Silent Lights Poll

[Lasse]

I do not know anything about other brands than GHL bars but if you want total and full control of the spectrum - GHL BAR 3 plus a controller (works with their profilux light WiFi, mini WiFi, the old P3. P4e and P4) will give you that. You can use the without a controller but in that case - only on/off - no dimming. no spectral control is possible. You need bars, passiv splitter, communication cable, PSU and a controller up to 4 bars. If you want more than 4 bars - you need an extra active splitter and one extra passiv per 4 bars up to total 16 bars. You are able to control each type of LED in your setup individually but not each bar separately.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not know anything about other brands than GHL bars but if you want total and full control of the spectrum - GHL BAR 3 plus a controller (works with their profilux light WiFi, mini WiFi, the old P3. P4e and P4) will give you that. You can use the without a controller but in that case - only on/off - no dimming. no spectral control is possible. You need bars, passiv splitter, communication cable, PSU and a controller up to 4 bars. If you want more than 4 bars - you need an extra active splitter and one extra passiv per 4 bars up to total 16 bars. You are able to control each type of LED in your setup individually but not each bar separately.

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks, Lasse. That is the plan if I go that route. :)

 

[ThaBeast]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I know you said no fans, I understand as I had 9 radions once and the fan noise made me insane. I'm running the GHL LX7s now and never hear the fans. I have seven so they are at about 55% which may have something to do with not hearing the fans

 

[lbacha]

Thanks very much. The light looks like it could fit, but lack of spectrum control is a deal buster since none of their 100% versions fit my desire for a shallow water spectrum. The freshwater is closest, but I’m not a fan of the red bump it has, and I’d need to use a uv/violet bar to add the uv I want.

The OR3 reef day is much closer to a shallow water spectrum vs the new or4 reef day. Honestly the Atlantik’s spectrum which is controllable is in my opinion a really good option if you like whiter lighting.

 

[eggie]

@Randy Holmes-Farley is the tank running ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley is the tank running ?

Nope. It's standing on its end in the garage. lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The OR3 reef day is much closer to a shallow water spectrum vs the new or4 reef day. Honestly the Atlantik’s spectrum which is controllable is in my opinion a really good option if you like whiter lighting.

Thanks. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I know you said no fans, I understand as I had 9 radions once and the fan noise made me insane. I'm running the GHL LX7s now and never hear the fans. I have seven so they are at about 55% which may have something to do with not hearing the fans

Thanks. I just worry about fans because with many lights, there are some folks that say they cannot hear them, then someone else who says the noise from the same light is irritating, which may be a quality control or fan dirt issue as much as personal preferences and situations. :)

 

[troublemaker]

I have Radions and Quanta Atlas over a 5x2x2' tank. The Atlas are completely silent, and the Radions make the slightest amount of fan noise, but I need to go out of my way to try to hear it with my head right next to it.

 

[buruskeee]

Radion XR30 drove me crazy with fan noise and I only had them at 60% total power. The Straton is definitely the way to go for silence, sleekness, and spread while having the big par punch (just in a total blanket of coverage).

 

[spsick]

@Randy Holmes-Farley this is 1x 130cm Deep Ocean on my 5x2x2 reef. It’s very bright and coverage is great. I’d wager 2 of these could light a 4 foot 120. Color rendition is pretty good although it’s washing out my pinks just a bit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley this is 1x 130cm Deep Ocean on my 5x2x2 reef. It’s very bright and coverage is great. I’d wager 2 of these could light a 4 foot 120. Color rendition is pretty good although it’s washing out my pinks just a bit.

Thanks!


How did you find the setup and software, such as spectrum and timing controls?

 

[Hooz]

Thanks, I added the helix bars.

I think a combination of Helix bars (Meso Blue and Reef Crest Daylight) will yield the fullest, widest blue band available these days. Also, no fans, great coverage and 0-10v dimming. You can dim and ramp them with GHL, Apex or Hydros controllers, or with cheap 3rd party controllers.

AI Blades would also work You'd give up some of the blue spectrum, but gain app control and a lower mounting height if that's your thing. I was recently given a 12" Blade Grow to play with. They did a lot of things right with the Blade, but also dropped the ball on a few important things.

The new AI-cotech Hydra Edge might be a contender when it's released, but it looks like they have fans too.

 

[X-37B]

I run Photon 50's. They have fans but in 10 months they have never come on. I run a 24 also on a smaller system and the fan has never come on.
The whole unit is a heat sink and runs no warmer to the feel than my 48" or4 bars.
Something to think about anyway as they are full spectrum lights.
I just purchased a used 50 to use as a backup for <1/2 the price of a new. You can find used ones for a reasonable price.
One is all you would need.
Meridians are all they make now and is what I would run if wanting new.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I run Photon 50's. They have fans but in 10 months they have never come on. I run a 24 also on a smaller system and the fan has never come on.
The whole unit is a heat sink and runs no warmer to the feel than my 48" or4 bars.
Something to think about anyway as they are full spectrum lights.
I just purchased a used 50 to use as a backup for <1/2 the price of a new. You can find used ones for a reasonable price.
One is all you would need.
Meridians are all they make now and is what I would run if wanting new.

Thanks. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think a combination of Helix bars (Meso Blue and Reef Crest Daylight) will yield the fullest, widest blue band available these days. Also, no fans, great coverage and 0-10v dimming. You can dim and ramp them with GHL, Apex or Hydros controllers, or with cheap 3rd party controllers.

AI Blades would also work You'd give up some of the blue spectrum, but gain app control and a lower mounting height if that's your thing. I was recently given a 12" Blade Grow to play with. They did a lot of things right with the Blade, but also dropped the ball on a few important things.

The new AI-cotech Hydra Edge might be a contender when it's released, but it looks like they have fans too.

Thanks. I really want to match a sunlight spectrum, so giving up big blue peaks is the plan no matter what way I go. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If these plasma fixtures were not so large (and probably fanned), they'd be a good choice for me:

Magnifica under plasma!

Make sure to watch in 4K!!!

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Hooz]

Thanks. I really want to match a sunlight spectrum, so giving up big blue peaks is the plan no matter what way I go. :)

Have you looked at the Quanta Atlas? Not sunlight per se, but mimics a 14k halide. Also, no fan.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you looked at the Quanta Atlas? Not sunlight per se, but mimics a 14k halide. Also, no fan.

Yes, too blue, IMO. :)

 

[AKReefing]

It comes down to efficient heat dissipation. Heat is the enemy of LEDs, and shortens their useful lifespan far below the advertised 50,000 hours. Fans blowing air across heat sinks help remove a lot of heat, but they're more often used when manufacturers space LEDs too closely and/or drive them too hard, resulting in a concentration of heat that needs to be removed more quickly. The new trend seems to have migrated to a wider spread of emitters, reducing the spot heat load.