Totara Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Hi All, Sorry for double post, but I found a relatively good LED light that I can get shipping for $320. http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494JTFU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401781707&sr=8-1&keywords=Marineland+Reef+Capable+LED+Aquarium+Lighting+System+36-48%22 It says Reef Capable but I want to know if it is going to be a good light. Also can anyone tell me if it is the most cost effective solution for me. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Only light on my marines that I paid more than 2 hundy for was a double 150w halide and 4 x t5 light, T5's will do a 90cm tank or keep your eye out for 2nd hand units on tard me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellymeat Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Hi All, Sorry for double post, but I found a relatively good LED light that I can get shipping for $320. http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494JTFU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401781707&sr=8-1&keywords=Marineland+Reef+Capable+LED+Aquarium+Lighting+System+36-48%22 It says Reef Capable but I want to know if it is going to be a good light. Also can anyone tell me if it is the most cost effective solution for me. Regards, Will This could be a better choice for you http://www.fish-street.com/product_details.php?category_id=118&item_id=593¤cy_code=NZD Same price but higher wattage. But for leds wattage isn't everything. However all of the high end fittings usually use 3w chips. Also this fitting has a built in timer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 Only light on my marines that I paid more than 2 hundy for was a double 150w halide and 4 x t5 light, T5's will do a 90cm tank or keep your eye out for 2nd hand units on tard me Are you able to give me a reference to some lights you used? Are you suggesting that something like this http://www.wonderworldpetcentre.co.nz/shop.php?action=moreinfo&itemid=9826 will work after all? Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted June 3, 2014 Report Share Posted June 3, 2014 T5's not T8's with actinic tubes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 Sorry big facepalm, put in the wrong link. I was meaning could I use a normal one like this one http://www.lightingplus.co.nz/lighting/ceiling-lights/fluorescent-lighting/wave-white-single-21w-t5-fluorescent.html With the reef grade actinic tubes. Will something like that work? Or do I need a specific fixture for aquariums. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellymeat Posted June 4, 2014 Report Share Posted June 4, 2014 Sorry big facepalm, put in the wrong link. I was meaning could I use a normal one like this one http://www.lightingplus.co.nz/lighting/ceiling-lights/fluorescent-lighting/wave-white-single-21w-t5-fluorescent.html With the reef grade actinic tubes. Will something like that work? Or do I need a specific fixture for aquariums. Regards, Will No as the wattage is wrong for aquarium T5 tubes You want something like this for t5s http://www.trademe.co.nz/pets-animals/fish/lights-lamps/auction-735764649.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 Hi all, Found what looks like a pretty good light. I can swap out the tubes in it, if you look in the questions it says it is 78W so should be adequate. Tell me what you think! http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=735733681 Also, I just found out that a wavemaker and a powerhead are different things, can someone please explain them to me, and which one I will need. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 Hi all, Found what looks like a pretty good light. I can swap out the tubes in it, if you look in the questions it says it is 78W so should be adequate. Tell me what you think! http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=735733681 Also, I just found out that a wavemaker and a powerhead are different things, can someone please explain them to me, and which one I will need. Regards, Will they look ok. but you probably want two or three of those units. you could use 3 or 4 of these. i use one of these on my 2ft reef and its plenty of light but i will be adding another for when i start getting light loving sps. the one thing i have found is you cant skint on lights. you can cut corners in other places but lighting isnt one. spend the money on good lights, a good skimmer and plenty of rock and youl do fine. my advice is to buy the rock and get your tank cycling and just have it running while you save for lights and a skimmer. there is no harm in running it with no light. i usually leave my tanks as long as i can without lights after the cycle. let it really build bio filtration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 they look ok. but you probably want two or three of those units. you could use 3 or 4 of these. i use one of these on my 2ft reef and its plenty of light but i will be adding another for when i start getting light loving sps. the one thing i have found is you cant skint on lights. you can cut corners in other places but lighting isnt one. spend the money on good lights, a good skimmer and plenty of rock and youl do fine. my advice is to buy the rock and get your tank cycling and just have it running while you save for lights and a skimmer. there is no harm in running it with no light. i usually leave my tanks as long as i can without lights after the cycle. let it really build bio filtration sorry forgot to add the link. http://www.aquaworld.co.nz/estore/style ... eblue.