Updates for the ReefBreeders Photon?

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

I'm curious to know what exactly justifies the huge price increase? To claim that these lights will out perform anything else on the market is quite bold. Is there more spectral data that I'm not finding to back this up? Also, I wanted to inquire on why these look like exact copies of the Reef Factory lights?

One more important thing to note- those were estimated prices.

Our current Price list is below:

 

[Aquaman508]

One more important thing to note- those were estimated prices.

Our current Price list is below:

Hi Logan! Do you have any suggestions for a 4'x3' SPS dominate 19" tall? I dont know whether to use bars with a Meridian 35 or get (4) Meridian 11's...... By the way. LOVE the new arm design. Sleek, clean and minimal.

 

[thand1582]

Hi Logan! Do you have any suggestions for a 4'x3' SPS dominate 19" tall? I dont know whether to use bars with a Meridian 35 or get (4) Meridian 11's...... By the way. LOVE the new arm design. Sleek, clean and minimal.

I am in the same boat and would love to hear input.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Hi Logan! Do you have any suggestions for a 4'x3' SPS dominate 19" tall? I dont know whether to use bars with a Meridian 35 or get (4) Meridian 11's...... By the way. LOVE the new arm design. Sleek, clean and minimal.

I am in the same boat and would love to hear input.

Hey there, here's a breakdown of several options from highest to lowest power. The new Back of tank mount can support up to 6 Meridian Edge Bars, so those are another great option for lighting your tank. Keep in mind all of these options would work for SPS in tanks up to 36" high- so the first few in this list may be overkill for a 19" deep tank. You can always reduce the number of lights and add on our Encompass OHM optics for more spread.

Given the tank is 3 feet front to back, I recommend hanging the lights from the ceiling, or using the side of tank mounts. We are working on a new and improved side mount based off the new rear mounts as well, stay tuned for details on that one!

4-6 x Meridian Edge 45 or 35 Bars, Either Saltwater Spectrum or mix/match SW, UV/Blue
2 x Meridian 45s
1 x Meridian 45 + 2 x Edge 45 Bars, Saltwater Spectrum
2 x Meridian 35s
1 x Meridian 35 + 2 x Edge 35 or 45 Bars, Saltwater Spectrum
4 x Meridian 11

 

[paintman]

Curious to know if these fixtures are any more reliable than the last ones i purchased from Reefbreeders?
I mean they literally spent more time on a UPS truck going back and forth to Logan for repairs then they did over my tank.
After sending my fixtures back numerous times to have the ballasts replaced, Logan finally gave up and told me to only run the fixtures at 50% so they don't burn out. Funny thing is i never ran the fixtures over 50% since the day i bought them. Still waiting to get 50% of my money back.

 

[Aquaman508]

Hey there, here's a breakdown of several options from highest to lowest power. The new Back of tank mount can support up to 6 Meridian Edge Bars, so those are another great option for lighting your tank. Keep in mind all of these options would work for SPS in tanks up to 36" high- so the first few in this list may be overkill for a 19" deep tank. You can always reduce the number of lights and add on our Encompass OHM optics for more spread.

Given the tank is 3 feet front to back, I recommend hanging the lights from the ceiling, or using the side of tank mounts. We are working on a new and improved side mount based off the new rear mounts as well, stay tuned for details on that one!

4-6 x Meridian Edge 45 or 35 Bars, Either Saltwater Spectrum or mix/match SW, UV/Blue
2 x Meridian 45s
1 x Meridian 45 + 2 x Edge 45 Bars, Saltwater Spectrum
2 x Meridian 35s
1 x Meridian 35 + 2 x Edge 35 or 45 Bars, Saltwater Spectrum
4 x Meridian 11

Thanks Logan! I appreciate the response. 1 x Meridian 35 + 2 x Edge 35 it is!

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Curious to know if these fixtures are any more reliable than the last ones i purchased from Reefbreeders?
I mean they literally spent more time on a UPS truck going back and forth to Logan for repairs then they did over my tank.
After sending my fixtures back numerous times to have the ballasts replaced, Logan finally gave up and told me to only run the fixtures at 50% so they don't burn out. Funny thing is i never ran the fixtures over 50% since the day i bought them. Still waiting to get 50% of my money back.

We sincerely regret to hear about the issues you've encountered with your Photon V1s and apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Your satisfaction is paramount to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

Regarding the Photon V1 lights you purchased in 2014, we want to clarify that they were serviced under warranty for the first two years. Post-warranty, we continued to offer repairs at a discounted rate, understanding the importance of maintaining the longevity and performance of our products. These services were typically spaced about 12 months apart, which is not common as many of our V1 customers are enjoying their lights for over a decade without issue.

We also recognize the importance of regular maintenance, such as cleaning to prevent salt and dust buildup, in ensuring the optimal performance of our lights. While we understand that each customer's experience can vary, we are committed to learning from each case to improve our products and services.

In response to customer feedback, our Photon V2 series, released in 2016, features completely redesigned components for enhanced reliability and performance. The entire V2 acts as a heat sink, and has an external power supply to further reduce heat inside the light. We made these changes to ensure a better experience for all our customers.

