Are high dollar lights worth it?

[Jason_MrFrags]

455 citizen cob

 

[Cool tangs]

I think it really depends what you want if I'm being honest.

I used vipraspectras for a long time and they did the job. But once you go higher end lights for me Orphek. You really do start to see the difference is night and day.

Controllability, features, spectrum is more complete and overall looks a lot better. Corals get more pop, etc, etc. I also noticed way less shadowing in the tank and much better spread.

So yeah I agree you can get away with cheaper lights and hey they look alright. But once you buy a more premium light it's difficult to go back. As I say the difference is night and day. Well personally it was for me anyway going from black box to orphek, I think it's worth the premium. Power heads on the other hand! Jebaos are amazing I will never touch another maxspect product in my life!

 

[Cool tangs]

Also the more expensive your corals are - the more expensive light spectrum they require. For example, if you bought a coral for $1000, you wouldn't want it to receive a $100 light spectrum (VERY VERY OBVIOUS LOGIC), you would want to have at least a $1000 light spectrum. Therefore you need to buy expensive lights - to produce expensive light spectrum.

So by your logic, if I buy a $1000 coral I need a $10,000 light. Ooof this hobby gets expensive quick :face-with-tears-of-joy:

 

[Kooma]

I like the automation and apps. I’ve had manual switch lights that I end up buying timers for and setting it up to make life easier, but it’s still more effort. I recently grabbed a smart pump (Nero 5) and when shopping light upgrade wanted the smooth increase and decrease of light, moon modes, the fun stuff. I went with a used xr15 g5 as it’s the same price used as a knockoff brand are new but has all the features.

Needed? Nope. Wanted? Yep! For me the aesthetics of the outside of the tank are as important as the inside, and this is super sleek. Also wanted something that I wouldn’t need to upgrade in the near future.

 

[VintageReefer]

The girls do like my M though.

Yes. They are worth it.
Every-time I drive, I’m reminded, this is worth it

 

[Cool tangs]

Which is the issue for me.I just do not see fanless, inexpensive led lights with good white light spectrum control.

They are out there, surprisingly to my eyes anyway, orpheks have a very nice white spectrum. I had to crank the blues as I found it just a tad too white for my taste. Sadly my phone camera picks it up more blue even though it's actually very white in spectrum

 

[VintageReefer]

Which is the issue for me.I just do not see fanless, inexpensive led lights with good white light spectrum control.

these are mid range in pricing and the new app has tons of control

 

[mattdg]

Have to say, I am so close to going back to Vipar Spectra's, when all my fancy fixtures die, and just sticking with them. I replaced a Tuna Blue that burned out recently with my old VS and coral that were struggling are finally coming back. I swear my display looked just as good under the VS Black Box fixtures, looking back at old pics and videos (see below). I just find the spectrum more gentle on the coral and pleasant to my eyes. It is not that they are necessarily better lights than all the fancy expensive brands.. yes less control and hot spots.. but 90% of the time, the additional control functionality is not important and I have never had an issue growing SPS under dancing LEDs.

The most important factor is always stability, which many cheaper reef lights offer in abundance, like the days of Metal Halides / T5's. I'd even argue that simpler/cheaper can lead to more consistent success.. set and forget. I own all of the brands of lights, expensive and cheap and like them for different reasons, so I am speaking from 20 plus years of reefing experience when I say, if you are starting out, you may not want to spend your hard earned money on lights that are getting more and more expensive every year. Heck, if you are a seasoned reefer, you might not want to either... and you don't have to. Even value brands like ReefBreeders (Excellent lights from what I've heard) are cranking their prices up to near Premium price levels. I am sure they have their reasons, though it seems they may be veering away from a very important segmant of the industry, like so many other brands. So I say, go for a proven black box brand with lots of positive reviews and don't look back, if that is what works for you.

Here is an older comparison video for some more thoughts on the topic.




