Light suggestions - premium vs budget!

[msweeney91]

Hi guys!

If you had a DD reef pro 900 and money wasn’t an issue… we’re talking all types of budgets!

What lights would you get?

Your tank will have a mix variety of softies/LPS and the odd SPS

Must have functions

Decent control ability - I.e adjustable lights, easy to use app, user friendly, pre sets etc

Reliability and good customer service

And what brands would you stay away from from experience?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My "money is no issue" lights are metal halides with a pair of OR3 bars.

 

[Timfish]

Top of my list are Kessils. Next in line are Popbloom and Popular Grow. I have wasted so much time with apps that control lighting or fixtures (ecotech) that keep losing programing I won't use them or fixtures that rely on them. The most reliable timer I've found are inexpensive heavy duty is this one on Amazon

 

[Hooz]

Honestly, if I was buying "off the shelf" right now, I'd probably go with 3 Blades, 2 Grows and a Glow. I would also run the (bulletproof) myAI app and NOT Mobius. You can mount them at almost any height, the combined color spectrum is pretty good, and did I mention the app is bulletproof?

If you have a controller with 0-10v control (Hydros, Apex or GHL) and aren't restricted on mounting options, then I'd probably roll with a trio of Quanta Helix bars (2 Meso Blue and a Reefcrest Daylight). The combined spectrum is pretty amazing, but they need to be mounted a little higher (10" or so) to get the best blending.

There are a ton of good options out there (pair of XR15s, pair of Hydra 32HDs or Edge 44HDs, ReefBreeders Meridian, etc, but none as brain dead easy and bulletproof as the Blades.

 

[JohnNYC8]

I’d keep it simple: 2x XR15, 2x Blade Glows to give you more coverage and UV at night. All the apps are pretty good now. Some have known issues but they’re either just mildly annoying or will be fixed at some point.

 

[oreo54]

Hi guys!

If you had a DD reef pro 900 and money wasn’t an issue… we’re talking all types of budgets!

What lights would you get?

Your tank will have a mix variety of softies/LPS and the odd SPS

Must have functions

Decent control ability - I.e adjustable lights, easy to use app, user friendly, pre sets etc

Reliability and good customer service

And what brands would you stay away from from experience?

35.4" x 23.6" x 18.5" deep, 60-ish gallons.
From look to adjust-ability, to build, to parts replacement its hard to beat a Mitras 7206
for that tank.
$900 plus mount.

Then there is an ATI panel.

This is $'s don't matter.. You can get sort of "like" lights at cheaper prices.
I'm also sticking to "1 piece"

 

[msweeney91]

Hi guys!

If you had a DD reef pro 900 and money wasn’t an issue… we’re talking all types of budgets!

What lights would you get?

Your tank will have a mix variety of softies/LPS and the odd SPS

Must have functions

Decent control ability - I.e adjustable lights, easy to use app, user friendly, pre sets etc

Reliability and good customer service

And what brands would you stay away from from experience?

35.4" x 23.6" x 18.5" deep, 60-ish gallons.
From look to adjust-ability, to build, to parts replacement its hard to beat a Mitras 7206
for that tank.
$900 plus mount.

Then there is an ATI panel.

This is $'s don't matter.. You can get sort of "like" lights at cheaper prices.
I'm also sticking to "1 piece"

Nice! I’ll have a look! Thanks

 

[msweeney91]

I’d keep it simple: 2x XR15, 2x Blade Glows to give you more coverage and UV at night. All the apps are pretty good now. Some have known issues but they’re either just mildly annoying or will be fixed at some point.

I’ve been looking at xr15, I was tempted with just xr30 but worried about the spread

 

[msweeney91]

Honestly, if I was buying "off the shelf" right now, I'd probably go with 3 Blades, 2 Grows and a Glow. I would also run the (bulletproof) myAI app and NOT Mobius. You can mount them at almost any height, the combined color spectrum is pretty good, and did I mention the app is bulletproof?

If you have a controller with 0-10v control (Hydros, Apex or GHL) and aren't restricted on mounting options, then I'd probably roll with a trio of Quanta Helix bars (2 Meso Blue and a Reefcrest Daylight). The combined spectrum is pretty amazing, but they need to be mounted a little higher (10" or so) to get the best blending.

There are a ton of good options out there (pair of XR15s, pair of Hydra 32HDs or Edge 44HDs, ReefBreeders Meridian, etc, but none as brain dead easy and bulletproof as the Blades.

