Help us Decide! Redsea MAX 130d vs ELOS 20g Mini

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 02:09 PM

Hello,

I have my own large reef that I tend to, but lately my wife (recently joined the forums as N00bietanker) has been wanting to set up her own small tank in a room upstairs that she will be decorating with a modernish style.

She mostly wants to keep anemones/clowns but probably some LPS, and I might even stick some SPS frags in there to see what happens (if lighting is good enough).

Of course as a lover of DIY I offered to build it, but she's of the view that I already spend too much time on tank-related DIY projects so she'd rather just get a package deal and then make small tweaks as we need to.

After looking around, the Redsea MAX 130D and the ELOS 20g MINI are two top contenders.

Obviously we prefer the look and features of the ELOS.

Some advantages ELOS has:
A sump with topoff reservoir (vs all filtration crammed BEHIND the tank for redsea)
LED lighting system sounds much brighter than the 2 x 55w PowerCompact that the Redsea has. Can anybody verify that for me???
ELOS is a more attractive design to us

Redsea 130D: $750

http://www.marineandreef.com/Max_Com...ithcabinet.htm

ELOS 20g Mini: $1600

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewit...te=google_base

anybody care to talk us out of one or the other or suggest an alternate?

Thanks,
Ryan and Caroline

GSMguy · 02/26/2009, 02:13 PM

um, the mini.....................................

your kiddin right

? the mini is quality that will last the red sea is a chinese all in one with throw away equipment included.

you can get the mini for cheaper if you order it without the elite then you can have a nice 150W DE radium 20k over it...

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 02:16 PM

no not kidding, but she feels guilty over the higher price so I need others to help convince us that it would be worth it

good idea on replacing the lights.

but I'm still curious how much PAR the 18 x 3w fixture puts out.

GSMguy · 02/26/2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReefEnabler
no not kidding, but she feels guilty over the higher price so I need others to help convince us that it would be worth it

good idea on replacing the lights.

but I'm still curious how much PAR the 18 x 3w fixture puts out.

not sure on the par the elite is pretty nice, but i prefer open source technology like halides and t5 as apposed to proprietary stuff like the Elite. if anything goes wrong with a halide system you can have it back up and running in an hour tops, if the elite fails you could be waiting over a month.

i know you just had a child so money Isn't something you can just throw away right now, however i think the mini is pretty darn cool.

N00bietanker · 02/26/2009, 02:28 PM

lol yea the mini is cool lol....The design is perfect.... I just figuring how to fix this room I reall y want to start painting soon but im probally gonna not be able to since my husbands mom will be using that room in less then a week

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 02:29 PM

Found this thread with some PAR numbers:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1583247

The elite is putting out some pretty weak PAR numbers from 78cm

Diamond Lumenarc III with BLV of 400w 400 w 307 0,77
E-Power with Elos Spectra of 250w 250 w 382 (max 449 min 315) 1,53 (max 1.8 min 1.26)
E-lite 64 w 30 0.47
Pl of 39w 48 w 15 0.31

Yes at 78cm or ~30" the e-lite is putting out less than 10% the light a 400 lumenarc could push.

GSMguy · 02/26/2009, 02:30 PM

Hi Caroline, i didn't realize you were on here too.

hows the baby?

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 02:36 PM

where are you able to find the mini without the e-lite? I haven't been able to see that....

N00bietanker · 02/26/2009, 02:36 PM

Shes being fussy but we both have colds so it is understandable:-)....Yea i secretly started an account but didnt realize it keeps you signed on so the news is out....Its kinda like facebook for fish lol

GSMguy · 02/26/2009, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ReefEnabler
where are you able to find the mini without the e-lite? I haven't been able to see that....

i think you have to contact Jesse about custom orders.

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 03:21 PM

Ok I PM'd him.

According to him on the ElosUSA forums, the E-lite will be going on sale soon for $749???? Seems really expensive for 18x3w LEDs. FWIW the test I posted above was testing brightness near the "edge" of the hotspot, at 30", so I'm sure the elite does put out some good brightness in the center.

But maybe the Mini could be had for under $1000 without the e-lite? If so that would be awesome

A white Aquamedic oceanlight would go great on this tank.