120 Reef Tank Under Vipar Spectra's only

More Recent Pic of 120 Reef under AI Hydra 64 HD's / t5 combo

 

[VintageReefer]

Have to say, I am so close to going back to Vipar Spectra's, when all my fancy fixtures die, and just sticking with them. I replaced a Tuna Blue that burned out recently with my old VS and coral that were struggling are finally coming back. I swear my display looked just as good under the VS Black Box fixtures, looking back at old pics and videos (see below). I just find the spectrum more gentle on the coral and pleasant to my eyes. It is not that they are necessarily better lights than all the fancy expensive brands.. yes less control and hot spots.. but 90% of the time, the additional control functionality is not important and I have never had an issue growing SPS under dancing LEDs.

The most important factor is always stability, which many cheaper reef lights offer in abundance, like the days of Metal Halides / T5's. I'd even argue that simpler/cheaper can lead to more consistent success.. set and forget. I own all of the brands of lights, expensive and cheap and like them for different reasons, so I am speaking from 20 plus years of reefing experience when I say, if you are starting out, you may not want to spend your hard earned money on lights that are getting more and more expensive every year. Heck, if you are a seasoned reefer, you might not want to either... and you don't have to. Even value brands like ReefBreeders (Excellent lights from what I've heard) are cranking their prices up to near Premium price levels. I am sure they have their reasons, though it seems they may be veering away from a very important segmant of the industry, like so many other brands. So I say, go for a proven black box brand with lots of positive reviews and don't look back, if that is what works for you.

Here is an older comparison video for some more thoughts on the topic.




120 Reef Tank Under Vipar Spectra's only

More Recent Pic of 120 Reef under AI Hydra 64 HD's / t5 combo

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Yes. They are worth it.
Every-time I drive, I’m reminded, this is worth it

See, I don’t need a hatch to get 8 foot lumber in my whip…

 

[VintageReefer]

See, I don’t need a hatch to get 8 foot lumber in my whip…

i have no need for lumber

 

[Faurek]

So by your logic, if I buy a $1000 coral I need a $10,000 light. Ooof this hobby gets expensive quick :face-with-tears-of-joy:

That's what some radion gen 6 or 5 SPS tanks look like just to get enough par. You get homewrecker and you need like 5 fixtures.

 

[VintageReefer]

That's what some radion gen 6 or 5 SPS tanks look like just to get enough par. You get homewrecker and you need like 5 fixtures.

Ya people be like
With just 6 xr15, 4 t5, 2 MH, 2 led bars and a few smaller kessils, we can fully light a 6 foot reef…

 

[Faurek]

Ya people be like
With just 6 xr15, 4 t5, 2 MH, 2 led bars and a few smaller kessils, we can fully light a 6 foot reef…

I don't get if they just aren't smart enough to realize that means it's garbage behind all that marketing.
And that is "cheaper" than mh on the power bill. Some dudes might have 1000w over their tanks and praising radion because they like the fluorescents under all blue programs.
dang I wish we would have actual products with " new and better technology".

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

in my opinion, no. You can get great spectrum and par from lights that cost half as much as the most expensive lights you can buy. I’m not positive that a radion match the par of a quanta bar or an ati sunpower.

 

[rtparty]

Ya people be like
With just 6 xr15, 4 t5, 2 MH, 2 led bars and a few smaller kessils, we can fully light a 6 foot reef…

I did it just fine with 6 XR15 over a 6*3

 

[VintageReefer]

in my opinion, no. You can get great spectrum and par from lights that cost half as much as the most expensive lights you can buy. I’m not positive that a radion match the par of a quanta bar or an ati sunpower.

The thing with radion and anything above nano tanks is strength in numbers. You need one for approx every 12” - 18”

 

[VintageReefer]

I did it just fine with 6 XR15 over a 6*3

Some other people are complete overkill

Curious why didn’t you just get 3 xr30?

 

[rtparty]

Some other people are complete overkill

Curious why didn’t you just get 3 xr30?

2 XR15 are better spread than 1 XR30 and I needed to cover 36"

 

[Faurek]

I did it just fine with 6 XR15 over a 6*3

That's 600w, LPS system?

2 XR15 are better spread than 1 XR30 and I needed to cover 36"

It doesn't matter with 126° lenses, and it should be as close to the water as possible with that configuration, doesn't matter either 15 or 30, you will have perfect blend and coverage, but low par from each fixture.