Best led out there please help

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Warms my heart that no one said the Sky... lol

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

My LFS recently started using solartronics.
The lights slowly turn in an angle to even the lighting.
They can also be combined with master, Alka, dose tronics and can adjust the light intensity based up on your water peremiters.

I have no personal experience with these and they are pretty expensive

Solartronic - Core Products - Products

<p>Solartronic (ST) is our flagship lighting fixture with our patented dynamic light source. The ST doesn’t only have 1 unique feature but 2. When combined with Mastertronic, the lighting intensity can be automatically adjusted based on nutrients or

www.focustronic.net

Those are actually on my buy now list. I love the UV he is using on those. I suspect they will be very good.

 

[Shirak]

Never heard of the reefi but they look quality do you have more information or experience on them?

There are a number of threads here and the analysis by Dana linked. I have not fired mine up yet. I also bought a duo extreme second hand. I think the Uno is a better value and I like the led selection more in the Uno also. Daniel at ReeFi knows his stuff. Top notch built in every regard with a 3yr warranty. An incredible light for an incredible price IMO but they don't get the attention like the big boys AI Radion etc..

 

[Garia666]

Those are actually on my buy now list. I love the UV he is using on those. I suspect they will be very good.

My LFS is pretty exited by them.
They don’t look to pretty esthetic wise (personal opinion) they use active cooling and run pretty hot but the light it’s brings off looks amazing.

 

[Tamberav]

There is no best... some people switch LED's like 3 times before they find what they like.

You could go off any suggestions on here and realize it's not everything you wanted.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

If money is not an issue, I would go for radions.

 

[Bama41Georgia24]

There are a number of threads here and the analysis by Dana linked. I have not fired mine up yet. I also bought a duo extreme second hand. I think the Uno is a better value and I like the led selection more in the Uno also. Daniel at ReeFi knows his stuff. Top notch built in every regard with a 3yr warranty. An incredible light for an incredible price IMO but they don't get the attention like the big boys AI Radion etc..

I’ve been researching them for the past couple hours and am pretty much sold on them. I’m really wanting to incorporate a kessil or two for shimmer how would you suggest I make that happen? Mounting options etc. And how many duo extremes should I put on a 125 6’. It looks like I can get away with two but seems most people add more just want your opinion

 

[SoggyNW]

I think the best solution is t5/led strips for fill light and then point source fixtures for shimmer.

Right now my next tank will have reefbrite xho strips with Kessel pendants for shimmer.

 

[Shirak]

I’ve been researching them for the past couple hours and am pretty much sold on them. I’m really wanting to incorporate a kessil or two for shimmer how would you suggest I make that happen? Mounting options etc. And how many duo extremes should I put on a 125 6’. It looks like I can get away with two but seems most people add more just want your opinion

I would contact Daniel. Maybe some of the other ReeFi users can chime in on layout. Partly depends on what you plan on keeping for corals. If I had to guess for a 72" wide tank you would probably want 3 duo extreme. I think I would go with 6 Uno though

It's a bit easier to setup the Duo Extremes because of the two lights in one fixture.. However, I think the Uno's are a better option for layout. 2 Unos is only slightly more $ than a single Duo Extreme and gives better spread and a lot more power. Daniel is also able to figure out the mounting options. I think if you want to do a couple kessil also then some sort of aluminum rails on mounts or hanging. If the tank has enough depth front to back maybe two rails with a two or 3 unos and one kessil on the back rail and same thing on the front.

Options for mounting
https://www.reefi-lab.com/product/custom-profile-slide-on-adpator-for-reefi-uno/

 

[Bama41Georgia24]

I would contact Daniel. Maybe some of the other ReeFi users can chime in on layout. Partly depends on what you plan on keeping for corals. If I had to guess for a 72" wide tank you would probably want 3 duo extreme. I think I would go with 6 Uno though

It's a bit easier to setup the Duo Extremes because of the two lights in one fixture.. However, I think the Uno's are a better option for layout. 2 Unos is only slightly more $ than a single Duo Extreme and gives better spread and a lot more power. Daniel is also able to figure out the mounting options. I think if you want to do a couple kessil also then some sort of aluminum rails on mounts or hanging. If the tank has enough depth front to back maybe two rails with a two or 3 unos and one kessil on the back rail and same thing on the front.

Options for mounting
https://www.reefi-lab.com/product/custom-profile-slide-on-adpator-for-reefi-uno/

Thank you for your time these are great ideas I think it would be beneficial to contact Daniel!

 

[keithw283]

Warms my heart that no one said the Sky... lol

have you used the sky? Every review I've seen on them pretty much says the same thing. They were hesitant of getting them but did anyways and they love them.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

have you used the sky? Every review I've seen on them pretty much says the same thing. They were hesitant of getting them but did anyways and they love them.

Ignorance is bliss. I wouldn't waste my money on the Sky. They are a panel style light like the ATI Straton and the Philips Coral Care, but that's about it. They absolutely copied some of the Philips as it's in the patent.

