Updates for the ReefBreeders Photon?

[Cell]

These look like a nice upgrade over the v2 pros for sure, but for the people like myself who like a single fixture setup with this specific style light, I'm afraid reefbreeders has officially priced me out of their lights if this is the correct pricing model. Disappointed, but I'm probably the minority anyway.

RB pointed out that you can get 2x 11" lights to replace a V2-48" at a cheaper price than the V2-48", but 22" of light over a 4' reef is the absolute max spread of these lights and seems really suboptimal.

 

[Hooz]

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the spectrum. With all channels at 100%, that's a HUGE 450nm spike. I was kind of hoping that we were moving away from that. Granted, you can turn channels down to widen and smooth the blue band, but then you're giving up a lot of the power of the light (like with the Neptune Sky).

There might still be hope, though. There is mention of "custom configurations" available at some point, so maybe there will be options to tune the spectrum some.

 

[Pyrogens]

RB pointed out that you can get 2x 11" lights to replace a V2-48" at a cheaper price than the V2-48", but 22" of light over a 4' reef is the absolute max spread of these lights and seems really suboptimal.

True, thanks for pointing that out. I don't know how I feel about that either. I also wonder if the app update is going to apply to the current v2 pros minus some configurations of course.

 

[MartinM]

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the spectrum. With all channels at 100%, that's a HUGE 450nm spike. I was kind of hoping that we were moving away from that. Granted, you can turn channels down to widen and smooth the blue band, but then you're giving up a lot of the power of the light (like with the Neptune Sky).

There might still be hope, though. There is mention of "custom configurations" available at some point, so maybe there will be options to tune the spectrum some.

Usual for the US market: any color you want, as long as it's blue. The configuration is interesting but the rest of the world doesn't tend to do day-glo. However, they should design for their target audience for sure, and it looks like they have.

 

[telegraham]

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the spectrum. With all channels at 100%, that's a HUGE 450nm spike. I was kind of hoping that we were moving away from that. Granted, you can turn channels down to widen and smooth the blue band, but then you're giving up a lot of the power of the light (like with the Neptune Sky).

There might still be hope, though. There is mention of "custom configurations" available at some point, so maybe there will be options to tune the spectrum some.

Word. The spectrum is unimpressive.

 

[Jody Owens]

I am combining some of my smaller tanks into a larger single tank. I was thinking about running my ReefLED 90's on the new tank (6'x2'), but that is a lot of connections and power bricks to use. So I was going to do dual 32-V2 Pros, but the Meridians have me intrigued. What would the suggested Meridian be for that tank? If it is the 63, why would it be a better choice over the dual 32's?

 

[Reef Breeders]

I am combining some of my smaller tanks into a larger single tank. I was thinking about running my ReefLED 90's on the new tank (6'x2'), but that is a lot of connections and power bricks to use. So I was going to do dual 32-V2 Pros, but the Meridians have me intrigued. What would the suggested Meridian be for that tank? If it is the 63, why would it be a better choice over the dual 32's?

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.

 

[Reef Breeders]

Word. The spectrum is unimpressive.

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.

 

[Reef Breeders]

Usual for the US market: any color you want, as long as it's blue. The configuration is interesting but the rest of the world doesn't tend to do day-glo. However, they should design for their target audience for sure, and it looks like they have.

We started initially with more white LEDs- but having to turn the white LEDs down to 25% of the blues is not really efficient- with all channels even on the Meridian, you have a 15K output. Right in the middle of a 20K blue look and 10K shallow water look. That is the perfect middle ground, where you can easily change the kelvin rating by adjusting the white LEDs intensity in relation to the blues.

The vast majority of Photon users run the white LEDs at 25-30% of the blues, often times even less. So you lose a lot of power by turning the white LEDs down to get the look you want. Since most reef tanks will max out around 45-60% of the Meridians full power, the white LEDs can simply be turned up for a lower kelvin rating if desired.

We will also be offering custom layouts should you prefer more white LEDs.

 

[Reef Breeders]

RB pointed out that you can get 2x 11" lights to replace a V2-48" at a cheaper price than the V2-48", but 22" of light over a 4' reef is the absolute max spread of these lights and seems really suboptimal.

The 11 covers a 24" cube comfortably- and with 2 lights you are getting overlap in the center of the tank, which will increase PAR. For a 4 foot mixed reef tank, 2 Meridian 11s is more than enough light. If you have an SPS dominant reef and/or would like more flexibility, the Meridian 45 is a great option.

We also offer 3 types of optics, so you can increase or decrease your lights spread if desired.

