Philips CoralCare Gen 2 First look.

[Scubabum]

Will this knock the release date back much?

I don't think so. The lights I had were prototypes and it seems they need a firmware upgrade. Philips and CoralVue will be Inspecting, bench testing, and updating firmware as needed.

 

[najer]

I don't think so. The lights I had were prototypes and it seems they need a firmware upgrade. Philips and CoralVue will be Inspecting, bench testing, and updating firmware as needed.

Thanks, England here, I need a light for the cube end of my tank, 26 x 26 x 18" shallow.

 

[CoralVue_Marketing]

Will this knock the release date back much?

I don't think it's going to delay the launch at all. The lights they are testing are prototypes from an earlier batch. We also have a buffer between delivery and launch day that, heaven forbid, could be used to remedy a situation last-minute. I am hearing our wholesale customers have reserved a lot of the first shipment already, so that's promising! I am eager to find out which segments of the market will be early adopters. Some guesses:

• Coral propagation operations where they can hang the IP65-rated lights right above the water.
• Hobbyists with canopies so the lights can be secured and concealed.
• Hobbyists with large aquariums need half the number of fixtures when using CoralCare. One could easily save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Hobbyists who like peace of mind and just want it to work. The spectrum is basically dummy-proof. You can pick the perfect look without worrying whether your corals are getting the right light.
• Zoos, aquariums, museums, laboratories and anywhere else that requires UL Listed life support systems.
• Hobbyists burned by brands with noisy fans, buggy apps, bulky power bricks, and breakdowns from salt creep and saltwater.
• Consumers who have confidence in the 100+ year old Philips brand and the CoralCare's industry best 24-month warranty.
• LED holdouts still running T5 that are finally ready make the switch because of this study.
• Coral collectors who want to color-coordinate their white aquarium cabinet with white light fixtures.
• Hobbyists who are tired of walled gardens and want to connect their lights to a third-party aquarium controller like the HYDROS Control 4, Neptune Systems Apex, or GHL ProfiLux.

Did I miss anyone?

You have to reset your expectations. There has never been a light like this for comparison. The CoralCare is in a class of its own. It doesn't want to be your next LED light. It wants to be your next T5.

 

[najer]

I don't think it's going to delay the launch at all. The lights they are testing are prototypes from an earlier batch. We also have a buffer between delivery and launch day that, heaven forbid, could be used to remedy a situation last-minute. I am hearing our wholesale customers have reserved a lot of the first shipment already, so that's promising! I am eager to find out which segments of the market will be early adopters. Some guesses:

• Coral propagation operations where they can hang the IP65-rated lights right above the water.
• Hobbyists with canopies so the lights can be secured and concealed.
• Hobbyists with large aquariums need half the number of fixtures when using CoralCare. One could easily save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Hobbyists who like peace of mind and just want it to work. The spectrum is basically dummy-proof. You can pick the perfect look without worrying whether your corals are getting the right light.
• Zoos, aquariums, museums, laboratories and anywhere else that requires UL Listed life support systems.
• Hobbyists burned by brands with noisy fans, buggy apps, bulky power bricks, and breakdowns from salt creep and saltwater.
• Consumers who have confidence in the 100+ year old Philips brand and the CoralCare's industry best 24-month warranty.
• LED holdouts still running T5 that are finally ready make the switch because of this study.
• Coral collectors who want to color-coordinate their white aquarium cabinet with white light fixtures.
• Hobbyists who are tired of walled gardens and want to connect their lights to a third-party aquarium controller like the HYDROS Control 4, Neptune Systems Apex, or GHL ProfiLux.

Did I miss anyone?

You have to reset your expectations. There has never been a light like this for comparison. The CoralCare is in a class of its own. It doesn't want to be your next LED light. It wants to be your next T5.

My tank is an odd custom build, 65" shallow split in two , I have always run the Display side (39") with a T5 hybrid, that is not about to change, I want a light that is not a Radiator (-ator / on) over my cube end to persuade me I don't need my hybrid!

 

[BullyBee]

There is a tank mount for a single fixture and a rail kit for multiple fixtures coming soon.

what I don’t get is how many of these would I need for a 40g breeder

 

[Water Dog]

what I don’t get is how many of these would I need for a 40g breeder

Research... The internet is your friend! From the Coralvue website...

For an SPS reef, coverage is approximately 32 x 24 inches
For an LPS reef, converage is approximately 36 x 28 inches.

Philips CoralCare Gen2 LED Lighting Fixture

The first reef aquarium light available in the USA by Philips, a leader in technological innovation since 1891. It has the light quality you'd expect from T5 or Metal Halide with all the benefits of LED. It has 68 state-of-the-art LEDs, a patented diffusion lens for homogeneous light...

www.coralvue.com

 

[Stylo328]

How do I get on a list for four of these once they start shipping?

 

[CoralVue_Marketing]

How do I get on a list for four of these once they start shipping?

Do you prefer to buy online or at your LFS? If local, which store(s) do you shop with?

 

[Stylo328]

Thanks for the reply. I don’t have an issue buying online as long as I can get appropriate warranty support if an issue should arise.

