Lighting suggestions for newb
 

I once again turn to the experts.

My new rimless 100g (48x24x20) display is currently being built and I'm looking for lighting suggestions from the members here. I'll likely start of with easy to keep corals but would like to eventually move to SPS once I have more experience - and would rather not have to switch fixtures at that point. Balancing cost is important too. Wife would also prefer something aesthetically pleasing. So yeah, basically looking for a super fixture that doesn't break the bank :).

This is what I'm considering, from cheapest to most expensive:

1) 36" Tek 6 bulb T5 (is this long enough over a 48" tank?)
2) 48" Tek (in the case that the 36" isn't long enough)
3) 2 AI sol blues (also looking for an elegant hanging solution if anyone has come up or seen one)
4) 2 Radions (same as AIs - need to find a hanging solution)

Thoughts? Suggestions I haven't considered?

Thanks in advance.

My vote would be for option 3.

I have been eyeing up the AI sol's for some time now.

If you decide to go with SOL's or Radions you could go with something like Coralgurl's triple Radion hanger.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...R/317993bc.jpg

I have a 48" t5 set up for sale, brand new never been used. 4 bulb, and extra bulbs.

250$ for a 36" 6 bulb with bulbs included and new fans recently installed.

Doh im in edmonton though

Option 3 or 4, both are easily mounted with some u channels from homedepot. Led are the way to go, also check out sunbrite leds. They are coming out with a nice looking high powered fixture with I think has a good spectrum coverage that can be controlled on you smart phone.

Your price difference between options 1/2 and options 3/4 are huge

Kinda like what car should I buy Honda civic or corvette

AI sol and radions are new technology and expensive
Sol are what $450 each? Radions $825 each and you will need 2 of both
You can get a 48" 6 bulb tek used for few hundred and all new bulbs for less that 1 sol

Thanks everyone. Much appreciated.

Doing some poking around - does anyone know when AI will release the Phoenix? The low power consumption and wireless control are quite desirable.

Greg, if I go this route we should talk about a custom hanging kit...

its now called the Vega and according to the AI facebook page it has been "Only a few weeks ago" for about 6 months now. I wouldn't be holding my breath to see these anytime soon.

these are not out for a month or so, but look pretty cool/not too expensive.

http://reefsupplycanada.com/cgi-bin/...anada&pc=14096

It all depends on what you want to spend. LED's are the best Reef invention since the invention of water ( yeah I know..took that a little to far lol ) BUT the initial cost is higher.

A 6x48 T5 is more than enough for SPS. I have been running a 6x36 on my personal SPS tank for a few years. The ONLY reason why I'm swapping them out next month is because my F-series LED's are coming in.

So let's talk price.

48" F-series LED sells for $1,099.99

2 x radion LED's sell for $1650.00

6 x T5 48" TEK sells for $349.99 + 6 ATI bulbs at about $150, total of $499.99

The "problem" with T5 is you need to swap out the bulbs every 9 months....although I have gone 1 year with little browning. I have my T5's on a hanging kit so I lower them every few months, it extends the need to replace bulbs a little. With that being said, you need to dish out $150 on bulbs every 9 months.

Both are great lights, both will grow SPS. The question is $$?

Good luck with your purchase.
Ray

you could also look at the kessil's seen here:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...threadid=85070

IMO I would only look at leds once you figure the price of bulbs every six months the leds will end up saving after about 3-5 years of use depending on which led and or t5 you chose.

(I run radions and they are incredible)

if you are looking at pendants, i would look at something 50 watt + with the depth of your tank (the kessels are only 30 if i remember correctly). Depending on what you wanna keep for coral.

alll these look good as far as pendants go:

ecoxotic has a 50 and 100 watt

orphek has a 30 and a 50 watt (a bit pricey though)

cadlights has a neat looking line of 30/50/100 watters (have not seen any tests or pics of them in use).

Thanks all - great help here.

The Kessils look great - just never considered them - they don't seem be as widely used as the other plug and play led solutions so I never thought of adding them to the list. The 350 "tuna" looks especially nice. Not sure how many I'd need - 2 or 3?

Considering the T5 route - anyone know if a 36" 6 bulb Tek light would do the trick on a 48" long tank? Or should I go 48" for sure?

Also I'm not completely against solder less DIY led kits - any recommendations going this route? The few I've priced out fast approach the cost of AIs.

The sunbrite looks like a nice option. Given that it's so new, however, there isn't a lot of feedback on its performance or quality yet

My DIY LED was in the neighbour hood of $2k, I would have needed at least 6 Radions and 7 - 8 SOL's for the 8'er so it was a no brainier for me.

You are much better off going with a 48" T5 instead of 36", small price difference.

SB USA has delivered 10 F-series in the US and there are great reviews. They love the craftsmanship and intensity of the light. One guy replaced his 3 x 250W MH with 1 x 72" F-series and he's running it at 75%, still finds it brighter.

Thanks,
Ray

Don't forget the AI sol's and DIY when you are comparing LED's

2x AI SOL = $800
LEDs=48
Controller=$80 option
Modular = Yes (3 LEDs per panel)

2x Radion $1650
LEDs=68
Controller= Yes
Modular= Yes (17 LEDs per panel)

Sunbrite f-series 48" $1100
LEDs=72
Controller= Yes
Modular= Yes (18 LEDs per panel)

Modular led 48" kit, no lenses, no dimming $609 +~$40 for fans and cords.
LEDs=84
Controller= No
Modular= Yes (2 LEDs per panel)

The main factors to consider with any unit: Initial cost, quality and number of LED's, repair/replacement/upgrade costs and ability, and control. For me control is a much smaller factor since I am still used to old fashion lighting where control was pretty much limited to actinic and moonlight timing. Being modular is much more important to me. It allows for upgrades as technology advances. But also if something breaks on this unit down the road, I want it to easily be replaced at a reasonable cost. I would guess that the larger amount of LEDs per panel jumps the replacement cost considerably. So if 3 LEDs die on a panel of 17 or 18, you are less likely to replace them. While a panel with 2 or 3 LEDs would be cheaper to replace if 3 LEDs went out.

but when you consider that bulbs last like 8-9 months, and cost $180 a pop to replace all 6 versus an ai sols 50000 hour LED module lifespan (5.7 years) and relative low cost to replace (apparently ~$25 a 'puck'), the AI sol would have itself paid off and working to your advantage in just over 3 years. take into consideration the wattage youll be saving and the time youll be saving from less frequient water top ups (LED = less heat = less evaporation), theyll be paying themselves off even sooner.

2 AI sol ($399.00 x2 = 798) - Tek6 ($250) = $548 / $180 = 3.04~

did you finance your house or pay in cash?
you kno if you had just saved the 1/2 million bux you could have saved yourself a bunch of money................

I kno in the long run LED overall costs are cheeper but its a big bill to swallow at once which was my point

If you're going the T5HO route, you have to go with full tank coverage - 48" fixture for a 48" tank
I love my ATI fixture

lol this made me laugh