What LEDs do i need?

[FloatinBy]

I have a 100gal tank 50in widd by 18in front to back and 36in deep. I want a mixed reef tank. Ive been told either kessils or radion gen4. I have a full hood as well so they muat be able to mount in hood or cut holes from them like for kessils. Mounted in hood they woyld be roughly 7-8in off of water.

 

[Finhead]

Your tank is a 140gal with those dimensions. Out of those 2 options I would go with the Radions, but why do you think only these 2 options will work?

 

[FloatinBy]

Idk really lol. Just seem to be the top 2 LEDs. If i can go other routes that wont cost a fortune im open to ideas. Im new to the hobby and learning as I go.

 

[Roy 9121]

I have the AI Hydra 52 on my tank, I haven't had any issues. You'd probably need 2 of those.

 

[FloatinBy]

I seen the AI primes and i hated the disco effect it caused at rhe lfs on their tank

 

[Heliarc19]

I seen the AI primes and i hated the disco effect it caused at rhe lfs on their tank

If you hated that I would go with kessils or led/t5

 

[FloatinBy]

Maybe it was just their tank? It was just the small rectangle unit. Do they all disco that bad or no?

 

[Heliarc19]

I think it’s a personal preference so if you didn’t like it I would look at the kessils and t5 or t5 only

 

[FloatinBy]

I have t5s now but not enough power to light bottom of tank

 

[Heliarc19]

I would keep them and add whatever led you like/fits your budget, any of the big names will work and there are plenty of black box that will also work, try and find some tanks to look at in person

 

[mcarroll]

I would try to find a pair of the OLD Current USA Ormit Marine Pro's that had 60º lenses and use two or three of them. They can plop right down on the rim of the tank, you just have to make sure the hood is ventilated correctly to remove heat as usual.

LED strips will cut WAY down on any "disco ball" you'll notice, but unfortunately hardly any makers use lenses this strong. The "N" series Kessil 360 is the only other one off the top of my head, and it's not a strip. (You can still make a "strip of spotlights" with them.)

I have t5s now but not enough power to light bottom of tank

Have you tried growing corals there already? Most people end up very surprised at how little light most corals really need. I've see a 48" deep tank run off a 4-bulb T5. Not ideal for everyone and all corals, but what is?

 

[FloatinBy]

I would try to find a pair of the OLD Current USA Ormit Marine Pro's that had 60º lenses and use two or three of them. They can plop right down on the rim of the tank, you just have to make sure the hood is ventilated correctly to remove heat as usual.

LED strips will cut WAY down on any "disco ball" you'll notice, but unfortunately hardly any makers use lenses this strong. The "N" series Kessil 360 is the only other one off the top of my head, and it's not a strip. (You can still make a "strip of spotlights" with them.)



Have you tried growing corals there already? Most people end up very surprised at how little light most corals really need. I've see a 48" deep tank run off a 4-bulb T5. Not ideal for everyone and all corals, but what is?

I have a frogspawn, hammer, birds nest, and a candy cane about halfway up. I got zoas but they arent nearly as pretty and they are at bottom of tank and are fully extending upwards to get some light

 

[Daniel Waters]

I have a 100gal tank 50in widd by 18in front to back and 36in deep. I want a mixed reef tank. Ive been told either kessils or radion gen4. I have a full hood as well so they muat be able to mount in hood or cut holes from them like for kessils. Mounted in hood they woyld be roughly 7-8in off of water.

2 AP700 or 2 radion Xr30w pro but for that depth of tank (36 inches), you're going to have a hard time keeping anything that requires a lot of par. Your LPS like your frogspawn and hammer should be fine on bottom. Zoas, acans, and leathers could go on bottom as well I suspect. You will just have a hard time getting enough light that deep for acros or clams or other high light needing corals. Your zoas not being "pretty" and "extending up" does not necessarily mean lack of light. It could just be the color you're running with your current lights. I can take some zoas and put them under a 12k light and they look like crap. Put them under 20k actinic blue and they pop and look amazing. I found most zoas don't need huge amounts of par, but it's hard to say what your issue may be without more information on your current lighting.

 

[FloatinBy]

2 AP700 or 2 radion Xr30w pro but for that depth of tank (36 inches), you're going to have a hard time keeping anything that requires a lot of par. Your LPS like your frogspawn and hammer should be fine on bottom. Zoas, acans, and leathers could go on bottom as well I suspect. You will just have a hard time getting enough light that deep for acros or clams or other high light needing corals. Your zoas not being "pretty" and "extending up" does not necessarily mean lack of light. It could just be the color you're running with your current lights. I can take some zoas and put them under a 12k light and they look like crap. Put them under 20k actinic blue and they pop and look amazing. I found most zoas don't need huge amounts of par, but it's hard to say what your issue may be without more information on your current lighting.

According to radion their xr15 and xr30 gen4 pros penetrate to 48in. Im leaning more towards radion as they habe tract system i can use to instal in hood. I habe fans in hood to help cool off the T5s as they get kinda warm so id assume id be ok with radions with the fans as well.

 

[Psustein]

The kessil has great pin point lighting so for that style tank I would go with a couple of those

 

[mcarroll]

According to radion their xr15 and xr30 gen4 pros penetrate to 48in.

Can you link where you read this? Not doubting (yet) just want to read it too.

 

[FloatinBy]

Can you link where you read this? Not doubting (yet) just want to read it too.

Off of there promotional card. Sorry. Idk what that mark is lol (kid im sure had something to do with it)

 

[mcarroll]

Hm....I'm guessing that means the bottom of the tank just isn't dark like nighttime. (Wonder if they have more info elsewher?)

 

[mcarroll]

Don't see any claims like this on their website, so I think I'd be leery about counting very hard on that depth info.

 

[mcarroll]

Im leaning more towards radion as they habe tract system i can use to instal in hood.

Current seems to have the same mounting options...a bracket you can attache and use to suspend them I think came with the lights, and they have arm-mounts for the back of the tank if you like that AND they have built in feet to rest right on the tank. Any of the above.

Right on the tank will give you the best performance at depth, of course.

(Admittedly, as I indicated, these may be a little harder to come by since they've replaced the Pro with the dual-IC "Pro kit".)