Lost trying to select my lights.

[Weasel1960]

Sorry this got long but trying to learn as much as I can to make good equipment selections.

Right up front I am not asking for name brand recommendations (there is plenty of that in R2R threads). Yes I have read the stickies in the lighting forum and honestly don’t think I found answers to my questions. What I am looking for is what do I need to know to finally select my LED light fixtures. Budget is important so knowing more about what goes into the proper selection will help me if I need to make tradeoffs.

The plan is a 48x18x24 90 gal mixed reef peaceful tank. Some SPS, some LPS, and softies. The DT will be alongside an open staircase and 2nd floor loft so the tank will have a full canopy.

I have already purchased 2 pair of dimmable T5 retrofit kits. This will get me started but also want to get LED to add some shimmer (needs to be subtle not over powering) some flexibility in spectrum and intensity and be able to be mounted inside the canopy (most lights can probably be modified if necessary). Lights also centrally controlled doesn’t need to be WI-FI so I know they will need to be 0-10v controllable.

So here is what I don’t know how to determine in light selection…

• Wattage, I know it is the power rating per light chip, I also know it is how much energy is used to run the chip. What I don’t know is how much is enough or to much. For example the AI Prime 16 HD are 59W while the similarly priced Noopsyche K7 v3 is 140W.
• Light spread, a little confusing to me especially when a light fixture is rectangular but the spread is a square, or when there are 2 sets of LED clusters on a light fixture. And how will that relate or change depending on the mounting height IE the height of my canopy.
• Channels, I am assuming 7 channels gives you more flexibility with spectrum than 2 channels but also have seen lights with other channel configurations. How many is not enough or too many?
• Intensity, not sure I understand this concept at all. Is it the same as dimming?
• What other selection criteria should I be looking for or using in comparing fixtures.

Thanks in advance for any educational tie bits you can share.

 

[Kodski]

• Wattage, I know it is the power rating per light chip, I also know it is how much energy is used to run the chip. What I don’t know is how much is enough or to much. For example the AI Prime 16 HD are 59W while the similarly priced Noopsyche K7 v3 is 140W.

There isn't really a set in stone rating for wattage. Just if a light can actually produce enough par for your needs, which is affected by things like lenses. IMO don't pay attention to wattage too much and instead look at par values as they are a more useful unit of measurement. With that, wanting a mixed reef tank, you're looking for PAR around 250-300 in the upper portion of the tank, and 50-100 on the bottom of the tank. From there its looking at PAR charts to see how much par a light can output at certain water depths trying to find one that fits your needs. Keeping in mind that more PAR can be dimmed down. Lower PAR will also be boosted by your T5's so keep that mind as well.

• Light spread, a little confusing to me especially when a light fixture is rectangular but the spread is a square, or when there are 2 sets of LED clusters on a light fixture. And how will that relate or change depending on the mounting height IE the height of my canopy.

This is due to lenses of the lights. Truthfully, all single puck lights will output light in a square area, not rectangle, which means that dual puck lights will be rectangular, inherently. Kessil AP700 and AP9X are the only two lights that I'm aware of with lenses SPECIFICALLY designed to output light in a rectangle. Mounting height is strictly due to the angle of the lenses. Some lights use a 65 degree lens while others use 120 degree lens. The winder the angle, the more dispersed the light is and the closer to the water you would mount it. A narrower lens means you will have to hang the light higher up to get the same spread. For a deeper aquarium a narrower reflector may be needed to achieve higher PAR numbers deeper in the tank.

• Channels, I am assuming 7 channels gives you more flexibility with spectrum than 2 channels but also have seen lights with other channel configurations. How many is not enough or too many?

More channels give you the ability to better fine tune your spectrum and color of lighting. Some lights, like a ReeFi Uno, will allow you to control every color LED independently. Others may only have two channels, a "white" and a "blue" channel. I put those in quotations because usually there are some red, green, and even UV channels grouped in there. The down side to this is that you may want to add some more white, but because the red LED's may being on the white channel, you're also increasing your red light which can lead to increased algea growth. How many channels is the right amount? Well I'd say anything more than 2 really. Is 2 bad? No, its just nice to be able to fine tune the light's color to the needs of your corals as well as tune it to look the best in your eyes.

