Looking for thoughts on substrate/ canopies

[MichaelB]

I considered the Nicrew HyperReef 200W Gen 2 but I honestly wasn’t expecting the price to be $400 when they released it. That’s literally double the previous gen 1. At $400, I’d rather spend a little more and go with a ReeFi Uno 2.1 Pro. That’s the route I’ll be going for the 90 gallon tank when that gets setup and I’m going to use the two Nicrew HyperReef 150W Gen 1 on the 45 Gallon frag tank. I’ve actually had those for years and never had a power supply go out. Not saying it doesn’t happen, maybe I’m just lucky

Don't even know what the reefiuno is but maybe that's what derek_SR has?

I don't know anything about different brands. Is the light you mention something I should consider instead? Not against the kessils I have just don't known if it's enough? They seem small on such a big tank compared to what i see people using in utube.

Not saying they aren't capable as I don't know anything about them. What I don't like about the nicrews is I have to turn the white channels higher to really increase par. I kinda like the blue, I would also love the shimer effect kessils do. These lights didn't appear to do it when the tank was set up. Could that be something that needs to be adjusted with the controller.

I wouldn't mind saving and paying for something capable of doing the job. I don't need the top of the line light by any means only functional, capable, and something that I won't have to run at 100% or still need more lights down the road.

 

[MarcosDelgado0]

Don't even know what the reefiuno is but maybe that's what derek_SR has?

I don't know anything about different brands. Is the light you mention something I should consider instead? Not against the kessils I have just don't known if it's enough? They seem small on such a big tank compared to what i see people using in utube.

Not saying they aren't capable as I don't know anything about them. What I don't like about the nicrews is I have to turn the white channels higher to really increase par. I kinda like the blue, I would also love the shimer effect kessils do. These lights didn't appear to do it when the tank was set up. Could that be something that needs to be adjusted with the controller.

I wouldn't mind saving and paying for something capable of doing the job. I don't need the top of the line light by any means only functional, capable, and something that I won't have to run at 100% or still need more lights down the road.

Here’s a little more info on them:

ReeFi Uno 2.0 Pro – ReeFi Lab

www.reefi-lab.com

I know a few people in the club run them including @Darkxerox and @derek_SR

I’ve seen a lot of reviews and looking into them and I see really good feedback. Plus the warranty is really good

 

[MichaelB]

Maybe try some Aquaforest Bio Sand?

Will check it out later

 

[Turkeysammich]

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the old kessils. I ran them for years. They are easy to tune. Grows corals (sps) perfectly fine. Really nice shimmer. The only thing I didn’t like about them is ( to me ) they are spot lights. They don’t have a wide light throw. That’s why you see so many people using a lot of them. They were the bees knees. Lol. I wouldn’t worry about them being old. Personally I think LED last an extremely long time. Doung from Boston’s reefers runs AI sol’s from 2000. He grows corals just fine with 20 plus year old lights.

 

[Arvin R]

The Kessil A360WEs are great lights, but 3 doesn't even come close to enough coverage for this tank IMO. Especially if SPS dominant is the goal. With that being said, your best bet in order to make the most of your money would probably be to run the 3 you have and then keep an eye out on the used market and try to pick up 2 more in the future. Since these are single point lights I would also recommend LED bars going across the length of the tank on both front and back of the tank. Don't expect huge PAR readings from these but they do perform well and make the tank look great!

If you want PAR monsters without breaking the bank, then 3 or 4 Aliexpress A8SEs would do you pretty good.

 

[MichaelB]

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the old kessils. I ran them for years. They are easy to tune. Grows corals (sps) perfectly fine. Really nice shimmer. The only thing I didn’t like about them is ( to me ) they are spot lights. They don’t have a wide light throw. That’s why you see so many people using a lot of them. They were the bees knees. Lol. I wouldn’t worry about them being old. Personally I think LED last an extremely long time. Doung from Boston’s reefers runs AI sol’s from 2000. He grows corals just fine with 20 plus year old lights.

Thanks for the prospective. I did notice the light itself seems very small I suppose hence the spot light refrence you mentioned. The nicrews I have have much wide led pucks. So I can definitely see the point you made.

 

[MichaelB]

The Kessil A360WEs are great lights, but 3 doesn't even come close to enough coverage for this tank IMO. Especially if SPS dominant is the goal. With that being said, your best bet in order to make the most of your money would probably be to run the 3 you have and then keep an eye out on the used market and try to pick up 2 more in the future. Since these are single point lights I would also recommend LED bars going across the length of the tank on both front and back of the tank. Don't expect huge PAR readings from these but they do perform well and make the tank look great!

If you want PAR monsters without breaking the bank, then 3 or 4 Aliexpress A8SEs would do you pretty good.

Do you think one of these kessils would provide adquate coverage for a biocube32 with sps. I wouldn't add sps to this 200gal for a while until it was mature. Until that point I would stick to lps and softies. I will also check out the ones you mentioned from AliExpress never heard of them.

