Thoughts on Evergrow IT2040 LED

[fixerupper]

I've had one of these Evergrow IT2040s over my 45 gallon cube for over 3 months now. Tank has 2 clowns, over a dozen SPS frags and a couple of LPS on the bottom. Here's my take on this light:

Pros:
• Excellent responsiveness and communication from Nick at Reefsupplycanada.com
• FAST shipping. Arrived in 2-3 days after I received my tracking number.
• Solidly built. Quality looks excellent.
• Instructions are virtually unnecessary because onboard controls are very intuitive.
• Included hanging kit is nice. It could be 6-12” longer.
• 90 degree angled power cord is high quality and supple enough for easy routing to the outlet.
• Fans are quieter than any other equipment noise.
• Fixture runs very cool. It must have a good heat sink. Makes you wonder if the fans are even necessary.
• Light is VERY bright with just the right amount and types of colours (for my taste) mixed in on the white channel.
• (*Some* might consider it has too much of a purple or violet tint at 100/100 but after playing around for two hours I think it has the perfect blend for my taste.)
• No spotlighting at my mounting height of 13” above the water of an 18” deep tank. A brief check with a white piece of paper shows visible spotlighting disappears at <12” from the fixture.
• 3 year warranty

Cons are mostly minor nit picking since none can be considered ‘deal breakers’.
Cons:
• DHL needed $12.50 at my door for handling charges (it’s not much, but no one likes these kind of surprises) Update: Once notified, Reefsupplycanada refunded it immediately--thanks
• Box was showed signs of rough handling but the fixture has adequate packaging. If I was purchasing a heavier or larger fixture it would be wise to have these double boxed.
• Instructions are poor if you’re expecting a step by step walk through. They’re ok otherwise.
• Hanging kit could be a bit longer. (My wife sniggered at this).
• Some might consider the air rush of the fans are ‘noisy’ if they test the light without any other common aquarium noises. I have a very quiet display and have to shut everything off to hear the fixture.
• Right angle power cord was angled in the wrong direction for my setup. Ordered a cord from Monoprice.com for $3.50 to have a cleaner routing.


Performance for the dollar is off the charts compared to much of reef equipment I’ve purchased in this hobby.
One might argue that reliability is unknown at this point but with the 3 year warranty and customer service offered by reefsupplycanada.com, I’m confident this is a great buy.
The concerns I originally had were how my corals would respond to the light and perhaps the extra spectrum enhancing algae growth. Both of these concerns are moderated somewhat by the successes reported on several “Chinese lighting” threads over at reef central.
As usual in this hobby, eventually time will tell the whole story.