Lighting for 120

StephenInVa · 06/07/2018, 07:20 PM

I'm setting up a new Marineland 120 (4x2x2) and I'm in the market for a new light. I plan to have the tank full of SPS and I've had good luck in the past with T5's but these new fangled LED's have me intrigued. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a ATI 8x54 dimmable fixture but I'm having second thoughts with a couple of the LED fixtures I'm seeing. More specifically the Maxspect RAZOR X R5 300W LED FIXTURE and the Reef Breeders Photon 48-V2. Anyone used either of these on a 120? Think it would be amble light for SPS to thrive?

tom obrecht · 06/09/2018, 12:14 PM

Personally I’m a halide T5 guy myself...however I have tried a couple different LED options in the past and didn’t like them as well. However many here use them and swear by them. Why not use both with an ATI led/T5 combo fixture. Otherwise I’d have to suggest sticking with what you have used in the past. Just my $.02.

rocsec1 · 06/10/2018, 07:51 PM

I have two radions and two, two blue t5’s and it works great.

LQT · 06/11/2018, 11:36 AM

For a full on SPS tank, your choice of the 8x54 ATI fixture is optimal. If you go LED only, you’ll need twice the number of fixtures that the manufacturers typically recommend. That’s why so many are now supplementing their LEDs with T5s. As frags grow into colonies, shadowing becomes a real concern with LED only systems when an inadequate number of fixtures are used.

Ron Reefman · 06/11/2018, 05:42 PM

I had a 120g 5'x2'x20" tank full of sps, lots and lots of sps and the only fixture required was a Reef Breeders Photon V2. And now the V2+ has even better sunrise/sunset ability. But the key issue is, I had 150 PAR at the sandbed and could grow acros with no issues.

But then one night my chiller came on and the thermostat failed, so it never turned off. At 6am when I got up I had a big pool of condensation on the tile floor and the tank was below 60F. At that point 80% of my sps were already white skeletons. Twelve hours later 95% were dead and the only survivors were a few encrusting sps colonies. I assume because the rocks held some heat that the water didn't? After that, the tank became all zoas and it was like Pandora at night (think the movie Avatar) when the blue leds were on and the house was dark. It was beautiful!

And the Photon V2+ is probably the least expensive of the fixtures you're considering. You could get away with a 32", but if you really want all sps from end to end, a 48" is probably a better choice. I'm setting up a new 50g cube and I'll do another Photon V2 without even thinking about it. IMHO they are that good!

StephenInVa · 06/11/2018, 05:52 PM

Thanks guys. I'm leaning really hard toward the ATI T5. I have 2 others already of different sizes and the light they put out is great. Still so tempting to give LED's a try though just for the price difference. Cheaper is not usually better when it comes to reefing I've found.

StephenInVa · 07/01/2018, 09:07 PM

Ended up deciding on the ATI 8x54 dimmable after going back and forth for weeks between it and a reef breeders fixture. I'm just not ready for the future yet I reckon.

Integraonly · 07/08/2018, 08:29 PM

Glad you went with the ATI that’s what I’m running on 2 of my tanks and I’m very happy with the growth compared to my LED only tank.

StephenInVa · 07/10/2018, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Integraonly

Glad you went with the ATI that’s what I’m running on 2 of my tanks and I’m very happy with the growth compared to my LED only tank.

I have a couple of them and I've been very happy. Figure if it's not broke then I don't need to fix it.

06/07/2018, 07:20 PM	#1
StephenInVa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The Commonwealth Posts: 405	Lighting for 120 I'm setting up a new Marineland 120 (4x2x2) and I'm in the market for a new light. I plan to have the tank full of SPS and I've had good luck in the past with T5's but these new fangled LED's have me intrigued. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a ATI 8x54 dimmable fixture but I'm having second thoughts with a couple of the LED fixtures I'm seeing. More specifically the Maxspect RAZOR X R5 300W LED FIXTURE and the Reef Breeders Photon 48-V2. Anyone used either of these on a 120? Think it would be amble light for SPS to thrive?

06/09/2018, 12:14 PM	#2
tom obrecht Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: WI Posts: 3,014	Personally I’m a halide T5 guy myself...however I have tried a couple different LED options in the past and didn’t like them as well. However many here use them and swear by them. Why not use both with an ATI led/T5 combo fixture. Otherwise I’d have to suggest sticking with what you have used in the past. Just my $.02. __________________ Reef keeping is where Murphy's Law and your bank account collide!! TOTM May 2006

06/11/2018, 11:36 AM	#4
LQT Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Fairfield, CT Posts: 1,516	For a full on SPS tank, your choice of the 8x54 ATI fixture is optimal. If you go LED only, you’ll need twice the number of fixtures that the manufacturers typically recommend. That’s why so many are now supplementing their LEDs with T5s. As frags grow into colonies, shadowing becomes a real concern with LED only systems when an inadequate number of fixtures are used. __________________ - Leon (aka - Water Dog) Deep Blue 57 Edge ATI Acro Garden Build Thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=25573384#post25573384 Current Tank Info: DeepBlue 57 Edge

06/11/2018, 05:42 PM	#5
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	I had a 120g 5'x2'x20" tank full of sps, lots and lots of sps and the only fixture required was a Reef Breeders Photon V2. And now the V2+ has even better sunrise/sunset ability. But the key issue is, I had 150 PAR at the sandbed and could grow acros with no issues. But then one night my chiller came on and the thermostat failed, so it never turned off. At 6am when I got up I had a big pool of condensation on the tile floor and the tank was below 60F. At that point 80% of my sps were already white skeletons. Twelve hours later 95% were dead and the only survivors were a few encrusting sps colonies. I assume because the rocks held some heat that the water didn't? After that, the tank became all zoas and it was like Pandora at night (think the movie Avatar) when the blue leds were on and the house was dark. It was beautiful! And the Photon V2+ is probably the least expensive of the fixtures you're considering. You could get away with a 32", but if you really want all sps from end to end, a 48" is probably a better choice. I'm setting up a new 50g cube and I'll do another Photon V2 without even thinking about it. IMHO they are that good! __________________ 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

06/10/2018, 07:51 PM	#3
rocsec1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Medina oh Posts: 1,782	I have two radions and two, two blue t5’s and it works great.

06/11/2018, 05:52 PM	#6
StephenInVa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The Commonwealth Posts: 405	Thanks guys. I'm leaning really hard toward the ATI T5. I have 2 others already of different sizes and the light they put out is great. Still so tempting to give LED's a try though just for the price difference. Cheaper is not usually better when it comes to reefing I've found.

07/01/2018, 09:07 PM	#7
StephenInVa Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The Commonwealth Posts: 405	Ended up deciding on the ATI 8x54 dimmable after going back and forth for weeks between it and a reef breeders fixture. I'm just not ready for the future yet I reckon.

07/08/2018, 08:29 PM	#8
Integraonly Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2018 Posts: 10	Glad you went with the ATI that’s what I’m running on 2 of my tanks and I’m very happy with the growth compared to my LED only tank.