getting new lights

stgmz · 05-26-2007, 01:03 AM

I decided im getting new lights i was having problems with my power compact lights. So I was thinking about getting mh lights.

Is there anybody who can point me in the right direction.

One other concern is that i live in az and even with my power compacts i still strugle to keep the temp down in my tank.

**CarmieJo** · 05-26-2007, 01:08 PM

You might want to take a look at my thread Look What UPS Brought! about my new Solaris lights. They are more expensive than MH but my chiller has not come on since I got the fixture, even when we had the windows open and it got to 79* in the house. It is still very pleasant her at night and in the morning when I leave for work the interior temp of the house is 10 degrees cooler and my tank has dropped to 79*. That is the low set point on my controller and I don't know if the heater is coming on to keep it there or if that is just how much it drops over night.

salt-rookie · 05-26-2007, 06:48 PM

MH would be a great improvement; however, if you are struggling with heat with PCs, you will need to utilize surface fans and a quality chiller.

Cyclura · 05-26-2007, 09:49 PM

depending on how big your tank is, go with the prime mini inline chillers at forstersmith.com. Mine works great and i got it for about 330$. Its the 1/10 HP and it keeps my 30gal at a perfect 74 degrees for the seahorses.

salt-rookie · 05-26-2007, 10:07 PM

I've got a Current Prime chilling tower....$599 for all of the capacity you can ever need! Has a 30 degree pull down for my 180 gallon display.

**Amphibious** · 05-31-2007, 10:17 AM

stgmz,

You should seriously consider CarmieJo's advice. Look at the scenario, you live in AZ, you struggle to keep your temp down with PCs, summer is coming and you are thinking of upgrading to MHs.

If you think you have heat problems now, wait till you plug in the MHs. MHs produce much more heat then PCs. Yes, you can get a chiller and blow fans on the surface. While that MAY solve your heat problems it also causes another problem. Your energy consumption will sky rocket and your monthly energy bill will seriously dent your pocket book month after month. If you take the cost of MHs add a chiller add the fans, consider the yearly replacement cost of MH bulbs at $50 plus, it doesn't take a mathematical genious to see this is a sinking ship.

The alternative is the Solaris LED lights CarmieJo is refering to above. You pay more up front and all but, eliminate the heat problems, bulb replacement costs, energy bill increases, chiller cost. Think about it for a minute and you will come to the right conclusion.

I live in FL so I have summer heat concerns, too. But when I got my Solaris last September my MHs went out the door, sold to the highest bidder. My energy bill went South. I'm happy as can be with my LED lights. In fact, I just received the new 400W version of the Solaris. One word, AWESOME!

Dick

Steve480 · 05-31-2007, 06:55 PM

Im stgmz changed screen name to steve 480. Anyways you make a great point and your right when you add everything up, well its a no brainer.

I guess when you live in a state like AZ you just realize you might need those type of lights. Do you know how much the 48'' lights costs. I no there around a couple thousand i think, i'll just have to do a couple of side jobs and keep the price from my wife.

**Amphibious** · 05-31-2007, 07:54 PM

That's standard operating procedure for us married reefers, isn't it? What sized tank are you running? The 250W is good to about 24" of depth. Deeper would need to be the 400W. Or, after seeing my 400W, I'm thinking that's the way to go in either case. The Solaris is totally programmable.

Steve480 · 06-01-2007, 07:49 PM

I have a 80 gallon tank 48'' long and 21'' of depth.

Steve480 · 06-01-2007, 07:50 PM

Where did you oder your solaris

**CarmieJo** · 06-01-2007, 11:04 PM

From Amphibious' store. I checked and couldn't find it cheaper anywhere else. Here is the link: lighting

salt-rookie · 06-02-2007, 12:04 AM

OR...if you are on a budget....you can get KILLER electronic programable timers at Lowe's for $15.

PSH · 06-02-2007, 07:00 AM

After checking around. I found this website. They seem to have really good pricing on the solaris. I have never bought from them so I don't know what their service is like. 123 Fish

KyleO · 06-02-2007, 01:25 PM

Solaris LEDs are definitely the way to go............my 400W unit has been up for a week now and after a little panicking because the light looks so different (thanks for hanging in there with me Dick!), I have to say that there is no match for the LED lighting. It supplies all the light of the MH, much less heat and power consumption (My chiller barley comes on anymore), and the programmability is on a level all it's own.

Imagine getting to set the length of the longest and shortest day of the year for your aquarium? Then imagine getting to set the sunrise and sunset time length along with the moon-rise and moon-set times. Then you get to choose between following the solar calendar or completely setting your own. You get to adjust your color to any temp you want, and, my personal favorite, you get to set how much cloud cover you want. That's right, you set how many clouds (virtually) pass over your tank, how long and how much light intensity is cut.

Amazing!!!

Oh yeah, if you are going to take the (deep) plunge and invest in a Solaris unit, I highly recommend going with Dick at The Cultured Reef (Amphibious)

**Amphibious** · 06-02-2007, 02:31 PM

CarmieJo and KyleO,

I'm excited because you guys are happy with the Solaris LED units. My 400W is up and running and my SPS corals are taking on more color than under the 250W. I, too, love these lights.

Thank you guys for recommending my On-line business, The Cultured Reef. This is an expensive hobby and the Solaris LED lights are, addmittedly, expensive. PFO sets the MSRP and the Internet minimum price. We opt to offer the Solaris at the Internet minimum price plus we have been paying the shipping charges at least for now.

PSH, Thanks for giving us the link above because these guys are not in compliance with PFO's dealer requirements. I have to follow the rules set by PFO and believe they will, too.

Dick

Steve480 · 06-02-2007, 04:10 PM

I guess now its time to make my final decission. Thanks for the help

**CarmieJo** · 06-02-2007, 11:31 PM

There was a thread a while ago about timers. IIRC more people had problems with the fancy timers than with the old fashioned mechanical ones.

salt-rookie · 06-03-2007, 09:54 AM

What do the PAR reading look like on the 400 watt LED?