Good lighting

Miamireefs · 07/26/2015, 11:23 AM

Hello all,

I'm upgrading my tank. I'm going from a 46 bow front to an 80 bow front.
I'm undecided about the new lighting fixture I should
Get. I was recommended the hydras 52, which I love but I was wondering if there any other type comparable in quality and price ???

mudskipper1 · 07/26/2015, 08:34 PM

I have an onyx fixture from rapidLED, and I like it, and have had good success growing SPS under it. It is a little over half the price, which is a plus as well.

Ron Reefman · 07/27/2015, 06:39 AM

For a $100 less you can get a single 32" or 48" fixture with more leds and a built-in controller that will do sunrise/sunset/ moonlights. I've had 3 of these over 2 tanks for over 30 months and they have never caused any issues. Look at OceanRevive, ReefBreeders and ReefRadiance who are all sponsors here. Most of the fixtures all 3 companies sell are made by EverGrow.

kenpau · 07/27/2015, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miamireefs

Hello all,

I'm upgrading my tank. I'm going from a 46 bow front to an 80 bow front.
I'm undecided about the new lighting fixture I should
Get. I was recommended the hydras 52, which I love but I was wondering if there any other type comparable in quality and price ???

Lighting is one of those things you have to spend money on IMO. I haven't been through all the tank journals on here but I'd be willing to bet that out of the really successful tanks there won't be many, if any, running 'cheaper' LED lighting. I used to have Hydra52s before I upgraded, great lights but you do need to make sure you have enough to fully cover the whole tank, there is quite a steep drop off in PAR from the centre point with them. Similar class products would Radions and Kessils IMO.
Huge advantage of Hydra52s is that they're Apex ready which is a far better controller that the AI Director.

Jimmydks · 07/27/2015, 12:54 PM

+1 spend the money and get the right lights the first time. The last thing you want to do is spend more money by getting the wrong light.

Ron Reefman · 07/28/2015, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenpau

Lighting is one of those things you have to spend money on IMO. I haven't been through all the tank journals on here but I'd be willing to bet that out of the really successful tanks there won't be many, if any, running 'cheaper' LED lighting.

Maybe a few years ago, but many of the "cheaper" leds do great at PAR and coverage. I agree there are some 'name brands' that still sell junk leds, Marineland and Current to name a couple. But they are easy to pick out if you just look at the wattage of their leds (0.3 watts vs 3.0 watts) and the color ranges (just 1 spectrum of white and one of blue vs 2 or 3 whites and 2 or 3 blues along with some violet... reds and greens don't do much).

I've been running 'cheaper' leds for over 3 years now, after 5 years of MH and 7 years on fluorescents before that. My 180g reef is very 'successful' with 80% sps and 20% lps.

http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps595e50ae.jpg

07/26/2015, 11:23 AM	#1
Miamireefs Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Miami Posts: 1	Good lighting Hello all, I'm upgrading my tank. I'm going from a 46 bow front to an 80 bow front. I'm undecided about the new lighting fixture I should Get. I was recommended the hydras 52, which I love but I was wondering if there any other type comparable in quality and price ???

07/26/2015, 08:34 PM	#2
mudskipper1 Trust Me I'm an Engineer Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan Posts: 1,085	I have an onyx fixture from rapidLED, and I like it, and have had good success growing SPS under it. It is a little over half the price, which is a plus as well. __________________ -Eric kazyakphoto.zenfolio.com Current Tank Info: 11 gallon DIY acrylic cube and 20L displays plumbed to a single sump, Kessil, Onyx, MP10, RKL

07/27/2015, 06:39 AM	#3
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	For a $100 less you can get a single 32" or 48" fixture with more leds and a built-in controller that will do sunrise/sunset/ moonlights. I've had 3 of these over 2 tanks for over 30 months and they have never caused any issues. Look at OceanRevive, ReefBreeders and ReefRadiance who are all sponsors here. Most of the fixtures all 3 companies sell are made by EverGrow. __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

07/27/2015, 12:54 PM	#5
Jimmydks Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 3	+1 spend the money and get the right lights the first time. The last thing you want to do is spend more money by getting the wrong light. __________________ do it right, do it light; do it wrong do it long Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef w/ Australian elegance coral, frogspawn, chalice, rock flower anemone, RBTA, space invader pectura, regular pectura, superman montipora, hammer coral, blastomussa