Ecoxotic Panorama LED fixtures

[Northstar24]

I'm in the process of designing a system for the house my fiancee and I just bought. I am going to run either a 150 or a 180 gallon reef setup. I'm currently researching lights, and the Ecoxotic LED's have caught my eye becasue they are low wattage and according to the manufacturer it looks like you can grow tons of different types of corals

for a 72' long tank they recommend 3 fixtures. At an initial investment of ~$2300 I want to make sure that its the right choice to make. I know the advantages of the LED technology, my question is will running three of these over a 72' tank allow me to grow most corals? I dont want to pull the trigger on the setup only to find out 6 months down the line I need to upgrade or supplement the lighting

Thanks!

 

[daugherty]

Pasific Sun USA

 

[OmegaOmega]

I'm in the process of designing a system for the house my fiancee and I just bought. I am going to run either a 150 or a 180 gallon reef setup. I'm currently researching lights, and the Ecoxotic LED's have caught my eye becasue they are low wattage and according to the manufacturer it looks like you can grow tons of different types of corals

for a 72' long tank they recommend 3 fixtures. At an initial investment of ~$2300 I want to make sure that its the right choice to make. I know the advantages of the LED technology, my question is will running three of these over a 72' tank allow me to grow most corals? I dont want to pull the trigger on the setup only to find out 6 months down the line I need to upgrade or supplement the lighting

Thanks!

Northstar - The EcoX's are a great start, but generally function better when you have less tank depth than you would with a 180g setup.

The PAR drop between the first 6-12" (from mount) to sand-bed is significant and will strongly dictate the placement of corals in your aquarium.

You need to ensure you have a high wattage conversion (the driver) for each of the LED lamps.

That said, the Eco's are a great starter or permanent solution depending on what life you're specifically wanting to keep.

If you're looking for a long-term solution that provides the most flexibility, I would suggest a Pacific Sun or Aqua Illumination solution - specifically looking at a 3w bulb (such as the CREE) option.

This also gives you the option of fewer modules/units per foot which is something to factor in as well.

Both of the solutions offer controllers or integration with a third-party controller (such as the Reef Keeper system) so it makes it easier to expand your system moving forward.

 

[Northstar24]

This is definitely for a permanent solution. I dont want to drop that kind of coin on lighting and then have to upgrade it down the line.

I've just started researching corals, and so far I'd like to keep Mushrooms, Riccodera, and Zoos

I checked out Pacific Sun's website, but its not very intuitive as far as what you would acutally need to make the system work.

Aqua Illumination was a little spendy, but I'm going to give them another look.

 

[daugherty]

pacific suns are prob the best on the market right now and the aqua illuminations are up there also. call them both and they will tell you what you need as for a good light system

 

[OmegaOmega]

This is definitely for a permanent solution. I dont want to drop that kind of coin on lighting and then have to upgrade it down the line.

I've just started researching corals, and so far I'd like to keep Mushrooms, Riccodera, and Zoos

I checked out Pacific Sun's website, but its not very intuitive as far as what you would acutally need to make the system work.

Aqua Illumination was a little spendy, but I'm going to give them another look.

For a long-term solution, and especially the issues surrounding $ sensitivity, the Pacific Sun option may be best - and was ultimately the option I personally chose. They have the longest warranty period, and often your credit card (chase or capital one) will offer a free extension to that.

If you currently have a Reef Keeper system, or are planning on purchasing one, Aqua Illumination may rank higher as they have a specific module that can integrate with the system.

However, the Pacific Sun systems offer full Bluetooth/Wireless support to help reduce wire clutter.

Couple things to consider between the two systems:
1) Pacific Sun is sold by a single reseller in NJ - the units are actually manufactured in Poland - so your support will be over the ocean.

2) AI only offers one system. Pacific Sun offers four different lines with multiple options for lamp types as well. They also offer an X-Screen which is a 7" portable LCD touch-screen unit that can be used to control any number of lamp units - even if you have multiple tanks, further extending longevity of use for the system.

3) Both systems offer module lamp setups so it's easy to swap out defective bulbs if necessary

For your size of tank, the Phobos unit (from Pacific Sun) may be the best fit. Aside from the two LED panels, it includes dimmable 54w T5s. The lights are 3w CREEs and have an output of 160w PER PANEL not including T5s. This would take care of any lighting requirements for tank depth or coral types.

You can take a look at Aquarium LED light - New Generetion of Light which is the parent company of Pacific Sun and look at some of the specs there.

 

[reeffreak]

I finally named it down to the the Aqua Illumination LED for myself.Seven modules inside a hanging canopy around 1-1'6'' above the tank.

No offense to Daugherty or Omega.The Pacific Sun doesn't run optics like the AI do which shows the test on RC that they put out the most PAR,something like 1470 PAR per module.Because of how powerful they are,you can hang them much higher up and still get outrageous PAR and no spotlight effect.I'm not sure if the PS has the controller like the AI has.My guess the EcoX will be similar to the PS since they LED aren't focus either.