Lights

[Brooke24]

Ok, thank you for everyone being so patient with me. Seriously. I post at least 10 times a week on here. But, despite that, I have a 4 foot 90 gallon with a drilled overflow, Skimmer, 20 long sump and filter socks. I’m looking at my light options, and discovering that they’re all expensive no matter what- no way around it. So, here are my options. Reefbreeder photon v2+ 48 inch. 700$. Which breaks my heart, but another option is AI primes. Realistically, how many AI’s would I need for just lps and soft coral? No sps at all. Or something cheaper, that work well for lps and soft corals; that doesn’t cost 700$. I want something I can control on my phone, and something that slowly raises light- so obviously not a black box. Any other led lights for 400/500$ that will grow me good lps and soft coral?

 

[just4plaay]

I run the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ and absolutely love it. Great light for the money. However, if you want a similar spectrum that will grow coral but not break the bank check out SB Reef Lights. They are significantly better than black box and have wifi control-ability. You'll have no problem growing any coral you want under one of their lights. Prior to my Reef Breeder I had an SB Light and that tank was growing some great SPS.

SB Extreme with Wifi is $460 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/10-sbox-extreme-32-wifi.html

If you want a better looking light their SB Ultra is $560 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-ultra-reef-lights/45-102-ultra-45.html

 

[Brooke24]

I run the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ and absolutely love it. Great light for the money. However, if you want a similar spectrum that will grow coral but not break the bank check out SB Reef Lights. They are significantly better than black box and have wifi control-ability. You'll have no problem growing any coral you want under one of their lights. Prior to my Reef Breeder I had an SB Light and that tank was growing some great SPS.

SB Extreme with Wifi is $460 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/10-sbox-extreme-32-wifi.html

If you want a better looking light their SB Ultra is $560 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-ultra-reef-lights/45-102-ultra-45.html

What size is your tank and what size of lights do you have for the reefbreeders??

 

[Bepis]

Could do Orphek OR3s. T5s are another option, ATI makes incredible fixtures.
Although these aren’t controllable.
What are the dimensions of the tank?
You could do a couple of maxspect jump lights

 

[Brooke24]

I run the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ and absolutely love it. Great light for the money. However, if you want a similar spectrum that will grow coral but not break the bank check out SB Reef Lights. They are significantly better than black box and have wifi control-ability. You'll have no problem growing any coral you want under one of their lights. Prior to my Reef Breeder I had an SB Light and that tank was growing some great SPS.

SB Extreme with Wifi is $460 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/10-sbox-extreme-32-wifi.html

If you want a better looking light their SB Ultra is $560 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-ultra-reef-lights/45-102-ultra-45.html

Arent sbreef black boxes as well?

 

[Brooke24]

Could do Orphek OR3s. T5s are another option, ATI makes incredible fixtures.
Although these aren’t controllable.
What are the dimensions of the tank?
You could do a couple of maxspect jump lights

The tank is 4 feet long

 

[Uncle99]

$100-$120
These rectangles below are Visparspectra, Amazon delivered. Others similar do the same.
Running 4 years now.
Blackbox grows everything.
Unless you need special effects and control of each colour

 

[Brooke24]

$100-$120
Blackbox grows everything.

I was hoping not for a black box since they don’t ramp up very well I’ve heard, and I have heard horror stories about them breaking a few days after people buy them

 

[Crustaceon]

Ok, thank you for everyone being so patient with me. Seriously. I post at least 10 times a week on here. But, despite that, I have a 4 foot 90 gallon with a drilled overflow, Skimmer, 20 long sump and filter socks. I’m looking at my light options, and discovering that they’re all expensive no matter what- no way around it. So, here are my options. Reefbreeder photon v2+ 48 inch. 700$. Which breaks my heart, but another option is AI primes. Realistically, how many AI’s would I need for just lps and soft coral? No sps at all. Or something cheaper, that work well for lps and soft corals; that doesn’t cost 700$. I want something I can control on my phone, and something that slowly raises light- so obviously not a black box. Any other led lights for 400/500$ that will grow me good lps and soft coral?

You don’t want lights you can control with your phone. Honestly, you want to set your lights on a very strict schedule/intensity/spectrum and NEVER change them. Again, DO NOT tinker with your light settings, which is what will happen if you have remote access to them. Every change will stress your tank to some degree. It’s best to pick a setting and leave it alone, which begs the question why bother having Wifi on something like lighting? And from years of personal experience in this hobby, I can tell you with certainty that light ramping is completely unnecessary and non-beneficial, even for keeping really sensitive corals like acros. A pair of AI primes would be great. A pair of chinese black boxes would be too and cost way less. Both will grow softies just fine.

