Which lighting is better?? Stuck between two

[Scaggs1117]

So I recently purchased a RedSea reefer 525 as an upgrade from my last tank a 29gal long …I had the nicrew 150 on it didn’t really have probs. So being that the 525 is 60inches long I narrowed it down between either 3 AI Primea, or two of the nicrews. Any input? I know the nicrew is more cost effective but is the AI worth it?
I plan to have a mixed reef eventually, starting with some lps and softies
Thanks!

 

[rtparty]

First off, is it a brand new G2+ Red Sea or used? If used, do a VERY thorough inspection of all silicone. Especially at the bottom of the front pane right in the middle.

Second, the AI Primes need new lenses every couple years or so because they melt them. Not a fantastic light IMO

I would use Gen 2 Nicrew but you will need 3 of the 150s in total to cover 5ft

 

[Scaggs1117]

First off, is it a brand new G2+ Red Sea or used? If used, do a VERY thorough inspection of all silicone. Especially at the bottom of the front pane right in the middle.

Second, the AI Primes need new lenses every couple years or so because they melt them. Not a fantastic light IMO

I would use Gen 2 Nicrew but you will need 3 of the 150s in total to cover 5ft

Everything would be new, ahh you see I didn’t know that. Thanks for the input!

 

[minus9]

Quanta Helix bar combo could be another choice. 3 or 4 bar combo depending on what corals you plan on keeping? Reach out to Luca and he can help you out. Quanta Lights

 

[Scaggs1117]

Quanta Helix bar combo could be another choice. 3 or 4 bar combo depending on what corals you plan on keeping? Reach out to Luca and he can help you out. Quanta Lights

I’ll look into it, thanks!

 

[jermzisurmom]

I love my nicrew lights and I have the gen1 150s. With 2 0r4 blue plus

 

[vetteguy53081]

Nicrew and supplemented with Orphek OR3 light bars.

Noopsyche also a good producer for the dollar

 

[Scaggs1117]

Quanta Helix bar combo could be another choice. 3 or 4 bar combo depending on what corals you plan on keeping? Reach out to Luca and he can help you out. Quanta Lights

Most likely just some torches hammers mushrooms and acropora

 

[minus9]

Most likely just some torches hammers mushrooms and acropora

That's a pretty large range of lighting requirements, so placement is going to be key. I would do 3 of the nicrew fixtures or a helix combo. If you email Luca at Quanta, he’ll help you decide which combo would work and the spectrum combo as well. His customer service and attention to detail is awesome. They have simple 0-10v control dimming, which makes lighting a reef easy. He’s also working on a basic controller so you don’t need to have an apex, GHL or hydros to control them.

 

[Scaggs1117]

That's a pretty large range of lighting requirements, so placement is going to be key. I would do 3 of the nicrew fixtures or a helix combo. If you email Luca at Quanta, he’ll help you decide which combo would work and the spectrum combo as well. His customer service and attention to detail is awesome. They have simple 0-10v control dimming, which makes lighting a reef easy. He’s also working on a basic controller so you don’t need to have an apex, GHL or hydros to control them.

That’s cool, is there a timer with it?

 

[minus9]

That’s cool, is there a timer with it?

I believe so. It hasn’t been released yet, but from what I’ve heard, it will dim/ramp up and down, turn on/off the lights. So you can create a simple schedule with dimming (ramps). Lighting should be simple, but too many manufacturers give you too many channels and a poor way of dialing in a useful spectrum. This is why I love Luca’s lights, he’s done the homework on spectrum, so it’s a matter of combining the spectrum/look you prefer, taking the guesswork out of the equation. Kessil is the only other manufacturer that I’ve used that does this, so no matter where you set the color, it’s still good for the corals.

 

[tzabor10]

I have always found it useful to spot my dream tank. Then try to reproduce the setup.