Best lights?

[Beau_123]

What you will order.
18) cw cree leds
18) rb cree leds. Solderless
3) mean well dimmable drivers 60-48d
2) 6x20 with hanging kit, splash guard, and stealth fan
tube of thermal adhesive
3) solderless led plugs
3) driver jumper wires
18) 60 degree xp-G optic lenses
18) 60 degree xt-E optic lenses

I think this is all.
When you order your leds you will have a.choose on the wire length you wont to use id go 4.25 in it goes up to six if you draw it out first you will know what length you need. Make a 6x40 piece of cardboard and draw circles for your leds and you will have a good idea for length. Hope this helps

So I need 18 of each led ok now I see the number before I saw a smiley face. Got it thanks.

 

[edwardclaxton]

Yep the drivers will be under dimmable button

 

[Beau_123]

I just added the numbers up for everything and I am going with the the LEDs from the earlier post the one on ebay.

 

[Beau_123]

I am all for DIY (I DIY'ed my entire setup except for my current LED lights), but almost every DIY LED lighting system I saw looks like a frankenstein project with wires and drivers hanging out all over the place. If you don't mind that type of look, go for it.

If you want a more "finished" look, I highly recommend buying an LED system, but you will be hard pressed to find anything for less than $300 for a 4' tank.

These are very popular, but use only blue and white LED's. I use similar lights over my 125 and can grow and keep anything. 2 units will run you right around $300.
2 Dimmable 120W Marine Organism Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank LED Lamp White US | eBay

The next step up is a more full spectrum LED setup. These look real nice and they are what I would get now and would have bought when I got my LED's...but they were not available back then. They will run you a little over $400 for 2 units.
120W LED Full Spectrum Coral Reef Light 55 x 3W Bridgelux LED Brand New | eBay

This one.

 

[edwardclaxton]

These will work too if you want ill try to get a link where I got mine. They are dimmable with timer I think thers a little more around 245 each but you dont have to turn on and off your lights everyday. And tge diy led kits can be costly but when compared to other fixtures that are already made it will be cheaper if both have cree leds.

 

[edwardclaxton]

Did you say you have a55gal?

 

[MrVu]

If you are going T5 it should be a 6 bulb unit or go with a MH setup. In my opinion LEDs are not the best option for beginners.

 

[bazeball05]

If you are going T5 it should be a 6 bulb unit or go with a MH setup. In my opinion LEDs are not the best option for beginners.

I agree somewhat... don't you want to start off right though? Idk... I love my mh, but I wish I got leds

 

[edwardclaxton]

Mh are great lights with leds you dont have to replace the leds they are cheaper to run and lower heat. Mh unless you have a pretty decent ballast then you maybe replacing it a couple time as well as buying new bulbs once or twice a year. alot of people have used leds and loved them and some hate them this goes with everything in this hobby people hate what some people love. Idk if id say that they arnt for begineers, the only thing I could thing of is bc you may burn your coral up. Thats an easy fix just light acclimate everything like your suppose to with every light. If you have a 55 gal its only a foot wide, idk if 6 bulb t5 will fit it may be to big. You have to think about getting into your tank when you lights on. I wpuldnt want to have tp take my light off every time I need to feed them. Mh yes leds yes. Leds is the future I think in aquariun lighting, even though I seen some more movement in the mh. the 55 isnt a real deep tank either will work mh is going to give off more heat and you may need a chiller or something to get rid of the heat let off like a computer fan. With the mh you have to be careful when changing the bulbs bc if you let then burn out and theres a big spectrum difference when you add the new bulbs you may destroy your coral. So if you go mh make sure change them any where between 6 to 8 months so this is less likely to happen to your coral.

 

[Beau_123]

Yes I have a 55g and I am thinking about the LEDs and doesn't it come with 2 fixtures and will it be enough for any coral didn't really understand the burning the coral.

 

[edwardclaxton]

They come with a hanging kit. You will burn up your coral like the lighting intensity if they are not acclimated to that level of intensity it will kill them. You will need to slowly turn the intensity up over weeks to where you want it. Especially if the corals are under t5 and you are going to leds and mh.

 

[edwardclaxton]

I will try to figure out a way to hang my lights over my 55 and send you pic if you so you will see how the bridgelux will look.

 

[Beau_123]

I think I am going with LEDs is there anything that i need to know about them.

 

[edwardclaxton]

You them to be dimmable. The led colors is prefrence I like the cw and rb look. If you can find one that has a timer or ypu can control them someone it will be best.

 

[MrVu]

I agree somewhat... don't you want to start off right though? Idk... I love my mh, but I wish I got leds

I have been reefing for 10+ years and had the best success with MH. I just tried LEDs on a new 30g cube build a few months ago and I am still tinkering with light settings and coral placements. A beginner would have easily lost a few corals by now. It was almost set it and forget it with my MH setups.

 

[Beau_123]

I am all for DIY (I DIY'ed my entire setup except for my current LED lights), but almost every DIY LED lighting system I saw looks like a frankenstein project with wires and drivers hanging out all over the place. If you don't mind that type of look, go for it.

If you want a more "finished" look, I highly recommend buying an LED system, but you will be hard pressed to find anything for less than $300 for a 4' tank.

These are very popular, but use only blue and white LED's. I use similar lights over my 125 and can grow and keep anything. 2 units will run you right around $300.
2 Dimmable 120W Marine Organism Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank LED Lamp White US | eBay

I am getting these.

 

[Beau_123]

Will these work.

 

[edwardclaxton]

They may idk much about them besides that they look like tao tronic leds.

 

[Beau_123]

So do you think that they would work for any coral.

 

[edwardclaxton]

If they are like the tao tronics they will