jamesbuf January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 Having LEDs myself, I can say that you might have a light spread problem if you go with LEDs only in such a wide tank. I have a 60gal cube and it's 2' front to back, and if I didn't supplement with T5s, my entire tank wouldn't be covered like I was with a single metal halide. You just don't get the spread you do from LEDs as compared to halides. You could probably get away with just the LEDs if you strategically placed your SPS, but your overall tank won't be very bight since the LEDs are focused. You could go with a few 4' long T5s to supplement. Just 2 additional 24" T5s singnificantly brightens up my 60gal, and the aquablue + actinic bulbs help to add alot of pop to the corals colors. I have a 150gal 3'X3' cube waiting to be setup and I've been pondering what I'm gonna do with lighting since its 3' deep like your tank. Definitely following along to see your outcome...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 I would need like 4 @ $750 a pop no thanks. Is that what your running? They cover 24", so you could get 2 to start, add another later if you wanted. Yea, I am going to run 2 of them. I couldnt fit mh into the canopy. And if u add up bulbs and electricity, they end up cheaper over the long term... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 It's pretty neat how mrsaltwater mounted them, by shaving a lip into the canopy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpallas January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 Have you checked out AI and Radion fixtures in person? I'm completey satisfied with the growth I've gotten so far with my Sol. But some people don't like the lack of red/orange parts of the spectrum. It's all up to the individual....that said it's also taken a long time to tinker around with my settings to see what my corals like. I have all SPS so each changes takes weeks to register any changes. It definitely takes patience and tinkering to get it just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novi January 23, 2012 Author Share January 23, 2012 It's pretty neat how mrsaltwater mounted them, by shaving a lip into the canopy... It does look cool how he mounted them but I dunno if I trust Mr. Saltwater. He has now gotten so big he has sponsors and if he is getting free stuff he will say whatever he has to. I have actually been looking at this Lumen Bright All In One Fixture that combines all (3). What do you guys think? http://coralvue.com/lumen-brightt5led-fixture/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 Here are some halide parts on RC: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2118106 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roni January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 The lumenbright is a nice fixture. It may not have quite the coverage front to back but then again, you don't really need to have corals all the way up to the front glass on that tank I think personal preference is the biggest thing. I like the Radions but realistically, you'd need 4 minimum to cover that tank and avoid shadowing. I personally like ATI powermodules and a 4 ft 10 bulb fixture would easily cover that tank. As you also stated, getting a dual 250 + t5 setup with good reflectors would also cover the tank well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 I just switched back to T5/MH combo from AI. My experience with AI Sol Blue's wasn't a success story. The SPS would grow, and there was PE but the colors SUCK big time!!! My ORA red table is a pale pale pale shade of pink after being under AIs for almost 6 months... I had never given up hope on the AIs till I said enough is enough last week and switched back to T5/MH combo. On the other hand, there are people out there who are very successful with them. I threw in the towel for now. Have you seen Mr.Saltwater Tank's aquarium? He had great success with Radions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 I really don't think you'd need 4+ radions for your tank. Mr. Saltwater tank had 2 over his 48" tank with no shadowing. You might need 4+ AI Sols, but not Radions, with their 24"x24" coverage. I think 3 would be plenty. That's 16" of coverage each. And I agree with Roni that you're not going to have corals right up against the front or back glass of the tank anyway, so the 24" of front to back coverage on a 36" deep tank should be fine. At least that's how I see it. Besides, no light on the glass means less algae to scrape off! Chris - are you using the stock Marineland canopy? If so, I doubt that fixture would fit inside. If not, or if you're not using a canopy at all, then it would definitely work nicely. Keep this in mind... That fixture is $1200. 3 Radions gently used would run you $1800. With the fixture, you'd need $75+$75+$25+$25=$200/bulbs per year. So in 3 years the radion would pay for itself, not taking into account the higher electric bill... