what lights for my 29 biocube

drewstaxplaya · Aug 27, 2016

looking to upgrade my basic leds on my biocube. any suggestions? pic is what i have now

pdt7361 · Aug 27, 2016

What LEDs are on your tank now? And do you want to try and keep the hood on or take it off? Oh...and what kind of corals are you wanting to keep?

jsker · Aug 27, 2016

I would go with a hydra 26 hd. Plenty of light with a lot of adjustability

drewstaxplaya · Aug 28, 2016

im not really sure which brand they are. they came wirh the tank when i bought it. i really dont care if the hood is on or off tbh, i could also place a piece glass on top or acrylic top to deal with evaporation. corals i have mostly polyps and a couple of acans.

the thing is i have a 36x18 i built and am considering making a saltwater tank, so if i get a light id want one that could work for the biocube or the 36x18x12 that i have also. is that possible?

pdt7361 · Aug 28, 2016

Okay...so you aren't planning on doing SPS, clams, or anemones...is that right? And what is your budget?

drewstaxplaya · Aug 28, 2016

thats correct. i just want a light with full spectrum that is quality that i can put on my biocube at first and then later on the 36x18x12. as far as budget im not really sure. id rather save and get quality then to buy some cheap crap so i can save up

pdt7361 · Aug 28, 2016

There are a ton of options...and now it really depends upon what kind if features and controls you want on the lights. For your BC29 you could do a single AI Prime and then add another when you switch tanks. You would be a little low on the outside edges of the BC29, but you aren't talking about getting any real high light corals. If you wanted something even stronger, you could go the AI Hydra 26 and then add another later.
I know a lot of people are having good luck with some of the Chinese black box LEDs, but I dont have any experience with any of them.

drewstaxplaya · Aug 28, 2016

if i got a hydra 26 then itd be good for the biocube. do u think itd be enough surface area for a 36x18 as well or would i need two ?

pdt7361 · Aug 28, 2016

For that wide of a spread, you'd have to do 2. The only way to push the spread wider would be to raise the light higher. With your 36" being shallow, it won't take as much light to penetrate, but you'd have a ton of bleed over into the room. I'd definitely do 2 over a 36" tank.

The new fish on the block · Aug 28, 2016

I went with Reef breeder value fixture w/ 90 degree optics, w/o the optics the spread is 120 degrees

pdt7361 · Aug 28, 2016

You could also check out the Reef Bar Pro...I know they make 36" strips. Two of them with a sunset timer would look good on your tank.

ZJedi945 · Aug 28, 2016

A XR15 would be a good choice as well. Sorry I like ecotech

drewstaxplaya · Aug 29, 2016

wow lots of different options lol. okay lets try and narrow it down this way. is there a SINGLE light i could use over my 29 biocube and transfer over to my 36x18x12 that will grow only zoas and a few acans?

pdt7361 · Aug 29, 2016

The problem is getting enough of a spread on your 36". You'd almost have to buy something like an AI Hydra 52 which would be way more than enough light for both. There might be something else or a Chinese blackbox out there, but I don't know for sure.
My opinion would be to buy 2 LEDs....use one now on your BC and then add the other when you change tanks.

drewstaxplaya · Aug 29, 2016

okay i could do that, thats like an upgrade now while throwing 50% for the light, and then the other 50% later lol. so do you guys think ai prime or ai hydra 26 or echotech xr15 ?