AquaJern Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I've looked through literature and forums, YouTube videos, and LFS sales pitches. I'm still wondering not so much what is the best lighting option(pros and cons for all) but what do I need to know about them and my best options for upgrading from my 28 gallon nano pc compacts. Is a diy option best if so where do I start Or A system such as kessil ? Is there a better color mixture, watt, brand and what is efficient for my 28 gallon cube? I plan on a mixed reef primarily softies and lps, perhaps some sps in future... Link to comment
lobster876 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 KESSIL THEY WILL GIVE YOU THE SHIMMERING EFFECT Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I had a 28 gallon pc nanocube,I ended up using a maxspect razor nano 16k. Worked well on the tank especially since of the cubes dimmensions. I'll post mine up for sale in about two weeks if you want first crack at it. Link to comment
AquaJern Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 so are leads efficient for all corals then, or is there a certain (power or watt needed)? Link to comment
Mariaface Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Stalk jedimasterben's posts. I think he might be the resident LED god? On a more serious note, you'll want to measure by PAR, not by wattage. Companies should have charts that measure available energy at different depths, but if not then odds are someone's measured them somewhere. And even more: Wavelength. You need to make sure the light your diodes are emitting is actually useful to your photosynthetic animals, and basically add white/lime as needed so that it looks good to your eye. Your best option is to plan for SPS and dim accordingly until you get there, because odds are the need for colored sticks will hit you, whether it sneaks up on you or not. Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Stalk jedimasterben's posts. I think he might be the resident LED god? On a more serious note, you'll want to measure by PAR, not by wattage. Companies should have charts that measure available energy at different depths, but if not then odds are someone's measured them somewhere. And even more: Wavelength. You need to make sure the light your diodes are emitting is actually useful to your photosynthetic animals, and basically add white/lime as needed so that it looks good to your eye. Your best option is to plan for SPS and dim accordingly until you get there, because odds are the need for colored sticks will hit you, whether it sneaks up on you or not. Maria is 100% correct Ben knows all about LEDs and so does a guy named evil on here and meepnand lol those are 3 that come to mind and dave Fason of course. And yea the reef builder corals will bite you square on the butt once you get a taste of them lol. Link to comment
AquaJern Posted June 12, 2015 Author Share Posted June 12, 2015 Kessil a160WE Tuna Blue? Where does this unit stand for a 28 gallon cube? Would this be enough for evreything Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I would think so. However I've never used one. What kinds of control do you want the light to have? Simple on and off,a timer that ramps the lights up mimicking sunrise/sunset,lightning/cloud cover , theres lots of options. I would look into nano box lights if you want really bangin lights that look amazing,have 90 different color options for the housing,and use really high quality leds. Plus dave Fason (runs nano box) is always on here and has quite a following for customer service and awesome prices for a really well crafted light. Not to say the big company lights aren't good or even great by any means,but...nano box just owns. Link to comment
DaveFason Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 I've looked through literature and forums, YouTube videos, and LFS sales pitches. I'm still wondering not so much what is the best lighting option(pros and cons for all) but what do I need to know about them and my best options for upgrading from my 28 gallon nano pc compacts. Is a diy option best if so where do I start Or A system such as kessil ? Is there a better color mixture, watt, brand and what is efficient for my 28 gallon cube? I plan on a mixed reef primarily softies and lps, perhaps some sps in future... If you want to keep the hood I have RETRO kit that is perfect for this tank. -Dave Link to comment
pgrVII Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 If you want to keep the hood I have RETRO kit that is perfect for this tank. -Dave See ^^ Dave rocks! Link to comment
basser1 Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 If you want to keep the hood I have RETRO kit that is perfect for this tank. -Dave See ^^ Dave rocks! Shameless plug...... Who is this "Dave" guy??? Link to comment
Exodus Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 LED is still in its early stages and nothing has been truly ironed out, there is definitely a learning curve involved as people are always adjusting settings trying to find what works the best. It's not just as simple as putting an T5 or Halide setup over the tank and being done with it. With LED's you typically want to over power rather than under power but not extreme overkill. There are 3 well known names in th industry right now that have proved themselves and as a beginner I would suggest the following models (Some will say one is better than the other but truthfully I think its personal preference) For the Biocube 28 - Kessil A360WE - Aqua Illuminations Hydra 26 - Echotech Radion XR30 - NanoBox Retrofit hood or NanoBox Duo If you do a little reaserch on those 4 mentioned I'm sure anyone of them you pick you will be happy with. Link to comment
dadummy Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 if you would be happy with a simple on/ off DIY is the way to go. If you want all the dimming, lightning, and who knows what, then buy a fixture. I prefer my lights to be on/off with blues and whites on a separate channel just like any other PC/MH/T5 or combo. Link to comment
bob115 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I'd like to heartily disagree with previous statements about DIY fixtures being best for on/off solutions. Its truly not hard at all to make a pretty sweet DIY solution. If you don't want digital control, which does add another rather complex component, simple dials (potentiometers) on the appropriate driver allow you to dim each color very easily. More over, I think you lose all but 2 of the advantages of LEDs (power savings and less head dumped into the tank) by not implementing individual channel dimming, namely the enormous flexibility of your fixture. LEDs easily permit on the fly adjustments to intensity and color spectrum with the turn of a dial. The former I think would be of great benefit as you mentioned wanting to start with mostly soft and lps corals but possibly add more demanding sps down the line. I've not had experience with Dave or the Nanobox, so I can't comment on that, but I am a big fan of DIY, so that would be my recommendation. With rapid led and led group buy you have a plethora of options to make the project as easy as you'd like. Link to comment
Addinali Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Shameless plug...... Who is this "Dave" guy??? http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/361199-who-is-dave-nano-box-reef/ Link to comment
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