Reef Breeders Meridians

[TelegrahamTested LLC]

Last bit of data from me: I've created a framework that explains my testing and value calculation. It can be found here - https://medium.com/@telegraham/a-fr...aselines-in-band-pur-grading-and-c4830a0d4a86

All of the lights listed will grow corals. They will all color up corals. But they are not all created equal, and they do not all provide the same level of value to the hobbyist.

We all like what we like, and that's ok, but it's very hard for new people to weave their way through influencers and those who take liberties with marketing. I want that to be better and easier.

Jim

 

[skey44]

I’m about 5 months in. Still very happy. Cool to see the testing above. I have the shallow reef and this is my all day higher intensity color.

And the evening blues are lovely.

 

[Shanephillips27]

Excited to see how the Meridian 63 with edge bars perform. Just got them mounted on my new build. It’ll be a 72”x30”x24” main center display that these will be on.

Wondering if I will need to add two more edge bars? It’ll be all SPS for this center tank.

How do you get the lights into the tracking? It looks like your canopy is closed in the front and back from what I can tell. Reason I’m asking is I’m trying to do the same thing but my canopy has an obstruction In the front that won’t allow me to go straight in

 

[VintageReefer]

How do you get the lights into the tracking? It looks like your canopy is closed in the front and back from what I can tell. Reason I’m asking is I’m trying to do the same thing but my canopy has an obstruction In the front that won’t allow me to go straight in

Just an idea, attach the channel track to the light first. Then attach the channel track to the canopy top bolting/screwing through the excess that goes beyond the fixture

 

[Shanephillips27]

Just an idea, attach the channel track to the light first. Then attach the channel track to the canopy top bolting/screwing through the excess that goes beyond the fixture

 

[Shanephillips27]

That sounds great but if I have an issue or need to service the light how do I get it out since I can’t slide it straight out because I have a center brace in my canopy?

 

[VintageReefer]

That sounds great but if I have an issue or need to service the light how do I get it out since I can’t slide it straight out because I have a center brace in my canopy?

i guess you would remove the canopy then remove the light if you needed to service it.

 

[Shanephillips27]

i guess you would remove the canopy then remove the light if you needed to service it.

But they have to be able to slide to install them correct or is there another way to attach the light to the track once the track is bolted to the canopy that I’m not aware of. I do appreciate the help

 

[VintageReefer]

But they have to be able to slide to install them correct or is there another way to attach the light to the track once the track is bolted to the canopy that I’m not aware of. I do appreciate the help

Mount them to the track with heavy duty zip ties. Clip them to remove fixture and replace when putting it back

 

[Shanephillips27]

Mount them to the track with heavy duty zip ties. Clip them to remove fixture and replace when putting it back

I think the other way sounds better install track to light then bolt to canopy that will work for me. Thank you!

 

[VintageReefer]

I think the other way sounds better install track to light then bolt to canopy that will work for me. Thank you!

You could put a bolt through the track and canopy and use wing nuts above the canopy for an easier removal

 

[joseph scott]

Considering this light over my 60x36x24 peninsula. Was looking at the edge bundles to prevent so much shadow because of my 36’’ dimension. For couple hundred more i can just hang another meridian 45? The bundles that include two edge lights don’t seem to offer that much value.

 

[MegabiteOG]

Considering this light over my 60x36x24 peninsula. Was looking at the edge bundles to prevent so much shadow because of my 36’’ dimension. For couple hundred more i can just hang another meridian 45? The bundles that include two edge lights don’t seem to offer that much value.

I'd hang a second 45 given the choice. Although those edge bars pack a lot of punch (I have some), you will get really good coverage, same spectrum, and use the same program for all lights by going with the second 45.

 

[Dutch_Roots]

That sounds great but if I have an issue or need to service the light how do I get it out since I can’t slide it straight out because I have a center brace in my canopy?

My entire top of my canopy comes off. I needed to figure out how to remove it if that was ever needed so I made the top removable.

 

[tharbin]

Has anyone tried to fit the Meridian BOT mount to a rimmed tank? I have a Marineland 40 Breeder that I am considering mounting one of my Meridians on but I don't want to waste eighty dollars to see if the mount fits.

 

[MegabiteOG]

Has anyone tried to fit the Meridian BOT mount to a rimmed tank? I have a Marineland 40 Breeder that I am considering mounting one of my Meridians on but I don't want to waste eighty dollars to see if the mount fits.

I haven't, but the BOT arm is designed to fit on both rimless and rimmed/ braced tanks. There's 2" of width to play with. You may be aware already, but figured I'd share anyways.

From Reefbreeders:
Back of tank mount designed for the Meridian and Meridian Edge.

Compatible with most large, quality built euro-brace tanks. Please ensure that the section of Euro-bracing you mount to is strong enough to handle the weight of your lights plus the mount under torsion.

