Help Me Decide On What LEDs...

[rstar]

Hi Everyone! Im looking at upgrading to LEDs, and am having a hard time choosing what to buy. The tank they are for is a 36"X18"X22". I've been leaning heavily towards the Maxspect Razor, but have a few reservations as i've heard (Thanks Myka) that I may be bothered by the disco effect. As well as im unsure whether or not it will leave shadows in the top corners. My budget is about $700, and am not that interested in DIY as I do not have the time or electrical know how. Any recommendations or personal experience would be helpful (Maspexct users chime in if you could). I'd like to make a decsion in the next few days before I decide to spend the funds i've reserved frivoulously (like spending 700 dollars on lights isn't) Thanks in advance for the assistance, and for letting me draw on all your experience!

[BlueTang<3]

From what I was reading in the other led threads or seems the ghl is about the only light that doesn't have the disco effect but its also 1100 bucks. Others have noted that u get used to it and don't even notice, I ordered the ghl for my new build but am using my vertex right now and it seems to be ok for it at least a lot better than my radion ever was. You might be able to find a 2 foot vertex and it would light that tank up for you it lights my 360

[intarsiabox]

I had 2 AI Sol Blues over a cube and there was slight disco ball effect in spots on the sand, none on the rock or coral. I also have a single Radion G2 over a 29g reef and there is no disco effect whatsoever, I don't really have any sand in this tank however (just a dusting here and there) so I can't say if it would be visible on a complete sandbed or not. The Radions advertise that they use reflectors instead of lenses just like the Mitras advertise, whether this actually makes any difference or not I couldn't say. My 29g is 30" long and I do find the Radion reaches the far edges of the tank a little better than the Sol and it is a brighter light fixture. I found the Sol controller simpler to use than the Radions and was suprised to find the Radion doesn't have a lunar cycle in the software (you would think natural mode would replicate natural lighting day and night). The only other thing I don't like about the Radion is the huge power supply that you have to hide somewhere.

I haven't seen the Vegas in action but have heard they are the worst for the disco effect, which is of course subjective to the individual. The nice thing about the Vega is that each individual LED has it's own controllable channel instead of just the color groups being lumped into a channel. I guess this could also mean endless tweaking of the colors which may be good or bad depending on how much you like to fiddle with stuff.

[Skimmerking]

Ryan talk to Codfather he has those led's sunbrites F series he likes them a lot

[The Guy]

Check out aqled @ www.aq-led.com they have some real nice stuff. Comes from China and the quality is not bad I just got one today delivered to my home. Totally programable controller sunrise/sunset,moonlights etc. the led's are 3watt and you can get either bridgelux or Cree when you order on line. The one I got is the aq-simple 36" has 36- 3 watt leds 108 watts with the controller was under $400.

[Baldy]

too bad your not interested in DIY. i built one for my 75 for 750$. 2 pendants each with 33 emitters. needs a fan on each heat sink, but simulates metal halides point based lighting very well. nice ripple effect without the disco ball