Review Current USA orbit IC LED-Loop

[Tbone33]

I am looking to update my lighting system.

I currently have Current Orbit Marine LED Ramp Timer Pro-- realized this is not great for growing corals now...

I have...
3 leather corals
and 3 soft corals (and my main focus are into Soft corals)

this tank has been set up for over 2 years now and it haven't shown significant amount of growth throughout the tank....

The upgrade I was looking for under a budget was the Current USA orbit IC LED-Loop 24"-36" comes with the free wave power head
Watts 27 RGBW LED---6 what does this mean?

-What is your opinion of this Light?
-Any other ideas I can look into?

[Ron Reefman]

It's the same crappy light... sorry.

When you look at leds, look at the total wattage output (like 165 watts) and divide by the number of leds (like 55) and you get 2.2 watts per led. That's what most of the Chinese inexpensive black box fixture produce. These are WAY better for growing coral. The fixture you are looking at is 21 watts and 36 leds, that's less than 0.6 watts per led which makes it a good fish only light!

It's to bad because I've seen the pump/wavemaker and it looks like a pretty nice unit.

[Tbone33]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

It's the same crappy light... sorry.

When you look at leds, look at the total wattage output (like 165 watts) and divide by the number of leds (like 55) and you get 2.2 watts per led. That's what most of the Chinese inexpensive black box fixture produce. These are WAY better for growing coral. The fixture you are looking at is 21 watts and 36 leds, that's less than 0.6 watts per led which makes it a good fish only light!

It's to bad because I've seen the pump/wavemaker and it looks like a pretty nice unit.

What lighting would you recomend on a tight budget like roughly around $300?

[Xandernfs]

Depends what you want to keep and the size of your tank. There was a thread in here that was talking about the Viparspectra and how it's worth the value. For your budget, you could get 2 300watts and still be under budget.

[Tbone33]

The length is roughly 32" and the depth of my saltwater tank is 20" and it is a bow front.

[Tbone33]

What do you guys think about this lighting?

https://www.amazon.com/SB-Reef-Light...+breeders+Leds

SB Reef Lights sBox 32" Pro Timer

Built in 3 channel timer with LCD control screen with remote control and moon light channel
363w (121x3w diodes)

[ericarenee]

Originally Posted by Tbone33

What do you guys think about this lighting?

https://www.amazon.com/SB-Reef-Light...+breeders+Leds

SB Reef Lights sBox 32" Pro Timer

Built in 3 channel timer with LCD control screen with remote control and moon light channel
363w (121x3w diodes)

I WOULD NOT Buy from this company for one reason,There is plenty of ways to get the attention of customers and and make your product stand out without distastefully stating your customers by name and bad mouthing them in a sales pitch where a product description should be...

Read the Description of the product...

When go into someones home to fix things even if they are mad because of the work from there previous contractor i will NOT Bad mouth that company. I just tell the home owner what i do what im going to do and why i stand behind my work..

anyway sorry but please pass them by...

[ericarenee]

I have 5 of these and they are well over a year old now and doing great

https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-...ra+reef+lights

i have spoke with them on the phone over my original shipment there was a missing hanger kit. He sent it to me super quick and give me a discount on that fixture and i did not even ask him to do so... it just showed up..

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Tbone33

What lighting would you recommend on a tight budget like roughly around $300?

There are a couple of inexpensive brands that do 24" or 32" led fixtures. I think MarsAqua may offer one and there are one or two others.

Or you could do 2 of the basic 16" fixtures and still be under $300. Two OceanRevive T247-B fixtures is a little over your budget, but they are well made by EverGrow and come with a dual built-in timer and digital dimmers (not a controller for sunrise/sunset, but digital dimmers) as well as legs and hanging kits. I still have an older version over my frag tank and it still grows coral just fine 4 years on.

Good luck

[Tbone33]

I was thinking about this light fixture.... This one was on my top list or this MarsAqua
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017GWDF7E...ing=UTF8&psc=1

what do you think?

I like a built in timer and the moonlights....

[Ron Reefman]

Tbone, the MarsAqua is a good fixture, not great, but for a serious budget fixture it's good. And you can get the 32" version for under $200.

Question, which Current Orbit fixture do you have? I don't care about the controller, but which fixture? Somewhere I read that Current does have one new fixture that used better (more watts) leds. But I went to their website and couldn't find any info about one. Is your one with 0.5 watt leds?

[Tbone33]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Tbone, the MarsAqua is a good fixture, not great, but for a serious budget fixture it's good. And you can get the 32" version for under $200.

Question, which Current Orbit fixture do you have? I don't care about the controller, but which fixture? Somewhere I read that Current does have one new fixture that used better (more watts) leds. But I went to their website and couldn't find any info about one. Is your one with 0.5 watt leds?

I have the Current orbit marine..... I think it might be .5ww leds... it is not strong enough for some corals I have......

I think I might pick up the https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...A1BSXM5KIS5MZE

I think this will be a great fixture for my tank... what do you think?
anyone has any idea about this light?

[Tbone33]

Originally Posted by ericarenee

I have 5 of these and they are well over a year old now and doing great

https://www.amazon.com/VIPARSPECTRA-...ra+reef+lights

i have spoke with them on the phone over my original shipment there was a missing hanger kit. He sent it to me super quick and give me a discount on that fixture and i did not even ask him to do so... it just showed up..

I was thinking about this light fixture in my tank! I am looking at the VIPARSPECTRA Timer Control 165W LED Aquarium Light Dimmable Full Spectrum...... Do you have this one?