 

[tharbin]

I haven't, but the BOT arm is designed to fit on both rimless and rimmed/ braced tanks. There's 2" of width to play with. You may be aware already, but figured I'd share anyways.

From Reefbreeders:
Back of tank mount designed for the Meridian and Meridian Edge.

Compatible with most large, quality built euro-brace tanks. Please ensure that the section of Euro-bracing you mount to is strong enough to handle the weight of your lights plus the mount under torsion.

Thanks. If I look at the picture it seems to be 2" from the inner pad to the front of the unit. On a Euro brace you flip the mount ninety degrees so it is still just glass thickness. I'm a bit skeptical since when I went to fit the side mount brackets over the rim they were just a fraction too small and I had to force them on.

 

[mboley]

Im running a 35 with the standard lenses over my 40" 70 gallon SPS tank. I found the light spread lacking but I still like the light. I combined it with two Orphek OR 4 bars on my 20" wide tank and I love the set up. The OR4s add a nice moonlight, a cloud feature, and give me full coverage; they are better and cheaper than the Meridian Edge bars. More importantly, I'm getting fantastic growth on my 1.5 year old tank with this combo.

 

[IPT]

I purchased the ReefBreeders Meridian 11 to perform some testing. The smallest of the line, and it retails for $460. Given that price tag, I’m looking at this lineup the same way I look at the big boys. This ain’t your Amazon light. That’s for sure, but what it is is a ReefBreeders homegrown light, and the follow-up to the rebranded Evergrow/Photon line of fancy blackbox lights.

That’s enough intro, so I’ll get to it.

ReefBreeders shares a graphic on their site that shows the number of specific diodes, but it's wrong. I don’t know why it’s wrong, and I really don’t care to speculate here, but it’s wrong. But does that matter? Nope. Why? The spectrum that ReefBreeders doesn’t share works. It’s perfectly capable of growing coral. And for reference, this is the Original version, so expect less white compared to the “Shallow Reef” model.

Spread is tight like a tiger! This is a very center-weighted light, and if you edge mount it, you’re leaving performance on the table. Mount it higher if you want to actually use the PAR you’re paying for. If I’m using this light, I’m hanging this thing like a ViparSpectra. That means 15-18” above the water surface. If you wanted wider spread, you’d need to move up to the $800, 150W, Meridian 24, or pay more for the "Encompass" lens that should have shipped with the light to begin with.

Setup is easy, but there’s a catch. You have to create an account, and that means giving up your location with no opt-out. Pretty standard for a lot of these apps, but still worth calling out. Once you’re in, WiFi control is smooth, and scheduling is simple. Channel control is also solid. Pin your indigo, UVA (accurately called Near UV), royal blue, cool blue, and the separate violet/indigo channels. Then bring up the whites until the tank looks right. That becomes your baseline ratio. No master intensity slider, so all adjustments are manual across channels. Also, no manual control out of the box. That’s a $50 add on. As for advanced features, like location-based seasonal tables, you ain’t getting that from this light, but you can set an overly bright fixed blue (475nm) moonlight that's location/cycle-based.

There is no acclimation mode.

The other extras:

• Hanging kit: $50
• Tank mount legs: $50 (silver) or $70 (black)
• Encompass lens: $45 each (!!!)

Out of the box, unless you have bits from other lighting projects, you’re not fully equipped.

I found this one interesting…when you compare the Meridian to something like the EcoTech Radion XR15, the Meridian 11 comes out way ahead on cost per unit of PAR. Even running about 25 watts less, the Meridian delivers a unit of PAR at roughly one-third the cost. For some of you, that will definitely matter, but if you purchase lenses with reasonable spread, that value will decline.

Something I’ve heard from fans and retailers alike is that you’re also buying from a smaller US company, which shows up in support. You’ll get a real response if something goes sideways. That, and the warranty is stronger than what EcoTech Marine typically offers, and for many people, that matters more than branding.

Almost done…it has a fan, and my testing was performed with all channels pegged. The fan does run, but not all the time, and when it runs, you hear it. Given that most won’t run this light at max power, the fan thing probably isn’t a thing at all.

Bottom line:

I think that’s all I’ve got. It will grow coral without issue. Mount it high, accept the quirks, and be happy that if something breaks, someone will actually answer.

Please let me know if I missed any features. I’ll be happy to correct this review.

Awesome, thanks for posting this.

Do any PAR maps exist when using the Encompass lens?

 

[Ice]

Hey guys, I'm in the middle of planning a 100G acro tank. Dimensions are 47 x 23 x 19. There is no center brace and I plan to use the mounting arms RB sells. I've seen people using the 35 and 45 lights over four foot tanks. With the mounting bars I am limited to light height so would a 35 be able to have enough spread of 400-500 par in the upper levels from side to side or will a 45 be a safer option?