Lighting your reef... Best bang for your buck.

[JonathanG]

Do you have a picture of your canopy how you have it setup?

Page 127 of this thread has a pic of the lights in my canopy.

 

[paul87]

Wow this thread has gotten huge! I remember when it start up.lol

 

[bkushy]

Just added two ai sol blues with the director to my tank. Love the lights but very disappointed in the mounting rails. Purchased these and they only let you mount the lights one way which means I am going to need at least one more fixture. Also very very close to the water. Anyone have a solution to be able to mount the lights sideways on the rails. I would like to avoid the hanging kit which is why I chose the rails.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[bkushy]

Came up with my own solution to the parallel mount. Have to get one more 18" piece of rail to do the second light. Here is a pic if anyone is curious. Now just to solve the height without having to hang them.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[bkushy]

Whoops

Here is the pic

 

[dmolavi]

I picked up the 14000K reef LED from BuildMyLED and *love* it. I was able to get it for 10% off plus free shipping on Black Friday, so it brought the price down by $20. Is it pricier than the Tao/Chinese panels? Yes. But, it's made in the USA, and for my nano tank, isn't overpowered.

This is the light: 14000K Reef Spectrum - Build My LED, LLC

 

[dragonfisher33]

Does anyone have an opinion on this one? It looks a lot like the reefbreeder fixture
http://m.ebay.com/itm/191028238367?nav=SEARCH&sbk=1

 

[Jmkb02]

It looks to be able to support sps. Crazy how much it looks like the reef breeders units

 

[mr_X]

It looks to be able to support sps. Crazy how much it looks like the reef breeders units

They are all made by the same hand full of manufacturers. Don't be fooled by the rebranding.

 

[mwilliams]

Well I finally bought my light TaoTronics - 120 degree lenses but I am still getting the spot light effect I thought the 120's was not suppose to do that...
Any thoughts?????
Sorry for such a cruddy picture.

Okay I feel really stupid now. I was reading the specs online for my tao tronics and it has 90 degree optics so that is why i have the spotlight effect.. I know it has been discussed probably a thousand times in this thread.but how do I change the lenes on the fixture and were can I buy them?

 

[dezso]

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/3w-led-lens

You will need to take apart the whole unit, all connection are plugins so shouldn't be that hard.

 

[mr_X]

I think those optics just pop off.

 

[baron1282]

I am glad this is here, I don't have a reef but I didn't want to start another thread for this question! I NEED HELP with my lighting!

The issue is my 120 gallon LONG tank. As it stands right now it's only going to be a FOWLR tank and the lighting I have really sucks. I thought what I would do is use the 48in LED strip I had gotten with the tank that I put on my 55 gallon. It lights my 55 gallon up very well. I than thought I would get a few of the LED light strips that you can just stick to the top of the canopy, and with both lights running on a test it looked very dim in the tank. :-( I want eye popping lighting for 60in worth of coverage!

What can I get? I was thinking of getting this unit and cutting the top of my canopy to to allow it to rest on top so it wouldn't over heat. It would be 7in above the water.

T5 Quad 60" Timer Aquarium Light Marine Coral Reef Cichlid LED 320W Odyssea | eBay

Combined with the 48in LED lighting I already have which is this/

BlueLine Products - Reef Aquarium Lighting & Pumps

I was told that that still wouldn't be enough to reach the lighting goals I wanted. So suggestions? My price point is $200 dollars! I am open to buying two 30in units or just one 60in unit. I just want a nice bright tank that my 55 displays now! I don't need coral lights!

If it helps the tank is 2.1 feet deep! If I were to cut open the hood to place the lighting on top it would sit 7 to 8in higher making the lighting have to reach 2.8 feet to the bottom.

 

[dragonfisher33]

so i have been on eBay looking for Taotronics or its clones. is there a reason why i don't see many of the 90 degree optics LEDs? As a matter of fact, i have not seen any at all when it comes to 90 degree optics LED under $100. i would prefer not to buy the fixture with 120 degree optics and then buy the 90 degree optics separately and put them together. do you think the sellers are willing to change them out? anyone with this question or dealt with this problem before? this is the listing i'm referring to as of this moment and the seller it's associated with.
Sale 120W Dimmable LED Aquarium Light Lamp for Coral Reef SPS LPS US Warranty | eBay

also have been wondering why this fixture costs twice as much. granted it's more wattage and "full spectrum" but it doesn't make sense for 2x the price. i have a regular 29gal reef and i'm looking to buy one of these two fixtures to replace my T5s.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimmable-Fu...194?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a362ca22a

 

[Jmkb02]

Why do you need 90* optics? Unless your tank is more than 30" deep, you will be fine with 120's

 

[dragonfisher33]

Why do you need 90* optics? Unless your tank is more than 30" deep, you will be fine with 120's

well, i understand that 90 degree optics will concentrate the light more and has the potential to burn the corals but i don't want a glaring room. the 120s spread the light out too much for a small aquarium like mine. i can tune down the light intensity but can't narrow the spread of the light without the new optics. or unless someone can provide a side by side comparison of their room between the 90s and the 120s.

 

[Lloydxmas]

I got my taotronics with 90° lense off of Amazon.

 

[dragonfisher33]

I got my taotronics with 90° lense off of Amazon.

for how much?

 

[Lloydxmas]

Got them for 120 a light. I bought two of them. Plus got prime shipping so I got them quick.

 

[Jmkb02]

well, i understand that 90 degree optics will concentrate the light more and has the potential to burn the corals but i don't want a glaring room. the 120s spread the light out too much for a small aquarium like mine. i can tune down the light intensity but can't narrow the spread of the light without the new optics. or unless someone can provide a side by side comparison of their room between the 90s and the 120s.

Build a canopy or put them closer to the tank. I don't have much glare and don't have a canopy although I plan to build one. I run 3 120 Tao units with no optics so 120 optics.