Lighting advice needed for small SPS tank

[adamRS80]

I'm in the process of building a 34L x 16W x 17H tank that will ultimately house sps corals and possibly a few clams. There is 5.5" at most of clear space from the top rim of the tank to the underside of the cabinets above. I know it's tight, I could make the tank 1" shallower but I'd prefer to keep the height at 17". I'm debating between LEDs, the Mazspect Razor 20.5" and either a 24" ATI dimmable T5 in either 4 or 6 bulb configuration, or an AquaticLife T5 fixture similar to the ATI. I have been out of the reef hobby since 2006 and I'm not sure how close the LEDs or T5s can be mounted to an above surface. There is plenty I don't know about modern reef lighting. I know the Maxspect Razor is supposed to have 6" above it for cooling. I'd probably have 1" above any of these fixtures for cooling. I would sure appreciate any suggestions or advice.

Thanks,
Adam

[reefreak]

Razor would be nice but for the price maybe a vega or a sol?

[g-ray]

Think your on the right track just depends on your budget. Ai sol will prob be out of the question due to the height restriction. If your going t5 if money is no object ati fixture for sure over the aquatic life. If you go led a vega might not be a bad choice as you will get good spread closer to the water line. Hope this is helpful.

[Big_Pun]

reef koi released a multi color led, also if you get with ms_stangchris she runs a multi color one with a controller that runs 450.

[adamRS80]

I was hoping to stay in the $400 range. Should I be considering T5 vhos to begin with? Would 4 or 6 bulbs be needed based on the 16" tank width? It looks like something that I need is going to be in the 400 to 500 range whether LEDs or T5s. The AI sol and vega both look very nice. I remember seeing them recently but I lost interest because of the $100 for the separate controller. I know that sounds cheap. I do like it when the light has the controller built in though. Many thanks for the advice to far!

Adam

[koa25]

reef koi released a multi color led, also if you get with ms_stangchris she runs a multi color one with a controller that runs 450.

Did you guys ever figure out where to buy the light? Or a site with info?

[Big_Pun]

Did you guys ever figure out where to buy the light? Or a site with info?

you can buy it from Brandon at zoanthids.com just shoot him a email

[FireWater]

Also check out ledtric.com
They have some customizable fixtures. Wide angle lenses will be your friend.

[adamRS80]

I'm concerned about the reliability of any of the the LED fixtures. 50000 hours would be nice but it seems like a nice t5 system might be more economical, at least until I have to replace the tubes. Maybe I'm worried for no good reason but A 3 year warranty at LEDtric adds $150.

[BBQHILLBILLY]

All the lights work great. Some bulbs are better than others. Same thing with LEDs. What do you want?:bigsmile:

[Zack]

I'm concerned about the reliability of any of the the LED fixtures. 50000 hours would be nice but it seems like a nice t5 system might be more economical, at least until I have to replace the tubes. Maybe I'm worried for no good reason but A 3 year warranty at LEDtric adds $150.

What do you mean by reliability?

[BBQHILLBILLY]

Big_Pun has an sps tank and he uses MH. send him a pm.

[Big_Pun]

Big_Pun has an sps tank and he uses MH. send him a pm.

I wouldn't do it with a small tank way too much heat for the size unless you ran a good chiller. Led or T5, well you could go mh if it was open top and used a fan, also to combat water evap a good ATO like the tunze nano would be needed

[adamRS80]

By reliability I mean the LED fixture or some of the LEDs themselves failing, not working anymore and having to deal with that. Maybe they're all very reliable and I'm worried for nothing. My tank will have a lid so I will stay away from MH to avoid heat problems.

[BBQHILLBILLY]

I agree with you. Thats why I went diy.:bigsmile:

[Big_Pun]

I would get a AI sol or vega. and keep coral and rocks towards center. you might not coverage from end to end but if you plan and scape right it can still look good. I run a 4 foot fixture on 5 foot tank, I have two islands to avoid center brace also.

[Zack]

By reliability I mean the LED fixture or some of the LEDs themselves failing, not working anymore and having to deal with that. Maybe they're all very reliable and I'm worried for nothing. My tank will have a lid so I will stay away from MH to avoid heat problems.