N00bietanker · 02/26/2009, 04:09 PM

Oh no the conspiring here goes hours and hours of reefcentraling LOL

E.intheC · 02/26/2009, 07:26 PM

I would get the ELOS, for sure.. but if money is a deciding factor, which it looks like it is (from your posts).. why not get the solana?

stanlalee · 02/26/2009, 07:37 PM

dont like the solana? rimless euro look of the elos, price of the redsea but with metal halide lighting. has all the usual all in one features.

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 07:58 PM

doesn't matter to me but she really dislikes the black background in the solana. I suppose it could be painted white with some 2part epoxy paint I have left over.... Could pour it in for a smooth finish.

The stand would have to be painted white as well since I dont think they offer a white stand.

But I want to see if I get a reply from ElosUSA about the light-less Elos first. We might be able to get it at a cometitive price.

We already have one of these aquamedic oceanlight's that was going to be used for a coral QT tank that would be a good match for the elos:

E.intheC · 02/26/2009, 08:13 PM

that would be a good match. I really like those ELOS tanks. Too bad they're way out of my price range.

divewsharks · 02/26/2009, 09:17 PM

Have you seen the Elos in person? There is one in use/on display at a LFS near me (I'm not to far from Elos hq). The leds in that setup are putting out some very yellow light, not a bright white like i would expect, i would attribute it too there being only a few blue leds in the fixture. Other than that it is a very nice setup, the sump with built in topoff is really nice. In the display that I have seen, they do have a few SPS growing, however with the yellow light, their colors don't look the greatest.
One thing that i do find annoying is that when you look top down, you can see the reflection of the individual leds on the surface of the water, so you don't get a good top down visual, unless you turn the lights off (but that is also just person preference).
Getting it with MH would be the better option in my opinion (which as mentioned they do).

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 10:35 PM

Thanks for the info.

I got a reply from Jesse of ElosUSA and he suggested that I try contacting some retailers like MarineDepot, AquariumSpecialty and Premium Aquatics to see if any of them will offer without the E-lite.

Contacted and waiting to hear from them. Scott from AS usually gets back quick.

FWIW, if you find that the E-Lite is too yellow for certain SPS, you could get one of these for $50 (less on ebay):

http://www.divinelighting.com/par-38...2c3c2bc2cb8d7f

12 x 1w Blue LEDs
Puts out a fairly narrow beam of light with insane PAR. PAR levels stay above 1000 up to about 10" away. I am going to use some of these to supplement certain areas in my 220G tank

Depending on how much area you wanted to hit you might mount it pretty far away.

Runfrumu · 02/26/2009, 10:51 PM

I really like my "chinese all in one with throw away equipment included". BTW, arent msx skimmers made in china?

ReefEnabler · 02/26/2009, 10:53 PM

how difficult is it to access the back equipment? do you need to keep them away from the wall?

cpllongjk · 02/26/2009, 10:56 PM

I love the way elos products look, but youre paying for the name. Its a shame they charge so much for their tanks. And I personally dont think that led fixture can handle sps. Maybe some monti caps but i wouldnt think anything else.

N00bietanker · 02/27/2009, 05:37 AM

Yea the sleek design of the elos is nice...but the only draw back is the lighting which could easily be solved.....I like the look alot...the red sea is nice but cluttered and boxy I also dont like the black background.....The solana is nice if they made it white and had no backing....So hard so hard to choose....

livingstone · 02/27/2009, 08:12 AM

Ugly vs. gorgeous!

I'd happily wait to save enough for gorgeous even though it costs over twice as much.

pwoller · 02/27/2009, 08:37 AM

I would get the Elos, minus the light. I owned an RSM, it was ok after ripping all of the stock stuff out and replacing it with equipment that actually works. I've seen the Elos Mini with the elight and I loved the tank but the light is way too yellow for my tastes. If it were my money I would get the elos and hang a MH pendant over it.

E.intheC · 02/27/2009, 08:40 AM

I think the black background is something you can get used to. The cube I bought had the black background painted on (I bought used) and I was a bit concerned. I didn't like the looks, but now that the tank is setup it's something I'm starting to like.

