Ecoxotic MarinePro LEDs

[Microcosmos]

I just ordered this from my LFS (I know they mark up but I also know they get their shipments in pristine condition, plus I like keeping a good LFS going). I will post here once I get them set up and let you all know my take on them. Right now I have a crappy LED that doesn't have all of its bulbs working (took three weeks for that to happen, but I haven't been able to afford an upgrade until now). I dropped $1,075.00 on a 24" MarinePro with three 12,000K white modules, two actinic modules, and one actinic/magenta module. The purchase includes the wall and stand mounts. No controller at this time, but maybe down the road; I figure I can plug the lights into the timer I am using now and won't immediately need storm or moonlight effects.
Here is what my tank looks like now; I'll post a new shot once the lights are installed.

[Microcosmos]

Thought I'd throw one more pic in here this little guy was hiding in the first pic:

[rtparty]

You could have gotten a Radion for much cheaper and been much happier in the end.

I've had Ecoxotic stuff for over 2 years now and only use on my freshwater tank. They are way behind in the LED game.

Hate to sound so harsh but I'd return it in a heart beat and get a better fixture with more control, for cheaper.

[Microcosmos]

Thanks rtparty! I did look at other fixtures, and the LFS did mention their features, but I went with the Ecoxotic... I agree it's more expensive, but I am hoping it will be worth it. I'll post here when it arrives, and post new pics too.

[HurricaneSystem]

Micro I hate to tell you this, but your LFS took you to the cleaners.

That fixture isn't worth over $400.00.

[Microcosmos]

Hmmm... I couldn't find online prices that much less than what I paid for six modules, the hood, and the stand and wall mounts. I'd love to know where you found prices like that!!! (P.S. I don't do eBay or Craigslist.)

[slipknot23]

look here http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-s...704?s=ts&r=877

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by Microcosmos

Thanks rtparty! I did look at other fixtures, and the LFS did mention their features, but I went with the Ecoxotic... I agree it's more expensive, but I am hoping it will be worth it. I'll post here when it arrives, and post new pics too.

I'm just telling you my experience. After 18 months of usage, they came down. One big failure IMO.

[Microcosmos]

Originally Posted by slipknot23

look here http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-s...704?s=ts&r=877

Thanks slipknot23! That is actually the site I used to do some of my research into the lights. The prices are way cheaper, but I've had bad experiences with shipping damage from them (AquaPod 24 gallon fish tank arrived shattered twice before I gave up and ordered it at a premium from my LFS). I think it's worth the markup, which is not tiny but not as bad when you add in the wall and stand mounts. Still yeah it's definitely a markup. But the LFS was honest about it and tried to talk me into something cheaper. I just had stars in my eyes I guess.

[Microcosmos]

Originally Posted by rtparty

I'm just telling you my experience. After 18 months of usage, they came down. One big failure IMO.

I appreciate your input rtparty, and I'll definitely keep everybody posted with how they do for me. I am hopeful that the quality has improved with the new model.

[evolutionZ]

Wow.. Could've saved a lot more if u went reef breeders. Much much better reliability.

[Microcosmos]

Probably. But this way I get to pick them up in person and talk to somebody face-to-face. I'll be honest I want my tank to have lots of corals in it eventually. I have tank envy. I have no problem keeping non-photosynthetic critters alive (unless the power goes out, lost two fishes to that recently; or unless they jump, even with my glass top I've lost two Toby puffers that way I'll keep away from known jumpers from now on and in my mind that now includes Tobys), but ever since I moved to a place with no windows near the tank the LEDs I have aren't helping the shrooms in the tank to grow. I'm hopeful that the new lights will enable me to keep all sorts of light-loving inverts.

[that Fish Guy]

Um the light is $426.55

And I believe it is map pricing meaning they have to charge that price exactly (No Less No More).

If you paid 1,075 you got ripped off.

I understand that you want to support your LFS which is great.

