Reef Breeders Bricked

[FishLvR]

Not taking pay for a year is not OK. If you have a family or even if it's just you and you're making zero profit there is a struggle. You felt it relevant to this situation to bring it up which means its pretty important.

I was wrong I over reacted to a short email. A very short email. However with new context l understand now the anxiety and frustration over this whole app thing. I admit I was wrong and the fault is 100% mine.

I'm not a hero...thats silly. However when you told me the owner cant pay himself, man I feel that anxiety. That hits so close to home.

I paid 350 for the two boards. It would be fantastic to have them discounted to 30 each. However I dont expect it. I do expect the board to fix this issue and hopefully be an easy install.

 

[fish_collector]

Well alright, people's words have been scrutinized and beat up enough. I don't believe further discussion would be of any benefit. Let's let this thread go to sleep so we can move on to something else in the morning.

 

[FishLvR]

Btw we were told to rest the lights when we couldn't get connected. I wouldnt have if i had known.

Mods if you have to remove the thread thats perfect.

Again im sorry im 100% at fault and I'm paying for it. Im a stupid idiot consumer that wants to do as little as possible with the end product and thats a me problem.

In the time liam took to write the posts here he could have emailed the solution. I got the impression his frustration with me was peak and that link, if its available, was going to come...when it comes. I just want a working light. So again, im eating the cost 100% my fault. Im sorry im sorry im sorry this is all on me. 100% sorry.

 

[FishLvR]

Thank you liam for the fast shipping and the discount. Im so sorry please forgive me and just thank your stars your not married to me.

I wish you guys the best of luck. I honestly do.

 

[rtparty]

Why is a “fan/customer” providing all those details?

Kind of strange

 

[VintageReefer]

@FishLvR I don’t think you’re an idiot and I want to make that clear. I think you were a frustrated consumer who’s invested good money in a good product and upset when it “suddenly bricked”. And then blamed RB 100%. And then told the world you had to spend $350 to fix it and probably won’t get a refund.

And I thought you didn’t fully understand the situation you were/are in. You didn’t know of the reasons leading up to the dual apps - and I did direct you to the RB public post months ago where they explained it, but you missed the reply.


You didn’t understand why your light was bricked, and blamed them. It was an accident from you trying to troubleshoot on your own but you blamed them.

I didnt think it was fair for the mudslinging so I spoke up. White knighting ? In this situation and thread, sure. I’m guilty. I gave some background, additional details, perspective and made some corrections.

There’s two sides to every story and for those in future to make their own decisions, both sides should be told. Then people can fairly form their own opinions.

 

[Biff0rz]

I'll buy the photons off of you so you can buy a different light (assuming they are the 48 or 50 v2s). Dm me.

 

[EliMelly]

I don’t have much of an opinion here in general but as someone who has successfully co-founded a start up. If the owner / CEO isn’t taking money it’s usually a pretty bad sign.

In general it’s best the person running the ship is getting compensated well so they can make difficult decisions with clarity.

 

[Biff0rz]

Well, since you wanna bring it up, it’s kinda funny because I was looking through the best light award thread, and ALL the NEW accounts just made to Pat Reef Breeders on the back and cast votes for them is honestly pretty cringe (yeah nothing to see there LOL) and I can tell you one thing my favorite light company won’t be charging me to buy a part they had to come up with to fix their light because of a situation they created.

That happened with a coral vendor too, PTR. Cringe. But, reef breeders is a good company imo.

 

[VintageReefer]

I don’t have much of an opinion here in general but as someone who has successfully co-founded a start up. If the owner / CEO isn’t taking money it’s usually a pretty bad sign.

In general it’s best the person running the ship is getting compensated well so they can make difficult decisions with clarity.

RB has been around for many years, and the owner didn’t sacrifice his pay due to struggles, he invested his salary into the company so they could grow at a faster pace and bring new products to the table.

RB is also not the only company he owns

 

[EliMelly]

RB has been around for many years, and the owner didn’t sacrifice his pay due to struggles, he invested his salary into the company so they could grow at a faster pace and bring new products to the table.

RB is also not the only company he owns

I suppose you are an investor, potentially drew as well.

 

[VintageReefer]

I suppose you are an investor, potentially drew as well.

I am not an investor, but I use their lights

 

[EliMelly]

I am not an investor, but I use their lights

Is there a reason you know so much about the inner workings of their company?

