Lighting for a RedSea Reefer 350 Mixed or SPS Tank

[Joe Johnson]

Hello, I am new to the community and new to the hobby. I have wanted a reef system ever since I was a little kid and now, at 28, I am finally getting ready to join the hobby. A recent scuba trip in the Philippines re-ignited the desire and now, in a more financially able position, I have decided to get my research together and start a system. I am between the Reefer 350 system or the Reefer 500 Peninsula. My (first) question, as I am handling equipment research step-by-step, is about lighting. To get to the point, is the Reefer Deluxe system's lighting (Radion Hydra lighting) a good choice? I have looked into both Kessil and Radion as well as T5 and MH options but I prefer LED. Are there better choices (with fixtures for either system I am looking at)? I've spent a decent amount of time reading through reviews and commentary and a lot of it seems to have come down to personal preference about software, extra settings/colors/etc. Maybe I missed something but I would be grateful if any of you experts have a simple take on what seems to be a complex discussion.

-Joe

 

[679x]

I'm getting my first saltwater tank soon, also a Reefer 350, and also going to be mixed lps/sps, AND also wondering about lighting. So it'd be very dumb of me to not follow this thread! I can't help you though because even though I'd be running a system in a very similar situation, my tank won't be up for a while and as a result, I won't know the effects on coral for months, and by that time I'm sure you'll have found a light... hopefully...

Good luck finding a light

 

[Bdog4u2]

I've had 4 hydra hd 26 over my 6ft tank for about a year and sps grows fine. light is very important but water quality is by far the #1 factor. you can choose any light that's known to grow coral but if water is not up to snuff it won't grow.

 

[Joe Johnson]

I've had 4 hydra hd 26 over my 6ft tank for about a year and sps grows fine. light is very important but water quality is by far the #1 factor. you can choose any light that's known to grow coral but if water is not up to snuff it won't grow.

Great to hear. And thanks for the tip.

 

[Vahanyos]

Joe, I think you meant to write AI Hydra?

In any case, if they are AI Hydras, with the amount of research I've done lately since I am planning on upgrading my lights, it's a great light. You can control it entirely as far as schedule and power and it'll be perfect for you since you're just starting out. You'll get what you need out of it and more. When you start keeping more demanding and advanced coral you might want to add other lights or change them up to fit your exact needs.

 

[dragon99]

I've got (2) Mitras LX7's over my Reefer 350.
Prior to this I had (4) AI Primes, but didn't like the shadows they made, and the PAR was a low side.
I used a 6-bulb T5 after the Primes and I really liked it, but it put out too much heat. Plus I miss the control LED's give sunrise/sunset, moonlight, color changes throughout the day, etc.

 

[Joe Johnson]

@Vahanyos - Yes! My mistake. These lights are all starting to blend together.

@Bdog4u2 : Do the AI Hydras produce the shimmer?

@dragon99 - Beautiful setup. Have you seen a major impact on growth/happiness because of those customized settings (sunrise/sunset, moon cycle, etc)? At least compared to T5s.

What are thoughts on Kessil's lighting options? I've read great things about the light quality and because it is point-source it will produce a shimmer. That said, I have read that the software leaves something to be desired. Are they a good choice when compared with the Hydras? They are expensive but are they superior or for the sake of being expensive? My goal is to invest in the products that make sense for my long term goal (mixed SPS, LPS system) so I am willing to spend the money if it is a good investment.

Thanks for all the feedback. Very much appreciated.

 

[Bdog4u2]

Yeah i get a nice shimmer. I'm probably going to add 1 or 2 more to get rid of some lite shadowing

 

[Scurvy]

Welcome aboard and kudos to you dor asking questions before diving in! I went with Kessil initially on my 1st setup and wound up adding a T5 fixture to it after about 8 months. They a great starter light with limited control features which i feel is good in the beginging. Their "Kessil Logic" makes them very easy to use.

All of your choices are great lights and you can have success with each of them. My advice would be to find a couple of tanks you really like and try to emulate them to some degree. Reef2Reef and You Tube are loaded with solid choices to help guide you.

All that said, If i were starting out new today and wanted strictly Leds id go with either Radions or Mitre LX7's and ive used neither.

Here's my hybrid T5.

 

[dragon99]

@dragon99 - Beautiful setup. Have you seen a major impact on growth/happiness because of those customized settings (sunrise/sunset, moon cycle, etc)? At least compared to T5s.

I don't think those things matter to the corals, but I like them. Overall I'm seeing improvement in my corals' colors, but that may be other factors.

I considered a Kessil AP700, but I don't believe 1 would be enough for my SPS dominant tank. For a 36" tank it would probably be fine, but with the 350 it would have to be mounted pretty high to get coverage all the way across. I really wanted to buy the Philips CoralCare. That's was my goal when I sold the Prime and got the T5's. But summer is here in Texas and the CoralCare is not....

 

[woodyreef]

two radions G4 on my 350

 

[andrew james]

When I started up my Reefer I ran 3 hyrda 26 HD. While I loved the control I felt like there was too much shadowing and the light was not diffused enough giving me hot spots and discoball. I sold the Hydras and went with a 8x54w Giesemann Matrix. The T5's were an incredible upgrade and I could see the difference in my coral growth and color but I felt like the lighting was too flat and needed some pop. I switched again this time I went with a Giesemann Spectra running 2 Radium 250w and 4 Super Actinic T5s. I noticed improvement in grow and overall health of my corals over the course of 3-4 months but I missed the control and pop of LED. I decided to mod the Spectra and add a Hydra 26 HD to my Spectra in the empty area in the center and 2 ReefBrites XHOs and that's where I'm at now. This combo gives me an incredible amount of light and the control of LED sun rise and set. Under the MH my corals grow more evenly colonies growing in thicker and tighter no more issues with colonies only getting light at the top making them grow weird.

I know everyone thinks MH create too much heat. I live in Atlanta and it gets really hot. I dont run a chiller and I'm able keep my tank between 78-79 even on the hottest days. All that is needed is a fan pointed at the surface of the water controlled by my Apex. When the water hits 79 the fan turns on. The increased evaporation cools the tank and I have no heat issues.

I guess what I'm saying is all three light types together is the best option.

 

[Joe Johnson]

Thank you all for the input over the past few weeks. I have been sidetracked with work. I have decided to go with Kessil but am between the 360 and 700 for now. I had a chance to see Kessil and Radion and and both were beautiful but I like the simplicity of Kessil (at least for a starter) and that shimmer is second to none. I will be back, hopefully soon, with more questions about the rest of my equipment choices.

 

[JackalCackal]

Thank you all for the input over the past few weeks. I have been sidetracked with work. I have decided to go with Kessil but am between the 360 and 700 for now. I had a chance to see Kessil and Radion and and both were beautiful but I like the simplicity of Kessil (at least for a starter) and that shimmer is second to none. I will be back, hopefully soon, with more questions about the rest of my equipment choices.

What did you go with and are you happy?