Looking for some light advice

[reefkeeper78]

looking for advice on choosing a led fixture. My tank is a fluval edge m60 24Lx16W16D. Really only about 12” wide as filter takes up 4” in back. I’ve been looking around at Kessil and Hydro lights so far. They seem to have decent output but don’t last long according to reviews. I want something easy to deal with that has ramping options. Adjustable Spectrum would be nice too. My goal is a mixed reef with bright colors from thriving corals.

[ReefWreak]

It sounds like the AI Prime would be a good fit for that tank. I never realized how low the PAR numbers were, but you're not keeping any crazy SPS in that tank, so it should be fine. Kessils are good too, and I've never heard of them not lasting a while. My friend has an AP700 that has been over his tank for 3 years (though I guess he actually did have it replaced once under warranty). AI Prime have a good reputation I believe.

I'm not sure the quality of Hydor lights, but I'd tend to lump them into the generic/cheap Chinese lighting bucket.

[Vinny Kreyling]

Take a look @ Reefbreeder's, I like mine.

[reefkeeper78]

Would the ai prime hd allow me to keep some sps (colorful sticks) towards the top?

[dkeller_nc]

One question that hasn't been asked is whether you want LEDs or T5HOs, or a combination, though perhaps by mentioning the Kessils you've already stated your preference.

Kessils have an excellent reputation, btw, as do Radions and AI Hydras. Given the size tank that you have, I would choose either two Kessil "tuna blues" on goosenecks, two Radion XR15s, or two AI Hydra 26s. All of these have controllable spectrum and intensity. In the case of the Radions and Hydras, that capability is built-in. The Kessils can also be adjusted via a manual control knob, but you will need a separately-purchased Kessil Spectral Controller X if you want to do programmed intensity/spectrum changes throughout the day.

If you want to go T5HO, the ATI Sunpower fixtures are some of the best around. You can choose either the non-dimmable versions to keep the costs down (though you will require a timer), or the dimmable version that contains a full controller for day/night and intensity cycles.

[reefkeeper78]

My preference is an led option but I’d be open to t5 as well. Even though metal halide has been proven to grow corals over and over, I’d prefer to skip those. Simply comes down to power consumption and heat. This small of a tank will cook under metal halides.

[reefkeeper78]

I looked at the Kessil A80 tuna blue. Seems to get decent reviews and has the ability to ramp up/down. Would 2 of these allow me to keep sps at any level in a 16” deep game tank?

[dkeller_nc]

Hmm. My first instinct would be to say "no", because these lights are only 15W apiece. Just to give you a comparator, I run a Radion XR30 (3rd gen) and two XR15 (3rd gen) on my 2 foot by 2 foot rimless tank. The light intensity varies during the day, of course, and the max intensity around 2 p.m. is 65% on the XR30 and 40% on the XR15s. Approximately speaking, that's about 200 watts on the tank at peak intensity.

Because the light sources you're considering at "puck-type" in that the light is all coming from a fairly small area in the fixture, you're very likely to need at least 2 of them no matter how high-powered they are. Otherwise, you may find that you have issues with shadowing.

If the initial investment is a big concern, I'd suggest getting a single fixture in the more capable (i.e., higher powered) range, with plans on adding another later as funds allow. The Kessil A360X or the older A360W-E would be good possibilities, as would the AI Hydra 26 or the Radion XR15w pro.

If you choose T5HO, then I'd suggest the 6-bulb, 2-foot AI Sunpower dimmable fixture, or if you go non-dimmable, I'd probably choose the 4-bulb 2-foot fixture based on your description of the tank's front-to-back dimension (12").

[reefkeeper78]

Thx for the advice drkeller. Kessils seem like quality units but just out of the budget for now. I’m leaning towards AI 26 as price is better, they come recommend and a local store uses them over his SPS tanks with success.

[dkeller_nc]

Yes, they're very popular lights for a reason. Having said that, you might want to review this thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2690182) with actual test results for some popular LED lighting products.