Yes, you have to pay tax but they cannot change map price.

For instance Ecoxotic Stunner Strips are sold for the same price at my LFS as they are online. You just have to pay tax. But you do not have to wait for them to arrive.

Ecotech, Kessil, and AI stuff are sold at my LFS for the same as the online price.

Your LFS can and should have their ecoxotic licsense pulled.

I would demand that they lower the price to $426.55 or I will file a claim with Ecoxotic.

What they are doing is against policy.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by that Fish Guy

Um the light is $426.55

And I believe it is map pricing meaning they have to charge that price exactly (No Less No More).

If you paid 1,075 you got ripped off.

I understand that you want to support your LFS which is great.

Yes, you have to pay tax but they cannot change map price.

For instance Ecoxotic Stunner Strips are sold for the same price at my LFS as they are online. You just have to pay tax. But you do not have to wait for them to arrive.

Ecotech, Kessil, and AI stuff are sold at my LFS for the same as the online price.

Your LFS can and should have their ecoxotic licsense pulled.

I would demand that they lower the price to $426.55 or I will file a claim with Ecoxotic.

What they are doing is against policy.

MAP is Minimum Advertised Price. Minimum being the key word.

Retailers can charge whatever they want. We live in a capitalistic society. Companies with MAP styled pricing are just trying to even the playing field between online vendors and brick and mortar stores. Even then they can't tell a store what they're allowed to sell goods for. They can just decide to no longer sell to that specific vendor if they aren't following MAP policy that the store agreed to.

Yes, the OP got totally ripped off but it is their money and they are free to spend it however they want.

[evolutionZ]

Good luck with the light set then! Had heard nothing but trouble about that.. I myself have 2 stunner strips gone bad in less than 1 year.

[taphil]

Sorry to say, but those lights are awful. Individual LEDs will start to burn out in a few months. The epoxy covering the LEDs will start breaking down and brown from the heat, and will turn black where the burnt out LEDs are. The company will happily send you replacement strips and they don't care what you do with the old strips because they aren't worth repairing. The strips put out unfocused and widespread light that may not be ideal for all corals. The ratio you have is probably more white/yellow than is pleasing to the eyes or for corals. You have no control control aside from a dimmer. And you paid double.

There are many options that offer better LEDs, more power, more spectrum, more control, more quality, more reliability, and active fan cooling at a fraction of the price.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by taphil

Sorry to say, but those lights are awful. Individual LEDs will start to burn out in a few months. The epoxy covering the LEDs will start breaking down and brown from the heat, and will turn black where the burnt out LEDs are. The company will happily send you replacement strips and they don't care what you do with the old strips because they aren't worth repairing. The strips put out unfocused and widespread light that may not be ideal for all corals. The ratio you have is probably more white/yellow than is pleasing to the eyes or for corals. You have no control control aside from a dimmer. And you paid double.

There are many options that offer better LEDs, more power, more spectrum, more control, more quality, more reliability, and active fan cooling at a fraction of the price.

I think it's a very broad statement to say that the LEDs will positively fail.

How are my 2 year old strips still going without a single failure? I've got at least 8 modules and 8 stunners and not one single LED has failed on anything. So how can you say for certain that they all fail? Because yours failed?

We are on a forum where people come to complain. It's just the nature of humans and the internet. People want to complain and be negative. It's that simple.

I have first hand knowledge that there are thousands upon thousands of units that have never failed on people. A few people on the internet doesn't make up the entire sales of Ecoxotic. Especially here on RC where we are not even a drop in the bucket for them.

If you do your own research and actually look at what they provide, you will see they were some of the first to offer LEDs in other colors besides the standard blue/white combo. It took AI years to finally introduce other colors. Yet, they are revered in the hobby like they did something great. When in reality they just copied what many others have already done.

Ecoxotic had multiple blues, multiple whites, magenta and near UV from the get go. They were some of the very first, if not, the very first to introduce the violet end of things.