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novi January 23, 2012 Author Share January 23, 2012 Ryan~ No unfortunately I didnt get the canopy with mine. But thats ok because I kinda like open top. The biggest turn offs about the Radions besides the price is a couple things. I've read they are extremely dim. And thats on 90-120 Gallon tanks I have been reading. Imagine how dim they will be on mine. I am not really a fan of spotlighting. It just looks weird to me. Second are the PAR numbers. From the tests I have seen they are hitting around the mid 200's on the top of the water hung 12" above. Thats not gonna work for me and my 30" depth... same for you too! But its hard to beat like you said the maintenance of having to buy bulbs, plus the heat in the summer time.... I got some time till I am ready for lights so I am still on the fence..... Just keep reading I guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 (edited) Ryan~ No unfortunately I didnt get the canopy with mine. But thats ok because I kinda like open top. The biggest turn offs about the Radions besides the price is a couple things. I've read they are extremely dim. And thats on 90-120 Gallon tanks I have been reading. Imagine how dim they will be on mine. I am not really a fan of spotlighting. It just looks weird to me. Second are the PAR numbers. From the tests I have seen they are hitting around the mid 200's on the top of the water hung 12" above. Thats not gonna work for me and my 30" depth... same for you too! But its hard to beat like you said the maintenance of having to buy bulbs, plus the heat in the summer time.... I got some time till I am ready for lights so I am still on the fence..... Just keep reading I guess I haven't seen readings like that before. On this one, for example, the PAR reading for radions at 8" is 1100, and on the sand, 26" down, the PAR is still 170: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2094522 Have you been to Aquarium One yet to see the Radions they have up and running? Might be worth a trip out to see them in person... Edited January 23, 2012 by Ryan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novi January 23, 2012 Author Share January 23, 2012 I haven't seen readings like that before. On this one, for example, the PAR reading for radions at 8" is 1100, and on the sand, 26" down, the PAR is still 170: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2094522 Have you been to Aquarium One yet to see the Radions they have up and running? Might be worth a trip out to see them in person... Hmmmm... ok something is wrong then because Premium Aquatics did the test on the Big 3 and those numbers are not even close???? CLICK ME FOR PAR RESULTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT January 23, 2012 Share January 23, 2012 difference in par meters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 I am a well-know AI hater. I grew up in a custom color photo lab, so maybe that is why looking at that narrow blue spectrum kills me. Like Aquaholic said, what it does to the reds is devastating, but Sunset Montipora grows like a weed and looks great. I bought LEDs because I like to play. Previously I always bought what was best for the livestock. I broke that rule this time and I will not again. It isn't sexy, but a 10 X 54 ATI PM is virtually designed to fit your tank and will give you spectacular PAR. My 8 X 80 PM gave me 800 PAR at the surface and 300 PAR at the sand across the tank. My SPS absolutely thrived. My 5 AIs on my 60" tank (with 30 supplemental LEDs) give me anywhere from 400 to 150 at the surface. They are very spotty. I built a new DIY fixture for my frag tank. The old fixture with cool whites and royal blues gave me a choice between bleached and brown on coral color. My new fixture uses violets, royal blues, cool whites, warm whites, and a couple greens. After a month, the coral colors are a little better, but the reds are still really weak. If you go with LEDs I would err to the side of continuous spectrum. It really does seem to matter. If I do enough soul-searching, I might follow Aquaholic's lead and put my AI Sols up for sale. I am starting to think about 10K XMs with lots of royal blue LED supplement. LEDs do give a nice actinic glow..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 Come to the Radium dark side...suck on cost great on color and growth....everyone that sees my tank cant believe they are 20ks and the tank isnt just BLUE...i run 2 Aquablue + and 20k radiums and i think the color looks great. i am putting some RB supp in there for pop if i ever get time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 I am a well-know AI hater. I grew up in a custom color photo lab, so maybe that is why looking at that narrow blue spectrum kills me. Like Aquaholic said, what it does to the reds is devastating, but Sunset Montipora grows like a weed and looks great. I bought LEDs because I like to play. Previously I always bought what was best for the livestock. I broke that rule this time and I will not again. It isn't sexy, but a 10 X 54 ATI PM is virtually designed to fit your tank and will give you spectacular PAR. My 8 X 80 PM gave me 800 PAR at the surface and 300 PAR at the sand across the tank. My SPS absolutely thrived. My 5 AIs on my 60" tank (with 30 supplemental LEDs) give me anywhere from 400 to 150 at the surface. They are very spotty. I built a new DIY fixture for my frag tank. The old fixture with cool whites and royal blues gave me a choice between bleached and brown on coral color. My new fixture uses violets, royal blues, cool whites, warm whites, and a couple greens. After a month, the coral colors are a little better, but the reds are still really weak. If you go with LEDs I would err to the side of continuous spectrum. It really does seem to matter. If I do enough soul-searching, I might follow Aquaholic's lead and put my AI Sols up for sale. I am starting to think about 10K XMs with lots of royal blue LED supplement. LEDs do give a nice actinic glow..... I couldn't agree more with these two statements as a fellow LED user. