want to grow.