Which lights?

[Roberto CRC]

Hi friends, I want to ask your opnion about it before making a decision.

Currently in my tank I use 4 Ai Prime, I want to change to have a greater amount of light for the corals but I do not want to spend more than necessary.

The options I am analyzing are:

3 Ai Hydra 52HD
3 Ai hydra 26HD
3 Radion XR30 G4 (non pro)

The tank stockings are 63x25x21 (long x high x width) and I have soft corals, LPS and SPS.

What do you think would be the best decision taking into account the price variation that exists between each option?

Regards

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

You would definitely spend less with the AI lights and wouldn't need a wireless peripheral to control them all at the same time (Ecotech Reeflink). As far as coverage goes, the 52's would offer more light spreading (not as much disco effect either) and a lesser chance of shadowing issues. I suspect you would get more shadowing with the 26's and also be stretching the limits of them lengthwise across the tank. You might be able to get better results with 4 26's instead of 3.

 

[Roberto CRC]

You would definitely spend less with the AI lights and wouldn't need a wireless peripheral to control them all at the same time (Ecotech Reeflink). As far as coverage goes, the 52's would offer more light spreading (not as much disco effect either) and a lesser chance of shadowing issues. I suspect you would get more shadowing with the 26's and also be stretching the limits of them lengthwise across the tank. You might be able to get better results with 4 26's instead of 3.

Ok, I forgot to mention that I have the reef link because I already use vortech and vectra.

You tell me that it would be better to use four 26 HD than three 52 HD?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

I guess it all depends on your aquascape. 3 52's spaced out but lined up throughout the length of your tank will cover the entire tank with a blanket of strong lighting whereas 3 or 4 26's could be strategically positioned to make "hotspots" if you have towers or high points in your rockwork for SPS corals, and to also prevent shadowing.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about by strategically placing lights by @Akutila . He's using maxspect ethereals but it shows what I'm talking about.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/maxspect-ethereal-review.248159/page-4

 

[Eric23]

After using LED's for years all I can say is go with T-5's or combo T-5 LED

 

[mcarroll]

I hate to always question the premise, but it's like muscle memory or something....I just can't help it.

Do you have a light meter of any kind? (At minimum a $12 lux meter like what I use.)

Are your corals unhappy? Or are they happy and growing?

Most corals do really well with what seems like minimal amounts of light. (Our perspective on "minimal" vs what the corals need is the problem.)

Are you really sure you want to upgrade?

And what about adding one or two more Primes?

Or simply adding a Hydra or an LED strip or two to the mix? Just throwing ideas out there.

By combining pucks on one fixture you lose placement flexibility. Unless you actually don'y like your Primes for some reason, I'd really consider adding on, rather than changing wholesale.

 

[Eric23]

If you're dead set on LEDs there's an article I don't remember which site it's on but it basically is a comparison of all these high-end lights versus Black Box LEDs and after reading it I can definitely say that if I was going to buy a new LED fixture I wouldn't go with any of the expensive brands I would probably get a photon version 2 or something similar

 

[Eric23]

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vide...lack-box-led-lights-are-they-worth-the-price/

 

[Roberto CRC]

I guess it all depends on your aquascape. 3 52's spaced out but lined up throughout the length of your tank will cover the entire tank with a blanket of strong lighting whereas 3 or 4 26's could be strategically positioned to make "hotspots" if you have towers or high points in your rockwork for SPS corals, and to also prevent shadowing.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about by strategically placing lights by @Akutila . He's using maxspect ethereals but it shows what I'm talking about.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/maxspect-ethereal-review.248159/page-4

I think my aquascape does not warrant a particular arrangement of lights, they can be perfectly positioned in a linear.

 

[A. grandis]

60' ATI T5 SunPower with 8 bulbs uses 640W and will give you the best light of all for your system for around $700.00. You need absolutely no upgrades because it's already the very best light.
You can change the bulbs once a year and have a piece of mind that LEDs won't give you. The heat isn't bad at all and the fixture has fans giving the bulbs the best performance ever. No LED will come close to that in terms of quality of light, distribution and uniformity for the organisms in your system!! You can place the corals where you want.. no problems!! The fixture is gorgeous, has an acrylic shield to protect the bulbs from water splash and it's very simple. No need dimmer, just get the simple one, no LEDs, and plug it to a controller or a simple timer if you want. Lasts forever...You will set and forget about your lights for a year and you can choose different spectrums every 12 month. Most bulbs will give you a nice clean tank and they are proven the very best. You can choose from Giesemann, ATI, KZ, etc.. all good. Have fun!
Grandis.

 

[Roberto CRC]

I hate to always question the premise, but it's like muscle memory or something....I just can't help it.

Do you have a light meter of any kind? (At minimum a $12 lux meter like what I use.)

Are your corals unhappy? Or are they happy and growing?

Most corals do really well with what seems like minimal amounts of light. (Our perspective on "minimal" vs what the corals need is the problem.)

Are you really sure you want to upgrade?

And what about adding one or two more Primes?

Or simply adding a Hydra or an LED strip or two to the mix? Just throwing ideas out there.

By combining pucks on one fixture you lose placement flexibility. Unless you actually don'y like your Primes for some reason, I'd really consider adding on, rather than changing wholesale.

Thanks for the input.

