Another "Help me choose an LED" thread...

[SchnauzerFace]

Hey everyone,

 

I just recently got the nano aquarium of my dreams -- the ADA 60p. Cannot wait to get started! Unfortunately, I need help!

 

The 60p is 24"x12"x14", which puts it in kind of an awkward size category when shopping for LEDs. The Kessil A360we, Nanobox Duo, and Hydra 26 claim a coverage of "up to 24 inches." That makes me feel like the edges of my tank aren't going to receive adequate lighting if they're at the very fringes of how far these lights can spread. I also feel like this may restrict how and where I place my rocks, which I don't want.

 

So I've got a couple questions.

 

1.) Does anyone have a tank of similar dimensions with a recommendation for lighting?

2.) Are any of the above-mentioned lights actually more powerful than their manufacturers make them seem? Could a Nano Box Duo, for example, provide a substantial amount of light all the way to the edge of the tank, even though its spread is listed as "up to" 24"?

 

Couple things to note:

 

I'm interested in function but also form, as I want this tank to be aesthetically pleasing. I really like the look of the Kessil 360we light, for example, but the Kessil gooseneck + adapter with a cable wrapped around it is unsightly. I would prefer something that will mount with an attractive clamp-on fixture (no wire hanging mounts, for example).

 

I'm not planning to stock any fish in this tank. Just inverts, softies, LPS and also some SPS. I have been in the hobby for several years so I feel up to the challenge of keeping SPS in a nano.

 

At various times, I've been pretty close to convinced by every option (Nanobox Duo, 1 A360we, 2 A160wes, or a Hydra 26 ... I even briefly considered 2 Nanobox Tides). Anyone willing to shove me in one specific direction?

 

Thanks!

Andrew

 

[Sunstar]

I am gonna hitch hike on this thread because I am interested in a new light for my 10 gallon.

[SchnauzerFace]

I am gonna hitch hike on this thread because I am interested in a new light for my 10 gallon.

 

 

Climb aboard, bud!

[kwsjimmy]

I run a radion xr15pro on my 10 gallon

[reeferinbama]

Almost everyone on this forum will, without directly saying it, point you to whatever is the latest fanboy craze and/or the most expensive thing out there. IMO, if you live near any LFS, hit as many stores as you can and actually see the lights over tanks. If not, only accept the opinions of those who have used multiple kinds of lighting over their tanks and finally settled on one.

 

I got so many different answers when I asked specific questions that I pretty much gave up and started building different kinds of setups and am narrowing it down now. I might even go back to t5s believe it or not.

 

Anyway you slice it, I am going DIY. I just can justify the kind of bread folks are wanting for lighting these days. Stuff like lightning strikes and matching a particular island's weather and such are all for the end user really, not the inhabitants of the aquarium. If anything, I see a lot of these systems causing harm. WAY over lighting is a real issue. And, if you have to turn them almost off to use them, why buy that bright of a fixture. It's certainly not for longevity. Most of the people around here won't leave a tank alone long enough to mature,let alone out last a light fixture.

 

In the end, I think it boils down to personal preference. Never ask anyone to help you choose a light. Ask instead, what colors and par will be most beneficial to corals I want to keep. Then, try to find a fixture/setup that meets those needs. There is no one right answer to lighting questions.

 

BTW, don't bother flaming me. I am 46 and my give a damn broke a long, long time ago.

 

Steven

[SchnauzerFace]

OK. Then would anyone be willing to share their personal preference with me (and undoubtedly others)?

 

 

 

In the end, I think it boils down to personal preference. Never ask anyone to help you choose a light.

 

[Mojado]

If you got the coin, a ghl mitras 6100hv is nice. Will grow anything and allow you to have any temperature lighting you'd ever want, even throughout the day. Sleek package, too.

[farkwar]

Use TechFlex on your gooseneck if you go Kessil.

 

Not unsightly. Not as clean as a NanoBox with threaded cabling though.

