So many lights to choose from...... Which one to go with?

J

jmun

New member
So, I've been into salt takes on and off for 20 years now (mostly off due to my stint in the army) and have purchased a new tank upgrade from my current 35 gal. I've been successful with fish and would like to make this new tank into a minireef. Always wanted to try one and the time is now. My question is, which lights? Leaning towards LED because its cheap to run without the heat some of the other lights generate. But even with it narrowed down to LED, what brand(s) and how much blue do I run? Thanks upfront for any input guys and gals.
 
Yea what u setting up
I bought the 32" maxspect razor 160watt
It's a real nice light
Runs cool and easy to set up
But if you have a center brace on your new tank I don't recommend it cause there is a center light in the razor which gets blocked
 
As far as blue lights, its all to the taste of your corals and you. PAR is also depending what type of corals you plan to have. As said above tank size matters also.
 
I too really like my Maxspect Razor 160w. That is the only LED that I've had for my tanks, so that's all i can go on. That being said, research a lot! Then go with what fits your budget, build, and style. Don't pay too much attention to prices, except for your budget. What i mean by that is, just because a unit is cheaper, doesn't mean it is crappy or won't work. And just because a unit is expensive, doesn't mean it will be great.

Good luck!
 
Herbie said:
You will get a ton of different and varying opinions on this and there are certainly o lot of great products. After I did extensive research I ended up with one of these: http://coralcompulsion.com/led/led-120w-full on my 2x2 tank. I absolutely love it and so do my corals. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I have the same fixture above and love it.. Also like that I can deal with somebody local and customer service is great :thumbup::thumbup:

But theirs a groub buy going on right now..

http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=154399

I seen this fixture a few times and some of the functions are great.. PARR readings are good as with above fixture also..

So hope this information helped ;)
 
I'm not sure what your budget is, but there are inexpensive multi-chip lights you can buy that come in 10, 20, 30, 50, and 100w versions with color spectrums for reef tanks. Rule of thumb for you; 10k spectrum will give you the most growth, but something in the 455-460nm range will give your corals color vibrance. With the multi-chip LEDs, you can mix and match to give both and it won't cost you an arm and a leg. You could even do a 14k spectrum 50w and I am betting that will suffice your 35 gallon setup. You can get that kit for around $50-75 which will include heatsink, cooling fan, driver and 90 degree optics. Optics are easy to understand. Think of a 90 degree bend, the joining point would be your LED and the angle the lines go in would be your spread. Bigger number, bigger spread, with decreased intensity. Smaller number, smaller spread with increased intensity. You can search them on Ebay. I have researched them extensively and seen some of the nicest sps and mixed reefs I've ever seen, using them. Don't let people scare you eith "you get what you pay for". For $50, I can replace that unit every year if needed, and still match what they paid over 10yrs. Luckily, they most likely WON'T break once a year, and you come out very far ahead. Multi-chips are the LED future IMO. Google led ac-rc and browse your options! Good luck!
 
Budget is pretty flexible; been saving my change for a year and got 1500 or so in the bank. Tank is a 120 gal 1/4 round corner tank
 
If you wanna see the AI sol blues on a reef tank in Lemont your welcome anytime.
replaced 1600 watts of radiums with 3 of the sol units and have not thought twice about it besides wishing i could get money from the last bulb change back.
The corals dont notice the 1500 watts missing but the Com Ed bill does.
 
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