Just something to consider. If you don't go with ELOS, I'd strong suggest going with the Solana

02/26/2009, 02:09 PM	#1
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	Help us Decide! Redsea MAX 130d vs ELOS 20g Mini Hello, I have my own large reef that I tend to, but lately my wife (recently joined the forums as N00bietanker) has been wanting to set up her own small tank in a room upstairs that she will be decorating with a modernish style. She mostly wants to keep anemones/clowns but probably some LPS, and I might even stick some SPS frags in there to see what happens (if lighting is good enough). Of course as a lover of DIY I offered to build it, but she's of the view that I already spend too much time on tank-related DIY projects so she'd rather just get a package deal and then make small tweaks as we need to. After looking around, the Redsea MAX 130D and the ELOS 20g MINI are two top contenders. Obviously we prefer the look and features of the ELOS. Some advantages ELOS has: A sump with topoff reservoir (vs all filtration crammed BEHIND the tank for redsea) LED lighting system sounds much brighter than the 2 x 55w PowerCompact that the Redsea has. Can anybody verify that for me??? ELOS is a more attractive design to us Redsea 130D: $750 http://www.marineandreef.com/Max_Com...ithcabinet.htm ELOS 20g Mini: $1600 http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewit...te=google_base anybody care to talk us out of one or the other or suggest an alternate? Thanks, Ryan and Caroline __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 02:13 PM	#2
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	um, the mini..................................... your kiddin right ? the mini is quality that will last the red sea is a chinese all in one with throw away equipment included. you can get the mini for cheaper if you order it without the elite then you can have a nice 150W DE radium 20k over it... __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

02/26/2009, 02:16 PM	#3
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	no not kidding, but she feels guilty over the higher price so I need others to help convince us that it would be worth it good idea on replacing the lights. but I'm still curious how much PAR the 18 x 3w fixture puts out. __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 02:29 PM	#6
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	Found this thread with some PAR numbers: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1583247 The elite is putting out some pretty weak PAR numbers from 78cm Diamond Lumenarc III with BLV of 400w 400 w 307 0,77 E-Power with Elos Spectra of 250w 250 w 382 (max 449 min 315) 1,53 (max 1.8 min 1.26) E-lite 64 w 30 0.47 Pl of 39w 48 w 15 0.31 Yes at 78cm or ~30" the e-lite is putting out less than 10% the light a 400 lumenarc could push. __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 02:30 PM	#7
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	Hi Caroline, i didn't realize you were on here too. hows the baby? __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

02/26/2009, 02:28 PM	#5
N00bietanker Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NC Posts: 127	lol yea the mini is cool lol....The design is perfect.... I just figuring how to fix this room I reall y want to start painting soon but im probally gonna not be able to since my husbands mom will be using that room in less then a week

02/26/2009, 02:36 PM	#8
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	where are you able to find the mini without the e-lite? I haven't been able to see that.... __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 03:21 PM	#11
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	Ok I PM'd him. According to him on the ElosUSA forums, the E-lite will be going on sale soon for $749???? Seems really expensive for 18x3w LEDs. FWIW the test I posted above was testing brightness near the "edge" of the hotspot, at 30", so I'm sure the elite does put out some good brightness in the center. But maybe the Mini could be had for under $1000 without the e-lite? If so that would be awesome A white Aquamedic oceanlight would go great on this tank. __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 04:09 PM	#12
N00bietanker Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NC Posts: 127	Oh no the conspiring here goes hours and hours of reefcentraling LOL

02/26/2009, 07:26 PM	#13
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	I would get the ELOS, for sure.. but if money is a deciding factor, which it looks like it is (from your posts).. why not get the solana? __________________ -Eric

02/26/2009, 07:37 PM	#14
stanlalee Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: hampton roads, va Posts: 1,799	dont like the solana? rimless euro look of the elos, price of the redsea but with metal halide lighting. has all the usual all in one features.