 

[Hooz]

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.

I don't think the scale matters much for the purposes of spectral discussion. @telegraham was just showing how the spectral distribution stacks up against a few other lights. The 450nm spike in relation to the the Meridian's other blue colors is still very significant, very similar to that of the Sky. And regardless of the peak PAR the light produces, the black box has a wider blue band than either the Sky or Meridian (albeit still with a huge 450nm spike).

While you can technically grow coral using nothing but 450nm LEDs (Blade Grow, anyone?), I was hoping the Meridians would embrace more of the current "wide blue band" type of thinking. While I disagree with BRS' arbitrary upper and lower limits, their "biology band" theory, IMO, has merit.

But, again, the Meridian's custom LED puck option intrigues me.

 

[Jody Owens]

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.

The next question is how soon until these will be available?

 

[telegraham]

with a grain of salt

No salt needed. That's the best the Meridian can do with all channels at 100%. Nearly all spectrum comparisons, including BRS' tests, are performed with spectrometer-normalized data without a PAR multiplier.

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

Words said by early Sky users, too. The spectrum is a copy of so many others, and it would be disappointing if PAR is the price-justifying differentiator.

 

[MartinM]

We started initially with more white LEDs- but having to turn the white LEDs down to 25% of the blues is not really efficient- with all channels even on the Meridian, you have a 15K output. Right in the middle of a 20K blue look and 10K shallow water look. That is the perfect middle ground, where you can easily change the kelvin rating by adjusting the white LEDs intensity in relation to the blues.

The vast majority of Photon users run the white LEDs at 25-30% of the blues, often times even less. So you lose a lot of power by turning the white LEDs down to get the look you want. Since most reef tanks will max out around 45-60% of the Meridians full power, the white LEDs can simply be turned up for a lower kelvin rating if desired.

We will also be offering custom layouts should you prefer more white LEDs.

That’s a lot of text to say “the customers want all blue”

I run Stratons at everything 100% and they have a higher white:not white ratio of any US owned LED brand. But, like I said, outside of the US we tend to prefer a realistic spectrum as opposed to day-glo.

If you take a colorimeter to your lights you’ll see that even with whites at 100% they are not 20k - they’re probably closer to 50k. And that’s ok, you should and must design for your target audience. As the owner of an international D2C brand, I know this all too well! I wouldn’t take my feedback seriously because I’m not the target audience. I recently might have been, I was looking for a slim light I could mount low over the tank under a hood, but I decided to go with a combo of Blade freshwater/grow/glow/T5s to be able to dial in the color (and true UV from T5 grow lights) that I wanted.

Again, I’m a minority. I’ve spend a lot of time on a lot of reefs, plus have a background in marine bio and lighting. It makes me picky!

 

[Jody Owens]

Any update on the release date?

 

[Battlecorals]

I’ve got two of the 63’s running. I can’t really chime in on availability but I can’t chime in on performance.

These lights are definitely impressing me so far. Corals have responded amazingly well.

 

[USMA36]

@Reef Breeders What would you you recommend for a 72 long 30 wide 24 deep 220 gallon SPS dominant reef. I saw in an earlier post you recommended 3 11” lights but that’s 240 only 240 watts. I’m using 4 Radion g4 xr30 pros that I’d like to upgrade but those are 190w each for 570w total. I run the AB+ schedule slightly modified. 100% blues 24% whites and 5% red and green. They are running with diffuser panels at 80% of the schedule power.

 

[Reef Breeders]

@Reef Breeders What would you you recommend for a 72 long 30 wide 24 deep 220 gallon SPS dominant reef. I saw in an earlier post you recommended 3 11” lights but that’s 240 only 240 watts. I’m using 4 Radion g4 xr30 pros that I’d like to upgrade but those are 190w each for 570w total. I run the AB+ schedule slightly modified. 100% blues 24% whites and 5% red and green. They are running with diffuser panels at 80% of the schedule power.

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.

 

[Pyrogens]

Prices are out on instagram.

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?

 

[Reef Breeders]

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?

