Orbit led light need help!

[Susan Edwards]

I have the orbit IC on my fowler. I love it. If I wanted to start doing coral in that tank, I would have to add another light strip (accessory light) to the other connector on the light controller. This makes it the Pro model. If you have an Orbit IC you have one light. If you have the Pro, it's 2 lights. Same everything else.

Don't let everyone tell you your light sucks. You may have a hard time with SPS unless they are at the very top, but you can grow zoas, LPS, softies.

What exactly is the question about programming?

I have to laugh as it seems there is a lot of predijuce against current lights. And maybe folk are right but what I found didn't seem bad--lots of happy people. Of course, I have duals and the newest so maybe the older models just didn't cut it. Also the degree of the new ones is different at 90 degrees. Right now, lights are at 7". I know I'll have to move them down and I have a tall rockscape just with sps in mind. I'll adjust as I need and even get a 3rd if needed.

What are you running the green and red at? I hear that I should not be running as they cause algae and cyano. I have them at 10% ea. Right now, with only 2 corals, no biggie. Just got a lux meter today. No idea how to use it....

 

[Susan Edwards]

You adjust your daylight by the total time your lights are on. Sunrise and sunset ramp up and down are fixed. What changes is how long you run at full daylight (whatever colors you set). A 12 hr sunrise to sunset gives a lot of hours of full daylight. After ramp down, moonlight is 6 hrs. I have mine on at 9, sunset at 830 or 9 as hubby gets home late.

 

[EHerbert]

Following...

 

[Gareth elliott]

Current is a reliable brand. And the par numbers are right around where you want them for lps.
I dont have this light but like susan on my tank the sunrise and sunset times are based on when i can view my tank.

 

[KMench]

I was providing my 2 cents based on my experiences. My Current Orbit IC cost me about 200 dollars and didn't provide the PAR required to keep everything I was looking for. He could spend an additional 70 dollars and get 1 AI Prime, or get a second Orbit fixture, which I assume would then be about the same price as the single Prime without the controllability of the Prime. I purchased a Maxima clam which died under the IC because of lack of PAR. Only offering advice that would allow him to keep a greater variety of life in his tank.

 

[Who me?]

(double post)

 

[Who me?]

I have a single Orbit IC and a dual orbit Marine Pro. They are mounted 9" above the water surface.
This combo gives me 150 par on the sand in an 18" deep tank. And around 400 par half way down.
I have no issues keeping a mixed reef. Softies, shrooms, LPS, SPS...

This combo also provides over 2 hour ramp up through sunrise and the same for the ramp down through sunset. My color spectrum shifts at least 7 times throughout the day. I also have one of the best programmable weather patterns available. All for about $400. (450 now that I purchased the Bluetooth module)

Don't let anyone tell you the orbits are lesser lights.

 

[KMench]

For the cost of a single orbit IC and dual marine pro, he could buy one of a multitude of other fixture brands and save money at that point.

 

[jasonrusso]

For the cost of a single orbit IC and dual marine pro, he could buy one of a multitude of other fixture brands and save money at that point.

An 18" orbit IC (which he has) is $135 on Amazon. A Prime AI is $200 plus the hanger.

This system also allows him to add DC wavemakers to the system. Just buy the pumps and it can all be controlled with a remote.

 

[Susan Edwards]

When I was light searching for a 72 inch tank, the orbit marine ic pro was half the cost of everything else out there. I'd have needed 3 of most of the other lights and I didn't want the cheap black boxes with just on or off. I wanted something that ramped and offered moonlight. Each unit I checked out was in the 4-500 range. Apiece. I'd have had to have spent a min. of 1000-1500 to light the tank. Current was under 500 and offered the loop system to run the powerheads and something other than on and off for either blue or whites. Sometimes it's economics. If need be later, I can add a 3rd light--sounds like it possible from what @ReeferCraze said they have.

