Lighting discussion

[VanDalsenReef]

Hello everyone. Looking to get back into reefs soon (more like 1 year). Looking at homes at the moment. Going with an sps dominant reef and even more specific acropora dominant. Lots of questions I want to throw out there.
System will be for sure 36" wide and 36" tall (I know it's gonna stink for cleaning and general maintenance but it's stunning to see staghorn acros growing into the water column)
1. Should I do 6 or 8 feet
2. Lighting? Looking at orphek 960 pendants.
3. Supplement light?
4. DIY stand or have a steel one built?

I'll post more questions. I'd enjoy everyone's ideas
Ps halides are out as they're getting very difficult to find. Especially bulbs...

 

[Jekyl]

T5 is still king imo

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone. Looking to get back into reefs soon (more like 1 year). Looking at homes at the moment. Going with an sps dominant reef and even more specific acropora dominant. Lots of questions I want to throw out there.
System will be for sure 36" wide and 36" tall (I know it's gonna stink for cleaning and general maintenance but it's stunning to see staghorn acros growing into the water column)
1. Should I do 6 or 8 feet
2. Lighting? Looking at orphek 960 pendants.
3. Supplement light?
4. DIY stand or have a steel one built?

I'll post more questions. I'd enjoy everyone's ideas
Ps halides are out as they're getting very difficult to find. Especially bulbs...

I run Orpheks only and Over the 960, I would look at the Orphek Icon atlantik
For cleaning, strong magnet cleaners are king as I only run large tanks and marine grabbers are invaluable.
For stand, heavy duty wood or steel with wood skin.

Grabbers:

 

[VanDalsenReef]

I run Orpheks only and Over the 960, I would look at the Orphek Icon atlantik
For cleaning, strong magnet cleaners are king as I only run large tanks and marine grabbers are invaluable.
For stand, heavy duty wood or steel with wood skin.

Grabbers:

Thank you. How many icons do you use ?

 

[BigAl07]

@VanDalsenReef that sounds like a GREAT project! The 36" tall will be SWEET!!
In terms of lights: I'm a GHL guy so I don't know anything about the Orphek lights one way or another.

6 or 8 ft: Go as big as you can fit into the area, that you can afford, and you can maintain. Adding gallons could significantly change the equipment you need, the cost of the equipment, the operating cost, and depending on the house and how/where you place it you might need to have someone verify it will hold the size tank you're wanting.

Metal or Wood Stand: I will say this, I am on my first "metal" stand and LOVE it but, I do miss the versatility of a Wood Stand (I'm a wood guy) because it's so easy to add/mount things when working with wood. I'm still trying to figure out my metal stand (Waterbox) but I'm sure in time I'll get it figured out and it will no longer be a "hurdle".

 

[VanDalsenReef]

@VanDalsenReef that sounds like a GREAT project! The 36" tall will be SWEET!!
In terms of lights: I'm a GHL guy so I don't know anything about the Orphek lights one way or another.

6 or 8 ft: Go as big as you can fit into the area, that you can afford, and you can maintain. Adding gallons could significantly change the equipment you need, the cost of the equipment, the operating cost, and depending on the house and how/where you place it you might need to have someone verify it will hold the size tank you're wanting.

Metal or Wood Stand: I will say this, I am on my first "metal" stand and LOVE it but, I do miss the versatility of a Wood Stand (I'm a wood guy) because it's so easy to add/mount things when working with wood. I'm still trying to figure out my metal stand (Waterbox) but I'm sure in time I'll get it figured out and it will no longer be a "hurdle".

Thank you! I am looking at the waterbox custom as doing a fish room so.the stand will be mostly just to hold it and have pump controllers and house a closed loop

 

[JNalley]

I run a Kessil AP9X now. I've had MH + T5HO, T5HO only, Fluval Marine, CurrentUSA Orbit Marine, AI PrimeHD, AI Hydra 26HD, I briefly tried Radeon's. I prefer the Kessils. If things start to shadow, and it becomes a problem, I will maybe get a supplement light strip or two, but the shimmer and the contrast from the Kessil at the moment is beautiful.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you. How many icons do you use ?