• Intensity, not sure I understand this concept at all. Is it the same as dimming?

Simple answer, yes. More in depth, it depends on the context. Intensity can also be affected by water depth as well as lens. A lower angle lens like a 65 degree lens will have what most people refer to as more "punch." Simply meaning the light is more focused, which means is a higher intensity, which means you can get a higher PAR from the same Wattage light as if you had a 120 degree lens. Keeping in mind that the lens will also alter the spread of the light.

• What other selection criteria should I be looking for or using in comparing fixtures.

Its completely ok to buy a used fixture to stay within budget. Heck, I'd recommend buying a used name brand fixture over a new "off" brand fixture. Something like a single Kessil AP700 would be a perfect fit for what you're looking for and can be had for around $400 shipped to your door. The AP700 will definitely add that "kessil" shimmer plus be powerful enough for your size of tank for keeping a mixed tank. Kessil's are also well known for pairing very well with T5's and producing great growth and color.

Buying used allows you to get some of those really nice features like extra channels, wifi or 0-10V control, better spectrum, and more mounting options for the same price and sometimes less than some cheaper lights.

Lastly, if you find a light that you think fits the bill, just look at others who have used it. I know I wouldn't mind trying a few of the cheaper lights out there myself because I do hear good things about them and I've looked into buying a few myself. I usually end up buying a used name brand light though, because there's just more support and reviews for them.

 

[Weasel1960]

• Wattage, I know it is the power rating per light chip, I also know it is how much energy is used to run the chip. What I don’t know is how much is enough or to much. For example the AI Prime 16 HD are 59W while the similarly priced Noopsyche K7 v3 is 140W.

There isn't really a set in stone rating for wattage. Just if a light can actually produce enough par for your needs, which is affected by things like lenses. IMO don't pay attention to wattage too much and instead look at par values as they are a more useful unit of measurement. With that, wanting a mixed reef tank, you're looking for PAR around 250-300 in the upper portion of the tank, and 50-100 on the bottom of the tank. From there its looking at PAR charts to see how much par a light can output at certain water depths trying to find one that fits your needs. Keeping in mind that more PAR can be dimmed down. Lower PAR will also be boosted by your T5's so keep that mind as well.

• Light spread, a little confusing to me especially when a light fixture is rectangular but the spread is a square, or when there are 2 sets of LED clusters on a light fixture. And how will that relate or change depending on the mounting height IE the height of my canopy.

This is due to lenses of the lights. Truthfully, all single puck lights will output light in a square area, not rectangle, which means that dual puck lights will be rectangular, inherently. Kessil AP700 and AP9X are the only two lights that I'm aware of with lenses SPECIFICALLY designed to output light in a rectangle. Mounting height is strictly due to the angle of the lenses. Some lights use a 65 degree lens while others use 120 degree lens. The winder the angle, the more dispersed the light is and the closer to the water you would mount it. A narrower lens means you will have to hang the light higher up to get the same spread. For a deeper aquarium a narrower reflector may be needed to achieve higher PAR numbers deeper in the tank.

• Channels, I am assuming 7 channels gives you more flexibility with spectrum than 2 channels but also have seen lights with other channel configurations. How many is not enough or too many?

More channels give you the ability to better fine tune your spectrum and color of lighting. Some lights, like a ReeFi Uno, will allow you to control every color LED independently. Others may only have two channels, a "white" and a "blue" channel. I put those in quotations because usually there are some red, green, and even UV channels grouped in there. The down side to this is that you may want to add some more white, but because the red LED's may being on the white channel, you're also increasing your red light which can lead to increased algea growth. How many channels is the right amount? Well I'd say anything more than 2 really. Is 2 bad? No, its just nice to be able to fine tune the light's color to the needs of your corals as well as tune it to look the best in your eyes.

• Intensity, not sure I understand this concept at all. Is it the same as dimming?

Simple answer, yes. More in depth, it depends on the context. Intensity can also be affected by water depth as well as lens. A lower angle lens like a 65 degree lens will have what most people refer to as more "punch." Simply meaning the light is more focused, which means is a higher intensity, which means you can get a higher PAR from the same Wattage light as if you had a 120 degree lens. Keeping in mind that the lens will also alter the spread of the light.