 

[Gareth elliott]

When I was light searching for a 72 inch tank, the orbit marine ic pro was half the cost of everything else out there. I'd have needed 3 of most of the other lights and I didn't want the cheap black boxes with just on or off. I wanted something that ramped and offered moonlight. Each unit I checked out was in the 4-500 range. Apiece. I'd have had to have spent a min. of 1000-1500 to light the tank. Current was under 500 and offered the loop system to run the powerheads and something other than on and off for either blue or whites. Sometimes it's economics. If need be later, I can add a 3rd light--sounds like it possible from what @ReeferCraze said they have.

Definitely true for most options, i think to reach this price point you would have to forget the ul listed leds and go dimmable t5’s. Which by no means saying t5’s are worse than leds think theres far more successful sps tanks running them than leds. For me to do my ai’s on Susan’s tank size i would have spent $1100-1800 , on my 36” narrow shallow tank i spent $500.

To read the reliability and reviews of current lights go over to a planted tank forum. They are one of the more common strip light makers for that end of the hobby. Was one of the choices i debated when i bought my planted light, decided against because of features they offered in 2012. Original Ramp timer wasnt what i was looking for.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I have t5's on my red sea max c 250. I wanted to avoid those as the area I live in gets very hot, and that means ac to keep tanks cool. but even when it gets 110 outside, the house still gets hot--ac only goes so far! I'll still be buying fans for both tanks. Used fans last summer to keep the RS in range. No chiller.

 

[w8_4iT]

Just my 2 cents but I love my Orbit system (only have one right now, may upgrade to two eventually). I've been in the hobby for about a year now and haven't had much trouble with the factory settings. I've only lost an elegance and plate coral so far.

I've recently added a clam and anonome and haven't seen any struggles.

Best of luck!

 

[jasonrusso]

Just my 2 cents but I love my Orbit system (only have one right now, may upgrade to two eventually). I've been in the hobby for about a year now and haven't had much trouble with the factory settings. I've only lost an elegance and plate coral so far.

I've recently added a clam and anonome and haven't seen any struggles.

Best of luck!

Which one, IC Pro?

 

[w8_4iT]

Which one, IC Pro?

Nope, just IC LED.

 

[Ready4Launch]

Happy to have come across this pay with many giving the thumbs up to Current. My friend, tank guru, and coral business owner/grower had never heard of them. I got the Orbit IC Pro with my tank off of Craigslist, and I HAVE NO IDEA how to program it. I've not gone to their website for a manual, but I know how to turn on/off, feed, make lightning, and that's about it. Between the two Current strips, I've sandwiched four T5s, so I'm hoping to grow everything.

Can anyone direct me for programming and suggestions for settings?

 

[Jet915]

I have 2 orbit pros and run 100 blue, 50 white, 20 red, 20 green. My daylight period is 10 hours. I also program 20% rolling clouds just to vary the lighting for the corals. I think they are suitable for softies/lps but i retrofitted 2 T5 bulbs which has allowed me to support sps.

 

[Ready4Launch]

I have 2 orbit pros and run 100 blue, 50 white, 20 red, 20 green. My daylight period is 10 hours. I also program 20% rolling clouds just to vary the lighting for the corals. I think they are suitable for softies/lps but i retrofitted 2 T5 bulbs which has allowed me to support sps.

Looks like a great tank! How deep is it??

 

[Jet915]

Looks like a great tank! How deep is it??

About 24 inches I think.

 

[Who me?]

They are great for tanks up to 18". Anything deeper and they will struggle with LPS low in the the tank.

When I had then on my tank which is 18" deep, I had no issues with most SPS around mid way down. LPS thrived towards the bottom but my lights sat a few inches over the rim to accomplish decent growth. (Originally, they sat around 8-9 inches but didn't get good growth at that height). Any higher than 3-4" over an 18" deep tank and things stayed Alive but didn't really thrive.

I would say in a 24" you would be ok if you sat them directly on the tank and kept your corals a few inches above the bottom of the tank.

Crank blue to 100% and adjust the white, green, and red to what looks best to you. I would try to keep all three under 30% to limit algae.

 

[Eugene kostman]

Jasonrusso what size is ur tank and how deep I got 3 24 inch orbit marines on my 125