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 :gpo2: Thanks! I will get my rock and start cycling it. I was thinking I would do a road trip down to Christchurch with a sheet of cardboard with the same footprint as the tank. So I can go to one of the stores down there and layout the rock in store, buying the bits I like. Can anyone tell me how many KG's of rock I will need for this tank? I would prefer to get just one light unit, this has stopped being such a budget build 1) I have a considerable bit of funding towards this coming my way in the up and coming future and 2) I will possibly be living in the same room as this tank in the near future, so I want quiet equipment. Because I want one unit, will this light suffice? http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494NBEA/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER I can ship it to NZ for $250 so for a LED unit it is a pretty good deal. And from my understanding Marineland is a trusted brand. I am also interested in adding a wet/dry filter with a sump in it. This means I have a wider variety of Skimmers to choose from. I was thinking I would build my own for this as I would like the experience, and it seems like a fun project. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 EDIT: When I say Wet/Dry Filter, I mean something like this: Not the nitrate building bioball things. It also gives me a spot to keep fish in before adding them to the display area. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 :gpo2: Thanks! I will get my rock and start cycling it. I was thinking I would do a road trip down to Christchurch with a sheet of cardboard with the same footprint as the tank. So I can go to one of the stores down there and layout the rock in store, buying the bits I like. Can anyone tell me how many KG's of rock I will need for this tank? I would prefer to get just one light unit, this has stopped being such a budget build 1) I have a considerable bit of funding towards this coming my way in the up and coming future and 2) I will possibly be living in the same room as this tank in the near future, so I want quiet equipment. Because I want one unit, will this light suffice? http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494NBEA/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER I can ship it to NZ for $250 so for a LED unit it is a pretty good deal. And from my understanding Marineland is a trusted brand. I am also interested in adding a wet/dry filter with a sump in it. This means I have a wider variety of Skimmers to choose from. I was thinking I would build my own for this as I would like the experience, and it seems like a fun project. Regards, Will yea that light looks ok to me says reef compatible and that is a really good price. and should be plenty of light for soft corals and lps. and as for sumps have you thought about adding a refugium ? thats the next thing im going to add. and if you make a sump you should add a place in the sump for one even if you arnt planing on having one at first. this will explain after watching that heres a few more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellymeat Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 :gpo2: Thanks! I will get my rock and start cycling it. I was thinking I would do a road trip down to Christchurch with a sheet of cardboard with the same footprint as the tank. So I can go to one of the stores down there and layout the rock in store, buying the bits I like. Can anyone tell me how many KG's of rock I will need for this tank? I would prefer to get just one light unit, this has stopped being such a budget build 1) I have a considerable bit of funding towards this coming my way in the up and coming future and 2) I will possibly be living in the same room as this tank in the near future, so I want quiet equipment. Because I want one unit, will this light suffice? http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494NBEA/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER I can ship it to NZ for $250 so for a LED unit it is a pretty good deal. And from my understanding Marineland is a trusted brand. I am also interested in adding a wet/dry filter with a sump in it. This means I have a wider variety of Skimmers to choose from. I was thinking I would build my own for this as I would like the experience, and it seems like a fun project. Regards, Will From experience it is best to spend the money upfront on you lights and skimmer do not skimp on them as they are a very important part of the system. I'm going through an upgrade at the moment is it is costing over 4k for led lights, new tank, sump ad skimmer alone plus the 2k i have already spent on all the stuff in my current tank. Those lights look ok but there really is not enough blue chips in it Generally most people go for 50/50 white blue ratio. If you were to get that light you would want the 36" to 42" since you have a 3 foot tank. If i were you i would spend more on the lights so you don't get disappointed As for a skimmer it is probably best o buy one so it works properly like this one http://deepblueaquarium.co.nz//product_info.php?cPath=42_43&products_id=219 For coral rock if remember correctly is about 1kg per 10L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jellymeat Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 If you want a pretty good led light unit there is a guy on nzmas forum called Nautilus who may still have his maspect razor for sale you could find him and pm him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 Because I want one unit, will this light suffice? http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494NBEA/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER I can ship it to NZ for $250 so for a LED unit it is a pretty good deal. And from my understanding Marineland is a trusted brand. I am also interested in adding a wet/dry filter with a sump in it. This means I have a wider variety of Skimmers to choose from. I was thinking I would build my own for this as I would like the experience, and it seems like a fun project. Regards, Will Like I said before, that light isn't great, it doesn't put out much light and you will be disappointed. 