 

[Marco_99]

I am not an investor, but I use their lights

When I was researching about Meridians I came across a YouTube content creator a good week or so ago that did a review on a Meridian 45/Bar combo. He did not specify if he bought the light combo or if Reef Breeders sent him it to peddle. I know they sent him all the lenses to par test and whatnot. Like a month later he goes back to his old lights in a video and in the comment section (best part of videos) another content creator asked what happened to the lights? The YouTube guy just said he wanted to go back to something different. The content creator pressed him again in a follow up comment and the YouTube guy said he gave the lights back, they were great lights, it’s just didn’t work out with people behind the company. LOL.

So I gotta ask VintageReefer? Did you buy your lights with your hard earned money?? Or are you being sponsored by Reef Breeders?? I think you should be clear about that as you are known to be the biggest cheerleader for the company around here. Anyways, I was watching that guys video and the one thing, I also noticed it on a members tank picture on the forums here, is that meridian 45 had some pretty good disco ball going. I wondered with the bigger single point leds being spread like they are and that light requires such a tall height at around 14”, any disco balling for me is a deal breaker (seen it on some Orpheks also which it reminds me of). The other thing on his par tests that specific light had crazy hot spots, like 500 par under the light and like 175 at the edge width wise, not length wise (on like a 24” inch wide tank I believe). But much research and looking around Reef Breeder lights personally just aren’t my flavor or what I’m looking for for a whole host of reasons.

But yeah after putting it all together it just made me think.. hmmm, I wonder if our boy VintageReefer was given the lights from Reef Breeders or if he is a random paying customer. You probably wouldn’t make it known either way, but what you got?? Are you Reef Breeder sponsored little buddy???? Lol

 

[VintageReefer]

Is there a reason you know so much about the inner workings of their company?

Does it really matter in the end? I don’t know what conclusion you are trying to draw?

If my info is accurate ?

 

[VintageReefer]

When I was researching about Meridians I came across a YouTube content creator a good week or so ago that did a review on a Meridian 45/Bar combo. He did not specify if he bought the light combo or if Reef Breeders sent him it to peddle. I know they sent him all the lenses to par test and whatnot. Like a month later he goes back to his old lights in a video and in the comment section (best part of videos) another content creator asked what happened to the lights? The YouTube guy just said he wanted to go back to something different. The content creator pressed him again in a follow up comment and the YouTube guy said he gave the lights back, they were great lights, it’s just didn’t work out with people behind the company. LOL.

I don’t know who this is or anything about the situation.

So I gotta ask VintageReefer? Did you buy your lights with your hard earned money?? Or are you being sponsored by Reef Breeders??

Great question! I am not sponsored by them. I am a knowledgeable customer and a techie, and I have been buying and using reefbreeders lights for 10 years.

I owned and/or still own:
Photon 48 v1
Photon 32 v1
Photon 48 v2
Lumenbar v2 24”
Lumenbar v2 48”
Pico v2
Meridian 11’s
Edge Bar 45’s

I did receive my current lights at a reduced rate, but only because I had a photon 48v2 in excellent condition and a lumenbar v2 48” that was new, and I traded them in for credit that I used towards the meridian setup.
I spoke with them and expressed interest in the lights, I asked tons of questions because I had a very successful tank under the photons and was nervous going to a brand new light. I liked the info I heard. I asked them if they would accept my current setup as a trade in for credit since they sell recertified lights on their website. They made me an offer. I accepted. I applied the credit towards the meridian setup. That is what I mean by “reduced rate”

If someone bought a recertified photon 48 from RB at a discount, around march / April 2025, you might be the new owner of my light!

I think you should be clear about that as you are known to be the biggest cheerleader for the company around here.

I believe this was answered sufficiently in my last text block. I do chime in often but there are many other owners that are very happy with the products that chime in also in threads

Anyways, I was watching that guys video and the one thing, I also noticed it on a members tank picture on the forums here, is that meridian 45 had some pretty good disco ball going.

I have no disco ball with the meridian 45
Sometimes phone cameras can capture shimmer, and sometimes they pick up on certain spectrums more than others because of the cameras sensitivity

My build thread has plenty of pics, you can see there is no disco ball

Here is a meridan 11, one panel from a meridian 45, over a stock tank, no disco ball




There is a reflection on the surface but no disco ball effect. I find the optics are extremely good with color blending. The stock tank is the default optics. I have used the default and encompass lenses on my main tank.

