Which led for me?

[Mikalicious209]

Ok im upgrading my 12g edge to a 46 bow. Im wanting my 3 acroporas to thrive, but my tank is mostly lps. I was gonna run an led unit, but the 3 I can get with my discount are the ecoxotic 36 marine led, fluval sea 36 in led system, or the marineland reef capable unit. I was also going to run a t5ho dual bulb fixture, but thinking about maybe running both bulbs as actinics. Im basically looking for any reviews on these 3, cause those are really the only ones that are in my budget. As well as if my 2 actinics is a good idea for a mixed reef

 

[Sniperhank]

I can't speak on the first 2 units, but the marineland reef units are garbage. They can't sustain corals at all. If you want LEDs, you might want to look into the taotronics LEDs that you can find on amazon and ebay. They can sustain any photosynthetic coral your heard desires, are pretty cheap, and for a 46 bowfront, you would only need one unit as long as you put your lessl ight demanding corals around the edges of the tank.

 

[Mikalicious209]

Ill look into that one, but if the fluval or ecoxotics are good, id rather go with them cause I could use my employee discount.

 

[Crama1]

Ill look into that one, but if the fluval or ecoxotics are good, id rather go with them cause I could use my employee discount.

Can at 1 tell me how many fish is the safe amount for a 120 litre tank please

 

[Mikalicious209]

How do you mount the toatronics led, I do not have a canopy. Does it have legs or would I have to hang it?

 

[Sniperhank]

No legs or mounting kit to my knowledge. I hung my lights from the ceiling.

 

[oyf709]

How do you mount the toatronics led, I do not have a canopy. Does it have legs or would I have to hang it?

Most "taotronic" comes with hanging kit only no leg
What is the dimension of your tank?
aQ.Pro 24" Bridgelux

This one comes with the similar "leg" as the marineland that just keep it right on top of the tank. 24" can extend to about 36" .However if your tank is 36" long then you will have shadow area on the top corners.
I am not sure about the ecoxotic 36 marine led, my understanding al their LED are 1W LED, can't get the exact spec unless they post power used for the fixture then you can probly get the info. If it is 1W then I wouldn't suggest it.
as for fluval sea 36 in led system , if this is the one you talking about, then similar concern, it is using the <1W LED diodes which is a lot less efficient than the 3W one.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

The TaoTronics and similar fixtures really are a great choice for an inexpensive light on a tank with mixed corals that have SPSs. I highly recommend getting a dimmable version though. There are a few models around so once you see a couple you think may work with your budget please post a link here so we can verify you picked out a useful model.

These are really cheap for what you get so I wouldn't worry about missing your discount. Besides, you never have to spend money to replace bulbs like you would with an additional T5 fixture. The dimmable units are also great for acclimating corals and getting exactly the right intensity for your corals without going over or under what's best for your tank. Many models also include optics but in order to have the best coverage I'd get one without them. They're often listed as 120° optics.

 

[Pisces3473]

Mounting the TaoTronics Dimmable

How do you mount the toatronics led, I do not have a canopy. Does it have legs or would I have to hang it?

Here's a link for the light's I've got. Using them for 2-3 weeks now, the corals have been and are responding very well. I've only got the lights up about 1/2 power at this point. I think this light will do well over a 40 gallon breeder which I suspect will be my next tank. I don't think you'll have any trouble making it work on your 46. BTW: Check out the pic, I'm using a 'J' hook for the light. The light came with everything you need to hang it with the exception of what to hang it from. I've got my light about 12 Inches above the water.

 

[Mikalicious209]

Again, thanks for all the responses. I checked out prices, and the taotronics are gonna be whats it for me. It almost seems likw a steal for a fixture that seems way better.....anuways, Ill be asking more "fixture specific" questions when I get the tank and all, but im pretty sure thats the one im gonna go with, especially because id only need the one fixture

 

[mr_X]

I'm definitely an advocate for Taotronics or similar, but for a 36" wide tank, I would be afraid the dimensions of a single unit wouldn't be ideal.
I don't have any experience with this unit-
EVO Quad 36" Timer LED Aquarium Light Marine Coral Reef Cichlid 44x 3W | eBay
But I would like to hear some feedback from the group.....

Besides being non-dimmable, and there being more whites than blues, I feel this may work better.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

That EVO light looks like an Odyssea fixture. If it is I'd stay away from it. The lights and ballast run crazy hot. My brother has one and it isn't as good as the TaoTronics dimmable fixtures. They grow coral but look glaringly white in addition to the heat. I believe Reef Breeders has a unit that will light a 36" tank.