Orphek Atlantik v4

[GoVols]

No kidding, looks like water is leaking in through the cement Block (that's what our basement is made of, the house is kind of older and we haven't been it a year yet) so we will see what comes of this

Did your catch a big rain storm?

 

[Davy Jones]

Did your catch a big rain storm?

It's been raining here for the last 4 or 5 days off and on. Had plenty of rain this spring. It wasn't down pouring or anything though so I'm not sure what would have caused it to start leaking now

 

[GoVols]

It's been raining here for the last 4 or 5 days off and on. Had plenty of rain this spring. It wasn't down pouring or anything though so I'm not sure what would have caused it to start leaking now

I guess your going to get some professional opinions?

 

[Davy Jones]

I guess your going to get some professional opinions?

Unfortunately :/ I did reach out to the realtor though since we haven't been here a year yet and there was nothing within the disclosure about leaking in the basement

 

[GoVols]

Unfortunately :/ I did reach out to the realtor though since we haven't been here a year yet and there was nothing within the disclosure about leaking in the basement

Well if you can prove the previous owners had issues and they failed to disclose it then their toast.

 

[Davy Jones]

Well if you can prove the previous owners had issues and they failed to disclose it then their toast.

When we ripped up the carpet and tiled down here it looked like there was water damage and discoloration around the wall, we took a couple pictures but honestly we just assumed someone who lived here previously had a pet that liked to mark the walls.

 

[GoVols]

When we ripped up the carpet and tiled down here it looked like there was water damage and discoloration around the wall, we took a couple pictures but honestly we just assumed someone who lived here previously had a pet that liked to mark the walls.

The last house we bought the other family lied on the disclosure about the sun room having water damage. I was gutting the home and lived with my mother in law for six months. So I called Orkin in to do some craw space work and the owner asked if they disclosed to me that the sun room had water damage. I said no. He said they had been clients of his and if you use Orkin they supply a free termite letter. Well he reported the damage in his report and they and their realtor found someone else to write a clean letter. So my attorney started a law suit against the owners / realtor / other termite company / brokerage film and my inspector. I called in a structural engineer and it was big time $ to fix.

Between all of them the damages were paid and I fixed what I felt was necessary but when I sold the house 7 years later I disclosed that the sun room still had damage but we got in five contracts within 4 business days and the buyers did not care what I stated in the disclosure. It just got into a bidding war but I did my part to be honest and thought I'd have to eat 10 to 15k but we got over full price.

 

[Thle009]

Well that took a completely different turn. Hope the fix won't burn a hole through your wallet. So I missed it. Did you decide to go ahead with Orphek?

 

[Davy Jones]

Well that took a completely different turn. Hope the fix won't burn a hole through your wallet. So I missed it. Did you decide to go ahead with Orphek?

Still up in the air but at this point im not going with anyone until i get the basement figured out.

When it comes time to order it will depend on availability mostly. Mitras keep running out of stock in black, and their flex mount only offers perpendicular mounting (they are working on one that can mount parallel which works better for my tank i think) so hopefully they will have that after i figure out this house stuff.

As for orphek im STILL waiting for them to tell me when the product will ship if i order it. I dont want to pay $800+ and sit here waiting 6 weeks for a light.

 

[hart24601]

I really like the orphek specs, but that service would freak me out after being spoiled by AI and ecotech.

I am not a kessil fan for SPS, they shade too much and not all that powerful for some acros that respond to high PAR with different colors (500ish). They are great for frag tanks though. However if you are not doing SPS they could be a great option. I run a160's amazon sun on my FW tanks and the color rendition is just fantastic.

 

[Davy Jones]

Update,

Orphek said they would ship me one right away after payment confirmed. Just got confirmation that GHL will get another shipment in 3 weeks time. I leave for the month of june for Military duty so if i do the switch before i leave it has to be orphek. If i wait until after i get back we will see what is available. I kind of wanted to switch sooner rather than later so i dont have to buy another set of t5 bulbs. But no matter what i need to get the basement figured out first. If the basement is expensive i may not be able to drop the cash on 2 mitras units as the cost is double the single orphek. hell i might not switch at all at that point.

As for the basement thing there was a downspout extension that had been knocked loose by the dogs, draining all the water from the gutters right by the corner of the house the leak was by. Since we have block basement this is apperently common. Talking with a few people that used to be contractors that i know to get their opinions before i go forward. From what i can tell online the 2 options are keep the water away from the house, install a dainage tile system or dig out the foundation and seal it with tar. Im more of a tech person than a construction person so i will have to research all of them

 

[Davy Jones]

I really like the orphek specs, but that service would freak me out after being spoiled by AI and ecotech.

I am not a kessil fan for SPS, they shade too much and not all that powerful for some acros that respond to high PAR with different colors (500ish). They are great for frag tanks though. However if you are not doing SPS they could be a great option. I run a160's amazon sun on my FW tanks and the color rendition is just fantastic.

From what ive read and heard from everyone on this site and others, their lights are amazing when they work but the customer service sucks if something happens. Ive always liked going with the little guy over the giant corporation but you have to take care of your customers..

 

[hart24601]

I wonder what the staff size is of AI, ecotech (I know they are the same company now but pre buying) kessil and foreign companies like GHL and Orphek. AI is in Iowa about half hour from me and it's not a huge place by any means.

 

[Davy Jones]

I wonder what the staff size is of AI, ecotech (I know they are the same company now but pre buying) kessil and foreign companies like GHL and Orphek. AI is in Iowa about half hour from me and it's not a huge place by any means.

