Evergrow / Reefbreeders LED - thoughts?

Shooter6 · Apr 22, 2018

Gweeds1980 said:
Nope, either lights or remote can lose power and the programme is saved. I've only charged the remote twice since I've had it, charge lasts for ages anyway.

Cool. Do i understand correctly that each color channel has 48 brightness timer settings? In other words you can set the color brightness to change every half hour for each channel? Can you post a vid of the lights and how they are programmed or showing the changing of vrightness per channel?
As texas todd asked how many brightness points are there? The ones i have go from o-255

TexasTodd · Apr 22, 2018

Swapped out my Reef Breeders V1 for the Photon V2 (not +) today. Didn't see the advantage of the plus. Glad to have the 6 channels vs 2 and trying out the AB+ type setup. The V1 at 30% on both channels and the V2 with red, green, white on 10% and the blues on 40% throws almost the exact PAR readings throughout the tank. I'm starting there and bumping up weekly.
The only thing with the V1 is it seemed to burn any montis (encrusting or branching) even at only 30% on the whites while other acros were fine.

Shooter6 · Apr 22, 2018

Whats the difference in the v2 and v2 plus? I have a 180 gallon 6ftx2ftx2ft tank. I was looking at the evergrow version in 24 inch so i can place 4-6 on it. I could put 4 of the 32inch also. I dont know if only 2 would give enough coverage over my tank do to the 24 inch wide and 24 inch deep. Any thoughts? What measurements is your tank?

TexasTodd · Apr 22, 2018

The V2 plus automatically steps any intensity / color hourly set changes into small changes every 10 minutes. It also has the lightning program and I think possibly control from phone, but I don't know that for sure. Cost went up about $50-70 on the V2+. Coverage is similar V1 to V2, I'd say the V1 had a slightly better spread end to end under the fixture just because the LED's were a little more evenly distributed whereas the V2 has kind of like four large clusters..but still nothing like others with "puck" style.

My tank is 72" x 24" tall x 18" deep. Both lights (V1 and V2) actually cover pretty well, lowest is high in the back along the glass where I have a frag rack. Easily grow caps near the ends..maybe 8" in from ends, lower light LPS, shrooms, Acans fine on the sand bed and all the way to ends. Light is about 10" off the surface. I think it's a nice light for the price, we'll see how it does as I ramp up with more SPS like my past systems. Also may eventually slide it all the way towards one end and fit a Radion 15 G4 pro at one end for some comparison.

I know it's not the best light made, but decent and I didn't want to dump $2k+ on lights right now. Also, my LFS offered a very good trade-in on my V1.

TexasTodd · Apr 22, 2018

I'll have to take some more PAR readings. Had a bit of an issue with the auto-reset not turned "off" so might not have been at 10/40 when I took the readings.

Shooter6 · Apr 23, 2018

TexasTodd said:
The V2 plus automatically steps any intensity / color hourly set changes into small changes every 10 minutes. It also has the lightning program and I think possibly control from phone, but I don't know that for sure. Cost went up about $50-70 on the V2+. Coverage is similar V1 to V2, I'd say the V1 had a slightly better spread end to end under the fixture just because the LED's were a little more evenly distributed whereas the V2 has kind of like four large clusters..but still nothing like others with "puck" style.

My tank is 72" x 24" tall x 18" deep. Both lights (V1 and V2) actually cover pretty well, lowest is high in the back along the glass where I have a frag rack. Easily grow caps near the ends..maybe 8" in from ends, lower light LPS, shrooms, Acans fine on the sand bed and all the way to ends. Light is about 10" off the surface. I think it's a nice light for the price, we'll see how it does as I ramp up with more SPS like my past systems. Also may eventually slide it all the way towards one end and fit a Radion 15 G4 pro at one end for some comparison.

I know it's not the best light made, but decent and I didn't want to dump $2k+ on lights right now. Also, my LFS offered a very good trade-in on my V1.

Thanks for the detailed information. In your opinion would 2 of the 32inch lights provide complete coverage on my tank? I have my lights at approximately 12 inches of the water surface . Or do you think i would be better off going with 4? I have a mixed reef started. Soft, lps, and sps. My rockwork is a bit sprad out more towards the middle of the tank front to back, and in three sect

Gweeds1980 · Apr 23, 2018

Shooter6 said:
Cool. Do i understand correctly that each color channel has 48 brightness timer settings? In other words you can set the color brightness to change every half hour for each channel? Can you post a vid of the lights and how they are programmed or showing the changing of vrightness per channel?
As texas todd asked how many brightness points are there? The ones i have go from o-255

Hi, sorry, no chance of a vid... too busy atm. The timer changes every hour. These are the evergrow it5012 units - 48 inch. The tank is 99 x 28 x 28 and coverage is great with both on there. Front to back is fine coverage too. Softies on the sand bed grow fine... encrusting and cap / plating montis are growing well 8" from the surface. I ramped up slowly as I wanted high intensity to be able to grow SPS at all levels. I have my own schedule set - no reds or greens at all and intensity ramping up by x2 each hour from 10am to a peak of 90% blues / uv / cyan and 40% whites at 2 til 4pm and back down.

You might just be able to make out the frag rack at the far right end, I have acro frags on there growing just fine and they are not directly under the light.

TexasTodd · Apr 23, 2018

I'd start with 2 and see. At 12" you'll probably be good, but up to 20" might be better. Mine at 10" struggle a little on the back since it's higher up on the rocks....just about 3" out. My tank is only 18" front to back though. They are so powerful you can easily get the PAR you want by raising the lights for better spread if possible.

Shooter6 · Apr 23, 2018

Have you thought about tilting the lights slightly to help with light dispersion? Moving them more towards the front of the tank than tilting them a bit to help aim the lights at your rockwork?

TexasTodd · Apr 23, 2018

Yes, good idea. Due to the way they're mounted I can't slide them back, but can tilt a bit.

Shooter6 · May 1, 2018

A local fish store has a 48×48×24 tank. They have one loght over the middle but back a bit and one in the front tilted. Tank looks really nice and not much shadows in the front of the rock work.