If people want to buy the Neptune Sky, that's their choice and they may like them. Knowing a lot about LED's and manufacturing, I wouldn't be one of them.

 

[Zach B]

For the pricing I'm quite interested in @noopsyche I would love to spend some ridiculous amount of money on lighting but when a light can grow coral well, that's about all I'm looking for

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

have you used the sky? Every review I've seen on them pretty much says the same thing. They were hesitant of getting them but did anyways and they love them.

the Sky is a fine light and will grow coral like most anything out now a days. Hyped and typical of neptune--the marketing was misleading, e.g., that the sky could magically replace multiple Eco-tech G5's... I would get a coral care over a sky 1000 times over...

Among other reasons i would not use it and believe it is not the best--is the fact that it has a (very?) narrow spectrum; if coral growth and health is the priority and the community (and BRS at one point??) believes the ATI blue plus spectrum is the one to match--the sky ain't it or the "best."

 

[keithw283]

Ignorance is bliss. I wouldn't waste my money on the Sky. They are a panel style light like the ATI Straton and the Philips Coral Care, but that's about it. They absolutely copied some of the Philips as it's in the patent.

If people want to buy the Neptune Sky, that's their choice and they may like them. Knowing a lot about LED's and manufacturing, I wouldn't be one of them.

They seem like good lights to me and the spread on them is much better than the Radions for example. As for copying other brands. Isn't that what pretty much everyone does in every facet of manufacturing? Find who's doing something right, replicate it and tweak it a bit? Every brand copied something another brand was doing.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

They seem like good lights to me and the spread on them is much better than the Radions for example. As for copying other brands. Isn't that what pretty much everyone does in every facet of manufacturing? Find who's doing something right, replicate it and tweak it a bit? Every brand copied something another brand was doing.

Radion G5 has more even spread, even according to BRS testing. The sky has a bigger panel and may be prone to less shadowing as the G5 panel is smaller with pucks (but with wide angle lenses that create a more even spread).

Neptune and eco-tech are owned by the same parent company now, so any debate on copying each other there is moot. I doubt Neptune will make anymore lights in the future and will no longer compete with radions... While G6's, G7's, etc will still be coming. The sky as far as i can tell, and from the first few pages of this thread, isn't anyone's pick for "best"

I'd buy reef Reef Duo, stratton, coral care, or radion if i wanted a panel LED..

 

[Kfactor]

when i switch out my mh i will be going stratons

 

[keithw283]

Radion G5 has more even spread, even according to BRS testing. The sky has a bigger panel and may be prone to less shadowing as the G5 panel is smaller with pucks (but with wide angle lenses that create a more even spread).

Neptune and eco-tech are owned by the same parent company now, so any debate on copying each other there is moot. I doubt Neptune will make anymore lights in the future and will no longer compete with radions... While G6's, G7's, etc will still be coming. The sky as far as i can tell, and from the first few pages of this thread, isn't anyone's pick for "best"

I'd buy reef Reef Duo, stratton, coral care, or radion if i wanted a panel LED..

Oh I think you misunderstood me. I'm not claiming they are the best (I know that was OPs question so that's my mistake), I just think they get a lot of unnecessary hate because while they aren't the best they are still good lights. Melevsreef switched from MH lights to them over his 400 gallon and he said he was getting growth from his Acros in just a few weeks that he has never seen before. And they are much cheaper than the Radions because of the wider spread. He only had 3 of them over his 400 gallon. I only got 2 for my 180 where if I wanted to go with ecotech I would have gotten 3 xr30s. Like I said, they aren't the best (again, sorry for the misunderstanding) but they are still good and I think pretty reasonably priced.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Oh I think you misunderstood me. I'm not claiming they are the best (I know that was OPs question so that's my mistake), I just think they get a lot of unnecessary hate because while they aren't the best they are still good lights. Melevsreef switched from MH lights to them over his 400 gallon and he said he was getting growth from his Acros in just a few weeks that he has never seen before. And they are much cheaper than the Radions because of the wider spread. He only had 3 of them over his 400 gallon. I only got 2 for my 180 where if I wanted to go with ecotech I would have gotten 3 xr30s. Like I said, they aren't the best (again, sorry for the misunderstanding) but they are still good and I think pretty reasonably priced.

I mostly agree, except Neptune deserves all the criticism it receives, and that i don't see Skys as any cheaper whatsoever... The "spread" is basically identical and that statement from Neptune that two skys replace 3 radions was not only ridiculous but totally false.

Versus

Additionally, any lights will grow corals. Premium lights for premium prices should have a premium spectrum. Only the Radion in this comparison has a premium spectrum...

 

[keithw283]

I mostly agree, except Neptune deserves all the criticism it receives, and that i don't see Skys as any cheaper whatsoever... The "spread" is basically identical and that statement from Neptune that two skys replace 3 radions was not only ridiculous but totally false.

Versus

I'm not quoting neptune in that statement. I'm quoting people I personally know that have the Sky. Also melevs reef. I don't think 3 xr30s would work over a 400 gallon tank