High Tide Aquatics

Ecoxotic Panorama 36w LED Retro

Piper

Piper

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Is anyone here running the Ecoxotic Panorama 36w LED Retros over your tank? I'm down to picking out the lighting to finish up my new tank and I'm a little unsure of which way I want go. I definitely want to go LED because of low power consumption and low heat transfer to the tank. I was originally thinking about Kessils but I don't care for the 15K version (too blue for me) and from what I can tell it'll be several months before we see the 10K version.

Option #2:
I was thinking about going with 2 of the Ecoxotic Panorama 36w LED Retros and possibly supplementing with some of their blue LED strips or maybe T5s to get a semblance of the dusk to dawn effect. Here's a link to the retros if you need it: http://www.ecoxotic.com/products/modular-led-lighting/panorama-36-retro.html

I'd like to know if anyone is using these and how you like (or dislike) them. And also what you are keeping in the tank.

Option #3
I can also go with two AIs. I've already looked into these and I'm comfortable with what they can do. I also really like that they are dimmable and you can control the color on them.

The problem, for me at least, with the AIs is that I'd only be able to get one to start with. I'd have to wait a few months to buy the 2nd unit. I can get the whole setup at once if I go with the Panoramas.

Option #4
Nothing is set in stone yet and I'm certainly open to other ideas and suggestions!


As for the specifics of the tank, it's your standard Aqueon 65 gallon reef-ready glass tank - 36x18x24. I have the stand done but I'm waiting to figure out where I'm going with the lighting before I make the canopy. The tank has been up and running for a couple of weeks and it's completely cycled. I have an extremely custom 400W metal halide setup using an old Spider light that I slightly customized hanging over the tank now.

The goal for the tank is a mixed reef but that will depend on where I can get the temp to stabilize/max out at without a chiller. I may lean more towards LPS and polyps/zoas or even a FOWLR tank. Currently the tank will max out at 79.1 without the MH on and 82.8 with the MH on.

Thanks,
Charlie
 
Don't have any experience with the ecoxotics, but I really like reef brite strips!
Also, kind of in the sand boat as you with the AI... just got one, planning on getting a second ASAP(whenever I can afford it!) if you wanna come see it hit me up
 
I am using two Ecoxotic Panorama 36w LED Retros in my tank with one reefbrite strip. You can check my tank journal in my signature.

I keep a mixed reef.
 
Mike - How are you liking the AI so far? I cheeked out your tank journal and the pics you uploaded. Very nice.

Erick - I checked out your journal too. I've been researching the Panoramas and I've read a lot of mixed results on what you can and cant grow under them. It looks like as long as you have some sort of supplemental lighting along with them you can grow most anything. Have you had any problems using your retros? Looking at the pics you posted in your journal it doesn't look like it. Are growth rates normal for the most part?

I was able to stop into Neptune on Monday and meet Robert and the crew. They showed me their display tank in the front with just the Kessils on and there is a distinct different from the other tank I've been looking at with Kessils. Robert's tank is not nearly as blue with the Kessils only as the other tank. That leaves me even more confused now. Maybe it just has to do with the ambient lighting - dunno. I think I might wait a couple more weeks and see if I can find a 10K Kessil to see what it looks like. If they hit the market soon enough I can go with 2 10Ks and a 15K. Or maybe the other way around.

~Charlie
 
Liking the ai! Ready to
Get the second as soon as I sell my halides... Pretty sure I'll be happy with the coverage of 2 on my 4x2x2. Only one way to find out!
 
I am still in the "what works" phase really. I am not seeing a lot of growth on the few sps I have. Seeing decent growth on the softies and lps though. They are brighter than you would think they might be. The rainbow acans I have became orange/yellow and orange / green which from what I understand tends to happen when they get bright light. I have the acans placed near the bottom of the tank. All in all I have no complaints yet. I love the look in Neptune's Kessil Tank. At some point I may want to get a couple. But I might wait till I get my over 100g peninsula style tank :p
 
I ended up with two 10K Kessils and a 36" ReefBrite 50/50 strip after all was said and done. I got the Kessils Friday night and they just looked a tad too dim for me. I was originally planning (Option #1) on 3 Kessils total with 2 10Ks on either end and a 15K in the middle. I wasn't able to get my hands on a 15K Friday and I think that was a good thing. I'm finding the 10Ks are sufficiently blue enough for my taste.

I went down to Neptune on Saturday morning and talked to Robert and looked at the tank he has in the lobby again with the Kessils. I ended up leaving with the 50/50 ReefBrite (along with a few other things) and that definitely helped brighten it up and even out the light enough for me. I'm going to run it like this for a while and see what I can grow under it.

So far the tank is running cooler too which is a plus. I had to adjust the heater up over the weekend in fact. It stays at 77.5 at night and goes up to 78.8 during the day. I hasn't been overly hot the last week either but we keep the house at 77/78 and the tank seems to run about 1 degree over ambient so far.

Thanks,
Charlie
 
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