My corals in general terms look good, however, sometimes some do not look quite open, for example some zoas are stretched a lot to the surface and as I read that happens when they lack light.

I have thought of another prime, but I think there would be many modules and I would like less modules and more light power.

Currently with 4 Ai Prime you see a good amount of light, with the naked eye but I do not have PAR or lux meter to really know how much light there is.

The configuration is something like that, blue, violet and UV to 100%, white to 15%, red to green to 5%. The ramp time is 40 minutes to reach those maximum percentages throughout the photoperiod which is 10 hours. The room where I have the tank only receives artificial light, never daylight.

 

[A. grandis]

After using LED's for years all I can say is go with T-5's or combo T-5 LED

Unnecessary to get the T5/LED combo. Waste of money...
If one likes the blue LEDs you can get some on the side and add to it just for that "pop".
I particularly don't like the so called "pop" at all. I think it makes a nice T5 fixture look cheap.
The ATI blue plus get lots of good rich actinic "pop" already!!

The quality of light from the tubes is the best. I also think it's a waste of space to have the LEDs in the fixture instead the tubes.
The money spend with the combo is just ridiculously unnecessary to me.

Grandis.

 

[Roberto CRC]

60' ATI T5 SunPower with 8 bulbs uses 640W and will give you the best light of all for your system for around $700.00. You need absolutely no upgrades because it's already the very best light.
You can change the bulbs once a year and have a piece of mind that LEDs won't give you. The heat isn't bad at all and the fixture has fans giving the bulbs the best performance ever. No LED will come close to that in terms of quality of light, distribution and uniformity for the organisms in your system!! You can place the corals where you want.. no problems!! The fixture is gorgeous, has an acrylic shield to protect the bulbs from water splash and it's very simple. No need dimmer, just get the simple one, no LEDs, and plug it to a controller or a simple timer if you want. Lasts forever...You will set and forget about your lights for a year and you can choose different spectrums every 12 month. Most bulbs will give you a nice clean tank and they are proven the very best. You can choose from Giesemann, ATI, KZ, etc.. all good. Have fun!
Grandis.

As I read the T5 are a great system, but personally the size of the modules is what stops me to choose to buy T5.

Another point against is that I live in Costa Rica and bring up here a T5 module of that size is really expensive for the cost of shipping, tax payment, weight of the item. Then bringing the T5 every year would be a great adventure since it is for friends of Costa Rica that when they buy the tubes, come several broken by bad handling in the transport up here, that is why the T5 is not very used in Costa Rica.

 

[Eric23]

I have a 4x20x20 tank right now running 2 kessil A360we's 12 Inches above the water line at a Max of 65% power and I can grow everything in my tank however because of the shadowing with most led fixtures my sps looks like crap underneath. You really only get good color on top which I hate.

 

[A. grandis]

As I read the T5 are a great system, but personally the size of the modules is what stops me to choose to buy T5.

Another point against is that I live in Costa Rica and bring up here a T5 module of that size is really expensive for the cost of shipping, tax payment, weight of the item. Then bringing the T5 every year would be a great adventure since it is for friends of Costa Rica that when they buy the tubes, come several broken by bad handling in the transport up here, that is why the T5 is not very used in Costa Rica.

I live in Hawaii and it's the same thing here in regards to shipping. If you choose a good company they will have insurance and sure replacement of the broken bulbs. The shipping costs are huge to bring the fixture here too, but after having my fixtures running without absolutely no problems at all for more than 10 years I'm really fortunate to say that I chose the best for my tanks.
I had problems with broken bulbs only once and it was solved without any problems.
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

I have a 4x20x20 tank right now running 2 kessil A360we's 12 Inches above the water line at a Max of 65% power and I can grow everything in my tank however because of the shadowing with most led fixtures my sps looks like crap underneath. You really only get good color on top which I hate.

Get some ATI T5 fixture there, my friend.

Grandis.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'd look at the 52's and see if they offer a wide lens option.

Check the specs on the ai website for sure to see what the spread is at what hanging height.

I'd wager you want a 70 degree lens mainly and the hanging height should be roughly 14+ inches.

That light will be the most power and you can use it to hang higher if you need to compensate

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Hindsight edit.

You'd really be happier with four units. The 26's would work fine for that.

I haven't looked at the specs in a while but you could almost just stuff two more primes in there.

Fwiw, the par specs listed on the site are at a full 1:1 color ratio. If your running a high blue less coool white etc etc , the par will naturally be less.

 

[Roberto CRC]

Thanks for the explanations.

Now I have a doubt, I think the ideal to determine the amount of light (I do not know if well expressed) would be a PAR meter. But this is a rather expensive device to use it only a few times and leave it in oblivion.

The LUX meter can be of help to get an idea? These I think are much cheaper but I also have no idea which could be more suitable.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You can use a lux meter to determine the intensity of your light yes. An app is hard and inaccurate.
At a 1:1 colors ratio most all leds so far seem to have a conversion constant of about 60. So 100 par is 6000 lux.
On a low light tank of about 18in at the top of the water a lux reading of about 12000 to about 20,000 is pretty good. For a mixed zoa etc 20,000 to 35000. IMO

If most of the colors are lower and a higher blue is used the constant is higher. In the 70 to 75 range.


The seney par meter is rather inexpensive btw. About 150 US.

Another inexpensive thought would be to determine your par now, maybe tweak it and your photo period and add more primes.