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Upgradinng my lighting to LED


Redoreef

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Hey everyone I was looking to upgrade my lighting from T-5 to LED, I am sick of changing the bulbs every year and the light of an LED just looks better. I read reviews of the one below and it looks great, my buddy has a bigger one, I was going to get the 18-24 inch one. Do you think that will be good?

 

http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-led-light-fixtures/11442-524765/marineland-adjusts-18-24-wide-1305-lumens-18-white-leds-3-blue-leds-.html

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I think you will like led. I like the shimmer effect you get when surface disturbed without the metal halide heat. The one I use is the IM below:

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/Innovative_Marine_Skkye_Light_18_Inch_20_Watt_Dimmable_Dual_Strip_LED_Fixture_Black_20_Inch_LED_Light_Fixtures-Innovative_Marine-0I10279-FILTFILDTN-vi.html

 

I like the fact it has 3 channels White, Actinic, and lunar independent. I run with 2 timers so my actinic comes on first then white later. White then turns off first followed by actinic. I like the independent dimmers which allow me to play with the lighting effect I want. This is especially handy if we company over and I want to highlight the best features on the tank. I leave lunar lights on 24/7.

 

There are ones out (CurrentUSA for example) now that do not cost a lot more but have timers built in and even better mimic sunrise/sunset.

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Hey everyone I was looking to upgrade my lighting from T-5 to LED, I am sick of changing the bulbs every year and the light of an LED just looks better. I read reviews of the one below and it looks great, my buddy has a bigger one, I was going to get the 18-24 inch one. Do you think that will be good?

 

http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-led-light-fixtures/11442-524765/marineland-adjusts-18-24-wide-1305-lumens-18-white-leds-3-blue-leds-.html

 

So what kind of tank do you have and what are wanting to keep?

 

Also, budget?

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I am on the lower budget end, it's a 29 gallon bioCube, I ripped the hood off and modified the crap out of the filtration. I am just sick of the T5 and will trade it in to the Lfs for a new fish. I am not looking to get any crazy corals, just beginner ones, I have a skunk shrimp, 3 chromis, cuc, 2 turbos. My corals currently are some basic Zoe's, mushrooms, polyups

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jedimasterben

If your budget is low, then I'd still look elsewhere. They were one of the first LED strips available and were what turned most people off to LEDs to begin with, and they're still just as bad today.

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That blows, I am glade I asked rather than only looking at reviews. I have researched the forum some and some say reef breeder LED's are decent if you are not doing anything extreme. Would that be decent?

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What about the Aquamania/TaoTronics LED pendants? Pretty cheap and should do just fine for soft corals and maybe some LPS.

The tao tronics looks like the front runner right now, I would just have to make a shelving fixture to hold it 10" above the tank rather then having it sit on the tank.

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If you're looking at aquamania and TaoTronics you might as well just get an Evergrow fixture.

 

Honestly reefbreeders would be a better option just because their spectrum for their fixtures is about as good as the chinese diode fixtures get.

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