I am looking for opinions on this. I just started my first reef, 125g softy/lps, about 8 months ago. I have been using the Aqua Knight (aka Hipargero) led lights, $60 apiece. I have 3 of them on the tank and all corals have responded well, and have grown (slowly). I do have to have the corals mostly directly under the light for them to respond well. It seems that each light has about a 16x16 spread.
Now my question is, the bulbs are 3w cree leds, on the Aqua Knight. There are 9 bulbs per fixture, so about a 30w fixture. I want to upgrade my lights to the AIs. If I am not mistaken, doesn't this light use the same 3w cree led bulbs as the Aqua Knight? There are 13 bulbs on the AIs, so this makes them about a 40w fixture. So my options are: I could add 3 more Aqua Knights at $180 total, and have 6 total giving me about 180 watts over my tank. Or I could upgrade to the AIs (3 total) and spend $200 per fixture, plus mounting, so I would be at $700+ and around 130 watts over my tank.
Besides the controllability technology of the AIs, what would be the big difference in these 2 fixtures, given that they are using what seem to be the same bulbs?
FYI - I do not have a PAR meter but my zoos, hammers and gsp open up no problem on the sand bed about 22" down, with the Aqua Knights.
https://www.amazon.com/HIPARGERO-LE...ywords=reef+light&refinements=p_85:2470955011
https://www.amazon.com/Prime-HD-Ill...ywords=reef+light&refinements=p_85:2470955011
Now my question is, the bulbs are 3w cree leds, on the Aqua Knight. There are 9 bulbs per fixture, so about a 30w fixture. I want to upgrade my lights to the AIs. If I am not mistaken, doesn't this light use the same 3w cree led bulbs as the Aqua Knight? There are 13 bulbs on the AIs, so this makes them about a 40w fixture. So my options are: I could add 3 more Aqua Knights at $180 total, and have 6 total giving me about 180 watts over my tank. Or I could upgrade to the AIs (3 total) and spend $200 per fixture, plus mounting, so I would be at $700+ and around 130 watts over my tank.
Besides the controllability technology of the AIs, what would be the big difference in these 2 fixtures, given that they are using what seem to be the same bulbs?
FYI - I do not have a PAR meter but my zoos, hammers and gsp open up no problem on the sand bed about 22" down, with the Aqua Knights.
https://www.amazon.com/HIPARGERO-LE...ywords=reef+light&refinements=p_85:2470955011
https://www.amazon.com/Prime-HD-Ill...ywords=reef+light&refinements=p_85:2470955011