Fluval Updated stock light on Evo 12 somewhat.....

[Mike P]

So I have had my evo since they first came out back in the middle of 2016 and recently I noticed some of my lights went out. Contacted fluval and they sent me a new light under warranty. It appears to be slightly different and the led’s seem to be better protected...... problem was that the freaking new light wouldn’t even turn on 😒. Fluval is sending me another one that should arrive today so hopefully that one actually works. But wanted to share some pics of the new light. The old one is on the right, new one on the left. Also the connectors are better and have a tighter fit

[Melfy77]

Yeah...I had the "improved" version...broke after 3 months, got a replacement, stopped working after 6 months, called them again and was told they only replace once under the 1 year warranty and that the light was 100$...so I went out and bought myself an AI prime HD  hopefully you'll have better luck with yours!

[Mike P]

The new light works but it’s more yellow then the previous one, I guess it looks more like sunlight.

[Clown79]

There are cool white LEDs and warm whites. 

[ninjamyst]

Interesting.  I threw mine into the trash as soon as I got my tank running.  The stock light is sooo bad.  If they gonna change it, why didn't they make it better with stronger blue LEDs...

[Floundering_Around]

Stock light is not as bad as people make it out to be. Many people, including myself, are growing 'high light' corals and anemones with no problem. Might not look as fluorescent as corals under a light that costs the same or more as the Evo kit, but they grow and are still beautiful. 

[Mike P]

My new soft coral pack is doing good under the stock lights and have grown a lot within a week

[Melfy77]

They are decent lights, I remember adding a blue LED strip to make the tank look bluer and I put it in a dimmer to use it as a moonlight. I got decent growth, but light kept failling and honnestly I wouldn't pay 100$ for that light. Maybe I just got unlucky. I'm happy with the AI prime, and with the heatwave going on (35 celsius but feels like 45 with humidex and no AC), the lid would make it impossible to deal with.

[ninjamyst]

For those that say the stock light is "good", have you compared it to having a Kessil or AI or Nanobox or even a Current Orbitz?  It's night and day...

[Floundering_Around]

35 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

For those that say the stock light is "good", have you compared it to having a Kessil or AI or Nanobox or even a Current Orbitz?  It's night and day...

So is the price. The light comes with the kit. If I wanted to drop money on a Kessil, AI, or Nanobox I would have bought a tank that didn't come with a light like IM, Red Sea, or JBJ. I bought my tank with the intentions of using the stock equipment not spending money to upgrade it, plus having a full lid is nice. The light is at worst "decent" as it can grow a range of corals and invertebrates (as noticed by my tank and others).

If OP chooses to change their light, power to the OP (sucks that the light is having all sorts of issues but so does any other piece of equipment. They have faults and flukes).

Now @Mike P, regardless of my opinion of anyone else's, feel free to stay with your light or upgrade it. My purpose for keeping everything stock is to give an example of a "cheaper" saltwater kit that can grow corals and inverts for people that don't want to dive head in, want a slower tank, want a challenge to get the best out of their corals, blah blah blah.

Let us know what you do!

[Melfy77]

39 minutes ago, Floundering_Around said:

So is the price. The light comes with the kit. If I wanted to drop money on a Kessil, AI, or Nanobox I would have bought a tank that didn't come with a light like IM, Red Sea, or JBJ. I bought my tank with the intentions of using the stock equipment not spending money to upgrade it, plus having a full lid is nice. The light is at worst "decent" as it can grow a range of corals and invertebrates (as noticed by my tank and others).

If OP chooses to change their light, power to the OP (sucks that the light is having all sorts of issues but so does any other piece of equipment. They have faults and flukes).

Now @Mike P, regardless of my opinion of anyone else's, feel free to stay with your light or upgrade it. My purpose for keeping everything stock is to give an example of a "cheaper" saltwater kit that can grow corals and inverts for people that don't want to dive head in, want a slower tank, want a challenge to get the best out of their corals, blah blah blah.

Let us know what you do!

I would have kept the light, but going through 2-3 light fixture a year because it keeps breaking, you're spending at least 200$ a year. That being said the tank itself is great, the overflow has great dimensions, way easier to clean that IM tank IMO

[4Swanson2Reefer0N00b]

I've been using this tank in its stock form since October 6, 2017, so coming up on 9 months and I've got lots growing well.  I suppose it's not as fast as a nicer light but I'm a noob and don't know the difference yet so it's cool.  