 

[Brooke24]

I was hoping not for a black box since they don’t ramp up very well I’ve heard, and I have heard horror stories about them breaking a few days after people buy them

$100-$120
Blackbox grows everything.
Unless you need special effects and control of each colour

Is that your tank, and do black boxes come with controllers/ phone settings??

 

[Brooke24]

You don’t want lights you can control with your phone. Honestly, you want to set your lights on a very strict schedule/intensity/spectrum and NEVER change them. Again, DO NOT tinker with your light settings, which is what will happen if you have remote access to them. Every change will stress your tank to some degree. It’s best to pick a setting and leave it alone, which begs the question why bother having Wifi on something like lighting?

I’m honestly not worried about wifi or the phone, a controller with a timer on the lights would of course be fine. I would go with 2 black boxes, but don’t want them breaking a day after I get them. Maybe I will get a 45 inch SBReef light!

 

[Bepis]

You’d need 3 ai prime 16hds for proper coverage

 

[Brooke24]

You’d need 3 ai prime 16hds for proper coverage

Yikes. What about a 45 inch SbReef light? Since my tank is 48 inches

 

[Brooke24]

I run the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ and absolutely love it. Great light for the money. However, if you want a similar spectrum that will grow coral but not break the bank check out SB Reef Lights. They are significantly better than black box and have wifi control-ability. You'll have no problem growing any coral you want under one of their lights. Prior to my Reef Breeder I had an SB Light and that tank was growing some great SPS.

SB Extreme with Wifi is $460 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-reef-lights/10-sbox-extreme-32-wifi.html

If you want a better looking light their SB Ultra is $560 - https://sbreeflights.com/sbox-ultra-reef-lights/45-102-ultra-45.html

Also, what about one of these??

 

[Crustaceon]

I’m honestly not worried about wifi or the phone, a controller with a timer on the lights would of course be fine. I would go with 2 black boxes, but don’t want them breaking a day after I get them. Maybe I will get a 45 inch SBReef light!

Don’t let cost convince you a light is somehow better. I’ve owned many black boxes that have lasted long enough to rust and kept working just fine. Realistically, you’ll change your LED fixtures out every two years anyways (this is on average because LED people tend to get bored and want get something they think is better at this mark). I’d much rather do that for under $200 and run a cheapy light timer than pay at least $200 or more for a fixture with more features that I’ll never use, while getting the same longevity. For reference, I ran black boxes with SBreeflight conversion boards. They worked just fine probably before the boards were added but I liked the spread a little more with the sb’s. The corals didn’t notice either way.

 

[Brooke24]

Don’t let cost convince you a light is somehow better. I’ve owned many black boxes that have lasted long enough to rust and kept working just fine. Realistically, you’ll change your LED fixtures out every two years anyways (this is on average because LED people tend to get bored and want get something they think is better at this mark). I’d much rather do that for under $200 and run a cheapy light timer than pay at least $200 or more for a fixture with more features that I’ll never use, while getting the same longevity. For reference, I ran black boxes with SBreeflight conversion boards. They worked just fine probably before the boards were added but I liked the spread a little more with the sb’s. The corals didn’t notice either way.

Nice tank!! What do you think about one of these? I have heard a lot of people say they love SbReef, and this is a 45 inch while my tank is 48. Will this alone do enough for sps, lps, and soft coral?

 

[Crustaceon]

Nice tank!! What do you think about one of these? I have heard a lot of people say they love SbReef, and this is a 45 inch while my tank is 48. Will this alone do enough for sps, lps, and soft coral?

It should be plenty for whatever you’d like to grow. Just start out pretty low on the intensity. LEDs can be like laser beams until corals have at least a few weeks to a few months to adjust. If it has the typical black box settings, I’d recommend starting at 10% white and 40% blue.

 

[Brooke24]

It should be plenty for whatever you’d like to grow. Just start out pretty low on the intensity. LEDs can be like laser beams until corals have at least a few weeks to a few months to adjust. If it has the typical black box settings, I’d recommend starting at 10% white and 40% blue.

Sweet. Thank you very much. It has 474 watts

 

[Crustaceon]

Sweet. Thank you very much. It has 474 watts

Ooo very nice. I was running three “165w” led fixtures (it’s actually less wattage than advertised) on that 100g tank at less than 50% power per fixture.

 

[Brooke24]

It should be plenty for whatever you’d like to grow. Just start out pretty low on the intensity. LEDs can be like laser beams until corals have at least a few weeks to a few months to adjust. If it has the typical black box settings, I’d recommend starting at 10% white and 40% blue.

I forgot to ask. Can you ramp up the lighting on the light, slowly?