Need help picking a light
- Thread starter Austin J Vatalaro
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Anyone have any information on this guy? Wondering how it would work
I have two vipaspecta lights over my tank, something very similar to what you have there and it grows everything. My sensitive sps acros and my not so sensitive lps are doing great!
Austin J Vatalaro
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Awesome! I was also looking at the vipaspecta. What size tank do you have? I am wondering if I will only need 1
If you have the budget, I would vote AI prime. It's been a great light for me and I like that you can control it with your phone.
on a side note, do you dip your rocks before placing in the tank? I've had 2 tanks now that I had live rock that brought bristle worms in my tank. They are the worst.
on a side note, do you dip your rocks before placing in the tank? I've had 2 tanks now that I had live rock that brought bristle worms in my tank. They are the worst.
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Oh you would only need one for sure. I have a 90 gallon. One unit is going to be way more than what you will need but you can adjust the intensity of it. Right now I run mine at 10%white 70% blue and it's going great!!! I recommend tuning yours less than that Size of tank. Maybe 5% white and 50%blue just a gess.
MaiReef
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Get two 60s from Orphek and a timer.
OR2- blue plus
OR2- day plus
$240 plus a simple timer and literally would cover that tank perfect
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...k-or-120-90-60-bars-led-lights.390915/page-29
OR2- blue plus
OR2- day plus
$240 plus a simple timer and literally would cover that tank perfect
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...k-or-120-90-60-bars-led-lights.390915/page-29
Austin J Vatalaro
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Dkeller_nc
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Bristleworms are not a problem in a reef tank. They're a normal and expected cleanup crew denizen, and despite what folks sometimes perceive, they are not predatory on anything - fish, corals or other inverts. When you see posts where someone insists that a bristleworm killed their fish/clam/coral, what they're seeing is correlation without causation - the bristleworms are just coming in for a free meal after the death of the other critter.
For lighting, I would strongly suggest that you get a T5HO fixture. Yes, LEDs will grow coral. But in the inexperienced's hands, they also kill a lot of coral. Especially the chinese "black box" fixtures with a great deal of power, as it really requires a PAR meter to accurately measure the output of these fixtures (you can't judge that by eye), and most reefers, especially beginners, don't wish to spend the $230 - $500 it takes to get a PAR meter.
T5HO, on the other hand, is bullet proof. Pick a few blue-shifted bulbs like ATI's blue plus and/or actinic, a bulb or two of purple plus and/or aquablue special to balance the blue bulbs out, and you're set. You won't have to think about your lighting again other than picking the length of the day/night cycle, no PAR meter is required, and at least as far as your visual perception is concerned, your tank will be much more brightly lit for your enjoyment of the animals. For your tank, a 4-bulb 24" fixture will be more than enough light for various zoas, mushrooms, and other soft corals. It will even have more than enough oomph for certain kinds of anemones - specifically bubble-tip anemones.
One caution on the anemone thought - do not purchase a carpet anemone, no matter what the LFS might incorrectly tell you about the suitability of that animal for your tank and skill level. These anemones are for advanced hobbyists only.
For lighting, I would strongly suggest that you get a T5HO fixture. Yes, LEDs will grow coral. But in the inexperienced's hands, they also kill a lot of coral. Especially the chinese "black box" fixtures with a great deal of power, as it really requires a PAR meter to accurately measure the output of these fixtures (you can't judge that by eye), and most reefers, especially beginners, don't wish to spend the $230 - $500 it takes to get a PAR meter.
T5HO, on the other hand, is bullet proof. Pick a few blue-shifted bulbs like ATI's blue plus and/or actinic, a bulb or two of purple plus and/or aquablue special to balance the blue bulbs out, and you're set. You won't have to think about your lighting again other than picking the length of the day/night cycle, no PAR meter is required, and at least as far as your visual perception is concerned, your tank will be much more brightly lit for your enjoyment of the animals. For your tank, a 4-bulb 24" fixture will be more than enough light for various zoas, mushrooms, and other soft corals. It will even have more than enough oomph for certain kinds of anemones - specifically bubble-tip anemones.
One caution on the anemone thought - do not purchase a carpet anemone, no matter what the LFS might incorrectly tell you about the suitability of that animal for your tank and skill level. These anemones are for advanced hobbyists only.
Dkeller_nc
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By the way, with respect to a T5HO 4-bulb 24" fixture for your tank, there are a lot of options. One of the acknowledged "best in class" is ATI fixtures. While I highly recommend stretching your budget for one because of their reliability and aesthetic appeal, they're going to be pricey - a 4 bulb dimmable fixture will run you $530, the non-dimmable 4-bulb will run you $421 (though this fixture does have two different ballasts on different circuits, so you can light 2 T5HO blue bulbs for sunrise/sunset, and the other two a little later for full-on lighting).
If you want to go inexpensive just to see how you like them, you can get a 4-bulb SunBlaze fixture (by Sunlight Supply) from a number of different vendors for $125.
If you want to go inexpensive just to see how you like them, you can get a 4-bulb SunBlaze fixture (by Sunlight Supply) from a number of different vendors for $125.
SweetSaltyTank_J.G.
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Oh man I started with a 29 gallon and had a sand butt Maxspect 420r LED fixture. I highly recommend it. I now own a Hydra 26 HD. Either one would be nice and the hydra had great control ability with enough power to grow SPS. Orrrr Get a sick T5 fixture that covers the whole tank which gives a better light spread and no shadowing. Up to you. Good luck. So many options out there.
cloudisback1997
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I love t5 way more than leds! Hydra 26 hd is cool and all. But they just don’t compare to plug and play. I loved the old aquatic life fixtures more than the new hybrids. A good cheaper option is the coralife quad t5 with moonlights. However you will need timers or a controller. If you plan on keeping anemones I highly recommend 4bulb t5 with ati bulbs. Or E5 bulbs for a hybrid, but the E5s are ending. They are closing out selling them for 15$. They are like 70$ bulbs. Many people didn’t like them however I liked them
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