Recommend me a lighting setup for my 90 gallon mixed reef!

[skyhawkn5262y]

My 90 gallon (48Lx18Wx24H) has only been running for a few months, but I am (as all of us are in this hobby) already looking for ways to improve it!

It is currently lit with a 6-bulb ATI Sunpower, because that is what I had laying around. Don't get me wrong, I love T5s, but have decided I miss the shimmer and decided I am going to switch to a T5/LED hybrid fixture to get the best of both worlds (T5s for growth/spread and LEDs for PAR/shimmer).

With that said, I am going to pick up an Aquatic Life 48" hybrid fixture and just need to decide which LEDs to use with it.

Soooo, R2R, which LEDs should I use and why? I'm not really concerned about cost.

Annnnd, since we all love pictures, here's the aquarium in its current form:

 

[gotmesalty77]

Right now im rocking 3 brand new gen 4 xr15s on the RMS mounts and i love it. I use a slightly modified version of coral lab schedule. Tank is only 16 inches high so the intensity is only turned up to 35%. So far my starting to be mixed tank loves it.

 

[skyhawkn5262y]

Right now im rocking 3 brand new gen 4 xr15s on the RMS mounts and i love it. I use a slightly modified version of coral lab schedule. Tank is only 16 inches high so the intensity is only turned up to 35%. So far my starting to be mixed tank loves it.

Interesting! I do like the Radions.

 

[gotmesalty77]

 

[gotmesalty77]

Interesting! I do like the Radions.

Basically ive used only radions on every tank i have had since 2012, i got a kessil h380 and i love it though

 

[skyhawkn5262y]

That is ******! How long have you had the Radions? What lights did you have prior to this setup?

 

[gotmesalty77]

That is ******! How long have you had the Radions? What lights did you have prior to this setup?

Really ive only ever ran radions. Pretty much all ecotech products because of the integration. I think personally it helped me quite a bit in the beginning.

 

[lpsouth1978]

I have a a 75g with the AL hybrid and 2 x AI Hydra 26HD. I love this combo, but any of the big 3 would work well (Hydras, Radeons, or Kessils).

2020-03-21_10-30-56 by Lyle Southard, on Flickr

 

[gotmesalty77]

That is ******! How long have you had the Radions? What lights did you have prior to this setup?

They have been on this set up since last summer, i upgraded from 2 generation 1 radion xr30s. THose are great lights too

 

[gotmesalty77]

I have a a 75g with the AL hybrid and 2 x AI Hydra 26HD. I love this combo, but any of the big 3 would work well (Hydras, Radeons, or Kessils).

2020-03-21_10-30-56 by Lyle Southard, on Flickr

Light even light coverage is flame!! So even. ive been tempted by trying the hybrids. somecompany just made attachments for the xr15s that have T5 ballasts but they are like 200

 

[skyhawkn5262y]

I have a a 75g with the AL hybrid and 2 x AI Hydra 26HD. I love this combo, but any of the big 3 would work well (Hydras, Radeons, or Kessils).

2020-03-21_10-30-56 by Lyle Southard, on Flickr

Awesome! Any particular reason you chose the Hydras?

 

[lpsouth1978]

Awesome! Any particular reason you chose the Hydras?

Mainly because I already had them. I originally went with the Hydras because they were cheaper than the radions and they can be controlled with WIFI built in. Unfortunately, the HYDRA 32HD does not have WIFI capabilities.

 

[skyhawkn5262y]

Really ive only ever ran radions. Pretty much all ecotech products because of the integration. I think personally it helped me quite a bit in the beginning.

I had first gen Radions (purchased back in 2012), and I'll be 100% honest, I thought they were terrible. No matter what setting or intensity I tried, I couldn't get any growth, and all my SPS just bleached out. I switched back to T5s and every one of my corals flourished.

I will say say, however, that my experience back in 2012 seems to be an outlier as so many has had success with Radions through the years.

My current 90G has a Vectra M2, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's the best return pump I've ever had. It's amazing. It's so quiet and powerful.

 

[gotmesalty77]

i got an amazing deal on all my equipment and a free reef lin

I had first gen Radions (purchased back in 2012), and I'll be 100% honest, I thought they were terrible. No matter what setting or intensity I tried, I couldn't get any growth, and all my SPS just bleached out. I switched back to T5s and every one of my corals flourished.

I will say say, however, that my experience back in 2012 seems to be an outlier as so many has had success with Radions through the years.

My current 90G has a Vectra M2, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's the best return pump I've ever had. It's amazing. It's so quiet and powerful.

yea i got a brand new one for 250 last spring i was pumped. That thing is way over kill for my tank but i guess i got it with the idea i was going to upgrade sometime and run a manifold off of it. When i was calibrating i realized i could easily over fill my tank and empty my sump.

 

[skyhawkn5262y]

i got an amazing deal on all my equipment and a free reef lin

yea i got a brand new one for 250 last spring i was pumped. That thing is way over kill for my tank but i guess i got it with the idea i was going to upgrade sometime and run a manifold off of it. When i was calibrating i realized i could easily over fill my tank and empty my sump.

Haha, yeah, I saw a thread here a while back about how Vectra pumps are not powerful and won't handle head pressure well. Hahahahahhaha, they are ridiculously powerful.

 

[gotmesalty77]

My current 90G has a Vectra M2, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it's the best return pump I've ever had. It's amazing. It's so quiet and powerful.

i was a little worried because of all the warranty issues they had with the m1 pumps but they figured it out for sure. I cant hear it running at all. I wish could take advantage of more of the dc options on it but i need that part of the sump to put my ATO sensor. I had been running temporarily a mag drive 9 i think and it was like there wasnt even a pump on in the tank.

 

[gotmesalty77]

Haha, yeah, I saw a thread here a while back about how Vectra pumps are not powerful and won't handle head pressure well. Hahahahahhaha, they are ridiculously powerful.

Those are the owners of ridiculous abyzz pumps and those other over kill returns. As compared to what they arent powerful? lol what you cant reach your 3rd floor 200g reef from your basement fishroom??? haha. i guess i can only imagine the folks saying they arent able to move some water.