I mean essentially it all comes down to the company, their record, and investing in a fixture with good results from other hobbyists. Sure you could spend 40$ on a bulb from a no-name chinese company and be S-O-L a few weeks down the road or you could spend the money and go with a fixture like the AI SOL (No pun intended) and have great results for years. DIY is also a good option and allows you to save the cash and build it yourself so you know it'll do well (if you build it right)

[adamRS80]

The two lights I'm leaning towards are the ATI 4x24w dimmable T5 and the Aqua illumination Sol. Based on the dimensions, and depth of my tank can you guys make some recommendations? The Sol seems small and I'm fine if there is less light at the ends of the tank for lower light corals but I don't want it to look like I put too small of a light on. I like the ATI t-5 setup a lot, they're essentially the same cost up front but it the Sol LEDs will be enough than I'll probably go that route because they seem high quality, Made in the U.S.A and also seem repairable.

[reefreak]

What about two ai nanos?

[FireWater]

I think you will be pushing it for coverage on a 36" x 16" tank. The Sol will cover 24" X 24" and I would recommend that over a nano. The nano is a great light, but I think you would be asking it to do too much.

[adamRS80]

Thanks Jeremy and Firewater. I think two Nanos would blow my budget but I that thought did cross my mind. I was afraid the Sol would be better suited for a more cubic tank than mine.

John, are you saying that you think that a single Sol fixture would not have a wide enough spread? That is what I was thinking.

[FireWater]

Best results for the sol are at 2'x2' around 12 to 14" above water line. If you were to go with one fixture I would run 1 sol and plan placement of coral accordingly. You could also run different lenses on the sol and get a little better spread, but you're talking extra money then.

[350gt]

One 400 watt MH!!!!!..

forget these little tinker toy LEDs!

It's all in the light!!!....



Lol jk....


keep in mind with one ai sol at 12-14" you will have some light spillage... Not as much as some other led fixtures but you will have some at that height... Which is the only reason why I kept my canopy on.

if you do have a canopy, you can always supplement the sol with other forms of lighting...

[adamRS80]

In this case I don't have a canopy. There is a maximum of 6.5 inches between the top of the tank and the cabinet above where the light will be mounted to or suspended from if it's not tank mounted. Do T5s put out a lot of heat? I thought about two 70w DE metal halides. Am I thinking too small there? I was avoiding MH because of heat and the fact that my little girls are about 3' tall and will be looking up at the tank all the time. I didn't want them to be blinded. I know I know, too many criteria. I know one can't have it all so I'm just trying to figure out the best solution.

I'm still leaning towards the AI Sol. They says it's good for a 30" wide tank. I don't mind if 2" on each end are a little dimmer. What about the Vega? I guess it costs about $100 more but would it cover a wider area?

[350gt]

Vega would cover a bit more area because of the optics used. But with only 6.5" of clearance spread is going to be limited with any led fixture.. I have mine about 8" off the water and I would say 24" spread is pushing it. And you have to keep in mind, the sol and vega are going to need some space above them for ventilation, they have a fan mounted on the top of the fixture.

[350gt]

Can you recess a fixture in the cabinet above?

[rockmp]

I have a 36x21x21 rimless tank and run an ATI sunpower 8x24 that is SPS dominant. Maybe a little over kill but looks awesome. It has two fans on the fixture and really does not produce much heat. The spread is good all over the tank. I can put SPS and clams anywhere in the tank without issues.

Thanks
Mark-


Thanks
Mark
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[adamRS80]

Can you recess a fixture in the cabinet above?

I could be done but we just remodeled our house and I really don't want to tear into the new cabinets.

[adamRS80]

I have a 36x21x21 rimless tank and run an ATI sunpower 8x24 that is SPS dominant. Maybe a little over kill but looks awesome. It has two fans on the fixture and really does not produce much heat. The spread is good all over the tank. I can put SPS and clams anywhere in the tank without issues.

Thanks
Mark-


Thanks
Mark
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think that is the direction I am heading. I wanted to get into LEDs to avoid replacing bulbs but it does not seem like I can get the spread I need. Maybe an ATI 4 x 24 or 6 x 24 would work for me? Do you know if the ATI fixture comes with any bulbs? I'd rather stick with a 4x24 but do guys you think a 6x24 is required for SPS and clams? My tank is 2" shorter and 5" less wide and deep than Marks tank.

Adam

[adamRS80]

Well I ended up buying a used Aquatic Life fixture but I wanted to thank all of you for the advice. It should be plenty of light to get me started.

[350gt]

Post pics when it's up....



good fixture, you will love the timer...