• What other selection criteria should I be looking for or using in comparing fixtures.

Its completely ok to buy a used fixture to stay within budget. Heck, I'd recommend buying a used name brand fixture over a new "off" brand fixture. Something like a single Kessil AP700 would be a perfect fit for what you're looking for and can be had for around $400 shipped to your door. The AP700 will definitely add that "kessil" shimmer plus be powerful enough for your size of tank for keeping a mixed tank. Kessil's are also well known for pairing very well with T5's and producing great growth and color.

Buying used allows you to get some of those really nice features like extra channels, wifi or 0-10V control, better spectrum, and more mounting options for the same price and sometimes less than some cheaper lights.

Lastly, if you find a light that you think fits the bill, just look at others who have used it. I know I wouldn't mind trying a few of the cheaper lights out there myself because I do hear good things about them and I've looked into buying a few myself. I usually end up buying a used name brand light though, because there's just more support and reviews for them.

Thanks for the really awesome and comprehensive response. I just got more info in 5 minutes of reading than 5 nights of stumbling thru Google. Have not ruled out buying a name brand new or used just want to know what I should be looking for in my selection. Thanks again.

 

[Kodski]

Thanks for the really awesome and comprehensive response. I just got more info in 5 minutes of reading than 5 nights of stumbling thru Google. Have not ruled out buying a name brand new or used just want to know what I should be looking for in my selection. Thanks again.

I'm glad my response could help you make some sense of all the information out there! I'm happy to be of help and would always be willing to field any future questions you may have.

Hopefully to give you more of a direction as well... If I had the same tank as you, I personally would be looking into these options to use with the T5's you've purchased.

2x ReeFi Unos I have personal experience with these lights and LOVED them. Great power for the price point along with different mounting options. Built in controllability and being able to control each color of LED individually makes it even better.

1x Kessil AP9x I have also used the Kessil A360x (single puck version of the AP9X) but for your foot print of a tank the AP9X would be perfect and would save a few hundred over 2x Kessil A360x with wifi dongle. This is the most expense option I'll recommend. If you wanted to really be on a budget, like I said in my other post, pick up a used AP700, a few less features and few less colors of LED's but will do the same job for half the price of new.

2x Noopsyche K7 V3 No personal experience with these lights, but hear good things on here about them. I would try them. Personally the controller has held me back from trying them in the past.

2x Smatfarm LED's from Amazon I was recently looking into these and see that they are well liked and have decent controllability. As far as budget option, this or a AP700 is what I would spring for.

2 or 3x AI Prime 16HDs. These are great lights and for a mixed reef two paired with 4 T5 bulbs would allow you to keep SPS in the upper portion of the tank. If you would need to, down the road you could add a third for more PAR if you start to lean more towards SPS.

 

[Weasel1960]

I'm glad my response could help you make some sense of all the information out there! I'm happy to be of help and would always be willing to field any future questions you may have.

Hopefully to give you more of a direction as well... If I had the same tank as you, I personally would be looking into these options to use with the T5's you've purchased.

2x ReeFi Unos I have personal experience with these lights and LOVED them. Great power for the price point along with different mounting options. Built in controllability and being able to control each color of LED individually makes it even better.

1x Kessil AP9x I have also used the Kessil A360x (single puck version of the AP9X) but for your foot print of a tank the AP9X would be perfect and would save a few hundred over 2x Kessil A360x with wifi dongle. This is the most expense option I'll recommend. If you wanted to really be on a budget, like I said in my other post, pick up a used AP700, a few less features and few less colors of LED's but will do the same job for half the price of new.

2x Noopsyche K7 V3 No personal experience with these lights, but hear good things on here about them. I would try them. Personally the controller has held me back from trying them in the past.

2x Smatfarm LED's from Amazon I was recently looking into these and see that they are well liked and have decent controllability. As far as budget option, this or a AP700 is what I would spring for.

2 or 3x AI Prime 16HDs. These are great lights and for a mixed reef two paired with 4 T5 bulbs would allow you to keep SPS in the upper portion of the tank. If you would need to, down the road you could add a third for more PAR if you start to lean more towards SPS.