I wondered with the bigger single point leds being spread like they are and that light requires such a tall height at around 14”, any disco balling for me is a deal breaker (seen it on some Orpheks also which it reminds me of). The other thing on his par tests that specific light had crazy hot spots, like 500 par under the light and like 175 at the edge width wise, not length wise (on like a 24” inch tank I believe).

This sounds to me like a mounting height issue. On my main tank I have them at 10” which is below recommendation and I did have some low par areas on the outskirts of the tank. I was told this is because I should be running them higher height, with higher channel levels, so the lights output could have more space to develop, blend and spread. I didn’t want to do this due to my center brace, I wanted to avoid shadows, and I wanted that cone to go under the brace. So I kept my lights mounted low. I switched to the encompass lenses and it smoothed things out for me and I’m very happy with them

But much research and looking around Reef Breeder lights personally just aren’t my flavor or what I’m looking for for a whole host of reasons.

You might be missing out. Feel free to take this offline and dm me

But yeah after putting it all together it just made me think.. hmmm, I wonder if our boy VintageReefer was given the lights from Reef Breeders or if he is a random paying customer. You probably wouldn’t make it know either way, but what you got?? Are you Reef Breeder sponsored little buddy???? Lol

A totally valid question! I have been nothing but transparent and open in this reply, and I feel I have addressed everything asked of me. If you have any more questions for me feel free to post them here or ask me privately.

 

[Tahoe61]

Is there a reason you know so much about the inner workings of their company?

Is there a reason you don't? What purpose do you serve in calling out an informed individual when you admitted you are not familiar with the topic?

 

[Biff0rz]

I think some folks here lack context. Before RB and such, there were limited options. You had kessils, T5, and radions. A few Chinese options that sucked too. The rb came on to the scene with the photon - blowing away performance, form factor, and cost compared to radions. Rb then improved the product to the v2, and eventually the meridians. They did this with a simple premise, build a great light at an affordable cost for reefers. And they did just that. We WANT this company around. We WANT them to succeed. Why? T5s, Chinese crap, halides, are fading away. Radions were consumed by a for-profit private equity. Without these mid market light companies showing up, our pockets would be fleeced and ***** with little options. Rb likely could have handled the upgrade a little better, maybe. But overall, great company, great light, and more importantly, great competition to keep the big bad wolf in check.

 

[VintageReefer]

I think some folks here lack context. Before RB and such, there were limited options. You had kessils, T5, and radions. A few Chinese options that sucked too. The rb came on to the scene with the photon - blowing away performance, form factor, and cost compared to radions. Rb then improved the product to the v2, and eventually the meridians. They did this with a simple premise, build a great light at an affordable cost for reefers. And they did just that. We WANT this company around. We WANT them to succeed. Why? T5s, Chinese crap, halides, are fading away. Radions were consumed by a for-profit private equity. Without these mid market light companies showing up, our pockets would be fleeced and ***** with little options. Rb likely could have handled the upgrade a little better, maybe. But overall, great company, great light, and more importantly, great competition to keep the big bad wolf in check.

This is 100% true.

 

[rtparty]

I think some folks here lack context. Before RB and such, there were limited options. You had kessils, T5, and radions. A few Chinese options that sucked too. The rb came on to the scene with the photon - blowing away performance, form factor, and cost compared to radions. Rb then improved the product to the v2, and eventually the meridians. They did this with a simple premise, build a great light at an affordable cost for reefers. And they did just that. We WANT this company around. We WANT them to succeed. Why? T5s, Chinese crap, halides, are fading away. Radions were consumed by a for-profit private equity. Without these mid market light companies showing up, our pockets would be fleeced and ***** with little options. Rb likely could have handled the upgrade a little better, maybe. But overall, great company, great light, and more importantly, great competition to keep the big bad wolf in check.

Reefbreeders did not bring anything to market. They rebranded “cheap Chinese crap” known as EverGrow. Don’t get it mixed up thinking they did any R&D in developing their original light.

There were dozens of LEDs on market by the time they came around. Many are not around today and some switched all their offerings to a “budding” industry instead

Outside of the Meridian, I don’t recall a single RB item that isn’t just rebranded Fish Street stuff