Time to make a decision on LED's

[CWR24]

Thanks for taking the time to view my post and I appreciate in advance any and all input.

With that said......I have a Reefer 350 I am setting up. Big step up for me switching over from a simple Red Sea 130D 34 gallon that I've probably had for nearly 8 years.

Have nearly everything I need but lighting and a doser. As for light I wanted to go with a Giesemann fixture, but am leasing the condo I am in now. And although I have permission to mount something I'd rather not need to make repairs at a later date. So I need to go the LED route with back of stand or aquarium rim mounts.

So what do you folks suggest for performance and value? And I do want to be able to keep and be successful with some SPS to note.

My thoughts were either 3 Radion XR15 Pros.........2 XR30 Pros........2 GHL Mitras Lx7206........2 Hydra 52HD's........or 2 Hydra 26 HD's(with some of my equipment I already have).

I already have 2 new AI HMS mounts. And one brand new but old model Hydra, it's the version with 4 pucks.....5 LED's per puck ( yes I'm still in the stone age here...... )
I'm willing to spend the money for the proper setup, but would any of you buy the Hydra 26HD's and mount them on the left and right sides of the aquarium......and then I just buy another new HMS mount and use my old but new Hydra in the very middle of the two 26's to give the tank additional light and utilize what I already have? Would be the cheapest option of course.
Or will the mixing of 2 different lights produced years apart throw a funny look down in the tank?

Hopefully this post will get a solid amount of views and feedback as I'm looking to make a decision later today or tomorrow the latest.
So cut loose with the votes and personal use feedback and again thanks much for any input

Craig

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for taking the time to view my post and I appreciate in advance any and all input.

With that said......I have a Reefer 350 I am setting up. Big step up for me switching over from a simple Red Sea 130D 34 gallon that I've probably had for nearly 8 years.

Have nearly everything I need but lighting and a doser. As for light I wanted to go with a Giesemann fixture, but am leasing the condo I am in now. And although I have permission to mount something I'd rather not need to make repairs at a later date. So I need to go the LED route with back of stand or aquarium rim mounts.

So what do you folks suggest for performance and value? And I do want to be able to keep and be successful with some SPS to note.

My thoughts were either 3 Radion XR15 Pros.........2 XR30 Pros........2 GHL Mitras Lx7206........2 Hydra 52HD's........or 2 Hydra 26 HD's(with some of my equipment I already have).

I already have 2 new AI HMS mounts. And one brand new but old model Hydra, it's the version with 4 pucks.....5 LED's per puck ( yes I'm still in the stone age here...... )
I'm willing to spend the money for the proper setup, but would any of you buy the Hydra 26HD's and mount them on the left and right sides of the aquarium......and then I just buy another new HMS mount and use my old but new Hydra in the very middle of the two 26's to give the tank additional light and utilize what I already have? Would be the cheapest option of course.
Or will the mixing of 2 different lights produced years apart throw a funny look down in the tank?

Hopefully this post will get a solid amount of views and feedback as I'm looking to make a decision later today or tomorrow the latest.
So cut loose with the votes and personal use feedback and again thanks much for any input

Craig

Not sure about value, but I love my Mitras Lx7206's. They get plenty bright, link together easily, and once you figure it out are easy to program. They also have a "photo" mode that prevents the banding that occurs between digital cameras and LED lights.

You can connect to each one individually through WIFI for certain changes once set up via USB. Once set up, you set one as a master and the other as a slave. The lighting program itself only goes into the master. The max fan speed, max brightness, and some other features can only be changed by logging into that specific. The only annoying one is that to go to photo mode you need to do it in each fixture and then take it out of photo mode when done. Photo mode makes the ramping more choppy and makes the fixture less energy efficient so its not great to leave on all the time.

 

[Finhead]

I currently use Hydra 26's and T5's But if I had to get new LED's I would def get a pair of the Mitras, they just spread the light like no other LED I have seen. Looks more like T5's

 

[JCM]

I also use the hydra26 currently, but I really want the mitras. Everything I've read indicates it's as good as led's get.

 

[CWR24]

Thanks for the initial input guys. For Finhead & Mccool.......although you want to try out the Mitras, are you satisfied with growth and color in your various corals using the Hydra 26's?

 

[JCM]

My hydra is pretty new, but so far things have colored up very nicely. Growth is also good, LPS, zoas and acro's are all growing and showing nice colors. I'm satisfied with the light.

 

[Finhead]

Thanks for the initial input guys. For Finhead & Mccool.......although you want to try out the Mitras, are you satisfied with growth and color in your various corals using the Hydra 26's?

Yes I'm very happy with them, now that they are in a Hybrid fixture with 4 T5's. They would have shadowing and coverage issues if not, my tank is 42X22.5X12 tall.

 

[CWR24]

My hydra is pretty new, but so far things have colored up very nicely. Growth is also good, LPS, zoas and acro's are all growing and showing nice colors. I'm satisfied with the light.

Good to hear!!

 

[CWR24]

Yes I'm very happy with them, now that they are in a Hybrid fixture with 4 T5's. They would have shadowing and coverage issues if not, my tank is 42X22.5X12 tall.

Assuming you went with the Aquatic Life right......?

I want to give that a try as well but don't see any other solid options other than hanging it.

But glad to hear it's giving you results.

 

[Finhead]

Assuming you went with the Aquatic Life right......?

I want to give that a try as well but don't see any other solid options other than hanging it.

But glad to hear it's giving you results.

No I built my own with Sunblaster fixtures for T5's. The Aquatic Life wasn't available at the time here in Canada.

 

[CWR24]

No I built my own with Sunblaster fixtures for T5's. The Aquatic Life wasn't available at the time here in Canada.

Wow......nice light setup and very cool layout my friend!!