1W LEDs simply don't have the penetration. If you have a reasonable amount of money going towards your setup, you should get a light you won't be disappointed in. The quality of light will directly influence how good your corals look. Cheap light, you get poor intensity colors and everything is either washed out or dim. Here are a few popular choices: http://ecotechmarine.com/products/radion/ http://www.amazon.com/Maxspect-Razor-LED-Lighting-System/dp/B00AZMR0OC http://www.amazon.com/AquaIllumination-Hydra-Light-Aquarium-Black/dp/B00DCDN5NQ/ http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Illuminations-Color-Aquarium-Light/dp/B009AEDH3Y/ http://www.fish-street.com/coralbox_m1_led_aquarium_lighting (90cm version) http://www.fish-street.com/maxspect_led_aquarium_lighting_220v-240v Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 5, 2014 Report Share Posted June 5, 2014 :gpo2: Thanks! I will get my rock and start cycling it. I was thinking I would do a road trip down to Christchurch with a sheet of cardboard with the same footprint as the tank. So I can go to one of the stores down there and layout the rock in store, buying the bits I like. Can anyone tell me how many KG's of rock I will need for this tank? I would prefer to get just one light unit, this has stopped being such a budget build 1) I have a considerable bit of funding towards this coming my way in the up and coming future and 2) I will possibly be living in the same room as this tank in the near future, so I want quiet equipment. Because I want one unit, will this light suffice? http://www.amazon.com/Marineland-Capable-Aquarium-Lighting-System/dp/B00494NBEA/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER I can ship it to NZ for $250 so for a LED unit it is a pretty good deal. And from my understanding Marineland is a trusted brand. I am also interested in adding a wet/dry filter with a sump in it. This means I have a wider variety of Skimmers to choose from. I was thinking I would build my own for this as I would like the experience, and it seems like a fun project. Regards, Will You're still going to need 2-3 of those to get into the low-moderate light range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Those marinelands are pants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Hi all, I was only considering LED's because I saw that module heavily discounted and thought it maybe a good idea. I will buy the Hagen Glo T5 double previously recommended to me. Also can anyone tell me if the Bubble Magus Curve 5 is a good, quiet skimmer? I was thinking I would buy that as my skimmer. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Hi all, I was only considering LED's because I saw that module heavily discounted and thought it maybe a good idea. I will buy the Hagen Glo T5 double previously recommended to me. Also can anyone tell me if the Bubble Magus Curve 5 is a good, quiet skimmer? I was thinking I would buy that as my skimmer. Regards, Will Bubble magus are great skimmers, a lot of people use the curve 5. How much are the t5?s coral box m1 90cm is a better option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 I have narrowed it down to three options really, http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/36-Aquarium-T5-HO-Light-39W-x4-Reef-Coral-Fish-LED-w-Timer-Hood-Fixture-CE-NEW-/301167522433?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461efbb281&_uhb=1 The only problem with that is it is a US product, so I would need a step down transformer. If it wasn't for that it would be ideal.... http://www.pet.co.nz/product/fish/glo-t5-double/6712 The problem with that is I would possibly have to get a second one, and I would prefer 1 unit. Or I could get ballasts and build my light hood. Does anyone have any experience importing lights like the one I previously showed, and getting them working in NZ? I really like the look of that hood.... Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'd say go LEDs. If they are more costly initially it will balance out as you won't be replacing tubes yearly and they use comparatively less power. Plus you get much better colour options. The coral box is great. Different colour channels that can be in independantly adjusted as well as built in timer functions for them, and with LEDs you don't have to worry about input voltage from overseas as they all have variable power supplies kinda like a laptop power supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 I'd say go LEDs. If they are more costly initially it will balance out as you won't be replacing tubes yearly and they use comparatively less power. Plus you get much better colour options. The coral box is great. Different colour channels that can be in independantly adjusted as well as built in timer functions for them, and with LEDs you don't have to worry about input voltage from overseas as they all have variable power supplies kinda like a laptop power supply. Will the cheap Reef LED Units off of EBay do it? The reason is, I go to uni in only 3-4 years so I will eventually have to sell this stuff off.... With bulb replacements, Fluroscent tubes will still cost less that the $620 I would need to spend on the CoralBox LED Unit. I would need a LED unit that costs comparatively less over that timeframe. Can you reccomend one? I am going to trawl EBay and Amazon for a led fixture. Regards, Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totara Posted June 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Like this one! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dimmable-UV-LED-Aquarium-Light-120W-With-Lens-55x3W-BRIDGELUX-Coral-Reef-Fixture-/130945201662?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e7cf135fe It actually looks really good. Can anyone else tell me if its any good? I could add another one if I am not getting good coral growth... Will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Some of these eBay ones aren't bad. I've got a friend who has 2 and they look OK. Only reason I never got one is you have to suspend them whereas coralbox comes with mounts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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