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic January 24, 2012 Share January 24, 2012 (edited) I must admit that I miss the neon pop on corals that my royal blue LEDs provided on my AI Sol unit. I might consider adding one or two blue led strips to my current mh/T5 combo in the future. However only two days after switching to mh/t5 combo, my red and purple SPS has started to get some color back. Looking back, Oldreefer and I were the people to start a thread on RC asking people to come clean about their AI fixtures. There were mixed reviews/experiences posted on that thread if you can find it under "lighting" on RC. People's inputs will be very helpful for you to decide. I will post a link if I can later on today. Before switching to AIs, I thought that they were the next greatest thing in terms of lighting in this hobby and it was intriguing to think that one could play around with the intensity of lights, simulate an almost perfect dusk and dawn, etc. but I would rather have growth and lively colors than thunderstorms and cloud cover for my SPS. Note: I would like to underline that most of the SPS in my tank were healthy under AIs with little growth. This could be due to good water conditions, stability and etc. Also, I am only and only talking about AI Sol Blues above, other led fixtures (such as Radions or DIY fixtures might be totally different and might result in different outcomes). I think AIs are just perfect for LPS dominated tanks. Secondly, when Oldreefer says "aquaholic", he means me "reefoholic". I wanted to clarify on this screen name mix up. Here is the link: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2070551 Edited January 24, 2012 by Reefoholic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer January 25, 2012 Share January 25, 2012 Oops sorry about the name slip up Mehmet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim January 27, 2012 Share January 27, 2012 (edited) I was at Vivid Aquariums on Wednesday and they are running a Radium vs. Radion experiment. I honestly could not tell the difference between the two. They have SPS growing on the sandbed on both sides and a nice chunk of the same red tabling acro on both sides. I'm a DIY'er, but to me it seems like Ecotech is on to something. A very expensive something. http://www.vividaquariums.com/aquariumLightExperiment.asp Edited January 27, 2012 by Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S January 27, 2012 Share January 27, 2012 I was at Vivid Aquariums on Wednesday and they are running a Radium vs. Radion experiment. I honestly could not tell the difference between the two. They have SPS growing on the sandbed on both sides and a nice chunk of the same red tabling acro on both sides. I'm a DIY'er, but to me it seems like Ecotech is on to something. A very expensive something. http://www.vividaquariums.com/aquariumLightExperiment.asp A great experiment to follow for sure, but, in Ecotechs defense, the Radions are supposed to be equivalent to a 250w MH, and Vivid has them up against 400w and 1000w(!) MH's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim January 27, 2012 Share January 27, 2012 A great experiment to follow for sure, but, in Ecotechs defense, the Radions are supposed to be equivalent to a 250w MH, and Vivid has them up against 400w and 1000w(!) MH's... I agree. I was impressed by the Radions. If I was in the market for a commercial fixture that is what I'd pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpallas January 28, 2012 Share January 28, 2012 I was at Vivid Aquariums on Wednesday and they are running a Radium vs. Radion experiment. I honestly could not tell the difference between the two. They have SPS growing on the sandbed on both sides and a nice chunk of the same red tabling acro on both sides. I'm a DIY'er, but to me it seems like Ecotech is on to something. A very expensive something. http://www.vividaquariums.com/aquariumLightExperiment.asp Not to highjack this thread, but man am I jealous. Vivid has to be the most amazing store I've ever seen (in pics and vids, anyways). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim January 28, 2012 Share January 28, 2012 Not to highjack this thread, but man am I jealous. Vivid has to be the most amazing store I've ever seen (in pics and vids, anyways). It blew my mind a bit. The website doesn't show even 10% of what they have in the store. There will be a couple of nice colonies in my checked bag when I fly back tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S February 6, 2012 Share February 6, 2012 (edited) I am a well-know AI hater. I grew up in a custom color photo lab, so maybe that is why looking at that narrow blue spectrum kills me. Like Aquaholic said, what it does to the reds is devastating, but Sunset Montipora grows like a weed and looks great. I bought LEDs because I like to play. Previously I always bought what was best for the livestock. I broke that rule this time and I will not again. If I do enough soul-searching, I might follow Aquaholic's lead and put my AI Sols up for sale. I am starting to think about 10K XMs with lots of royal blue LED supplement. LEDs do give a nice actinic glow..... Bill - I saw your tank in person, and it's absolutely beautiful. With that said, here is someone else who wasn't happy with their AI fixtures. He posted photos at this link stating he got better growth with radions in 1 month, than he did previously with AIs for 1 year. I think you should switch out the AI's for Radions. You'd need less Radions that the number of AI's you're running as well. I think 1 Radion could replace 2 AI's for you... Chris - What have you decided for lighting? Tried and true MH/T5, or Expensive and new LEDs? Edited February 6, 2012 by Ryan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novi February 7, 2012 Author Share February 7, 2012 LOL.... I went with LEDs Ecoxotic 50W Photon Cannons (2x 12k) & (2x453nm). Really indistrial looking and ALOT bigger than what I thought. First time I plugged them in I was looking straight at it and almost blew my eyeballs out!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now