 

[t5Nitro]

Would one of these be able to be suspended from a single arm of an orphek mount kit? If I try these when they're out I'd need 2 for a 36 inch tank I think, 1 from each mount arm.

 

[User1]

I don't think it's going to delay the launch at all. The lights they are testing are prototypes from an earlier batch. We also have a buffer between delivery and launch day that, heaven forbid, could be used to remedy a situation last-minute. I am hearing our wholesale customers have reserved a lot of the first shipment already, so that's promising! I am eager to find out which segments of the market will be early adopters. Some guesses:

• Coral propagation operations where they can hang the IP65-rated lights right above the water.
• Hobbyists with canopies so the lights can be secured and concealed.
• Hobbyists with large aquariums need half the number of fixtures when using CoralCare. One could easily save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Hobbyists who like peace of mind and just want it to work. The spectrum is basically dummy-proof. You can pick the perfect look without worrying whether your corals are getting the right light.
• Zoos, aquariums, museums, laboratories and anywhere else that requires UL Listed life support systems.
• Hobbyists burned by brands with noisy fans, buggy apps, bulky power bricks, and breakdowns from salt creep and saltwater.
• Consumers who have confidence in the 100+ year old Philips brand and the CoralCare's industry best 24-month warranty.
• LED holdouts still running T5 that are finally ready make the switch because of this study.
• Coral collectors who want to color-coordinate their white aquarium cabinet with white light fixtures.
• Hobbyists who are tired of walled gardens and want to connect their lights to a third-party aquarium controller like the HYDROS Control 4, Neptune Systems Apex, or GHL ProfiLux.

Did I miss anyone?

You have to reset your expectations. There has never been a light like this for comparison. The CoralCare is in a class of its own. It doesn't want to be your next LED light. It wants to be your next T5.

You have a pretty big list there . I do believe they have potential. Interesting comment on the spectrum and first thought that came to mind was Kessil Logic. I know everyone has their own way so not comparing. I just like the comment and assume it will be somewhat similar. Spectrum is set to grow accordingly and end user adjusts for eyes.

I do have a question. Has anyone got back to Dana with his questions on the lights? Really looking forward to his results has he provides a unbiased review. Hobbyists and beta testers are fine but looking forward to his. I'm not one to buy or upgrade based on the latest and greatest but I will say if I was to upgrade or switch these would be the one.

They are impressive.

Edit: Forgot to include saying thank you for feedback in the thread. Really appreciate it. I know you are more than busy so thanks. Hope all is well!

 

[Stylo328]

Do you prefer to buy online or at your LFS? If local, which store(s) do you shop with?

Thanks for the reply. I don’t have an issue buying online as long as I can get appropriate warranty support if an issue should arise.

 

[Superlightman]

How are the colors compared to the radion?

 

[Scubabum]

Would one of these be able to be suspended from a single arm of an orphek mount kit? If I try these when they're out I'd need 2 for a 36 inch tank I think, 1 from each mount arm.

The units weigh 15 pounds which would be too heavy for a single Orphek mount kit.

 

[Scubabum]

How are the colors compared to the radion?

I was able to adjust them so they looked similar to the Radion blue as far as color. The Philips put out a much flatter look similar to a T5

 

[CoralVue_Marketing]

Thanks for the reply. I don’t have an issue buying online as long as I can get appropriate warranty support if an issue should arise.

Philips is backing the CoralCare Gen2 lights with an industry-leading 2-year warranty. Warranty claims in North America will be handled by CoralVue, but Philips will be inspecting any light that is returned. There is a reason the company's been around for over 100 years!

As a token of our appreciation for supporting innovation in the hobby, we will be offering an incentive to early adopters who pre-order. More details will be announced in the weeks ahead (we literally got this approved yesterday), but as of now, it's looking like all of the major online players will carry the lights. So you should have options!

 

[mfinn]

I definitely want to try these out.

 

[t5Nitro]

I'm thinking the same. 2 for a 36" tank? Will they have to be mounted or will there be a mounting bracket option? Don't want them hanging from the ceiling personally.

 

[mfinn]

I'm thinking the same. 2 for a 36" tank? Will they have to be mounted or will there be a mounting bracket option? Don't want them hanging from the ceiling personally.

This what I saw on the first post.

Based on user experience tests with aquaria depths up to 1m / 39.37"/po:

• Surface coverage SPS reef: 80x60cm / 31.50 x 23.62"/po
• Surface coverage LPS reef: 90x70cm / 35.43 x 27.56"/po
• Surface coverage mixed reef: 100x80cm / 39.37 x 31.50"/po
• Minimum distance between fixture and water surface: 15cm / 5.91"/po

So judging from that I could do 2 on my 6' softy/lps tank.

 

[User1]

I'm planning for two. I'm currently on a 210 54 x 30 x 30 and believe these would improve my quality of life around cables, power supplies, and overall spread. I also believe they can be used for future upgrades I'm toying around with which I really like. I'd still like to know a little bit about the firmware update that was mentioned somewhere and how it addressed numbers. Also how the Apex and Reef Angel can manage it. I still use the RA because of the custom lighting options with geo locations and true weather patterns with my DIY led's.

I've placed one on my random gift fairy list and the one shared for holidays .