You want the ACTUAL downside to them? The modular approach they have is great but also the biggest downfall as well. To get what you truly need costs a fortune after you've added everything in. You have to add a couple extra modules and additional stunner strips to create the full spectrum from them. At that point there are wires running all over the place that you now have to deal with and make look clean. Then you have to remember what every freaking wire is and hook everything up properly. Just when you've got that down, you then have to figure out how many modules can go on a power supply and sort it all out. Now you have numerous plugs running all over the place and your only control is some timers. Even if you buy the one touch controller your options are extremely limited on how it all works.

That's the true negative to their system. Not LED failures because of operator error.

[taphil]

Originally Posted by rtparty

If you do your own research and actually look at what they provide, you will see they were some of the first to offer LEDs in other colors besides the standard blue/white combo. It took AI years to finally introduce other colors. Yet, they are revered in the hobby like they did something great. When in reality they just copied what many others have already done.

Who cares what they did back then? AI has a positive reputation now because of what they offer now.

[that Fish Guy]

Originally Posted by rtparty

MAP is Minimum Advertised Price. Minimum being the key word.

Retailers can charge whatever they want. We live in a capitalistic society. Companies with MAP styled pricing are just trying to even the playing field between online vendors and brick and mortar stores. Even then they can't tell a store what they're allowed to sell goods for. They can just decide to no longer sell to that specific vendor if they aren't following MAP policy that the store agreed to.

Yes, the OP got totally ripped off but it is their money and they are free to spend it however they want.

Thank you for clarifying that.

But at the same time every LFS that I have ever been to sells MAP stuff for the same price as Online.

Why not go to another LFS and support them while saving yourself money?

Common Sense.

[rtparty]

Originally Posted by that Fish Guy

Thank you for clarifying that.

But at the same time every LFS that I have ever been to sells MAP stuff for the same price as Online.

Why not go to another LFS and support them while saving yourself money?

Common Sense.

I totally agree with you. Just wanted to clarify what MAP usually is.

[Microcosmos]

Thanks for all of the replies! Good points made. About the crappy quality of the lights, as I said before I'm hoping that their newest stuff is better. As to the jumble of wires, that can be said for any modular lighting system I'll bet. Now for some good news! I called the store to confirm that the order was being placed by the general manager (he wasn't there at the time and he is the only one who actually orders the lights), and he told me that the clerk who rang me up overcharged the heck out of me! I know, old news there, but then he said he would be able to knock $175 off the price and include the controller!! Which makes me very happy. I already paid and I know I'll spend more $$$ there so I just asked for store credit for the difference. So, I got the 24" Marine Panorama Pro from Ecoxotic plus the extra module (6 modules total), the wall mount and the stand mount (can't do the stand mount without the wall mount), and the controller with remote for $900. It's still pricey but right now I'm in the position to put most of my tax return right into my fish tank so to speak, so I did it. Been wanting to do this for years, and I'm hoping it works out. The order was officially placed today, I'll have new pics of the new setup in a week or so. Thanks again for everybody's opinions, I'm hoping to give a good solid review of the initial setup, and I plan to post when things go well or not so well down the road too.

[Microcosmos]

Some pics of the new setup!! Water's cloudy for now but I'm expecting it to settle...

[that Fish Guy]

Pictures are not Showing Up.

Click Edit and then Manage Attachments to add Pictures.

[Microcosmos]

Here's a more recent one... Hmmm that Fish Guy I'm using Tapatalk on my phone to upload pictures maybe that's why... I'll see if I can re-upload them when I'm near a desktop machine...

[Microcosmos]

Here's another one at full brightness from a distance...

So far all of the fish have adjusted (except for the flame angel, I lost that one in transit, lots of temp changes did it I'm guessing). The clown is way more active, but that could be due to the missing angel too. The others seem normal, and the few mushrooms in there seem to be loving the extra light. I'll keep you posted as the inevitable algae blooms happen...