Lighting that won't need upgrading

[zalick]

In the last 23 years I've used power compacts, Halides, T5 (ATI & coralife), Led (kessil a360 and Mitras LX7 and DIY). Without a doubt Halides and T5 grow coral/clams better than the LED. That is not a knock on LED at all and not to say you can't grow corals really well with LED. I have 2 kessil over my 30" 20g long growing hammer frags and they are SUPER happy. The kessils are also 7 years old.

I spent a TON on 6 kessil a360 and 4 mitras LX7. I now have 3 - 250w Halides over my tank with 4 mitras as supplemental.

You'll be able to grow anything you want with any of the options mentioned in this thread.

The easiest by far, IMO, is T5. Set it and forget it and grow anything you want like crazy.

I'd definitely run T5 or T5 hybrid if I had a 36" or less tank.

 

[Ippyroy]

I would build a floating canopy. You could then easily mount any light you wanted easily.

 

[JL15219]

In the last 23 years I've used power compacts, Halides, T5 (ATI & coralife), Led (kessil a360 and Mitras LX7 and DIY). Without a doubt Halides and T5 grow coral/clams better than the LED. That is not a knock on LED at all and not to say you can't grow corals really well with LED. I have 2 kessil over my 30" 20g long growing hammer frags and they are SUPER happy. The kessils are also 7 years old.

I spent a TON on 6 kessil a360 and 4 mitras LX7. I now have 3 - 250w Halides over my tank with 4 mitras as supplemental.

You'll be able to grow anything you want with any of the options mentioned in this thread.

The easiest by far, IMO, is T5. Set it and forget it and grow anything you want like crazy.

I'd definitely run T5 or T5 hybrid if I had a 36" or less tank.

So all the options will grow sps? How often do you change t5s?

 

[JL15219]

I would build a floating canopy. You could then easily mount any light you wanted easily.

Never tried to build anything like that so would need to buy tools....do you have an examples?

 

[Jekyl]

Never tried to build anything like that so would need to buy tools....do you have an examples?

Is the tank backed up to a wall? You could just use the brackets for holding up shelving with a fixture you don't want to hang

 

[Kclizzy]

oops

 

[zalick]

So all the options will grow sps? How often do you change t5s?

Yes, all the options mentioned will grow sps. Some will grow them faster than others.

Some people change T5 bulbs every year. Others every 18 months. I tended to do 18 months. I suspect you could actually push it to two years, but haven't tested it. I think a 2yr old T5 bulb will probably grow sps as quickly as a new LED. I think people change T5 and halide for maximum performance but could stretch functional performance much longer.Maybe @A. grandis could chime in on this.

 

[Kclizzy]

2 of these should cover you for everything

ReefLED 50 LED Light Fixture

Reef-Spec Light Output For Optimal Coral Growth & Coloration Over the past few years, Red Sea has dedicated a lot of time to testing and researching LED lighting, and the culmination of those efforts resulted in the ReefLED 50. Designed for optimal growth, while producing great coloration with a...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

what's the difference between these and a pair of ai primes

asking for a friend...

 

[Jekyl]

what's the difference between these and a pair of ai primes

asking for a friend...

I have no idea. I run kessils

 

[Ippyroy]

Cut out a piece of plywood the size and shape of your tank. Use a few shelf brackets to hold it up. Nail or glue some boards on the face of it. You could use crown molding. It's cheap at any big box hardware store. Mount lights to plywood.

Woodgrain Millwork 47 13/22 in. x 4 5/8 in. x 96 in. Primed MDF Crown Moulding (1-Piece − 8 Total Linear Feet) 10001938 - The Home Depot

The Woodgrain Millwork .5906 in. x 4-5/8 in. Primed MDF WM 47 Crown Moulding is used where walls meet ceilings. Primed MDF WM 47 Crown Moulding is the best way to add interest to any room or space. Crown

www.homedepot.com

Everbilt 12 in. L White Steel Fixed Mount Decorative Shelf Bracket EB-0099-12WT - The Home Depot

The Everbilt 12 in. White Magnum Shelf Bracket is a durable, stylish bracket that is ideal for displaying items in any room in the home. This L-shaped steel bracket features a white powder coat finish

www.homedepot.com

Depending on the shape of your tank, the only tools needed is a screwdriver and a hammer.

 

[JL15219]

Is the tank backed up to a wall? You could just use the brackets for holding up shelving with a fixture you don't want to hang

Yeah pretty close just catty-corned if that makes sense

 

[JL15219]

Cut out a piece of plywood the size and shape of your tank. Use a few shelf brackets to hold it up. Nail or glue some boards on the face of it. You could use crown molding. It's cheap at any big box hardware store. Mount lights to plywood.