One item of particular note is the PAR output and spread of the T5HO fixture that was compared to the Orphek Atlantik fixture. You can easily find this video from Bulk Reef Supply under the "BRS Investigates" search term on YouTube.

The bottom line is that while LEDs are very efficient light sources, they are a good deal more expensive than T5HO for roughly the same results. The main reason for this isn't most LED fixture's intensity - they are very intense, to the point of nuking corals if you're not careful. Instead, it's an issue of spread. All puck-type LED fixtures, including the high end ones from EcoTech, Kessil, and others have significant directionality from the light. That causes shadowing in SPS tanks that leads to atrophied growth in lower reaches of the colony.

That can be handled effectively, and there are many tanks that grow very well with LEDs only. But what you tend to see is a lot of fixtures for a given tank surface area, which is expensive. You might've noticed I mentioned that I have 3 Radion fixtures above a 2'x2' square tank, which if purchased today would run about $1700. I do this for a reason, and it's to control the shading of corals. And yeah, they're cool to have, but the other choice for the tank was an 8-bulb T5HO dimmable fixture from ATI, which would've been far less expensive, including the bulb purchases.

Bottom line - full-spectrum LEDs will grow coral just as well as T5HO and Metal Halide, but they tend to be a LOT more expensive in the short term, even including bulb changes and electricity for a couple of years in the T5HO/MH fixtures.

[dkeller_nc]

By the way, this particular video (https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/view/lighting-for-ultra-low-maintenance-reef-tanks-brstv-investigates-tank-trials-ep11/) from BRS about lighting selection for their "ultra low maintenance" three-tank setup might be worth watching.

It goes through their logic about selecting which lighting source (and brand) for the softie, LPS and SPS tanks. Well worth the 20 minutes it takes to view if you're puzzling over what to purchase, even if you don't select the particular model/brand that they did.

[Green Chromis]

Yes, they're very popular lights for a reason. Having said that, you might want to review this thread (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2690182) with actual test results for some popular LED lighting products.

One item of particular note is the PAR output and spread of the T5HO fixture that was compared to the Orphek Atlantik fixture. You can easily find this video from Bulk Reef Supply under the "BRS Investigates" search term on YouTube.

The bottom line is that while LEDs are very efficient light sources, they are a good deal more expensive than T5HO for roughly the same results. The main reason for this isn't most LED fixture's intensity - they are very intense, to the point of nuking corals if you're not careful. Instead, it's an issue of spread. All puck-type LED fixtures, including the high end ones from EcoTech, Kessil, and others have significant directionality from the light. That causes shadowing in SPS tanks that leads to atrophied growth in lower reaches of the colony.

That can be handled effectively, and there are many tanks that grow very well with LEDs only. But what you tend to see is a lot of fixtures for a given tank surface area, which is expensive. You might've noticed I mentioned that I have 3 Radion fixtures above a 2'x2' square tank, which if purchased today would run about $1700. I do this for a reason, and it's to control the shading of corals. And yeah, they're cool to have, but the other choice for the tank was an 8-bulb T5HO dimmable fixture from ATI, which would've been far less expensive, including the bulb purchases.

Bottom line - full-spectrum LEDs will grow coral just as well as T5HO and Metal Halide, but they tend to be a LOT more expensive in the short term, even including bulb changes and electricity for a couple of years in the T5HO/MH fixtures.
:fish1: Hi, the directionality of those light sources could be a problem, unless they use some kind of light diffuser like the Radions use, then there is also the option of the Mitra LX 7206 lights, which have no Disco Ball effect or high temp spots, due to the parabolic reflectors they use instead of lenses. These parabolic reflectors are like the ones used by M/H reflectors so you blend all the different LED Lights into one light source. These lights are also in the same price range as the Radions, but don't require lenses or light diffusers. :fish1:

[ajoe]

An AI 26 is plenty of light for a 16 inch deep tank. Most SPS will thrive with that unit. It is a nice light and full of features. Simply raise the unit above the water to get the maximum coverage and increase the intensity to offset that. You won't be disappointed with this unit and you won't come close to running it a full intensity. Check out the selling used equipment thread and find a nice discounted unit and enjoy.