 

LED light is point source light.

And with very few exceptions, light does not bend around corners to light the dark side of your corals. Double normal recommendations.

Or add T5/hybrid to get diffused lighting.

 

DIY is no longer really cheaper than commercial bought fixtures, resale on DIY is dismal in comparison if you ever upgrade. What it does offer is exactly the light you want, which you don't know now otherwise you wouldn't be asking for advice.

 

evilC and jedimasterben are the top two lighting gurus here, listen to them if they offer advice. There are a couple other experts.

[Sunstar]

Someone had an Aquamana 165 over their tank in some pics here recently. I have been eyeballing that. I want full spectrum and an ability to utilise a few settings. On the other wing, I saw this thing at the LFS that can use your phone to trigger a thunderstorm - very cool. (also insanely expensive...)

[Paleoreef103]

It all depends on what you value out of your fixture. Do you desire form factor over everything? Are you going for a cheap fixture that will get the job done? How controllable do you want your fixture? Do you want a hanging fixture or do you require a fixture that mounts on the tank?

As for my recommendations, I'm not a kessil fan. They're the closest to to metal halides, but their spectrum isn't great. They're also underpowered for the price. A single point point or emitter array can also lead to pretty intense shadowing along the edge of the tank and general hotspotting of high PAR values underneath the fixture and much lower values toward the edges. This is especially prevalent in longer tanks.

If you wanted a cheap fixture, the reefbreeders value fixtures get the job done.

If you want a controllable fixture, the hydra, radion, and nanobox reef are all very nicely controllable.

As for downsides of the other fixtures, reefbreeders fixtures use fairly inefficient, cheap LEDs and lacks programmability. Hydra fixtures honestly have a pinky purple twing to them due to their lack of standard blue/cyan LEDs that makes me a bit unimpressed by their spectrum. Radions are expensive and the white LEDs are very powerful, but are kind of sterile looking (low CRI whites). Nanobox fixtures are great, but they don't have quite as many channels of control as the radions or hydra fixtures.

My personal choice for a premade fixture would be a Nanobox fixture on the basis of form factor, spectral quality, power, and quality, but they are expensive and there is a bit of a wait for them to be built. DIY is probably my favorite way to go, but I can't keep everything as tidy as Dave @ Nanoboxreef can.

[Sunstar]

I was just looking at nanobox. I like the customisation of colours you can get - really adds a personal touch.

[zooman72]

A NanoBox Duo will quite well for most 24" long aquariums, and most aquarists don't keep corals at the very ends of their tanks. I am running a NB Duo on my IM Nuvo 20, and I have plenty of light...

[SchnauzerFace]

Thank you all for the recommendations, experiences, and valuable tidbits. I think I've settled on the Nanobox Duo. The form and function are both to my liking, and I was super impressed with the customer service. I emailed Nanobox (Dave?) today with several questions, and he responded within about 20 minutes on a Sunday. Very nice!

 

I wonder if I can get Uncle Sam to just sign over my tax refund directly to Nanobox?

 

Thanks again everyone

[farkwar]

Zooman is one of the experts, I mentioned above.

Thank you all for the recommendations, experiences, and valuable tidbits. I think I've settled on the Nanobox Duo. The form and function are both to my liking, and I was super impressed with the customer service. I emailed Nanobox (Dave?) today with several questions, and he responded within about 20 minutes on a Sunday. Very nice!

 

I wonder if I can get Uncle Sam to just sign over my tax refund directly to Nanobox?

 

Thanks again everyone

Nice light for a nice tank. Good choice.

[Reefkid88]

I had a 15g breeder set up for a little and your dims aren't that far off. Honestly I think the dims are perfect. That being said,there's a lot of lighting that's perfect. T5's would be a good choice,a Hamilton Aruba Sun light would be good for a retro. I want to say the distance between the insides of the reflectors is like 2-2.5" where you could run a heatsink thru the middle over the existing poorly leds are and mount a few small clusters.