This tank wouldn't be sps dominant at least not right away won't deny a future possibility. But I would limit sps to higher in the tank or to one side. I'm leaning to having a few different rock structures with 28 inches of height I expect I can afford to make stand them taller stand alone type structures.

Yet the kessils not being enough lights to cover everything was my bigger concern for this 200 gallon tank.

 

[Arvin R]

Thanks for the prospective. I did notice the light itself seems very small I suppose hence the spot light refrence you mentioned. The nicrews I have have much wide led pucks. So I can definitely see the point you made.

Spot light reference is due to the small size of the LED cluster (which is why I refer to them as single point lights sources) this is what gives them the Kessil "shimmer" so the lights start at a small point at the puck and then angle out from there. This can cause a lot of shadowing depending on your scape and coral placement.

 

[Arvin R]

Do you think one of these kessils would provide adquate coverage for a biocube32 with sps. I wouldn't add sps to this 200gal for a while until it was mature. Until that point I would stick to lps and softies. I will also check out the ones you mentioned from AliExpress never heard of them.

This tank wouldn't be sps dominant at least not right away won't deny a future possibility. But I would limit sps to higher in the tank or to one side. I'm leaning to having a few different rock structures with 28 inches of height I expect I can afford to make stand them taller stand alone type structures.

Yet the kessils not being enough lights to cover everything was my bigger concern for this 200 gallon tank.

With a tank build this big, you would really have to pivot and change and/or add a lot of equipment if going to SPS dominant in the future from a mixed reef setup. TBH setting up for a mixed reef is much harder in terms of getting the right amount of flow in all the different places you want different corals at. SPS up high in the tank and flow just pointing to them doesn't always work out imo, nutrient requirements are pretty different for mixed reef vs high end sps dominant. If you're just trying to keep basic sps (birdsnest, digis, stylos etc) then you would have a much easier time doing a mixed reef than say doing high end SPS but for mixed reef you'll either be low flow in a tank this big, or need a whole lot of power heads so you can adjust flow at different sections.

 

[MichaelB]

With a tank build this big, you would really have to pivot and change and/or add a lot of equipment if going to SPS dominant in the future from a mixed reef setup. TBH setting up for a mixed reef is much harder in terms of getting the right amount of flow in all the different places you want different corals at. SPS up high in the tank and flow just pointing to them doesn't always work out imo, nutrient requirements are pretty different for mixed reef vs high end sps dominant. If you're just trying to keep basic sps (birdsnest, digis, stylos etc) then you would have a much easier time doing a mixed reef than say doing high end SPS but for mixed reef you'll either be low flow in a tank this big, or need a whole lot of power heads so you can adjust flow at different sections.

I'm noticing that issue in my biocube with sps up top and trying not to piss off the hammers and torches. I don't think I'd want have that struggle in a tank thats 8 times bigger. The struggle of trying to keep everything happy.

So sps dominant thing would for sure be a future decision. Right now I'm content with keeping the sps in my biocube. I hope that one of these kessils would be much better than the peice together lights I have over the sps now.

The hammers and torches I could move to a different tank easily. It should also buy me time finding appropriate lights for the larger tank. If I kept the acropora type sps out of it until I fully commit to a direction.

 

[Turkeysammich]

^ The Struggle Is Real. Lol

 

[derek_SR]

I agree with @Turkeysammich just run what ya brung for now. You don’t need more than 3 Kessils to get SPS started. @Arvin R is also right about flow - when you are running a lot of flow it impacts the entire tank - you don’t really “choose” which areas are high flow or low flow without a lot of very careful pump placement. Mixed reefs are no joke - easy at first, very difficult once things get going.

But keep in mind what Will said, none of this matters right away. It’s almost silly to even be worrying about light. Throw them kessils on there and see how things progress. Light and flow don’t start to be a challenging issue with SPS until things start to GROW. Then you have problems to solve (“good” problems).

Kessils are good lights. I started with just a few Kessils. Worry about good husbandry and getting a good start, equipment doesn’t matter as much until later, especially if you are starting with decent stuff anyway. You’ll learn a lot once things start growing and there will be be newer and better lighting options by then too.

 

[richiev]

+100 on the posts about don't worry about all this, use what you have, it'll be fine.

As noted in the tank cost thread, the more and more you let this escalate into "let me get a couple sps", "what if I might keep X so I better buy Y now" thoughts you're exponentially increasing the needs and cost. A FOWLR version of this tank doesn't need a single light technically. A tank with some cool softies and some lps you have all the equipment you need most likely. A tank of this size with a lot of SPS grow outs you need to drastically raise equipment costs and start preparing for electric bills to jump ... crazy amounts, nevertheless the cost of replacing the SPS who die off, nevertheless the water changes and dosing and controllers and blah blah

If possible, swap the mindset to figuring out the fastest way to get the tank running with everything it has.