Thanks for the added insight. I have looked at a couple of these but you have added some I hadn’t heard of so will check into them. I will definitely reach out if I have more questions.

 

[fishguy242]

hi, just to add to your list, REEFBRITE lumilite strips, 5 intensity levels.
decent price point, easy to mount ,
currently running accenting t-5's .
very happy with results.

 

[minus9]

I would stay away from the AP700, even if you get it cheap, the software will drive you nuts (and I love Kessil’s). AP9x would be great and as mentioned, if the budget is tight, then two Smat Farm fixtures will be great. They’re not tested long term, but being a Kessil user and also using the SF light, I really like the SF fixture a lot. It’s a great set it and forget light that will get the job done and has all the right channels to create a good spectrum. Having said that, if budget allows, the AP9x/T5 combo is one of the best hybrid setups out there besides halide/T5.
Honestly, if you’re new to the hobby, I would do the SF lights with T5 to start and go from there. Get some time in the hobby and experience before you spend a lot of money on equipment. I know everyone these days watches YouTube videos on reefing, but you’ll get more out of the right books than watching a weeks worth of videos. Although, I think the BRS series helps a lot. I would put more energy in learning old school reef biology/chemistry than researching 500 different lighting options. And if you really want to start out right, just go all T5 for now and focus on husbandry. I hate the flat look of T5 alone, but it’s pretty hard to mess up T5. Just more food for thought. Cheers!

 

[Hooz]

This video specifically deals with the Prime 16HD, but you should watch it anyway. It gives the most in-depth look at how mounting height and spacing affects light spread that I've ever seen. Even if you don't plan on using Primes, you will learn SO much about lighting in general.

 

[Weasel1960]

hi, just to add to your list, REEFBRITE lumilite strips, 5 intensity levels.
decent price point, easy to mount ,
currently running accenting t-5's .
very happy with results.

Thanks for the insight. Hope you are staying warmer than I am. LOL

 

[Weasel1960]

I would stay away from the AP700, even if you get it cheap, the software will drive you nuts (and I love Kessil’s). AP9x would be great and as mentioned, if the budget is tight, then two Smat Farm fixtures will be great. They’re not tested long term, but being a Kessil user and also using the SF light, I really like the SF fixture a lot. It’s a great set it and forget light that will get the job done and has all the right channels to create a good spectrum. Having said that, if budget allows, the AP9x/T5 combo is one of the best hybrid setups out there besides halide/T5.
Honestly, if you’re new to the hobby, I would do the SF lights with T5 to start and go from there. Get some time in the hobby and experience before you spend a lot of money on equipment. I know everyone these days watches YouTube videos on reefing, but you’ll get more out of the right books than watching a weeks worth of videos. Although, I think the BRS series helps a lot. I would put more energy in learning old school reef biology/chemistry than researching 500 different lighting options. And if you really want to start out right, just go all T5 for now and focus on husbandry. I hate the flat look of T5 alone, but it’s pretty hard to mess up T5. Just more food for thought. Cheers!

Thanks for the food for thought. Use a grain of salt with most videos, BRS are helpful on general subject matter. Have been focusing on the learning part last 18 months, now trying to find the pieces that will be right for me and put it all together. Thanks again.

 

[Weasel1960]

This video specifically deals with the Prime 16HD, but you should watch it anyway. It gives the most in-depth look at how mounting height and spacing affects light spread that I've ever seen. Even if you don't plan on using Primes, you will learn SO much about lighting in general.

Thanks have probably watched most of their videos but probably best to go back and look at some of them again.

 

[DopamineKata]

Bulk reef supply has a whole lighting showdown series on youtube where they go through a lot of the popular lights and rate them on color spectrum, spread and PAR per dollar.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

With the Fluorescent Tubes, you are pretty much limited to strips. For the most light per buck, I like the Strips from 21LEDUSA I dropped powered up strips in the tank. After fishing them out, a quick rinse, they suffered no damage, and are still working over a year later. Not too many LED’s that can do that. Even a little salt spray will destroy them. I wish someone would come up with a Ballast Bypass LED tubes, to take the place of T5’s.