SB Reef Lights - 20g long

Stella1979 · Dec 27, 2017

Hi all,

Looking at switching from T5 to LED lighting on our 20g long. We like the look of SB Reef Lights but I'm unsure which would be best. The tank is LPS dominant right now, but we'd like to add a little more SPS in the future. One issue is that I can hang the light no more than about 12 inches above the tank, so going higher for max spread is out.

So, with that in mind, would the sBox Extreme 16" do well? I'm also looking at the ULTRA 22" which is more expensive of course, but more importantly, I don't want to go overboard with a tank that is only 12 inches high. Unfortunately, I probably won't be getting a bigger tank any time soon either, so not much of a reason to get more than I currently need.

Thanks!

Big G · Dec 27, 2017

I have the ULTRA 45" on my 90. The thing is built like a tank. It's quiet because there are no fans in the light box above the tank. It has four color channels with infinite setting ability. I like it a lot. That being said, the sBox Extreme is very nice. Can't go wrong with either one. But I do like how quiet the Ultra is. Happy New Year!

bobman · Dec 27, 2017

Either option is a good choice. For better spread you can always remove the optics which in your case being only 12" above the water would be you best option.

Stella1979 · Dec 28, 2017

Thanks for the replies!

Forgive my limited knowledge on lighting....

bobman said:
Either option is a good choice. For better spread you can always remove the optics which in your case being only 12" above the water would be you best option.

By removing the optics, you mean removing lenses that concentrate the light, correct? This will allow for better spread in my situation? The biggest reason I'm looking at the Ultra 22" is for max spread over the length of the tank, which is 30". I don't want one of those long tanks that can't put corals on the short ends. Currently, all frags, even those on the edges are doing pretty well under 24" T5's by ATI. We'd still like to move into LED's for the variation in lighting they can provide. So, with this in mind, the Ultra 22" seems best, but if the Extreme 16" can offer me full coverage at the height I can hang it, well then, I wouldn't mind saving a few bucks.

The tank is under a counter which might otherwise be called a breakfast nook, but that counter being above the tank is why I have little room for hanging the light. Not ideal, but it is what it is. I was out of space before getting the tank, but after more than 15 years of being reefless, I had to squeeze one in where I could.

lbacha · Dec 28, 2017

I have the 16" extreme (even with fans is it extremely quite) you will definitely have hot spots in the center but on my 24" tank it puts out 100 par on the edges and the fixture is only at about 40% (it is 250 par in the center at 6"). The mounting kit holds it 7" above the rim of the tank and 8" above the water.

The 16" won't give you even spread over 30" but you should be able to grow coral through the whole length of the tank with light to spare.

Len

Stella1979 · Dec 28, 2017

Excellent info lbacha Thank you!

Big G · Dec 28, 2017

How much room do you have from the top of your tank to the bottom of the cabinets above the tank?

Stella1979 · Dec 28, 2017

Eeeek! My 12" guestimate was wrong... way off. I only have 9"

It's making that slim Ultra sound better and better. One thing that bothers me though is that the Radion XR15 G4, (what I think of as the Ferrari of reef lights), is cheaper than the Ultra. Kind of a moot point though, as I'm looking for a long light, not a single cluster.

lbacha · Dec 28, 2017

You may want to look into something like 2 ai primes or even 2-3 a80's

Big G · Dec 28, 2017

Stella1979 said:
Eeeek! My 12" guestimate was wrong... way off. I only have 9" It's making that slim Ultra sound better and better. One thing that bothers me though is that the Radion XR15 G4, (what I think of as the Ferrari of reef lights), is cheaper than the Ultra. Kind of a moot point though, as I'm looking for a long light, not a single cluster.

The unit is about 10" at the maximum height setting on the support legs on my tank. So the next pre-drilled hole is 1 1/4" on the support legs. Which would put your overall, if you used that hole, 8 3/4" tall above the tank. You could of course drill holes where ever you want on the legs. But you do need some room above the light fixture to allow the fins to allow air to circulate through. That's how it gets away without a fan (s). It is a heat sink design. So you need some passive air circulation above the light for it to cool properly. Hope this helps.

Stella1979 · Dec 28, 2017

Thank you so much guys!

Big G said:
The unit is about 10" at the maximum height setting on the support legs on my tank. So the next pre-drilled hole is 1 1/4" on the support legs. Which would put your overall, if you used that hole, 8 3/4" tall above the tank. You could of course drill holes where ever you want on the legs. But you do need some room above the light fixture to allow the fins to allow air to circulate through. That's how it gets away without a fan (s). It is a heat sink design. So you need some passive air circulation above the light for it to cool properly. Hope this helps.

This is super helpful!

I think I am pretty well set on the Ultra 22". The heat sink design is exactly what I'm looking for with the limited headspace I'm working with. I believe with my situation, thinner is better, which is one of the prime reasons I don't want pendant style lights. It's just tough to pull the trigger on a less popular light. Thanks again for the input!

bobman · Jan 3, 2018

Stella1979 said:
Thanks for the replies! Forgive my limited knowledge on lighting....

By removing the optics, you mean removing lenses that concentrate the light, correct? This will allow for better spread in my situation? The biggest reason I'm looking at the Ultra 22" is for max spread over the length of the tank, which is 30". I don't want one of those long tanks that can't put corals on the short ends. Currently, all frags, even those on the edges are doing pretty well under 24" T5's by ATI. We'd still like to move into LED's for the variation in lighting they can provide. So, with this in mind, the Ultra 22" seems best, but if the Extreme 16" can offer me full coverage at the height I can hang it, well then, I wouldn't mind saving a few bucks.

The tank is under a counter which might otherwise be called a breakfast nook, but that counter being above the tank is why I have little room for hanging the light. Not ideal, but it is what it is. I was out of space before getting the tank, but after more than 15 years of being reefless, I had to squeeze one in where I could.

Sort of by removing the lenses you will blend the leds better. These types of lights by design create hotspots in the tank. By removing the lenses (which are only held in place by a small dap of superglue and just snap right off) it will give a better bland of spectrum and lower the intensity a little. The coverage will still be the same and the lowered intensity at only 9" is a non-issue at all.