Help deciding on a lighting for my 150 gallon (60x 24 x24) - Budget is $600

[acer]

OK - black Friday has begun/announced: Noopsync's are 15% off and Reefbreeders are 10% off =a $50 off coupon. So for my 60 inch long x 24 front to back x 24 deep, 150 gallon mixed reef I am looking at:

Option #1) 4 K7 pro II's with one controller = $677 - 15%= $575. Each K7 is 95 watts each = 380 total max watts and comes with a 1 year warranty adn I did confirm they will pay for shipping on warranty issues..

Option #2) Reefbreeder photon 50 V2+ = $715 -10% - $50 coupon= $595. The fixture says max wattage is 240 and it has a 2 year warranty with shipping covered both ways on them.

Of note: neither option has wifi programming, both have free shipping, the K7's are more versatile if someday I decide to switch tank setup, the photon will be much easier to program = only one fixture.

********opinions wanted****************

 

[NanoDJS]

Get $600 worth of these .... 3 and I think it will slay your other options ......https://pacificeastaquaculture.com/collections/other-reef-stuff/products/copy-of-ocean-revive-artic-t247-led-light-fixture

 

[madweazl]

This will give you an idea of what 360 watts of LED can produce over the same tank. If you scroll a little further down you can see what the addition of T5s will add. As long as you plan on a considerably taller aquascape and dont plan on a largerly SPS dominant tank, the will likely work OK. Of the two, I'd pick the Reefbreeders over the K7s but in all honesty, I'd probably pick three or four black boxes over both options.

 

[NanoDJS]

They have a video of a crazy tank lit with only these (blues only also ) that is thriving....

 

[SoggyNW]

To me it would depend on how you want to mount them. The photon with the legs seems like it would get in the way. But if you were going to hang it it might be the better light.

 

[Bpb]

Between those two choices. Reef breeders. My own mention, ati sunpower 8x48”

 

[acer]

I have a full canopy - so they will be hung from the canopy - about 9 inches from the water level.

 

[acer]

This will give you an idea of what 360 watts of LED can produce over the same tank. If you scroll a little further down you can see what the addition of T5s will add. As long as you plan on a considerably taller aquascape and dont plan on a largerly SPS dominant tank, the will likely work OK. Of the two, I'd pick the Reefbreeders over the K7s but in all honesty, I'd probably pick three or four black boxes over both options.

Which black boxes? SB is gone, vivaspectra? Yes that's a possibility.

 

[madweazl]

Which black boxes? SB is gone, vivaspectra? Yes that's a possibility.

Take your pick; the Ocean Revive T247s posted above have been successfully used by many if you LED is a must.

Edit: looks like SBReef still sells lights to me.

 

[Reef AquaCult]

I have a 60x24x24 tank and have 5 x Roleadro WiFi lights from Amazon. They’re mounted with the length covering the 24” tank width. Even spread this way, 600watts (they claim each light is 165w but I think usually draw is 120), 3 channels of light to control. Quiet fans, dedicated power supplies. App is challenging but works. $550
Roleadro WiFi Light

 

[acer]

I tried to buy a SB Reef light about a month ago - they told me it was in stock and I would have my light in a week. I ordered and paid via paypal. Never heard from them again - after several weeks of sending texts and emails I gave up and got my money back from paypal.

SO if, truly if, they are still in business- I would not order from them.

I am iffy on the black box lights. I wonder what the length of usefullness is - basicallly no warranty, etc. But yes- they would probably do the job and I guess ordering several of them initially and then having one die on me in a year it would not be a big deal to replace it.

 

[acer]

I just realized you said FIVE of those Roleandro lights @ $110 each thats = $550 - so only a few bucks cheaper than my two other options on my first post. Granted = 5 of them is going to put out alot of light - more than either of my others options. What is your Par/Pure Reef AquaCult?

 

[Blitheran]

T5 might be another option

 

[acer]

I have used T5 in the past and feel its just so much easier to do LED - set it and forget it for many years. I may do a 48 inch blue plus in front of and a Purple plus behind the LED's if I get the Photon 50 fixture. I will have room in the canopy. I have all the necessary items ( other than new bulbs) to make that happen from prior build = 90 gallon years ago.

 

[Reef AquaCult]

I just realized you said FIVE of those Roleandro lights @ $110 each thats = $550 - so only a few bucks cheaper than my two other options on my first post. Granted = 5 of them is going to put out alot of light - more than either of my others options. What is your Par/Pure Reef AquaCult?

I have some acros at the top so I run about 300 at the top of the live rocks and about 200 at bottom of tank and that’s at 80% blues and 10-20% whites. Youre not limited by par with this setup but you need to have a seneye or other par meter so you don’t fry your corals.

 

[cvrle1]

One thing that wasnt mentioned so far, total W output isnt a be all, end all sort of a thing with LEDs. With T5s and MH there was a rule that everyone tried to follow, 3W per gallon, or something like that. With LEDs, wattage is important, but there are other factors as well. Wattage of LEDs used (3W vs 0.5W) Spectrum used, lens angle (90 degrees, 110 degrees, etc) how far apart LEDs are (cluster vs individual row) and so on.

You can have a unit that pumps out 300W with 500 0.5W LEDs, but I would not get this unit, PAR will be low. Units with 110 degree lens will have different light dispursion/penetration that 90 degrees, clusters of LEDs in theory give less of disco effect. These are all the things that you should look into, not just wattage.

Between the 2 units you were looking at, I can offer what my train of thought was. Originally I was going to go with 2 black boxes (bloomspect) I bought 1 to see what it was like and liked it. Then I was kinda thinking about reefbreeders, but glad that I didnt buy it. Main reason is that I ended up finding a different tank, one that was a foot longer than tank I originally planned on using (4' vs 5') Had I gotten V2, it would have been short for new tank. Meanwhile I ended up getting a killer deal on noopsyche lights, so I jumped on that. If I was buying a light now, knowing what tank I will use, I would go with black box again. Not because there is anything wrong with other 2, but because I dont need $600+ light with all the features I may not have a use for. In the end those CBBs will grow any coral just as good, and I save $ for other things I need.

 

[acer]

I see your logic- but again- If you look at reviews/comments- there are fan failures, shorts, etc. on a % of those black boxes. Say I get 4 black boxes = cost of say $450 total - that is only $100 less than 4 noopscyche K7 lights with a controller. I kinda like the ramp up features on K7 and Photons as I see the tank in different light througout the day rather than a simple on/off from a cheaper black box light - not to mention the expectation of future problems.

 

[Matt Carden]

Here is a link with more information including PAR measurements:

Ocean Revive T247-B Full Spectrum Dimmable LED Reef Light

Stock Update - We are out of stock until Mid-May 2021. Please check with use again. Thank you for your patience! Ocean Revive T247-B - Quality Reef Worthy Lights That Won't Break the Bank!!! Quality

aquariumstoredepot.com

 

[Ranjib]

I’ll go with 4 mars aqua and a diy(reef-pi) controller

 

[acer]

yep 3 T247-B lights on sale at $180 each comes to $540 = $35 bucks cheaper than the Noopsynche option. But no ramping up/down. And no warranty - that I can find.