Topic of the Week: Lighting

[sassAwrasse]

So let's talk about lighting. Please no fighting (LOL), just a nice debate on what you think does a better job and your experiences.

1. What lighting do you have on your system (and give basic info on your system)?
2. How is the growth in your system?
3. How is the color in your system?
4. What lighting have you previously used and what were your thoughts/experiences?
5. What lighting do you wish you had?
6. Put any questions in here that you'd like input on from other members.

Let's see some pictures of your tanks to see the color with your lighting!

 

[james30ct]

Had t5's on my 72g and loved them. Had diy cree led setup on the 155g when I upgraded tanks. Took out some leds and added 3x175w halides. Now switching to reefbreeders units so I can do away with the canopy.

Nothing has given me much growth but I cant blame lights because I have a dyno situation going on. The t5's worked good but bulbs get expensive on a big tank.

 

[sassAwrasse]

30g rimless

-1 250w MH Geismann Fixture with a 14K phoenix bulb
-Growth is generally very good/fast
-Color is Overall good, not too white, not too blue...but without having some actinic supplementation (either from T5 or LEDs), we don't get to see some of the colors pop
-We have a plan in place to add LEDs as a Moonlight supplementation soon.

125g 6' tank

-3 150w MH with 8 T5 bulbs
-Most of the T5 bulbs have been switched to ATI Blue Plus. Great color pops and we've seen growth since we've switched from the MH/PC combo.
-Now that I think of it, not sure if the MH bulbs are 10K or 14K...maybe CAPT can chime in on that for me since I'm at work.
-Overall great fixture

-Previously we had a 4ft fixture on a 6ft tank, so we kept low light LPS on the sides where there was drop off.
It was a 2 bulb 250w MH (we had 10k coral life bulbs in there) with Power Compacts. The tank definitely had more of a warmer, yellowy tint.

Much happier with the new fixture. The only thing we're missing is LEDs for Moonlighting.

The fixture itself has 24 LEDS on it, but most of them do not work.

Any recommendations on a strip or supplementation?

 

[Marc11]

1. What lighting do you have on your system (and give basic info on your system) 2x 250w halides, 4 T5's (3 blue plus, 1 purple plus)
2. How is the growth in your system? Growth is double as fast as when I had LED's.
3. How is the color in your system? Colors are better, but thats more due to nutrients than light. With the higher light I can have more nutrients thus better colors.
4. What lighting have you previously used and what were your thoughts/experiences? 6 bulb Aquatinics Solar Flare with 12 3w cree's retro'd. Then i went to 2x Acan prisms LEDs. Then current lights.
5. What lighting do you wish you had? I love my lights now, just wish I had more Leds for night viewing.
6. Put any questions in here that you'd like input on from other members. N/A

 

[captc07]

-Now that I think of it, not sure if the MH bulbs are 10K or 14K...maybe CAPT can chime in on that for me since I'm at work.

14k but they are nearing the end of their usefulness...so the spectrum is shifting.

 

[Marc11]

Mine are 14k Phoenix

 

[Blitzie]

1. What lighting do you have on your system (and give basic info on your system) Tank is 48 x 30 x 24 Lighting is 2 Radion Gen 1 running at 80% Power on a custom cycle that starts at 20K then goes through 18K, 14K, and a 4.5 Hr session at 12K)
2. How is the growth in your system? (Growth seems to be good)
3. How is the color in your system? (Colors are good)
4. What lighting have you previously used and what were your thoughts/experiences? (T5 Fixture)
5. What lighting do you wish you had? (Radion Pro)
6. Put any questions in here that you'd like input on from other members.

 

[sassAwrasse]

bump! Anyone else want to chime in on lighting? Or was this too boring for ya'll? LOL J/K:tongue:

 

[firstlight10]

1. Reef Breeders Value, blues at 50%, whites at 50%
2. Reasonable, it was great until my phosphates jumped up during holiday travel
3. Excellent
4. 2 T5's with supplemental LED's
5. Radions
6. Currently 18" above the water with 90 degree optics, considering switching to 120 degree optics closer to the water. What do you think the effect on my tank will be?