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geweagle
07-01-2013, 05:01 AM
Hello all,
I am new at this. I have just started a saltwater system, 80 gal. 48" long, 24" deep tank. It was fresh before so I need to upgrade the lighting. I was looking at T5's fixtures, but the more I read the more I am looking at LED's. Initial cost is a high, so I don't want to break the bank, but I do want to have corals. I know they pay in the long run, but got to afford the startup. I was looking at the Vertex Illumilux IV LED Fixture - Dolce Bianco. But I just cannot find anthing to say if it is enough light.

Also there are so many things to add to LED fixtures. So the second question is: does this unit need anything to run it? Or is it a plug and play? At least to start. I cannot even get enough from the manufacture site. It talks all the techno-jargen, but not something simple like how you run it.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. If this is not the right choice maybe you could suggest something else that does not break the bank.

Thanks

Acrowhora
07-01-2013, 05:05 AM
what's your budget and what type of coral are you planning to keep?SPS?LPS?Hello all,
I am new at this. I have just started a saltwater system, 80 gal. 48" long, 24" deep tank. It was fresh before so I need to upgrade the lighting. I was looking at T5's fixtures, but the more I read the more I am looking at LED's. Initial cost is a high, so I don't want to break the bank, but I do want to have corals. I know they pay in the long run, but got to afford the startup. I was looking at the Vertex Illumilux IV LED Fixture - Dolce Bianco. But I just cannot find anthing to say if it is enough light.

Also there are so many things to add to LED fixtures. So the second question is: does this unit need anything to run it? Or is it a plug and play? At least to start. I cannot even get enough from the manufacture site. It talks all the techno-jargen, but not something simple like how you run it.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. If this is not the right choice maybe you could suggest something else that does not break the bank.

Thanks

geweagle
07-01-2013, 05:27 AM
About $500.00 and if I understand the terms both. Wife wants some hard corals

mrhasan
07-01-2013, 07:00 AM
About $500.00 and if I understand the terms both. Wife wants some hard corals

Since your budget is low, look into evergrow LED. You can keep sps under it and those lights have good reviews too.

geweagle
07-01-2013, 09:49 AM
So are you both saying that the Vertex is not enough light?

I was looking at the Vertex Illumilux IV LED Fixture - Dolce Bianco. But I just cannot find anthing to say if it is enough light.

jason604
07-01-2013, 10:51 AM
I'm using taotronics dimmable led lights I purchased on amazon and they are wonderful my tank is a 75g that consists of half sps and half lps. The lights were only under $200 each and my sps that I purchased from other reefers seem to grow so fast and color up even more. Believe it or not but I'm only using one fixture even tho my tank has a centre brace which blocks quite a bit of light in the middle. I will most likely buy another one when I upgrade my tank size. Been running for 2-3 months and so far no corals have died and grew super fast and amazing.

iceman86
07-01-2013, 01:44 PM
You can do a diy led kit which isnt hard to build at all. http://www.aquastyleonline.com/products/72--LEDs--DIY-Dimmable-Kit.html thats the kit id recomend and is plenty of light for sps. You can always get a smaller kit and then order the different color leds extra if you want a broader spectrum which is what I did. I went with the 36 led kit (they sent me 40) 20 white/20 royal blue then I also added 20 regular blue. Seems thsts the combo most high end lights run these days. You could get red, green, yellow etc but corals dont really use much of it and there's also a lot of debate about those colours whether they benefit you or your algae lol You must get dimmable or you will cook everything. I cooked a mushroom on the sandbed when I first got it.

My tank is a little bigger than yours and im running 60 leds and I can cook sps if I dont turn the intensity down.

don.ald
07-01-2013, 01:58 PM
About $500.00 and if I understand the terms both. Wife wants some hard corals

T5s will work fine for all coral:biggrin:
It's a good way to start with a tight budget

chewie
07-01-2013, 07:02 PM
Since your budget is low, look into evergrow LED. You can keep sps under it and those lights have good reviews too.

I agree. Running something similar (purchased from different company pm for more info if interested) They are dimmable and have built in timers for attinics and for whites.
For the price, just under $200 each, they are a great fixture. I have 2 over a 6 foot tank and since upgrading to leds my corals are coloring up great and have grown twice as fast as before. (was running 2-400w metal halides and 4 supplimental t-5 ho lights)
Not only that my water temp is now a steady 28 deg, and no more expensive bulb changes. Oh and the corals sure do glow under just blues.
Cheap LED fixtures all the way :biggrin:

mrhasan
07-01-2013, 07:09 PM
So are you both saying that the Vertex is not enough light?

I was looking at the Vertex Illumilux IV LED Fixture - Dolce Bianco. But I just cannot find anthing to say if it is enough light.

Vertex doesn't have a very good reputation for growing SPS as far as I know.

chewie
07-01-2013, 07:20 PM
So are you both saying that the Vertex is not enough light?

I was looking at the Vertex Illumilux IV LED Fixture - Dolce Bianco. But I just cannot find anthing to say if it is enough light.

I think you could get something else cheaper that seems to do a better job.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/vt-ldilld04/Vertex+Illumilux+IV+LED+Fixture+-+Dolce+Bianco+%2848+Inch%29.html
seems to be more for planted tanks, refugiums. Not for corals

sphelps
07-01-2013, 07:28 PM
Vertex doesn't have a very good reputation for growing SPS as far as I know.

I wouldn't say that, the 260-360 fixtures are really nice, seen lots of amazing SPS tanks under those but the IV fixture is way different. At only 6 LED per foot you're looking at 68 watts total. While it sure would be nice if you could get away with only 68W of lighting on a 4' tank 80 gallon tank it just isn't nearly enough for SPS and many LPS corals. The IV fixtures are modular, the idea is to use as many of them as you need which in your case is probably 3-4. So they certainly aren't budget fixtures, AI sols are cheaper and IMO a better option.

I agree you should look at Evergrow. (http://www.reefsupplycanada.com/evergrow-led-lighting/) Two D120s would be good if you're not interested in much control. A single 32" IT2080 is the other option which will offer more control but less output. That's pretty much it for LED options under $500 to cover that size tank and support SPS coral.

Acrowhora
07-01-2013, 07:29 PM
His wife wanna keep hard corals,and the illumilux won't be able to support corals at all.i suggested the Evergrow IT2080,they'd be enough to cover his 48'' long tank.Vertex is coming out with a new model luminati 450(if i'm not mistaken)the new model will be 2x better than the 360,so they say...I think you could get something else cheaper that seems to do a better job.
http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/vt-ldilld04/Vertex+Illumilux+IV+LED+Fixture+-+Dolce+Bianco+%2848+Inch%29.html
seems to be more for planted tanks, refugiums. Not for corals

geweagle
07-01-2013, 07:48 PM
Thanks to all of you. Your suggestions and input is greatly appreciated. I will go with the IT2080 for now. The DIY kits are interesting and I just may look at those in the future. Electonics are not a problem for me. But time is so I will buy new.

Again thanks for all the suggestions. Once I have the tank all setup I will post some pic's. Have to say already looking good. Been running 1 week and crystal clear. But need to makesure chemistry is Ok before I put fish in. Right now just rocks, sand and a few hermit cleanup crew :lol:

donkey77
07-02-2013, 01:09 AM
run AI Sol's you'll love them