Two compacts and two full size and 5 noopsyche for added shimmer

 

[Sdot]

I run Orpheks only and Over the 960, I would look at the Orphek Icon atlantik
For cleaning, strong magnet cleaners are king as I only run large tanks and marine grabbers are invaluable.
For stand, heavy duty wood or steel with wood skin.

Grabbers:

Yup agreed... Orpheks, especially the icons are hard to beat from price, spread, and par... they can put out alot!!

4 Orphek Icons and 3 Kessil A500X.... over my 300 gallon system.

 

[VanDalsenReef]

Yup agreed... Orpheks, especially the icons are hard to beat from price, spread, and par... they can put out alot!!

4 Orphek Icons and 3 Kessil A500X....

I loved my orpheks. It's the 3 feet that worries me there won't be enough light to get all the way for acropora on the.sandbed

 

[Sdot]

I loved my orpheks. It's the 3 feet that worries me there won't be enough light to get all the way for acropora on the.sandbed

I think you will be fine... you may want to do what I've done. Your tank is about 10 inches deeper than mine. I will tell you running the icons at 65% and the Kessil's at 100%, I'm getting 200- 250 par on the bottom of the tank and near the top over 600 par....

 

[VanDalsenReef]

Yup agreed... Orpheks, especially the icons are hard to beat from price, spread, and par... they can put out alot!!

4 Orphek Icons and 3 Kessil A500X.... over my 300 gallon system.

Is your system 6 or 8 feet long? Looks 6

 

[Reefering1]

I didn't read any responses. 36" water penetration, acropra dominant... you want halides, period.

 

[VanDalsenReef]

I didn't read any responses. 36" water penetration, acropra dominant... you want halides, period.

Would but no as they don't make good bulbs anymore

 

[JNalley]

I didn't read any responses. 36" water penetration, acropra dominant... you want halides, period.

I don't know how true this actually is. My AP9X is currently at around 16" (raised from 10 inches to get better upper-tank corner coverage) over a 3ft x 18 x 18 tank, running it at 40% still puts 200-250 PAR on my sandbed at the corners, closer to 350-400 in the middle. I think it would be up to the task. Kessils are the only LEDs on the market that people often compare with MH, and for shimmer, I couldn't agree with them more. I never ran a PAR meter when I had Metal Halides 20 years ago so I can't directly compare, but Kessil is it for me.

 

[Reefering1]

Would but no as they don't make good bulbs anymore

36" of water would warrant a few 400w units, of which there are alot of options.. aquabright is most current option
https://aquabrightsolutions.com/

 

[Reefering1]

I don't know how true this actually is. My AP9X is currently at around 16" (raised from 10 inches to get better upper-tank corner coverage) over a 3ft x 18 x 18 tank, running it at 40% still puts 200-250 PAR on my sandbed at the corners, closer to 350-400 in the middle. I think it would be up to the task. Kessils are the only LEDs on the market that people often compare with MH, and for shimmer, I couldn't agree with them more. I never ran a PAR meter when I had Metal Halides 20 years ago so I can't directly compare, but Kessil is it for me.

But 18" is very different than 36"

 

[VanDalsenReef]

I don't know how true this actually is. My AP9X is currently at around 16" (raised from 10 inches to get better upper-tank corner coverage) over a 3ft x 18 x 18 tank, running it at 40% still puts 200-250 PAR on my sandbed at the corners, closer to 350-400 in the middle. I think it would be up to the task. Kessils are the only LEDs on the market that people often compare with MH, and for shimmer, I couldn't agree with them more. I never ran a PAR meter when I had Metal Halides 20 years ago so I can't directly compare, but Kessil is it for me.

I ran kessils and orpheks on my old 90 gallon with insane par at my sand. 400 in some spots. I also don't want this to turn into a discussion with arguing however. I know halides are great but it's just almost impossible to find them and if I do they don't make good bulbs anymore...

 

[Reefering1]

Not many have deep tanks. Mine is 30" of water to penetrate, totally different than 22", to grow sticks from the bottom

 

[VanDalsenReef]

Plus I'll already be dealing with heat just from the other equipment. Heat from 3x 400 watt halides is not fun. Nor is buying 30 bulbs at once just to hope they last as long as the tank before they're gone forever