[Tbone33]

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/owner/Pictures/clownfish.jpg[/IMG]

[Tbone33]

trying to post a picture to show you the little growth but I do not know how to....

[ericarenee]

Originally Posted by Tbone33

I was thinking about this light fixture in my tank! I am looking at the VIPARSPECTRA Timer Control 165W LED Aquarium Light Dimmable Full Spectrum...... Do you have this one?

Originally Posted by Tbone33

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/owner/Pictures/clownfish.jpg[/IMG]

Yes i have 5 of them.

to post a image like your trying Click on the paper clip it will bring up a box, in that box click choose file.. Browse to file and then click upload ..

You will then get a confirmation in the area below it will show the file or a error message
click close window
Go back to the paper clip hit the arrow and you will see the file it will now show up.

or you can upload it to a online site like google plus flicker and so on .. then click the square yellow icon with the mountain and past the url.


Good Luck

[Ron Reefman]

Tbone, that is a perfectly good fixture. It's like a lot of other Chinese black box led fixtures. Most are pretty good these days. There used to be some really crappy ones in the early days of led fixtures for aquariums, but most of them are pretty good these days. I've been using Chinese led fixtures for over 6 years now. In the beginning I had a few with loud fans or cases that rusted away in 2 years. But the good ones today are quiet and many use aluminum cases and powder coat them rather than paint them.

[Tbone33]

Originally Posted by ericarenee

Yes i have 5 of them.

to post a image like your trying Click on the paper clip it will bring up a box, in that box click choose file.. Browse to file and then click upload ..

You will then get a confirmation in the area below it will show the file or a error message
click close window
Go back to the paper clip hit the arrow and you will see the file it will now show up.

or you can upload it to a online site like google plus flicker and so on .. then click the square yellow icon with the mountain and past the url.


Good Luck

To get my very few corals adjusted to the VIPARSPECTRA, I should be recieving tomorrow what should the sensitivity be on the lighting and how can I make sure the algae doesn't get out of control again?

[ericarenee]

i do not know the depth of your tank or the lights you currently use.. But i would say 15% of white and 25% on blue is that seems less then you have now then up it a bit. The height you put them off the water also plays in. and the height you want them off the water will be determined by the tanks foot print.. . Mine tank is 24 deep by 30 inch x84 inch foot print. i have mine 14 inch off the water..


Hope this helps.

[Tbone33]

Originally Posted by ericarenee

i do not know the depth of your tank or the lights you currently use.. But i would say 15% of white and 25% on blue is that seems less then you have now then up it a bit. The height you put them off the water also plays in. and the height you want them off the water will be determined by the tanks foot print.. . Mine tank is 24 deep by 30 inch x84 inch foot print. i have mine 14 inch off the water..


Hope this helps.

My tank is at 21 depth x roughly 32L x 16W

21 is from the bottom of my tank to the top of the lip
I am removing the plastic cover and the black cover center piece to support the lid for my new light so Ill have an open top to it....

[Tbone33]

Originally Posted by ericarenee

i do not know the depth of your tank or the lights you currently use.. But i would say 15% of white and 25% on blue is that seems less then you have now then up it a bit. The height you put them off the water also plays in. and the height you want them off the water will be determined by the tanks foot print.. . Mine tank is 24 deep by 30 inch x84 inch foot print. i have mine 14 inch off the water..


Hope this helps.

I am assuming this light will support LPS corals, anemones and other great corals? Am I correct?

[brett559]

I've had it with my Orbit light as well. Buying a maxspect Razor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smoker51]

I bought one of the 165W fixtures like that over a year ago. My softy corals stayed alive but didn't grow at all. I put an electric meter on the two cables and got maybe 27W on one and 24W on the other.

I wrote a bad review to warn other buyers and I think Amazon pulled it. I had reported my findings to them and all my money was promptly refunded and I got to keep it. I got a long letter from the seller who tried explaing PAR to me and other b.s. I didn't read it, it was a long-winded nonsense excuse that didn't address the low wattage properly. I was impressed by Amazon's quick action.

Amazon sells those meters for $19 and its a good investment when you really don't know what you're buying.

[ericarenee]

Originally Posted by Smoker51

I bought one of the 165W fixtures like that over a year ago. My softy corals stayed alive but didn't grow at all. I put an electric meter on the two cables and got maybe 27W on one and 24W on the other.

I wrote a bad review to warn other buyers and I think Amazon pulled it. I had reported my findings to them and all my money was promptly refunded and I got to keep it. I got a long letter from the seller who tried explaing PAR to me and other b.s. I didn't read it, it was a long-winded nonsense excuse that didn't address the low wattage properly. I was impressed by Amazon's quick action.

Amazon sells those meters for $19 and its a good investment when you really don't know what you're buying.

not sure where you got it from, or what light it was but there was obviously something wrong with the fixture you had and there is no way you would have not noticed this as soon as you plugged it in that you were only getting 27w of light. that is less then a lamp light bulb.

[oreo57]

Well if he measured 27 on one channel and 24W on another then the light actually put out 51W..
165W rating "usuallly" assumes all diodes are running at 3W (55 diodes.. but at 350mA and 3.5V =1.22W each) ..Few are..
(NOTE: should meter higher but how much is meter error ect???)
Drivers generally are 350-500mA..and it is likely the diodes are running closer to 1W..
such is marketing..
165 is "theoretical".. what they found was actual..

24W of LEd's is a lot brighter than 24W incandescent..