Light advice

saltwater2999 · 05/29/2013, 10:47 PM

Is this light any good I want to be able to keep a wide variety of corals

http://amzn.com/B00CLVAEC0

hollister · 05/29/2013, 10:57 PM

This would be a mid level light and would support a wide variaty of coral...

drillsar · 05/30/2013, 12:31 AM

why don't you go with reefbreeders value led fixture?

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 09:03 AM

Well right now I have pc lights and it's time to upgrade to something better
How much is the reefkeeper LEDs

drillsar · 05/30/2013, 09:46 AM

http://reefbreeders.com/value_led_fixtures.html

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 10:09 AM

And this fixture will be the best for coral. How is it compared to metal halide

Reef_Knight · 05/30/2013, 10:39 AM

Are the reefbreeders that good? I'm researching LED at the moment.

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 10:48 AM

I'm also trying to figure out if LEDs are the way to go. I know they are in the baby steps but if they are the way to go now I rather buy less now instead of the future

power boat jim · 05/30/2013, 10:55 AM

Its 209.00 for the light, how much extra for the 6 T5 lights that go into it? I bet its another 100.00 for the bulbs. The LEDs look like a better deal in the long run.

drillsar · 05/30/2013, 10:56 AM

I heard nothing but good things about reefbreeders. Look at the Photon's as well. What size tank this for?

danil · 05/30/2013, 11:41 AM

I used all types of lights and I can say that MH with good bulb is the best to grow SPS. So if tank is small and all you need is just one 150wtt bulb I will go with MH. Still... if tank is bigger and required two/three 250watt bulbs I would go with LED. They are picky... and less forgiven then MH but they do work. LED will save you money on energy and bulbs cost. Energy saving is significant and for hot climate zone you'll get extra saving from not running chiller so often.
Why LEDs are tricky? You have to find a balance between mixing well so many sources (individual leds) and PAR. This is still a challenge and typical led fixture will give you mix result here... you might have spikes and dips right next to each other. Corals don't like it. For that reason I think Kessil is doing something right so check them out.

Rustafar · 05/30/2013, 12:31 PM

The light you linked to is a Oddysea fixture, I have the same one. The bulbs aren't the greatest and the ballasts are known to blow, while taking out the bulbs too.
I had to replace the ballasts in mine and change bulbs. The best thing about the light is the built in timer which works well.
The Reef Breeder light is nice but you will need to buy two fixtures to cover a 55 gallon tank, so that's $358.00. You can find the D120 Led on the Big Auction site for 159.00 ea.
fully dimmable.
Good Luck with the tank.
Russ.

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 02:16 PM

Alright I see where everyone has there opinions. So for right now should I upgrade to t5 6 bulb fixture, metal halide with 4 t5 bulbs or straight to LEDs

Rustafar · 05/30/2013, 02:25 PM

The MH setup is a light that you can have pretty much any coral. I had a coralife 2x150 mh w/ 2x 96 w cf bulbs, nice light but I had to buy a chiller. MH lights produce tons of heat. With my T5 fixture I don't need the chiller,much cooler than MH. If you can afford the LED's, Go for it, no bulb replacement needed every 9-12 months.
Check out the Chinese led post, lots of info.
Good luck.
Russ.

gsiegel · 05/30/2013, 02:59 PM

Not cheap but love my vegas

Palting · 05/30/2013, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltwater2999

Alright I see where everyone has there opinions. So for right now should I upgrade to t5 6 bulb fixture, metal halide with 4 t5 bulbs or straight to LEDs

You still have not given your tank dimensions. Most important is height. Anything below 24", T5's would be fine. Anything approaching 30", you're better off with MH. Plus, do you prefer SPS? If you do, the tried and true light for SPS is MH. I'm not sold on LED's yet, but I won't knock it either.

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 09:21 PM

It's a true 55 gallon tank so 48x13x21. And I would like to keep the nicest looking corals so if they are sps then I want those

TimeConsumer · 05/30/2013, 09:32 PM

With a 55g if you went with T5 you just need a 4x54w, so that will save you a little in bulbs and fixture. If you wanted to go that direction ATI is the best.

When it comes to keeping SPS your lighting is very important, but so are a lot of other factors. You can get the best MH bulbs ballast and reflectors available, but get the water chemistry and movement wrong and still not be able to keep them alive. I'm a huge fan of T5 setups, so my opinion is a little biased towards that end.

Were it me I would just check for used gear on RC, your local reef club, and craigslist to find a high quality T5, MH, or LED setup that is from a reputable brand. Oftentimes with used gear if you don't like it, you can sell it for almost the same amount you bought it for.

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 09:46 PM

Alright thanks for all the info. So I should be fine with t5s for my 55 gallon to keep sps corals. As of right now I'm planing on getting sps in the future but first I want the light then I will focus on the water chemistry. Would a 6x54watt t5 light fixture be to much for the 55. I just want to use different type bulbs such as coral plus bulbs

Palting · 05/30/2013, 10:43 PM

T5's would be fine for a 21" tall tank. You can go with 6 bulbs, but the fixture will pretty much span the whole top of your 55 gallon. 4 bulbs should be fine.