Woodgrain Millwork 47 13/22 in. x 4 5/8 in. x 96 in. Primed MDF Crown Moulding (1-Piece − 8 Total Linear Feet) 10001938 - The Home Depot

The Woodgrain Millwork .5906 in. x 4-5/8 in. Primed MDF WM 47 Crown Moulding is used where walls meet ceilings. Primed MDF WM 47 Crown Moulding is the best way to add interest to any room or space. Crown

www.homedepot.com

Everbilt 12 in. L White Steel Fixed Mount Decorative Shelf Bracket EB-0099-12WT - The Home Depot

The Everbilt 12 in. White Magnum Shelf Bracket is a durable, stylish bracket that is ideal for displaying items in any room in the home. This L-shaped steel bracket features a white powder coat finish

www.homedepot.com

Depending on the shape of your tank, the only tools needed is a screwdriver and a hammer.

Yeah just basic rectangle but how would I cut the plywood? Do they do it in store?

 

[JL15219]

Yes, all the options mentioned will grow sps. Some will grow them faster than others.

Some people change T5 bulbs every year. Others every 18 months. I tended to do 18 months. I suspect you could actually push it to two years, but haven't tested it. I think a 2yr old T5 bulb will probably grow sps as quickly as a new LED. I think people change T5 and halide for maximum performance but could stretch functional performance much longer.Maybe @A. grandis could chime in on this.

Every 18 months is a little more doable....thank you for clarifying that for me. Because I'm new to this I dont the corals to grow too fast I wouldn't know what to do with all the growth

 

[Ippyroy]

Yeah just basic rectangle but how would I cut the plywood? Do they do it in store?

HomeDepot can cut the wood for you. It used to free. I can't tell if that's still the case.

 

[oreo54]

what's the difference between these and a pair of ai primes

asking for a friend...

Spectrums and channel layout are the main differences.
Red Sea (and apparent Chinese clone by PopBloom) has true UV (<400nm)

PopBloom LED Aquarium Light Marine Aquarium LED Full Spectrum Reef Coral Grow | eBay

LED Aquarium Light Reef Lighting Reef Spectrum Marine Reef Coral Dimmable Lights. For 24’’ Marine Reef Tank. For 36’’ Marine Reef Tank. For 48’’ Marine Reef Tank. For 60’’ Marine Reef Tank. For 72’’ Marine Reef Tank.

www.ebay.com

AI Primes have deep red and green channels
Red Sea is a bit deeper blue" (UV, sub-UV, Royal) in their spread while the AI is shifted to the right for the blue range (sub-UV,royal,normal blue).
Neither has significant cyan which is present in many tube type phosphor layout.

Red sea is 2 channel w/ a white and a "blue" channel. AI Prime is 7 channels.
Easier to blend white/blue channels than 7 colors.
Lensing is different but not sure of the spread on the Red Sea.

AI Prime violets tend to, over time, brown out the plastic lens. Diodes seem fine but only going on hearsay ATM.
Red Sea in all likelihood uses a glass lens since most plastics will filter UV.

What "look" one gets or can get is obviously different.


Competing products in the same niche.
Performance should be similar

 

[oreo54]

So all the options will grow sps? How often do you change t5s?

Best advice:

Vivid Aquatics took live PAR measurements of their 800g reef, which has thriving SPS from the sandbed to the top. The highest PAR they had was somewhere around 320 at the very top of a 28" deep tank. The sandbed was around 100 PAR.

Additionally, Dana Riddle has shown that too much par slows photosynthesis, and that the first hour of sunrise and sunset may cause more photosynthesis than the rest of the whole day combined -- Due to it's lower PAR.

So take everything with a grain of salt.

Sps and par

Is 350+ par really necessary to keep sps? I was always under the impression 250ish would be adequate but I’m probably wrong. If I have a mixed reef and I aim to hit my sps with 350+par would my LPS start suffering from too much light? I’d love to hear those with mixed reefs chime in! Thanks

www.reef2reef.com

 

[zalick]

Every 18 months is a little more doable....thank you for clarifying that for me. Because I'm new to this I dont the corals to grow too fast I wouldn't know what to do with all the growth

Corals growing too fast can definitely be an issue to consider! Not a terrible problem to have though! $10 frags to your local reefers and it will stay nice and tidy.

 

[JL15219]

Best advice:

Sps and par

Is 350+ par really necessary to keep sps? I was always under the impression 250ish would be adequate but I’m probably wrong. If I have a mixed reef and I aim to hit my sps with 350+par would my LPS start suffering from too much light? I’d love to hear those with mixed reefs chime in! Thanks

www.reef2reef.com

Hmm so I don't need much par? I didn't want to over do it just wanted to grow nice corals....

 

[JL15219]

Corals growing too fast can definitely be an issue to consider! Not a terrible problem to have though! $10 frags to your local reefers and it will stay nice and tidy.

Yeah that's true...I guess it would make me a little extra money that's always nice

 

[zalick]

Best advice:

Sps and par

Is 350+ par really necessary to keep sps? I was always under the impression 250ish would be adequate but I’m probably wrong. If I have a mixed reef and I aim to hit my sps with 350+par would my LPS start suffering from too much light? I’d love to hear those with mixed reefs chime in! Thanks

www.reef2reef.com

Vivid runs DE Halides right?