Blown my brains thanks so much I’ll take a look at each of these. I didn’t realise other lights could be worked off MyAI, I have a AI prime 16hd from a nano tank years ago and the app was great!

 

[msweeney91]

My "money is no issue" lights are metal halides with a pair of OR3 bars.

Never heard of these before! I’ll check these out also :) thanks

 

[Gman83]

I would go with Orphek or Reefbreeders

 

[msweeney91]

Honestly, if I was buying "off the shelf" right now, I'd probably go with 3 Blades, 2 Grows and a Glow. I would also run the (bulletproof) myAI app and NOT Mobius. You can mount them at almost any height, the combined color spectrum is pretty good, and did I mention the app is bulletproof?

If you have a controller with 0-10v control (Hydros, Apex or GHL) and aren't restricted on mounting options, then I'd probably roll with a trio of Quanta Helix bars (2 Meso Blue and a Reefcrest Daylight). The combined spectrum is pretty amazing, but they need to be mounted a little higher (10" or so) to get the best blending.

There are a ton of good options out there (pair of XR15s, pair of Hydra 32HDs or Edge 44HDs, ReefBreeders Meridian, etc, but none as brain dead easy and bulletproof as the Blades.

Just rereading your comment, would you have 3 blades, 2 grows and a glow together? I was just taking a look at the blade on AI and could see they do a hybrid mount and just wanted to make sure that’s what you meant

 

[rtparty]

Nicrew Gen 2. Hardwired controller with no garbage app to worry about and deal with

The AI Blades are awesome lights IME as well. Combining the two would be $$$

 

[Red_Beard]

ATI panels are pretty awesome, but $$$. Reefbreeder's Meridians are awesome as well, and with the narrow lens kit you would get tons of par all the way down. The myAI app for the blade is pretty easy, but i feel the blade is missing a lot of violet, even with a glow. you get much more balanced spectrum from either the ATI panels or Meridians, and the lens angles are pretty wide so you wouldn't get as much depth out of them. Quanta helix bars are excellent too for supplementary light. The atlas also puts out some really good spectrum. No way would I go radions though.

 

[Hooz]

Just rereading your comment, would you have 3 blades, 2 grows and a glow together? I was just taking a look at the blade on AI and could see they do a hybrid mount and just wanted to make sure that’s what you meant

Yes. You can mix and match the Grows and Glows. They're designed to work together like that.

Any AI light can run in the myAI app. Blades, Primes, Hydra (OG and Edge). It works the same for all of them.

 

[Science/G]

I would run a metal halides, reef breeders meridians and T5's

 

[BriDroid]

Honestly, if I was buying "off the shelf" right now, I'd probably go with 3 Blades, 2 Grows and a Glow. I would also run the (bulletproof) myAI app and NOT Mobius. You can mount them at almost any height, the combined color spectrum is pretty good, and did I mention the app is bulletproof?

If you have a controller with 0-10v control (Hydros, Apex or GHL) and aren't restricted on mounting options, then I'd probably roll with a trio of Quanta Helix bars (2 Meso Blue and a Reefcrest Daylight). The combined spectrum is pretty amazing, but they need to be mounted a little higher (10" or so) to get the best blending.

There are a ton of good options out there (pair of XR15s, pair of Hydra 32HDs or Edge 44HDs, ReefBreeders Meridian, etc, but none as brain dead easy and bulletproof as the Blades.

I would also run Blades for something off the shelf. I LOVE the fact that there is no fan, dead silent! I have a Grow and a Glow now over my nano and have had no issues with them or the Mobius app. I used the MyAI app for a while, but Mobius is more customizable as far as routines and easily turning down the light intensity.

 

[rishma]

35.4" x 23.6" x 18.5" deep, 60-ish gallons.
From look to adjust-ability, to build, to parts replacement its hard to beat a Mitras 7206
for that tank.
$900 plus mount.

Then there is an ATI panel.

This is $'s don't matter.. You can get sort of "like" lights at cheaper prices.
I'm also sticking to "1 piece"

Why do you suggest 7206 vs the newer 7506?

 

[stE26wy14]

set yourself a set "budget"/what the most expensive light you can buy is, thats your budget now.

now

if u find a light that is cheaper, but still as good

or maybe one that fulfills your needs but isnt overkill
get that

and use the rest of the budget on coral and fish and whatnot

 

[Dburr1014]

I would still go with the reef breeders. Either the V2 or with the meridians. They just work.