[Floundering_Around]

1 hour ago, Melfy77 said:

I would have kept the light, but going through 2-3 light fixture a year because it keeps breaking, you're spending at least 200$ a year. That being said the tank itself is great, the overflow has great dimensions, way easier to clean that IM tank IMO

That definitely makes sense since it was "out of warranty". How convenient 😆

21 minutes ago, 4Swanson2Reefer0N00b said:

I've been using this tank in its stock form since October 6, 2017, so coming up on 9 months and I've got lots growing well.  I suppose it's not as fast as a nicer light but I'm a noob and don't know the difference yet so it's cool.  

Tank's looking great! I like the minimal rockwork. I feel like I have too many rocks in mine and it kinda feels cluttered. But then I take rock out and I don't like how it looks 😩

[4Swanson2Reefer0N00b]

I always envisioned coral growing up into the space but I have fought with the idea of adding more rock from the start.  I began with only three pieces in the middle-like a noob 🙄  But learning has been half the fun

[Floundering_Around]

2 minutes ago, 4Swanson2Reefer0N00b said:

I always envisioned coral growing up into the space but I have fought with the idea of adding more rock from the start.  I began with only three pieces in the middle-like a noob 🙄  But learning has been half the fun

I had an arch originally but I move the tank to and from college and I could never quite get the shape I originally had. Maybe I'll try to change it back tonight or in the coming week.

[Lugmos12]

4 hours ago, ninjamyst said:

For those that say the stock light is "good", have you compared it to having a Kessil or AI or Nanobox or even a Current Orbitz?  It's night and day...

I saw the biggest growth when I switched to a Current Orbit. I just bought an AI Prime HD today (thanks to a 20% off sale lol)

[Mike P]

I actually plan on getting the current marine ic light for my evo. I saw a some good deal on dr foster and smith for the 18”-24” at $84.35. Sounds like a bargin to me and I can connect it to my current wave pump. I like the stock look of the evo and the replacement light I received was only because 3 of the original light’s leds went out and I was still under the 2 year warranty. For now the stock lighting is fine but I really don’t care for the new lights yellower look compared to the old light. My evo tank is actually one of the first ones and I had it special ordered way back in 2016 but it was in its box just collecting dust until October of last year.

[NanoReefNoobie86]

Here is a pic of mine running using the AI Prime. Best decision I've ever made!

 

 

[Clown79]

Theres a lot more involved with growth than lighting and people expect growth to happen faster than it does.

 

There are many lights out there that will work. 

 

The stock light will work. It's in the correct spectrum. The downside is its poor controllability, its limited there.

 

Do you need controllability- no it's not necessary. 

 

 

[Lugmos12]

11 hours ago, Clown79 said:

Theres a lot more involved with growth than lighting and people expect growth to happen faster than it does.

 

There are many lights out there that will work. 

 

The stock light will work. It's in the correct spectrum. The downside is its poor controllability, its limited there.

 

Do you need controllability- no it's not necessary. 

 

 

True. But aesthetically I hated the look of the EVO stock lights - it was either too white or too blue - no in-between. I love the controllability of the AI Prime HD from what I've seen. I also didn't like how low the EVO light sat on the tank.

[Mike P]

I’m still using the stock fluval light and it seems to be doing okay so far. I have been experimenting with a green monti and birdsnest since early February this year.The colors did fade on both and the birdsnest looked like it was dying. Even with the fading colors both are now growing and the birdsnest has more polyps then when it was at the LFS and the monti I had accidentally broke into 3 pieces the first day I got It is now connected again and getting larger. I have been using prodio nano kit and switched from using  imagitarium boxed saltwater to making my own with aquavitro salinity.

 

February 5, 2019

 

Today

[Clown79]

birdsnest is looking good. Are you feeding any coral food?

 

many keep the stock lighting.

[Mike P]

6 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

birdsnest is looking good. Are you feeding any coral food?

 

many keep the stock lighting.

Yes I have reef roids and coral gumbo. I like the clean look of the light with the lid was going to upgrade but I’m saving my money for a bigger tank

[Evonewb]

Is there way to get the blue light on first with the factory light on the Evo? It turns on bright and scares the fish before you can select the second stage blue.