 

[MichaelB]

+100 on the posts about don't worry about all this, use what you have, it'll be fine.

As noted in the tank cost thread, the more and more you let this escalate into "let me get a couple sps", "what if I might keep X so I better buy Y now" thoughts you're exponentially increasing the needs and cost. A FOWLR version of this tank doesn't need a single light technically. A tank with some cool softies and some lps you have all the equipment you need most likely. A tank of this size with a lot of SPS grow outs you need to drastically raise equipment costs and start preparing for electric bills to jump ... crazy amounts, nevertheless the cost of replacing the SPS who die off, nevertheless the water changes and dosing and controllers and blah blah

If possible, swap the mindset to figuring out the fastest way to get the tank running with everything it has.

Thanks everyone for opening my eyes a bit more, this stuff really can become a rabbit hole in terms of equipment, I was honestly thinking more about getting all the stuff on my wish list than actually getting it running. I had the mind set of assemble all the peices first. Yet having it running and getting the other 65 gallon tank out the house would make my wife happy. Beyond taking care of the fish I've pretty much given up on that tank. Only a few mushrooms and anemones in it. I've returned everything else back to my main tank.

I will test the lights out, I do recall one wasn't working when we first checked out the tank. One was also dropped during break down hopefully it still works and I
can figure out the issue with the one that wouldn't stay powered on. If they all work I will just use them to get things started.

I will also just have to look for a different light for my main biocube32. Even though I really wanted to try one of these kessils on it. That biocube is my pride and joy and I couldn't imagine ever getting rid of it. I will be keeping all my nicer corals and sps in it until I'm really confident the new tank isrunning and well for a extended period of time. So getting a good light for it is well ahead of any optional upgrades on the new tank.

The other good news is I should be getting the sump this weekend for the 200g. I will start figuring out the general plumbing parts needed this week and get the tank cleaned up.

 

[Arvin R]

For

Thanks everyone for opening my eyes a bit more, this stuff really can become a rabbit hole in terms of equipment, I was honestly thinking more about getting all the stuff on my wish list than actually getting it running. I had the mind set of assemble all the peices first. Yet having it running and getting the other 65 gallon tank out the house would make my wife happy. Beyond taking care of the fish I've pretty much given up on that tank. Only a few mushrooms and anemones in it. I've returned everything else back to my main tank.

I will test the lights out, I do recall one wasn't working when we first checked out the tank. One was also dropped during break down hopefully it still works and I
can figure out the issue with the one that wouldn't stay powered on. If they all work I will just use them to get things started.

I will also just have to look for a different light for my main biocube32. Even though I really wanted to try one of these kessils on it. That biocube is my pride and joy and I couldn't imagine ever getting rid of it. I will be keeping all my nicer corals and sps in it until I'm really confident the new tank isrunning and well for a extended period of time. So getting a good light for it is well ahead of any optional upgrades on the new tank.

The other good news is I should be getting the sump this weekend for the 200g. I will start figuring out the general plumbing parts needed this week and get the tank cleaned up.

For the non working light, try it plugged into one of the other power supplies to rule out a bad power brick. The light itself is pretty well built. I dropped one of mine about 6ft onto a glass table and didn't miss a beat. Surprisingly the glass table didn't even get a scratch either.

Get the sump, plumb the tank, get it wet and start cycling your rocks and substrate should be top priority.

Crushed coral works great but you'll need good mechanical filtration and every once in awhile turn flow up high or use a power head to blow out the detritus and let your filter socks catch it. I wouldn't run a filter sock 24/7 unless you don't mind changing them every day or 2. It becomes a pain as they get clogged up really fast when passing this much water volume through them. If mechanical filtration is a must then invest in a filter roller.

 

[Srt4eric]

The back of it is open with screen on it?

if you look inside that canopy you can see mold growing. you will definitely have to add a few fans

 

[MichaelB]

if you look inside that canopy you can see mold growing. you will definitely have to add a few fans

I did notice that.
Would it also help as well if I kept a gap from the wall? I noticed they had it very close to the wall

 

[Arvin R]

I did notice that.
Would it also help as well if I kept a gap from the wall? I noticed they had it very close to the wall

You'll most likely still need fans to keep air moving to avoid excess moisture. It will be a very humid enviornment without moving air due to the tank (obviously) and the heat from the lights (slightly less obvious).

 

[MichaelB]

You'll most likely still need fans to keep air moving to avoid excess moisture. It will be a very humid enviornment without moving air due to the tank (obviously) and the heat from the lights (slightly less obvious).

Any recommendations so I get a idea of what to keep a eye out for?

 

[Arvin R]

Any recommendations so I get a idea of what to keep a eye out for?

No idea as I haven't ran a canopy before. I have seen people cut squares in the end and mount computer fans on each side but you'd need to also figure out a power supply to run them. And I'm not sure how well they last in this application.