Mars Aqua 16w vs 300w for 125g potential reef

[Chris Romani]

Setting up a new 125g and would like to know the recommendations between the small 165w mars aqua compared to the 300w for a 6 foot 125g tank. How many of the 165w's vs 300w's needed? Plan on lots of live rock and eventually fish/ corals. New to reef2reef. Thanks you!

 

[Ranjib]

How deep is your tank. I think 165W are better, go for 5watts per gallon ratio and run them at 70-80% at max for longevity . That’s 4 minimum.

 

[kendavjac]

I have 3 - 165W on my 125g. My tank has 2 braces, so I put a light over each section and have minimal shading because of the braces.

 

[Chris Romani]

How deep is your tank. I think 165W are better, go for 5watts per gallon ratio and run them at 70-80% at max for longevity . That’s 4 minimum.

Thank you. Measurements are 72 x 18 x 21

 

[Chris Romani]

I have 3 - 165W on my 125g. My tank has 2 braces, so I put a light over each section and have minimal shading because of the braces.

Thank you I will look at that. My dilemma is I have one brace dead in the middle of the tank, so my initial thought process was to run 2 300Ws on each side of middle brace.

 

[Chris Romani]

I have 3 - 165W on my 125g. My tank has 2 braces, so I put a light over each section and have minimal shading because of the braces.

How is the coral growth vs other LEDs?

 

[kendavjac]

How is the coral growth vs other LEDs?

I don't know as these are the only LED's I've owned. But I have had MH and T5's, and I had no real difference in growth rates. Honestly, IMO, stability is more important then light brand when it comes to SPS. There really has not been any new technology in LED's for a long time. They mostly use the same Diodes and light spectrum. Only difference I have seen is price. I have 3 different Chinese brands in my house, they all look identical except for the sticker. This guy uses Chinese LED's and t5's
For what it's worth, I have never turned my lights up to 100% because of coral burning issues. I have recently upped my nutrients and I'm in the process of ramping the blue channel up close 100% and the whites I think around 40-60%. Still figuring that part out based on how my tank reacts.

I had a 6ft T5 fixture over my 125G, but didn't like the shading (and bulb price) because of the braces. That is why I went with the 3 165W instead of 2 longer units. When I purchased these lights, the Chinese brands were somewhat new, so I liked the idea that if one went I could replace just part of my lighting system for relatively cheap.

 

[kendavjac]

Thank you I will look at that. My dilemma is I have one brace dead in the middle of the tank, so my initial thought process was to run 2 300Ws on each side of middle brace.

That would work then

 

[RobZilla04]

Look at the Viparspectra for the simple reasons of one power cord for each fixture as opposed to two, unless you plan on daisy chaining them together, and the built in timers.