Orphek or Reef Brite

Blue Spot Octopus · Mar 31, 2022

minus9 is the light that you are ordering Quanta Meso Blue are they blue or the black light type blue?

minus9 · Mar 31, 2022

Blue Spot Octopus said:
minus9 is the light that you are ordering Quanta Meso Blue are they blue or the black light type blue?

Blue. I believe Luca based them off of the ATI blue +. I’m getting them to compliment my 14k halides, which should fit right in. I’ll definitely post some pics and my thoughts as soon as I get them. I will say this though, I’m currently running OR2 blue plus and xho’s with my halides and the two LED bars really compliment each other and fill in for the other. They both do things the other does not, so I’m hoping the Quanta is that combo. The difference between the two (Orphek/xho) is pop and spread, so it’s a matter of what you prefer. I really liked the combo of Kessil and Orphek, but there was still shadowing because of the lenses used between the two.

Blue Spot Octopus · Mar 31, 2022

Thanks for the reply, I have a single Orphek daylight over my f/o tank, I need something to smooth it out, I have two Kessil 360X but I do not use them the cross bars are exactly where the Kessil's will be, I will wait to set up my 225 tank and then put them in.

mfollen · Mar 31, 2022

Following. Interested to learn more on any experiences and comparisons with quantas.

I’ve seen a number of very healthy reefs under orpheks. I’ve used reefbrite xho’s to supplement, but don’t plan on acquiring more of them.

telegraham · Apr 2, 2022

Manny’s Reef said:
I’ve read tons of his comments on this already. He sounds like someone who has an interest in the company. To me, He sounds like a sales rep. But hey, that’s my own ignorant opinion on him.

You could simply ask. I have zero financial interest in Quanta/Luca's endeavors. @Lousybreed can confirm.

telegraham · Apr 2, 2022

A few points...AliE is a marketplace, not an OEM. The AliE bars I have been promoting for several years are made by populargrow. They are the 470nm and can be ordered with custom spectrums. They're also crazy easy to modify at home in your oven or on your stove.

Populargrow and Herifi (the OEM for Quanta and Orphek) have different addresses, so I can't say that they're made in the same factory.

The differences between an Orphek, stock Herifi, and a Quanta goes deeper than just the number of lenses, but that's Luca's information to share when he's ready.

Orphek are not populargrow lights with Orphek stickers. Reef Breeders LumenBars are custom populargrow bars.

Reef Brite XHO beats them all at spread, but at the expense of PAR. The spread is really really good, but the PAR is very low at typical LED mounting heights. Build quality is unacceptable, and their 450/470nm spectrum is easily recreated.

Did I miss anything?

Lousybreed · Apr 2, 2022

BanjoBandito said:
I've had issues with reef equipment companies in the past too. It's unbelievable how this hobby seems to attract vultures and arrogance! I looked at an orphek and came to the same conclusion. The only way to "vote" in this country is with the almighty dollar!

EDIT: I am not hard to get along with. lol. At least I don't think I am, I'm a business owner I'm sensitive to a lot of "business issues" but to be flat out rude when representing a company is a big NO NO for me. It's a reflection of ownership.

I completely support you and your message about customer service is incredibly important. I am not here to say who does a good job at customer service I am just a huge believer in personalized customer service.

Lousybreed · Apr 2, 2022

Manny’s Reef said:
And I misspoke about where the bars are manufactured. Yes the orpheks lights are manufactured in China.

Manny almost all of the light bars employing higher wattages are made in the same building. I could switch over to the Orphek chassis if I wanted for example. Even more crazy, there is one city in China that 99% of the light bars come from. It’s a small manufacturing world out there. They all use the same suppliers, the differences exist in the LED’s used (there is a very wide range in performance and the biggest difference maker in my opinion) lens, driver, etc. So I spent my time developing unique solutions using the standard light bar chassis. For example my 4’ bar has 40 lenses and others use 36. Doesn’t sound like much but it’s about 11% more LED’s per light bar and that is a big difference when you consider spectral blending. Then you have the dual core 5W chips vs single core 3W chips and the thermal issues that arise when driving single LED’s at a higher mA. So I for sure appreciate your opinion, and it’s a valid point, but there is a ton more that goes into it. And the simple things like having a 14’ cord vs a 6 ft cord so you can keep your drivers safe from saltwater spray.
Reef Brite is built in the USA and costs considerably more but is a unique offering in the hobby. They have great spread. I for sure respect that.

Lousybreed · Apr 2, 2022

telegraham said:
You could simply ask. I have zero financial interest in Quanta/Luca's endeavors. @Lousybreed can confirm.

Agreed. We are friends who support each other.

Lousybreed · Apr 2, 2022

minus9 said:
Blue. I believe Luca based them off of the ATI blue +. I’m getting them to compliment my 14k halides, which should fit right in. I’ll definitely post some pics and my thoughts as soon as I get them. I will say this though, I’m currently running OR2 blue plus and xho’s with my halides and the two LED bars really compliment each other and fill in for the other. They both do things the other does not, so I’m hoping the Quanta is that combo. The difference between the two (Orphek/xho) is pop and spread, so it’s a matter of what you prefer. I really liked the combo of Kessil and Orphek, but there was still shadowing because of the lenses used between the two.

So the meso blue will have a violet heavy spectrum that appeared to be a deep blue and violet look. Compared to anything else on the market it has considerably more violet LEDs. Violet is incredibly important for coral color. Violet LED’s are also significantly more expensive than their blue counterparts. Compared to the other bars you’ll find a wider spectrum of florescence using the meso blues. I believe I am packing your lights right now as we speak.

Lousybreed · Apr 2, 2022

I just wanna add that I think is great that people are talking about options and looking at the pros and cons of each because at the end of the day you wanna find the light bar that is best for you and your tank

Blue Spot Octopus · Apr 3, 2022

Lousybreed, I have a single 4' Orphek Daylight over my tank, so I need something to smooth it out, so I want more blue, which type or spectrum would you recommend?

minus9 · Apr 3, 2022

Lousybreed said:
So the meso blue will have a violet heavy spectrum that appeared to be a deep blue and violet look. Compared to anything else on the market it has considerably more violet LEDs. Violet is incredibly important for coral color. Violet LED’s are also significantly more expensive than their blue counterparts. Compared to the other bars you’ll find a wider spectrum of florescence using the meso blues. I believe I am packing your lights right now as we speak.

That sounds great! I can’t wait to get them up and see them in action.