Lighting opinion

[Steve190]

I am setting up a 125 gal and want to use it as a reef tank. I have been scouring the web for a light but can't decide on what is best. What would you recommend?

 

[huma-huma]

Led if your budget Can fit it. You could buy a premade unit, but its going to set you back several hundred dollars. You could also check out sites like rapidled.com for diy led fixtures. They offer a decent variety of necessary equipment and can even print out a proper wiring diagram specific to your system. It will prob cost half as much and youll still get great results

 

[Mebbid]

Check out these chinese LEDs

New Dimmable 120W Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank White Blue LED Light White US | eBay

More and more people are starting to use these lights and they are growing in popularity. They are highly effective for their price tag.

 

[Holygral]

Razors on my 125

 

[huma-huma]

Id just be careful with looking at led fixtures such as this one mentioned. Its extremely easy to get suckered into paying for a junk piece of equipment. Even at 100-150 a piece, id hate to see someone spend theoney only to have the piece fail prematurely. If you find a fixture on ebay/amazon etc. try to find someone with that exact fixture. Ask them about it and get a feel for the product before committing, its way too easy for these overseas companies to ship you a product and disappear into the wind. This one here seems to be of decent quality. Only thing id question is 1) what brand are the leds and 2) what exact model of cree or bridgelux board arethey using.

 

[mr_X]

They are all made by the same manufacturer, and rebranded. Those units above are fine.

 

[Steve190]

Check out these chinese LEDs

New Dimmable 120W Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank White Blue LED Light White US | eBay

More and more people are starting to use these lights and they are growing in popularity. They are highly effective for their price tag.

Thinking two of these would be enough light, one on each side

 

[mr_X]

No. You will definitely need 3.

 

[Steve190]

Was looking at these also http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=310700789758&cmd=VIDESC

 

[mr_X]

They will also work. It's the same unit, with some different colors in it, and 90 degree lenses. Either one will work fine.

 

[Crazycajun]

I just bought those. Love them and super bright.

 

[huma-huma]

I find it hard to believe that they are all the same units and they are just rebranded.

 

[mr_X]

I find it hard to believe that they are all the same units and they are just rebranded.

They are all the exact same cases, fans, diodes, splash screens, knobs, switches, and hanging hardware. I don't know what else to say.

 

[huma-huma]

I understand what you Meant by the statement, and im saying that its hard for me to believe that out of all the prob 1000's of generic led fixtures available that they are all the same. Sure they may share some parts or the casing, but i highly doubt they are all the same. Even if the parts look similar, how are we to know if the company doesnt manufacture their own parts? Id still do my research and talk to previous owners of a fixture before buying it, regardless of how similar it looks to another unit

 

[mr_X]

I have 4 different units from 4 different vendors, and they are all the same. One has the colored LEDs, but other than that, no differences. Same PAR numbers from all also.

 

[Stlrockguy]

Mr X. How high do you keep your dimmables. I just got one and waiting on my second to come in

 

[mr_X]

8"-10" off of the water.

 

[Stlrockguy]

I ment like 50%

 

[huma-huma]

I believe he means at what percentage do you run them.

 

[Stlrockguy]

Yea right now I have just the one running about 25% on whites and a little more for the blues and it is bright