I'm an MH fan myself, so I'm biased towards MH. Having made that disclaimer, I would recommend a 48" fixture with 2 X 150 watt MH with supplementary actinic T5's. That should handle all types of coral, even SPS down to the substrate. I have a 72" version of one such fixture, and I have clams on the substrate, as well as a Bali acro (an SPS) on the bottom rocks doing well.

saltwater2999 · 05/30/2013, 11:58 PM

So I guess it's up to me which way I go. I found an MH on eBay for 300 but its bulbs are 250watt. It has 2x 250 watt with 4 built in t5 bulbs. And I know the light will span the whole tank I'm fine with that. I also plan on installing fans between the top of the tank and the bottom of the light to filter some of that air out of there

Palting · 05/31/2013, 04:37 AM

I have 150 watt MH plus T5's on my 30" tall mixed reef tank. 250 watts MH is a bit much for a 21" tall tank, IMO. It would be fine for an all SPS tank, but you'll have some difficulty keeping coral that require lower light levels, like some LPS and softies. You'll have to work on light acclimating these type of coral under those lights. You can elevate these lights about 10" from the top of the tank, I suppose, so that they won't bleach your coral. That elevation might actually work better if the lights span the whole top of your tank, since that will give you room to work in the tank without removing the lights.

Michigan Mike · 05/31/2013, 07:54 AM

I would stay away from eBay lights, anyway...

4x54w T5, buy a good light like a used TEK or New Wave, Aquaticlife, or ATI Sunpower, buy used - depending on your sign up date you shouldn't have to wait long before the selling classifieds are open to you.

2 150w halides would work great also, I bought 2 150w reef optix pendants with m-81 ballasts and bulbs for $100 used, you can't beat the price of used halides, but don't buy that odysea crap.

danil · 05/31/2013, 10:57 AM

+1 to skip 'odysea' adventure...

saltwater2999 · 05/31/2013, 03:40 PM

Like this kind of light would be fine for my 55 gallon tank http://amzn.com/B0030VD4OU

05/29/2013, 10:47 PM	#1
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	Light advice Is this light any good I want to be able to keep a wide variety of corals http://amzn.com/B00CLVAEC0

05/30/2013, 10:39 AM	#7
Reef_Knight Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: South Florida Posts: 70	Are the reefbreeders that good? I'm researching LED at the moment. __________________ 55gallon MH's Phoenix 14k Bulb+ATI T5's+12 RapidLed Marineland Canister-(Media Combination)-Coralife UV 2 Hydor Koralia 750

05/30/2013, 02:59 PM	#15
gsiegel Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Palm Beach County, Florida Posts: 922	Not cheap but love my vegas __________________ 300g mixed reef-BlueHippo/Midas&bicolorBenny/2FlameHawks/CoralBeauty/MagFoxFace/spotted rabbit/BlondNaso/2clowns/PurpleTang/chevron tang/2lyretails/wrasses-pintail,2flame,lineatus,radiant,pink margin,

05/30/2013, 09:32 PM	#18
TimeConsumer Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: New Orleans, La Posts: 1,919	With a 55g if you went with T5 you just need a 4x54w, so that will save you a little in bulbs and fixture. If you wanted to go that direction ATI is the best. When it comes to keeping SPS your lighting is very important, but so are a lot of other factors. You can get the best MH bulbs ballast and reflectors available, but get the water chemistry and movement wrong and still not be able to keep them alive. I'm a huge fan of T5 setups, so my opinion is a little biased towards that end. Were it me I would just check for used gear on RC, your local reef club, and craigslist to find a high quality T5, MH, or LED setup that is from a reputable brand. Oftentimes with used gear if you don't like it, you can sell it for almost the same amount you bought it for. __________________ Steve - Retired from reefing, for now.

05/30/2013, 10:43 PM	#20
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	T5's would be fine for a 21" tall tank. You can go with 6 bulbs, but the fixture will pretty much span the whole top of your 55 gallon. 4 bulbs should be fine. I'm an MH fan myself, so I'm biased towards MH. Having made that disclaimer, I would recommend a 48" fixture with 2 X 150 watt MH with supplementary actinic T5's. That should handle all types of coral, even SPS down to the substrate. I have a 72" version of one such fixture, and I have clams on the substrate, as well as a Bali acro (an SPS) on the bottom rocks doing well. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

05/29/2013, 10:57 PM	#2
hollister Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 2,037	This would be a mid level light and would support a wide variaty of coral...

05/30/2013, 12:31 AM	#3
drillsar Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Orange, NJ Posts: 2,838	why don't you go with reefbreeders value led fixture?

