Help with my new tank!!

[ReefKeeperNoob]

Hey guys, I just got this new tank I'm really excited about!! It's a Red Sea Max 130L (29 gallon swimming area, 34 gallon with sump) I'm looking to replace the hood which has 2 55w compact T5s. I'm  preforming the rimless mod soon so the oem loghts are going bye bye. The only thing is I can't figure out what light will work to grow my corals ( mostly beginner corals) I don't want to spend much ideally no more than $150-$170 I am really  considering the Current USA ORBIT IC (LOOP kit)  specifically the 18-24 inch model it's exactly $170 shipped from Amazon. Please let me know if this light will work for my tank here are some pics of my tank and a link to the light I'm talking about. 

 

Current USA 4104 18"-24" Orbit IC LED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDP0N01/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_mLU5yb7H2GBTE

[SaltyBuddha]

I have that exact IC LED. The specs on it aren't as bad as many cheap LED systems. It has 445 and 465, 6700k and 10000k LEDs. Also has red and green LEDs. Granted my tank is still cycling so I can't say with any real experience. It's still new, but other reviews say it's working great for their corals. 

 

People will say they are cheap LEDs that don't produce enough watts per LED. The only real problem with this is that they don't penetrate water depth as much. My IM10 only has 10 inches, maybe, of water so it should work great for that. They have PAR charts online as well.

 

You really don't need 14k and 20k lights if you have 445 and 465 blues to supplement. Those are the only ones you really need for coral growth. And those are the ones that make coral pop with color as well. The red and green LEDs produce a decent amount of light so I'm guessing they will light up some corals with nice color. Not necessary for actual growth.

 

Look at the PAR charts and see if that depth will work for you. 

 

I've also got the powerhead that hooks up to the loop system. It is super quiet and works really well. Very happy with the system. But again, new system that hasn't been put to the test. I have done a lot of research and think it will do well though.

[SaltyBuddha]

 

10 inches of water. Isolated red green and blue colors. Bottom right is their sunlight view. All is customizable so you can make it more blue or white. Red and green only make slight differences when viewed with blue or white, but I suspect will make big differences with color fluorescents.

[ReefKeeperNoob]

36 minutes ago, SaltyBuddha said:

 

10 inches of water. Isolated red green and blue colors. Bottom right is their sunlight view. All is customizable so you can make it more blue or white. Red and green only make slight differences when viewed with blue or white, but I suspect will make big differences with color fluorescents.

Wow thanks for the pics! Will this light grow me some corals? Or is it all looks? 

[SaltyBuddha]

The blue is the best for growing corals. 445 and 465 LEDs are known for it. Anything from 420nm to 480nm are best for growth and fluorescents I believe. The 18" model comes with about 10.5 watts of blues. About half the total power of the light itself. Both the white lights will also contain that blue spectrum to help grow. Red/green is for show. Since red and green light doesn't filter through water well, corals have learned to use the blue (actinic) light.

[SaltyBuddha]

You also get thunder storms. Totally aesthetic, but cool. Rolling clouds are calming as well.

[ReefKeeperNoob]

14 minutes ago, SaltyBuddha said:

You also get thunder storms. Totally aesthetic, but cool. Rolling clouds are calming as well.

That's really neat 

[Clown79]

The orbit marine will grow corals, best for softies and lps. The only issue is that the fixture doesn't penetrate far.

 

Another option that is affordable is mars aqua, many use it and like it