02/26/2009, 07:58 PM	#15
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	doesn't matter to me but she really dislikes the black background in the solana. I suppose it could be painted white with some 2part epoxy paint I have left over.... Could pour it in for a smooth finish. The stand would have to be painted white as well since I dont think they offer a white stand. But I want to see if I get a reply from ElosUSA about the light-less Elos first. We might be able to get it at a cometitive price. We already have one of these aquamedic oceanlight's that was going to be used for a coral QT tank that would be a good match for the elos: __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 08:13 PM	#16
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	that would be a good match. I really like those ELOS tanks. Too bad they're way out of my price range. __________________ -Eric

02/26/2009, 09:17 PM	#17
divewsharks Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,905	Have you seen the Elos in person? There is one in use/on display at a LFS near me (I'm not to far from Elos hq). The leds in that setup are putting out some very yellow light, not a bright white like i would expect, i would attribute it too there being only a few blue leds in the fixture. Other than that it is a very nice setup, the sump with built in topoff is really nice. In the display that I have seen, they do have a few SPS growing, however with the yellow light, their colors don't look the greatest. One thing that i do find annoying is that when you look top down, you can see the reflection of the individual leds on the surface of the water, so you don't get a good top down visual, unless you turn the lights off (but that is also just person preference). Getting it with MH would be the better option in my opinion (which as mentioned they do).

02/26/2009, 10:35 PM	#18
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	Thanks for the info. I got a reply from Jesse of ElosUSA and he suggested that I try contacting some retailers like MarineDepot, AquariumSpecialty and Premium Aquatics to see if any of them will offer without the E-lite. Contacted and waiting to hear from them. Scott from AS usually gets back quick. FWIW, if you find that the E-Lite is too yellow for certain SPS, you could get one of these for $50 (less on ebay): http://www.divinelighting.com/par-38...2c3c2bc2cb8d7f 12 x 1w Blue LEDs Puts out a fairly narrow beam of light with insane PAR. PAR levels stay above 1000 up to about 10" away. I am going to use some of these to supplement certain areas in my 220G tank Depending on how much area you wanted to hit you might mount it pretty far away. __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 10:51 PM	#19
Runfrumu Hi Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NC Posts: 1,014	I really like my "chinese all in one with throw away equipment included". BTW, arent msx skimmers made in china? __________________ Red Sea Max 130d and 125 gallon mixed reef. Current Tank Info: 125 gallon oceanic tank, Lighthouse Pro XLS, 72" outer orbit fixture, H&S 150-F2000/1 skimmer, H&S 110 Calcium Reactor, Tunze 7096, 2 Tunze 6105's , Tunze Osmolator, Prime 1/4hp drop-in chiller. 5 years running. Red Sea Max, 3 years.

02/26/2009, 10:53 PM	#20
ReefEnabler Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 3,760	how difficult is it to access the back equipment? do you need to keep them away from the wall? __________________ - Ryan B "that is enough skimmate to ruin lives." - GSMguy Current Tank Info: 220g Display, 70g sump, 35g frag, 50g fuge, 2x250w MH, 1x400w MH, 2x80w T5, 2x140w VHO Actinic

02/26/2009, 10:56 PM	#21
cpllongjk Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Modesto, Ca Posts: 1,066	I love the way elos products look, but youre paying for the name. Its a shame they charge so much for their tanks. And I personally dont think that led fixture can handle sps. Maybe some monti caps but i wouldnt think anything else.

02/27/2009, 05:37 AM	#22
N00bietanker Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NC Posts: 127	Yea the sleek design of the elos is nice...but the only draw back is the lighting which could easily be solved.....I like the look alot...the red sea is nice but cluttered and boxy I also dont like the black background.....The solana is nice if they made it white and had no backing....So hard so hard to choose....

02/27/2009, 08:12 AM	#23
livingstone Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Oneonta NY Posts: 222	Ugly vs. gorgeous! I'd happily wait to save enough for gorgeous even though it costs over twice as much. __________________ Dan Current Tank Info: 150 'cube'

02/27/2009, 08:37 AM	#24
pwoller Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 1,163	I would get the Elos, minus the light. I owned an RSM, it was ok after ripping all of the stock stuff out and replacing it with equipment that actually works. I've seen the Elos Mini with the elight and I loved the tank but the light is way too yellow for my tastes. If it were my money I would get the elos and hang a MH pendant over it.

02/27/2009, 08:40 AM	#25
E.intheC Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 5,373	I think the black background is something you can get used to. The cube I bought had the black background painted on (I bought used) and I was a bit concerned. I didn't like the looks, but now that the tank is setup it's something I'm starting to like. Just something to consider. If you don't go with ELOS, I'd strong suggest going with the Solana __________________ -Eric