05/30/2013, 09:03 AM	#4
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	Well right now I have pc lights and it's time to upgrade to something better How much is the reefkeeper LEDs

05/30/2013, 09:46 AM	#5
drillsar Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Orange, NJ Posts: 2,838	http://reefbreeders.com/value_led_fixtures.html

05/30/2013, 10:09 AM	#6
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	And this fixture will be the best for coral. How is it compared to metal halide

05/30/2013, 10:48 AM	#8
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	I'm also trying to figure out if LEDs are the way to go. I know they are in the baby steps but if they are the way to go now I rather buy less now instead of the future

05/30/2013, 10:55 AM	#9
power boat jim Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Wisconsin, The big peninsula Posts: 2,100	Its 209.00 for the light, how much extra for the 6 T5 lights that go into it? I bet its another 100.00 for the bulbs. The LEDs look like a better deal in the long run.

05/30/2013, 10:56 AM	#10
drillsar Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: West Orange, NJ Posts: 2,838	I heard nothing but good things about reefbreeders. Look at the Photon's as well. What size tank this for?

05/30/2013, 11:41 AM	#11
danil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Concord, CA Posts: 935	I used all types of lights and I can say that MH with good bulb is the best to grow SPS. So if tank is small and all you need is just one 150wtt bulb I will go with MH. Still... if tank is bigger and required two/three 250watt bulbs I would go with LED. They are picky... and less forgiven then MH but they do work. LED will save you money on energy and bulbs cost. Energy saving is significant and for hot climate zone you'll get extra saving from not running chiller so often. Why LEDs are tricky? You have to find a balance between mixing well so many sources (individual leds) and PAR. This is still a challenge and typical led fixture will give you mix result here... you might have spikes and dips right next to each other. Corals don't like it. For that reason I think Kessil is doing something right so check them out.

05/30/2013, 12:31 PM	#12
Rustafar Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Weeki Wachee, Florida. Posts: 270	The light you linked to is a Oddysea fixture, I have the same one. The bulbs aren't the greatest and the ballasts are known to blow, while taking out the bulbs too. I had to replace the ballasts in mine and change bulbs. The best thing about the light is the built in timer which works well. The Reef Breeder light is nice but you will need to buy two fixtures to cover a 55 gallon tank, so that's $358.00. You can find the D120 Led on the Big Auction site for 159.00 ea. fully dimmable. Good Luck with the tank. Russ.

05/30/2013, 02:16 PM	#13
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	Alright I see where everyone has there opinions. So for right now should I upgrade to t5 6 bulb fixture, metal halide with 4 t5 bulbs or straight to LEDs

05/30/2013, 02:25 PM	#14
Rustafar Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Weeki Wachee, Florida. Posts: 270	The MH setup is a light that you can have pretty much any coral. I had a coralife 2x150 mh w/ 2x 96 w cf bulbs, nice light but I had to buy a chiller. MH lights produce tons of heat. With my T5 fixture I don't need the chiller,much cooler than MH. If you can afford the LED's, Go for it, no bulb replacement needed every 9-12 months. Check out the Chinese led post, lots of info. Good luck. Russ.

05/30/2013, 09:21 PM	#17
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	It's a true 55 gallon tank so 48x13x21. And I would like to keep the nicest looking corals so if they are sps then I want those

05/30/2013, 09:46 PM	#19
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	Alright thanks for all the info. So I should be fine with t5s for my 55 gallon to keep sps corals. As of right now I'm planing on getting sps in the future but first I want the light then I will focus on the water chemistry. Would a 6x54watt t5 light fixture be to much for the 55. I just want to use different type bulbs such as coral plus bulbs

05/30/2013, 11:58 PM	#21
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	So I guess it's up to me which way I go. I found an MH on eBay for 300 but its bulbs are 250watt. It has 2x 250 watt with 4 built in t5 bulbs. And I know the light will span the whole tank I'm fine with that. I also plan on installing fans between the top of the tank and the bottom of the light to filter some of that air out of there

05/31/2013, 04:37 AM	#22
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	I have 150 watt MH plus T5's on my 30" tall mixed reef tank. 250 watts MH is a bit much for a 21" tall tank, IMO. It would be fine for an all SPS tank, but you'll have some difficulty keeping coral that require lower light levels, like some LPS and softies. You'll have to work on light acclimating these type of coral under those lights. You can elevate these lights about 10" from the top of the tank, I suppose, so that they won't bleach your coral. That elevation might actually work better if the lights span the whole top of your tank, since that will give you room to work in the tank without removing the lights. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

05/31/2013, 07:54 AM	#23
Michigan Mike Freedom costs a buckofive Join Date: May 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,002	I would stay away from eBay lights, anyway... 4x54w T5, buy a good light like a used TEK or New Wave, Aquaticlife, or ATI Sunpower, buy used - depending on your sign up date you shouldn't have to wait long before the selling classifieds are open to you. 2 150w halides would work great also, I bought 2 150w reef optix pendants with m-81 ballasts and bulbs for $100 used, you can't beat the price of used halides, but don't buy that odysea crap.

05/31/2013, 10:57 AM	#24
danil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Concord, CA Posts: 935	+1 to skip 'odysea' adventure...

05/31/2013, 03:40 PM	#25
saltwater2999 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: illinios Posts: 170	Like this kind of light would be fine for my 55 gallon tank http://amzn.com/B0030VD4OU