The Meridian further is a major upgrade on the Photon's design, with even more features to protect internal components against the intrusion of salt spray and dust particles. The Fans are isolated and sealed, the LED matrixes are a single panel with an integrated splash shield, and the added silicon gaskets on each end of the light provide an additional seal to protect the internals.

Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are here to support you further if needed. Please feel free to reach out directly for any assistance. We are dedicated to resolving your concerns and ensuring a positive experience with our products.

 

[Aquaman508]

Hey Jody,

There are a couple options for a 6 foot tank:

1) Meridian 63- $1,699

2) Meridian 11 x 3 ($399 ea)
2x ICS (integrated connection system- $59/ea)
2 x daisy chaining cables ($19/ea)
400watt power supply ($129).

Total price Estimate is $1300-$1490. Because the Meridian 11s won't need individual power supplies on top of the larger 400w power supply, the price may be lower if they're ordered as a set. Set prices TBD.

The ICS rails connect to the front/back of the meridians- and are the perfect length to link Meridian 11s over tanks in 2 foot increments. They're designed to center a Meridian 11 over each 24" section of tank, and you can connect up to 5 Meridian 11s to a 400watt power supply (available on release), or 8 to a 600watt power supply (Currently being tested).


The new layout is more efficient than the Photons- we reduced the number of white LEDs to match the color ratio most people are using with Photons- and replaced the green/red with a warm white LED to fill that area of the spectrum. There are far more royal blues and violets, as well as new 440nm violets that fill the spectrum perfectly between the 415nm violets and 450nm royals.

I'm loving the spectrum. It'll probably have a Reef Brite XHO look to it with more uv. Most of us shut off reds and green and put white on 10% for only half the day anyways. Now you can set to 100% on all channels like G6 Blues during the day and turn off the whites around 1pm and watch the glow begin. LOVE IT!

 

[Battlecorals Verified Sponsor]

I'm loving the spectrum. It'll probably have a Reef Brite XHO look to it with more uv. Most of us shut off reds and green and put white on 10% for only half the day anyways. Now you can set to 100% on all channels like G6 Blues during the day and turn off the whites around 1pm and watch the glow begin. LOVE IT!

honestly me too! I think it looks incredible and my acros have responded extremely well. I can not wait to more of these over my tanks! so far, way good!

 

[stephanjupillat]

There is no scale on the spectral scan we posted, so this chart simply matched up the 450nm peak, assuming the same peak 450nm output as the Sky LED- so I would take this with a grain of salt. We will release a 1:1 with the Photon when more Meridians come in. Currently our samples are all spoken for.

In terms of results, our testers have been thoroughly impressed with coral coloration since switching to Meridians.

Can you provide an updated spectrum graph for the final product. This is usually provided for other manufacturers but I couldn’t even find it in your website.

I’m sure all of us are eager to get this to know how wide your blue spectrum is compared to your previous generations and competitors.

Thanks!

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Can you provide an updated spectrum graph for the final product. This is usually provided for other manufacturers but I couldn’t even find it in your website.

I’m sure all of us are eager to get this to know how wide your blue spectrum is compared to your previous generations and competitors.

Thanks!

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

Here's the Photon V2 (24/48/50) spectrum as a comparison. The Royal Blues are significantly more powerful (more diodes) so the scale is a bit different- the peak at 450nm is significantly larger.

For reference, the output at 420nm is about the same on the Photons and the Meridians. With the Meridians new layout, we added in 405nm near UV, and 438nm Indigo. Notice the dip between the violet and royal blue peak on the Photon spectrum.

That spectral band has been widened significantly to fill out the violet spectrum from 390nm-440nm.

 

[Reef Breeders Verified Sponsor]

I will follow up with an apples to apples comparison- at the same distance from the sensor with the same scale- and have them superimposed on each-other.

 

[Tamberav]

@Reef Breeders Any way to mount these in an open top canopy? I have a new 150g 6 feet long by 2 feet wide and 20 inches tall. I only have about 6-7 inches from surface of the water. Would two 35 inch models be appropriate for this set up? Not sure if this is too close to the water for appropriate spread?

This is the lip around my canopy I would like to find a way to attach lights to such as a bar running across or something.

 

[telegraham]

405nm near UV

Similar to how the Sky was marketed, regardless of what the diode manufacturers claim, you mean violet. Near UV, also known as UVA, is sub-400nm.

 

[danreef55]

Hey there! Given the tank is 30" front to back- I recommend a Meridian 63 plus 2 Meridian Edge 63 Bars. The Saltwater Spectrum on the bars is ideal for extending the side to side range of your light. That comes out to a total of 400+300=700watts with the wireless bars. The bars mount directly to the front/back of the Meridian using our articulating mounts.

I have a tank with the same dims being built. Am I better off with three 24" V2 Pros mounted front to back or Meridian 63 ? Appreciate any input

 

[Saltcritter75]

Can these be mounted in an Aquatic Life T 5 Hybrid??