I get that, i just meant in general life purchases haha not necessarily reef related (i have a red sea tank, so clearly i dont always live by that mantra) As for AI and Ecotech i dont like the disco ball coloration ive seen from them, my LFS's have radion displays, 3 tanks with primes and hydra 26hd's and another store uses the Razor lights.

Honestly my favorite was they Hydra 26hd's but my research has pointed to the orphek atlantik and the ghl mitras as being better (albiet costing more of course)

 

[hart24601]

I have radions very new 60 cube I am building, gen 1 upgraded to 3 and even with two there is quite a bit of disco. I am surprised by that but I think it's because I have a very tall scape so the rock is close to the lights. I think...

My old tank with hydra 26s didn't have any disco that I could tell, but I was using a lot of fixtures. I really doubt that tank would have done better with orphek or ghl lights. It was SPS mostly, but there is just about everything in there from gonis to bubble coral to gorgs

 

[Davy Jones]

I have radions very new 60 cube I am building, gen 1 upgraded to 3 and even with two there is quite a bit of disco. I am surprised by that but I think it's because I have a very tall scape so the rock is close to the lights. I think...

My old tank with hydra 26s didn't have any disco that I could tell, but I was using a lot of fixtures. I really doubt that tank would have done better with orphek or ghl lights. It was SPS mostly, but there is just about everything in there from gonis to bubble coral to gorgs

Seriously amazing looking tank :) Im defo not arguing that hydras or radions cant grow coral amazing, or that the mitras and orphek can grow them better. I am no expert thats for sure. What i have read is that they provide the most even coverage and have the least disco effect, but i havent seen either in person and dont have any oppurtunity to.

That tank also has 5 hydra 26's, which im not sure the size of the system but At $350 a pop thats not cheap either.

The whole point of this post was to find a good LED, that with a single unit i can cover my tank. Which it looks like the only ones are the kessil ap700 and the orphek. The mitras MIGHT but idk.

 

[hart24601]

Yep, there were 5 units! I forgot you wanted to only use 1 fixture. Nice part about that setup was the 26s were on the AI rails so it looked like just a single setup. I am a big fan of fixtures like the GHL and orphek for that exact reason you stated, coverage although you can do the same with several smaller fixtures like I did. But that is for really having SPS colonies that shade badly.

I won that 5th AI for winning the acro growout here on R2R or I would have only ran 4. With having lps that are not as prone to shading that AP700 might be pretty sweet. I would probably personally go with 2 hydra 26s (with thinking about a 3rd if you really wanted later) in the AI rails. They look very nice between the rails (not how I mounted mine) and look just as good as a single fixture. In fact I think it looks a bit more elegant with the open space between them.

 

[Davy Jones]

Yep, there were 5 units! I forgot you wanted to only use 1 fixture. Nice part about that setup was the 26s were on the AI rails so it looked like just a single setup. I am a big fan of fixtures like the GHL and orphek for that exact reason you stated, coverage although you can do the same with several smaller fixtures like I did. But that is for really having SPS colonies that shade badly.

I won that 5th AI for winning the acro growout here on R2R or I would have only ran 4. With having lps that are not as prone to shading that AP700 might be pretty sweet. I would probably personally go with 2 hydra 26s (with thinking about a 3rd if you really wanted later) in the AI rails. They look very nice between the rails (not how I mounted mine) and look just as good as a single fixture. In fact I think it looks a bit more elegant with the open space between them.

Congrats on the win, with a tank like that you clearly know what you are doing!

2 Hydra 26hd's is what red sea reccomends and sells with alot of the systems my size, some people feel its just not quite enough with shadowing and stuff. Others think its great. I think i would be fine with 2 of them, As for the ap700 ive seen the a360 on a few tanks and although i like the color i hate how much shimmer there is. Obnoxious amounts in my opinion.

Honestly i know any of the lights will grow coral just fine. They are all top tier lights. Its like arguing do i want a lambo or farrari, they are both the same and still different but the goal is the same. To go fast as hell and look awesome.

Really ive pretty much decided its either the orphek or the mitras, and even though there are some horror stories about orphek i havent had a bad time emailing back and forth in this before time. Plus im getting over $300 off the fixture just because i asked if they would be willing to in return for a couple honest reviews on the forums i go on. (between "preorder" sale and that) so i kind of want to give them a shot. Mostly because the light fit the original bill, one fixture that will work on a 36" tank and provide good coverage. Its half the cost of the mitras lights after you account for 2 units and mounting solutions, plus 2 units is again overkill for my tank, which is why i wanted to get rid of the light i have now in the firstplace, cause i dont need overkill on the system. At least with LED's if i get a larger tank i just need to buy another unit, whit the t5 hybrid i would need to sell it and get a whole different fixture type of thing. But in the end i feel like the mitras and GHL is a better product/company.

Descision making shouldnt be this hard. Really i just need to do it. and pick one or just stick with what i have.

 

[Pmj]

If you don't like shimmer then you need to go with a spaced out fixture like the Orphek or frankly chinese lights like reefbreeders or sbreef imho. Personally I don't see what's better about Orphek than a reefbreeders though... BTW I posted a pic in the mitras thread showing the light spill/spread from one unit. I think one would work horizontally but you might get more shimmer than you want.

 

[hart24601]

I'm excited to see what you pick!

Clearly you have thought everything out and I'm sure either one is going to work great.

I guess it's the not working part that has you understandably concerned, haha.