Thank you for your inquiry about our Meridian lights. We appreciate your interest and are happy to provide more information on what sets the Meridians apart, especially in light of the recent price increase and comparisons with other products like Reef Factory lights. I will address each of your questions:

1. Meridian Light Features:
   • Upgraded LED Layout: The Meridian lights feature an upgraded LED layout, including 440nm LEDs. This is a unique spectrum that isn't found in other competing lights like Reef Factory, Radions, or AI.
   • Unmatched Control Flexibility: The Meridian stands alone in the market with its unparalleled control options, combining Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and manual control capabilities. This trio of control methods ensures that every user can find a convenient way to manage their aquarium lighting. Particularly noteworthy is our optional manual controller, designed for aquarists who prefer a hands-on approach. With this controller, you can precisely tune your light's intensity and adjust the blue to white ratio to achieve the perfect ambiance for your aquatic environment. Furthermore, the controller enables you to set an 8, 10, or 12-hour lighting timer, complete with a gradual 1-hour sunrise and sunset ramp-up, mimicking natural light patterns. For those who appreciate night-time viewing, the moonlight feature is a standout, allowing the cool blue LEDs to run at a subtle 1% intensity during nighttime hours, creating a serene and natural nocturnal setting. These extensive control features, tailored to meet the needs of diverse aquarium setups, underscore the Meridian’s position as a leader in aquarium lighting innovation.
   • Efficient LED Utilization: The LED layout in the Meridian lights has been thoughtfully redesigned for enhanced efficiency. This is a significant advancement from our previous models like the Photon, where white LEDs were often underutilized compared to blue LEDs. In the Meridian, all LEDs can be run evenly, ensuring the perfect 16K blue look that many aquarists desire. Moreover, this design offers flexibility for users to adjust the lighting according to their specific color preferences. Additionally, we understand the unique needs of different aquarium setups, which is why we also offer custom LED layouts. This option allows for a more personalized lighting environment, catering to the specific needs of your aquatic life and aesthetic preferences.
   • OHM Optics for Versatile Spread: The Meridian is equipped with the Ocular Holo Matrix (OHM) optics, offering three spread options tailored for deep tanks, wide tanks, or average aquariums.
   • Daisy-Chaining Capability: Meridians can be daisy-chained, allowing for up to 600 watts of LED power with just one plug. This feature enhances both the aesthetic and functional aspects of aquarium lighting.
   • ICS for Physical Linking: The Integrated Connection System (ICS) enables seamless linking of multiple lights, extending coverage without compromising on design or functionality.
   • Meridian Edge Bars Integration: These can be directly plugged into the Meridian's daisy-chaining system and connected to the front/back of the light with an articulating mount, offering greater versatility.
   • Improved Moisture Resistance: The optics design increases moisture resistance. Additionally, the fans are designed to operate on the top of the light rather than circulating air through it, further enhancing durability. In addition, unlike the plastic cases on some of our competitors lights, the Meridians feature silicon seals on each aluminum endcap for superior water resistance.
2. Pricing: The pricing of the Meridian lights is a direct reflection of the extensive enhancements and unique features they encompass. It’s important to emphasize that these lights were designed from the ground up, involving all custom parts. This intricate process required the development of over a dozen molds, signifying a significant investment in design and manufacturing to ensure the highest quality. In addition to the hardware improvements, we have developed a brand new app specifically tailored for the Meridians, enhancing user experience and control. This app, along with integrated Bluetooth features, represents our commitment to providing cutting-edge technology in aquarium lighting.
   
   While other brands have increased their prices multiple times in recent years without offering a single upgrade, we have maintained our prices for the Photon range during this period. The price increase for the Meridian lights comes after this considerable upgrade and complete redesign, differentiating them significantly from previous models and competing products. The superior build quality, efficiency, and the combination of advanced technology and custom design work justify the price point, reflecting our dedication to innovation, quality, and value for our customers.
   1. Pricing Comparison with our Photon Range: The pricing of the Meridian lights aligns closely with that of our previous Photon range, reflecting our commitment to offering value alongside innovation. For instance, a 4-foot tank can be efficiently illuminated with just two Meridian 11s, priced at $399 each. This presents a more cost-effective solution compared to the Photon 48-V2 Pro, which is priced at $880. Similarly, for a 2-foot tank, the required investment is around $400 with the Meridian lights, offering significant savings when compared to the $545 price tag of the Photon 16-V2 Pro.
3. Comparison with Reef Factory Lights: While there might be superficial resemblances in design with Reef Factory lights, the Meridian lights stand out in terms of technology, efficiency, and build quality. For a more detailed comparison, please view our video and photo comparison below, where we showcase these differences and the superior quality of the Meridian lights. Here's a photo from that comparison for reference, on the left, a Meridian 11 prototype. On the right, the ReefFlare Blue S

We understand that choosing the right lighting for your aquarium is crucial, and we're here to ensure that you have all the information you need to make an informed decision. If there are any further questions or if you need additional details, please feel free to reach out to us.