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Unread 06/03/2010, 12:38 PM   #1
jeremy K
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Toronto
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Which LED for supplementation

I am looking for some LED lighting to supplement my current 6x54W T5 lighting in my 90g reef tank. I am looking to add shimmer and also to enhance color. I am a little overwhelmed by the choices - I have looked into the Reefbrite strips (48"), vs. the Ecoxotic strips, vs. the Finnex strips. I am wondering which is the best bang for my buck given what I am trying to achieve. Any info would be appreciated.


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90g with 30g sump, Sea Side Aquatics CS2 skimmer, eheim 5000 return,1 MP40w ES + 1 Tunze 6095. Lighting - ATI 4x54W Sunpower, 1 BML strip, 1 Reefbrite strip.

Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef
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Unread 06/03/2010, 04:07 PM   #2
Jeremy B.
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Hi Jeremy,

Both the Ecoxotic and Finnex strips are nice, however the ReefBrite modules are really the cream of the crop for actinic supplementation. You would need to buy three of the Panorama's from Eco to get the same results that a single 48" ReefBrite would give you. The Finnex are bright, but I'm not crazy about the lens and difusion of light that it gives.

Thanks,
Jeremy


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Unread 06/04/2010, 04:57 AM   #3
jeremy K
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Thanks for your quick reply, Jeremy. So I am considering the Reefbrite, but wondering if it is the best "bang for the buck". If I want both the shimmer and the color supplementation, would I need 2 of them (one white, one blue)? Or would the mixed color one be sufficient? Or, for the same price, would I be better off buying 2 different colored Finnex strips (since I don't have it in my budget to get 2 reefbrites at this time, but 2 Finnex cost just slightly more than one Reefbrite...).


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90g with 30g sump, Sea Side Aquatics CS2 skimmer, eheim 5000 return,1 MP40w ES + 1 Tunze 6095. Lighting - ATI 4x54W Sunpower, 1 BML strip, 1 Reefbrite strip.

Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef
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Unread 06/04/2010, 06:16 AM   #4
jeremy K
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Oh, and one more thing (sorry to bombard you with questions) - if I were to order a reefbrite strip, what is the best way to mount it? I have an open-top 90g (no canopy) with a 6-bulb tek elite on top (with the Tek mounting bracket). Must I put the reefbrite over top of the tank behind/in front of the Tek fixture, or is there a way to somehow affix it to the fixture? Thanks again for the help.


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90g with 30g sump, Sea Side Aquatics CS2 skimmer, eheim 5000 return,1 MP40w ES + 1 Tunze 6095. Lighting - ATI 4x54W Sunpower, 1 BML strip, 1 Reefbrite strip.

Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef
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Unread 06/04/2010, 08:17 AM   #5
Jeremy B.
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Location: Indianapolis, IN / Muncie, IN
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White LED's show more glitter lines in a tank than what blues do, this is just the nature of the beast. However, you're obviously going to get better coloration with the blue. I would say if you're looking for both, then I would do a blue ReefBrite and a white ReefBrite, although that will get pretty expensive.

You could mount the RB's to your current fixture if you're somewhat handy. They do have brackets that come with them which are easy to work with. If not, then you would have to DIY some other sort of bracket to your tank, and put them on that way.


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Unread 07/20/2010, 02:49 PM   #6
Slick Fork
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would a 15" blue/white 50/50 reefbrite be drowned out by the t5's in a 4 bulb 36" tek fixture? I am looking to add shimmer and a little actinic pop


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Unread 07/26/2010, 02:14 PM   #7
Jeremy B.
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A 15" fixture would most likely be drowned out too much. I would recommend going with a single 36" fixture to get the shimmer look in the tank.


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