SB Reef Lights

[SB Reef Lights]

the evergrows do not allow me to control all at once. i have to connect to each wifi point individually which is kinda crappy. i have 6 lights and will have to mark each box with an id as their wifi point.

i dont expect everyone to find this as annoying as i do as most may use 1-3. but when you have 6.... lol. which is which?

they do automatically use the program i set on my phone though. so i do not have to preset the stuff every time. i just connect and set whatever i programmed in my phone previously.

modifying each one requires connection to the hotspot. would have been cool to have a "master" box and the rest as slaves but i wont complain for the price paid.

just my initial review as i just put them up a few hours ago.

Thanks for the quick response! Once you have them all programmed it should not be as much of an issue, however manual control might still stink. To my knowledge we have the only wifi black box where you control several units at once. Up to 8. Program one and done. Up to 8 at once in manual mode as well. Go to a buddies house and download your program to their lights. etc..

 

[SB Reef Lights]

The only question is when it will die off... Lol

Never. lol

The LED vs MH vs T5 vs Hybrid debate will go on and on. With in each type the spectrum debate will go on and on.... Often hobbyist debate to the death over the last 1mm of growth at any cost and never accept what is simply "Good Enough" I've had T5 tanks, MH/T5 tanks and LEDs. I have had success with all of them. I currently prefer the controllability of LEDs as well as the low cost. On a large tank it's a factor for sure. To light my tank 96x42x32" with Radians would cost me a small car.

 

[Russ265]

Thanks for the quick response! Once you have them all programmed it should not be as much of an issue, however manual control might still stink. To my knowledge we have the only wifi black box where you control several units at once. Up to 8. Program one and done. Up to 8 at once in manual mode as well. Go to a buddies house and download your program to their lights. etc..

that is a nice feature. and i would appreciate it. but beyond dialing in the lights to our tank... we would probably be done afterward and let it run on cruise control. like you said...manual mode sucks.

would suck worse if i wanted a cloud effect.

so already 1 point for sb reef lights not being a typical black box.

these kind of pieces of info help arm me as a consumer to choose what light is best for my gettup.

i think alot of us others may feel the same way when we see the battle of the black boxes taking place.

 

[ndz98]

ahahha
ask t5 boy (i kid)

Lol

Got any pictures of your tank? I wanna see all those lights.

 

[Russ265]

Lol

Got any pictures of your tank? I wanna see all those lights.

25% intensity.

i spent most of time creating slide-out bays when they die.

 

[Pfisherman]

Pic no worky

 

[SB Reef Lights]

265g Russ? I ran 6 Black Boxes over mine, you will have more light than you and your corals can stand.

Here's mine about 6 months before moving to the 560g. Everything except the leathers, trumpets and a couple monticaps grown from 3/4" frags under LEDs.
Just whites, no blues

 

[SB Reef Lights]

Side shot blues and whites

 

[Russ265]

265g Russ? I ran 6 Black Boxes over mine, you will have more light than you and your corals can stand.

Here's mine about 6 months before moving to the 560g. Everything except the leathers, trumpets and a couple monticaps grown from 3/4" frags under LEDs.
Just whites, no blues

yeah 265. no colonies (well save for a small milli colony) in my tank either. i start all mine from frags as well. looks more natural when they fill out.

tank looks awesome. ill start using slr camera instead of this iphone probably next year.

lot of tank to fill and im in no hurry to want to upgrade after filling it.

 

[NanaReefer]

Seriously though, I'm sure they will grow corals at some rate. I can not say much for the Facebook group though, as most of the blackox buyers are newcomers to reefing and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just saying that they don't know the difference between what crap in a shiny package can do compared to a couple 14k Phoenix bulbs complimented by some vho actinics or a six or eight bulb T5 ho on its own.

I know what they do to my wallet in the long run! For some that's enough [emoji2] I haven't had to replace a bulb in 2yrs! I like that. My corals look great to me.

 

[trickyrich]

Been following all day after a few comments sparked this off. Mike I like to see your confident in your product and professional approach to questions and comments but one thing just hasn't been nailed in by anyone... Or at least that I noticed... Will these lights perform enough to really support a sps tank I am confident that they will work for most corals I just don't want to order one and realize 3 months later I have no growth or loss of color. My brother got me started k. The hobby and he told me halide was the way to go dont waste money on anything else .. Well I won a high end led and placed it over my tank and he was shocked to see how well I was doing as a newbie growing great colorful sps with the led. But I am moving up to 4x2x2 and the one light is not enough and I am pretty sure I'll be ordering the 32 inch sb light if someone could please just tell me yes I have had these lights up and running and my sps are as good as ever lol and FYI I'm still in 2015 lol

 

[trickyrich]

 

[SB Reef Lights]

Couple growth pics under SB Reef Lights

Tyree Pink Lemonade. Got the frag from a friend running Hydras. Coral was not happy due to water quality.

30 days later getting it;s color back plus a new branch and lots of sprouts off the base.

3 months more and it;s got the vibrant yellow color and strawberry PE.

Here's 4 weeks growth on a Serengeti Sunrise

 

[Russ265]

Couple growth pics under SB Reef Lights

Tyree Pink Lemonade. Got the frag from a friend running Hydras. Coral was not happy due to water quality.

30 days later getting it;s color back plus a new branch and lots of sprouts off the base.

3 months more and it;s got the vibrant yellow color and strawberry PE.

Here's 4 weeks growth on a Serengeti Sunrise

some crazy growth.
i think some water mojo is going on as well

 

[trickyrich]

Thanks for the pics I'm going to go ahead and place my order and that's that funny you picked the pink lemonade I have had a beautiful frag of that for about 8 months and no growth tips looks amazing just won't grow its the only thing in the tank that hasn't lol well its bigger just not what you would expect fingers crossed your lights do the trick ... Thanks everyone for your input I'll be doing a build thread with my new tank starting this weekend if the wife allows

 

[ndz98]

For the central timers this time, Happy New Years!

 

[SB Reef Lights]

some crazy growth.
i think some water mojo is going on as well

Agreed, lighting is just one part of the equation, you have to also factor in flow, food, placement, water quality and water chemistry. That being said the 265g went 18 months with out a water change. Just heavy dosing. I keep Ca 450ppm, Mg 1320ppm, Alk 11.5dKH, Trates 5 to 10ppm and Phates test at 0.02-0.04ppm but are higher since Chaeto grows like mad. Of course got a 100% WC when I switched tanks, 4 months and counting now.

 

[Russ265]

Agreed, lighting is just one part of the equation, you have to also factor in flow, food, placement, water quality and water chemistry. That being said the 265g went 18 months with out a water change. Just heavy dosing. I keep Ca 450ppm, Mg 1320ppm, Alk 11.5dKH, Trates 5 to 10ppm and Phates test at 0.02-0.04ppm but are higher since Chaeto grows like mad. Of course got a 100% WC when I switched tanks, 4 months and counting now.

so pricey. thanks for sharing the numbers. but i believe your skills tell it all

thx mike. when my boxes burn out i have a feeling ill be slowly replacing them with yours. (hopefully the technology will improve by then as well
seems each year LED makes some great leaps.

 

[trickyrich]

Or not can't order on line proceed to check out locks up screen on phone and pc ...

 

[trickyrich]

Well I tried and tried and tried for 40min!! And finally got through on PC now I can sleep