Reef Breeders Photon v2 OR Oceanrevive Artic t247

Dj City · Feb 7, 2018

I'm going to get new lights (leds). I've narrowed it down to either

One Reef Breeders Photon 48 v2
OR
Two Oceanrevive Artic t247's

I habe read great things about both lights. I have not really heard anything bad about either light.

I have a 110 gal. Display mixed reef with SPS, LPS, Softies, anemones and fish.

I can't hang the lights without doing major stuff to the wall (there is a shelf over the tank on the wall). I will have to mount lights on the tank itself.

I'm looking for the best coverage and par/ pur.
I'm looking for the best light for coral health, color and growth.
I'm looking for the best visual eye pleasing light. I'm not a fan of the all blue look. Blue is great but I need white as well to even out out.
I'm looking for the best value.

I believe either of the lights I picked would do the job but I don't know which would be best for my tank.

Reef Breeders Photon 48 v2............. $589.99
OceanRevive Artic t247......................$169.99 x2

What are your thoughts? What are your experiences?

ReefNoobie88 · Feb 8, 2018

I have the OR and they’ve been great for the month I’ve had them. (Check my for sale post) plan on going with different lights for my new setup .

Finhead · Feb 8, 2018

IMO the Photons are the better light and layout, the 3-1 ratio of blue to white is right inline with the highend fixtures. You can control the whites independent from any of the other spectrums. You'll find the higher K white LED's can be harsh on the corals so the 5500K on the Phontons to me would be worth the extra.

Dj City · Feb 8, 2018

$509.97 for 3 Artic t247
$589.99 for 1 Reef Breeders Photon v2

I may only need 2 Artic t247's which would put me at $339.98

If I were to get 2 or even 3 of the OceanRevives, the price beats the heck out of the ReefBreeders.
I'm trying to determine if the ReefBreeders is REALLY that much more of a light to justify that price difference.

Dj City · Feb 8, 2018

@ReefNoobie88

I pm'ed you.

Dj City · Feb 8, 2018

I've made up my mind. I'm getting 3 Artic t247's.

I will get more power, more watts, mote coverage with 3 t247's than I would with 1 Photon v2.

My question now is, what size rod do I need to connect the lights together? My plan is to have them lengthwise across the tank.

Bracket on tank on left side of light #1 connected to light #2 via connecting rods connected to light #3 via connecting rods with bracket on right side of light #3 on the tank.

What size rods?

Mark Gray · Feb 8, 2018

I have the Reef Breeders light no complaints they are well built

Dj City · Feb 9, 2018

I purchased 3 Artic t247's for my 4ft 110gallon tank.
I think I want to mount the lights lengthwise across the tank with the brackets on the left and right side of the tank.
How can I get the 3 lights to mount to each other? I'm thinking I will be using rods to connect them but I don't know what diameter or what length rods to get.

Can anyone help me out?
Do you know if my idea will even fit over a 4ft tank in the way I am thinking about?

bigroost · Feb 9, 2018

Take this for what its worth because it could have been my shortcomings or other advances in equipment. I ran the OR light for 2 years and have been running the Photon V2 for the last 5 months. On most of my corals i have had more growth with the Photon than I did the entire time I had the OR.

Water Dog · Feb 9, 2018

Do you have the fixtures yet? Each fixture comes with its own brackets... I’m guessing that you can cut the brackets for the center fixture so you can get straight lengths of rod for the central fixture’s connection to the two outer fixtures.

bigroost · Feb 9, 2018

Sorry I wouldn't even have posted that if I had noticed you had already made up your mind. I will say its much easier for me to get an eye pleasing color with the OR. Also 3 of them over a 4 foot tank is going to be some serious light coverage

Dj City · Feb 9, 2018

bigroost said:
Take this for what its worth because it could have been my shortcomings or other advances in equipment. I ran the OR light for 2 years and have been running the Photon V2 for the last 5 months. On most of my corals i have had more growth with the Photon than I did the entire time I had the OR.

I hear ya.
The way I looked at it, the 3 OR's will give me more watts, much better coverage and costed me waaaaay less. I really like the Photon V2's but I could not pass up the deal I got along with the coverage and power I will be getting form the OR's.

Dj City · Feb 9, 2018

Water Dog said:
Do you have the fixtures yet? Each fixture comes with its own brackets... I’m guessing that you can cut the brackets for the center fixture so you can get straight lengths of rod for the central fixture’s connection to the two outer fixtures.

I'm thinking about that too. I don't really want to cut them up if I can avoid it. I may want to use the brackets at some point down the line.

Water Dog · Feb 9, 2018

So then maybe you can bring the brackets to a hardware store to find a comparable diameter steel rod.

Dj City · Feb 9, 2018

bigroost said:
I will say its much easier for me to get an eye pleasing color with the OR. Also 3 of them over a 4 foot tank is going to be some serious light coverage

This was my thinking when I made the decision to go with the OR's. Serious light coverage and serious par.
With 90 degree optics, I'm getting deep penetration into the water. That's important for the 110gal tank as it's a deep tank. I'm not worried about spread because I will have 3 of these things on the tank.
That should provide good light everywhere!

Just have to figure how to mount them neatly.

Dj City · Feb 9, 2018

Water Dog said:
So then maybe you can bring the brackets to a hardware store to find a comparable diameter steel rod.

I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.

MaiReef · Feb 9, 2018

I set different lights on a square tubing aluminum bar and built that off of the sides of the tank, but it would be easier to connect the bar from HD or Lowes and bolt it to your brackets.

Dj City · Feb 14, 2018

Ok...
I received the lights yesterday and I am pleased with them. I don't really like the green and red but it's not THAT bad. I'm thinking of ways to tone the green and red down but not lose the overall color i'm seeing in the tank.
I will not be able to mount them lengthwise on the tank. My tank is 4ft (48"). Each light is 16" but has a knob that makes the light about 16 3/4". I have the lights mounted with the brackets going front to back (Display facing front) instead of side to side. GREAT spread! Lights are about 7" off the surface of the water.
I'm probably going to hang them unless I can come up with a GOOD LOOKING way to have them connected the way they are oriented now. I don't like the legs being on the front of the tank.

Ideas are welcomed!