Placing order for lights and power heads (1 Viewer)

[alstang1]

The below discussion is in reference to a6 ft 180 tank to home 75% + sticks and likely no softies.

After much research and past experience I know I don’t want MH because chillers are a PITA. In keeping with a minimalistic concept I’m looking at the AI primes, I picked up a prime today and love the adjustability and control. Cooling isa great factor also. I’m leaning towards a 5 unit staggered design over the 6 foot span of my 180. Along with this I want to order 2 mp40 ph’s for the length and 2 mp10s on the back wall. I’m pretty sure I’m going to order all of the above in the next 24 hours but wanted to hear experienced opinions on similar setups prior to cashing out. GO!!!

Also, BRS seems to be 3-5% higher across the board. Nemo and friends had primes for $210 today. Is there a better deal out there that I’m not yet aware of?

edit: at $150 extra would I not be better off just getting 4 mp40’s And dialing them back. That would give me backups if one had issues.

 

[foos]

MP10's probably will not work on the thickness of glass you probably have. I had 2 MP40's on a 210G 6ft tank running in gyre at 100% and that was enough but I did want two more so I think 4 of them will work well.

I have AI's, not the newest ones, but have had no issues with them. The sky lights do tempt me though. The most infuriating thing about any lights is not being able to take a decent picture.

 

[Seaworthy Aquatics]

What are the dimensions on the tank? I'd be worried the Primes will not be strong enough for a big sps tank like that. They are recommended for small to medium tanks. I used 4 primes on my 75g sps tank and ended up switching to Radions down the line.

 

[foos]

Missed that you want the single puck lights. I would probably get 8 of them for a 6ft tank. I think BRS has a review of them with par that you could use to get an idea of how many you really need.

 

[alstang1]

What are the dimensions on the tank? I'd be worried the Primes will not be strong enough for a big sps tank like that. They are recommended for small to medium tanks. I used 4 primes on my 75g sps tank and ended up switching to Radions down the line.

Thank you. This is invaluable info. I really don’t have the budget to decide to swap out if things are not working.
Tank is 21”x21”x6’

any guidance on what I should research would be great. I’ll look into the prime series and see what else is available in that realm.

 

[alstang1]

MP10's probably will not work on the thickness of glass you probably have. I had 2 MP40's on a 210G 6ft tank running in gyre at 100% and that was enough but I did want two more so I think 4 of them will work well.

I have AI's, not the newest ones, but have had no issues with them. The sky lights do tempt me though. The most infuriating thing about any lights is not being able to take a decent picture.

Great info on the mp10s. I could have researched for a year and never found that info. I’ll go with the 40’s. Still searching for a better solution on lighting since 5 AI pucks seem not to be sufficient. If you have a suggestion for something that may better suit this situation please share so I can research the product. I like the low heat element of LED as well as the automation of dusk dawn settings, but if a t5 hybrid combo is a better option, I want what’s best for the residents of the tank. In my old house I did not have central air and MH really gave me major cooling issues so I’m gun shy on that. With 15 years of technology since then I’m sure there is a cooler option.

 

[Seaworthy Aquatics]

An LED-T5 hybrid is definitely the most popular option and considered "the best" for sps set ups because of things like shadowing in mature well stocked tanks. I hate changing the bulbs so I tend to go full LED and I have 3 Radion xr-30s (equivalent of 12 primes) on my 6.5ft tank but it is designed to be super bright. I have about 350-500 PAR everywhere in the tank and will only grow the highest demanding sps. I probably could have gone with 2 xr-30s and a row of T5s or supplemental LED like Reef Brights and achieved the same thing for slightly less but with more maintenance. A good starting place might be 3 Hydra 32s or Radion xr-15s, which is 6 primes, and have decent PAR. Bottom and rim of the tank might not grow acros, but the rockwork could probably grow anything. This way you could easily add another Hydra 32/Radion or a supplemental light fixture like T5 down the line if the light wasn't enough without having to redo everything. I would also avoid the primes on a big tank like this because that is a lot of cords, rather only have the 3 or 4 fixtures and not 8+.

 

[foos]

BRS has it listed at the bottom of the page for the pumps.

VorTech QuietDrive Quick Compare
Pump	Mobius Ready?	Max Flow Rate	Tank Size	Maxiumum Tank Thickness	Power Consumption
MP10QD	Yes	1,500+ GPH	2.5 to 50+ gallons	0.375 inches (9.5mm)	8 to 18 watts
MP40QD	Yes	4,500+ GPH	50 to 500+ gallons	0.75 inches (19mm)	9 to 38 watts
MP60QD	Yes	7,500+ GPH	120 to 1,000+ gallons	0.375 to 1.00 inches (9.5 to 26mm)	10 to 60 watts