Coralife Biocube 32 lighting question

[Reeferdave1960]

Hi this is my first post and I am new to salt water aquariums.
I am setting up a new Biocube 32 and have a question about upgrading the LEDs that come with the tank. I understand light temp and output. I measure lights for a living, intensity, beam angle and spectrum. Once my aquarium arrives (later this week) I'll take the hood to work and measure the output at different settings and see what I get. Is the purpose of the upgrades (Steve's or the others I've read about) higher par output, higher acetnic, all of the above?
I will take this set up slowly and when I start adding coral I'll start with softies and SPS. But I may want to try LPS in the future and am wondering what benefits in the upgrades I'm looking for.
Thanks for your help and all the info on this site.
Dave

 

[tupes]

The reason most upgrade is to put a better quality led for better par, color that the person wants (different blues, add more or less white) or even add optics for more spread.

 

[tupes]

Also, WELCOME!!! Glad to have to a part of R2R. This is a great place to start. Plenty of knowledge here and a lot of people willing to help. Looking forward to hearing how your setup goes and seeing pictures as it progresses.

 

[Reeferdave1960]

Also, WELCOME!!! Glad to have to a part of R2R. This is a great place to start. Plenty of knowledge here and a lot of people willing to help. Looking forward to hearing how your setup goes and seeing pictures as it progresses.

Thank you!!!
I have so much to learn but enjoying the process.

 

[tupes]

The most important part of reef keeping over fresh water is not the parameters, light par, quality of water... It's patience, then the other things I mentioned. Without patience the only thing you will be successful with its not being successful. Please ask all the questions you have and learn everything you can.

 

[Reeferdave1960]

The most important part of reef keeping over fresh water is not the parameters, light par, quality of water... It's patience, then the other things I mentioned. Without patience the only thing you will be successful with its not being successful. Please ask all the questions you have and learn everything you can.

Thanks Tupes,
I have read a couple of times, nothing good comes fast in a reef tank. I'm trying to remember that in every step.

 

[GatorScott]

If the funds are there then yes upgrade to Steve’s leds. Best purchase I made for my tank.

 

[Krzydmnd]

I upgraded to the Steve's LED kit for my 32 and it's night and day quality over stock. As @GatorScott mentioned, best upgrade I've made to my tank. I got the BlueFish controller for it too, and it's well worth it IMO. I just wish I would have noticed (unless it's brand new) that they had a Violet Upgrade option for the kit as well when I bought mine about a month ago.

My Ricordea and Monti's look spectacular under the new lights.

 

[Reeferdave1960]

Gatorscott and krzydmnd
Thanks for the input, are the stock lights ok to start out with? I figured it will be a few months before I begin to add some softies, and much longer until I get to SPS corals

Thanks again
Dave

 

[Krzydmnd]

Perfectly fine for fish to get started.

 

[Reeferdave1960]

Perfectly fine for fish to get started.

Thank you ,

Is it ok for some mushrooms etc or should I upgrade before adding any coral ?

 

[Krzydmnd]

I only had a few ricordea for a few weeks before I got the upgrade. They were fine with the stock lights but oh man do they look gorgeous now! . I know it's an expensive upgrade, almost as much as the tank cost, but well worth when you can spring for it.

 

[George Willings]

I just got my Biocube 32 a couple days ago, going to be waiting until after the new year to get it going. I am not too keen on spending as much as I did for the tank just to upgrade the lights on such a small tank. I was actually thinking of US Current Orbit, the little one, think it was 16" if I can remember right. I plan on using the stock basket instead of using the InTank double basket (1 for the filter media and the other for a refugium). The stock basket that came with mine is as wide as the whole chamber, has 3 shelves in it, and about half of the total space in the middle section with no shelf. That space I plan on putting some LR and some cheto in there and use that space as the refugium, and keeping the black sponge before the return area to keep some things out of the return area, like cheto that may break off. I do plan on running the little protein skimmer that Coralife makes for the tank, and putting the heater in the return. This will be my first venture into saltwater. I have kept freshwater before, peat moss setup for piranha and then a gravel bottom setup for discus.

 

[GatorScott]

I just got my Biocube 32 a couple days ago, going to be waiting until after the new year to get it going. I am not too keen on spending as much as I did for the tank just to upgrade the lights on such a small tank. I was actually thinking of US Current Orbit, the little one, think it was 16" if I can remember right. I plan on using the stock basket instead of using the InTank double basket (1 for the filter media and the other for a refugium). The stock basket that came with mine is as wide as the whole chamber, has 3 shelves in it, and about half of the total space in the middle section with no shelf. That space I plan on putting some LR and some cheto in there and use that space as the refugium, and keeping the black sponge before the return area to keep some things out of the return area, like cheto that may break off. I do plan on running the little protein skimmer that Coralife makes for the tank, and putting the heater in the return. This will be my first venture into saltwater. I have kept freshwater before, peat moss setup for piranha and then a gravel bottom setup for discus.

I don’t really know that it’s considered “upgrading” going from stock BC32 lights to current orbits. It’s probably pretty close to the same light output. I’d just stick with the stock BC32 lights. They really aren’t bad for a simpler starter tank.

Now I have a buddy who bought a BC29 with the old crappy lights and gutted it and put a cheap 16” current orbit in it mounted to the underside of the hood and he grows LPS and softies fine. Tank looks great too.

 

[George Willings]

You do realize that is the same light I am talking about right? It does in fact out out much more light than the stock biocube light

 

[GatorScott]

You do realize that is the same light I am talking about right? It does in fact out out much more light than the stock biocube light

Yes I realize you’re talking about the current orbit. That’s why I was referencing my buddies tank and the success he has had with that light, if you decided to go that direction.

Only reason I question the benefits of “upgrading” to the current orbit from the stock BC32 leds is because without a par reading I wouldn’t be convinced that you couldn’t get the same results out of the Stock BC32 leds as you would getting the current orbit and not waste the money. Basically I’m trying to say unless you’re upgrading to an SPS/anemone grade light you might just want to wAit and try the stock lights out. The BC32 come with leds that are decent for softies and LPS.

 

[George Willings]

People that have used it this exact tank have gotten much better PAR readings from the Current USA Orbit over the stock LED's. The stock lights get barely a 50 reading, meanwhile the Current USA Orbit is getting over a 60. I could not justify spending the same amount I did on the tank just for an the Steve's upgrade. Especially not on a beginner tank like this. A bigger better tank, yeah that would get better lighting than what Current USA Orbit can give.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

I upgraded to Steve’s leds on my biocube a few months ago and I wish I had done it sooner! Coral growth is amazing and was non-existent with the stock lights. If you have the funds I highly recommend the upgrade!

 

[George Willings]

Like I said, I am not about to invest into lighting for this tank that cost as much as the tank. As this is my beginner tank and not about to do that. Just want a little better lighting than what comes stock without spending as much as I did on the tank.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

Lights are one of the most expensive things in this hobby in my opinion. Most light setups cost way more than the tanks they sit above it seems like. If you don’t want to pay for a good upgrade then I see no reason to waste money on a mediocre upgrade. The stock lights are sufficient you just won’t get as much growth and color as you see in some tanks.