Coral Cover LED Hybrid Information?

[Hooz]

I've been looking at lighting options for a tank upgrade I'm working on. I thought the Coral Cover LED Hybrid might be a better option than replacing all the lights I currently have. I've found a few videos available, but they're mostly just installation and setup videos. The one Thomas did on BRS has a bit of PAR information, but I haven't seen anything at all, anywhere, about the spectrums of the different settings. I haven't seen videos or pictures of how the different settings look. Really, I haven't seen much of any useful information at all.

This fixture isn't that new, so I'm wondering if I'm just missing something or if there really is NOBODY out there that has tested this thing. Are there spectrum graphs posted somewhere that I'm missing?

 

[vtecintegra]

I was considering it also. Not much real world opinion on it. I thought it was kind of expensive, and didn't like how it's using red and blue to make violet, instead of discrete violet leds. Wasn't worth the risk of $600. Went another route.

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

Attached are some details on the LED combinations to replicate the T5 lamp colors. Along with the LEDs used in each 1 foot section of the light. So a 48" fixture would have 2 lights with 4 x 1 foot sections per fixture. Total of 8 sections.

We went the route of replicating the T5 lamps as compared to making a completely stand alone light. We did receive feedback from BRS that the tests they performed showed it was one of the best performers for LPS corals without a center light. Adding an additional High powered LED into the fixture positioned the combination toward SPS tanks. They tested the Coral Cover with a Kessil fixture to push up the PAR.

With the APP control included, we were looking to hit a price point similar to the DX18 T5 fixture. But with the controller included and no lamps needed to be purchased it comes in less expensive than a dimmable T5 Hybrid.

 

[Hooz]

Attached are some details on the LED combinations to replicate the T5 lamp colors. Along with the LEDs used in each 1 foot section of the light. So a 48" fixture would have 2 lights with 4 x 1 foot sections per fixture. Total of 8 sections.

We went the route of replicating the T5 lamps as compared to making a completely stand alone light. We did receive feedback from BRS that the tests they performed showed it was one of the best performers for LPS corals without a center light. Adding an additional High powered LED into the fixture positioned the combination toward SPS tanks. They tested the Coral Cover with a Kessil fixture to push up the PAR.

With the APP control included, we were looking to hit a price point similar to the DX18 T5 fixture. But with the controller included and no lamps needed to be purchased it comes in less expensive than a dimmable T5 Hybrid.

Thank you! That's exactly the type of thing I've been looking for! That puts this fixture back on my radar.

Have there been any actual reviews of it anywhere? I mean, other than Thomas' two short videos on BRS?

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

The customer reviews that I have seen are the two on BRS site.

48" Coral Cover Hybrid LED Light Fixture

Create fully customized LED lighting for your reef aquarium with Aquatic Life’s new Coral Cover fixture. The Coral Cover Hybrid allows you to combine adjustable blue and purple fill lighting with your favorite LED fixture(s) to achieve even spread, reduced shadowing, and enhanced color pop in...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Other than these two I don't have any to refer you too.

We really thought that there would be more reviews for the product.

We created the light after a few of the suggestions from the BRS videos in the past, suggesting a light like this.

 

[Hooz]

The customer reviews that I have seen are the two on BRS site.

48" Coral Cover Hybrid LED Light Fixture

Create fully customized LED lighting for your reef aquarium with Aquatic Life’s new Coral Cover fixture. The Coral Cover Hybrid allows you to combine adjustable blue and purple fill lighting with your favorite LED fixture(s) to achieve even spread, reduced shadowing, and enhanced color pop in...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Other than these two I don't have any to refer you too.

We really thought that there would be more reviews for the product.

We created the light after a few of the suggestions from the BRS videos in the past, suggesting a light like this.

Now that I've seen the actual spectrum graphs, I am interested again. I am upgrading tanks (going to a much larger size) and I'm not sure the lights I already have will be enough. But I also don't want to try to sell the lights I have and buy all new lights.

That seems like a perfect application for this product. I can use the lights I already have, and supplement them with something like this to make sure I have enough coverage on the bigger tank.

If you're interested in having an actual review done, there is a guy who builds custom LED lighting solutions who has all the same testing equipment (PAR meters and spectrometers) that BRS uses. I'll direct him to this thread and see if he might be game to give it a whirl. I'm half tempted to order one and have it sent to him for testing.

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

Would love to have more people look at it. We do our own testing but having someone not affiliated with our company would go farther.

Appreciate you sending him our way.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Very interested as I had not seen this light before? How did I miss it?! Thinking this is exactly what I want. Any opinions of how to implement of a 6 foot 200 gallon for full coverage?

 

[Hooz]

Very interested as I had not seen this light before? How did I miss it?! Thinking this is exactly what I want. Any opinions of how to implement of a 6 foot 200 gallon for full coverage?

Right? I just found it 2 days ago!

2x 36" fixtures should get you the right coverage, I'd think. What lights are you pairing it with?

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

Very interested as I had not seen this light before? How did I miss it?! Thinking this is exactly what I want. Any opinions of how to implement of a 6 foot 200 gallon for full coverage?

The fixtures are setup to use the same LED mounting as the original Hybrids and are pretty much 18" in width. Is the 200 gallon 72" x 24"? We did not make a 60" or 72" but securing two fixtures together would not take too much.

The nice thing is you can control the LED strips as one, back versus front and or individually.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Right? I just found it 2 days ago!

2x 36" fixtures should get you the right coverage, I'd think. What lights are you pairing it with?

I was thinking 2 36”. Still debating as this build has been planned for about 3 years while in grad school and I just graduated. I’m intrigued by noopsyche but will more than likely go Ai 32 unless I decide to do Xr 15s along the length.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Ilwo

The fixtures are setup to use the same LED mounting as the original Hybrids and are pretty much 18" in width. Is the 200 gallon 72" x 24"? We did not make a 60" or 72" but securing two fixtures together would not take too much.

The nice thing is you can control the LED strips as one, back versus front and or individually.

would be the IM 200 which I believe is 71.5 long

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

The IM 200 looks to be 30" front to back. I know most people I have worked with will either keeping the fixtures in the 18" widths or change to the 24" width accessories. The 24" width is needed to rotate the Xr30 or the AI 64 perpendicular in the fixtures. If you are considering the Xr15 I think the 18" width of the Coral Cover would be good to add additional light to the area.

We have not made a 24" option yet for the fixture as we are trying to gauge the demand for accessories at this time.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

So really if left in the 18 inch configuration I’m probably lacking in light on the front and back few inches?

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

Its possible, depends on the layout in the tank and coral placement. With the 30" widths we were asked to make the 24" hybrid accessories so that the larger LED like XR30 and Hydra 64 could rotate in the fixture and cover more area in a combined fixture with the T5. See photos of the XR 30 in the center of the T5 Hybrid.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Its possible, depends on the layout in the tank and coral placement. With the 30" widths we were asked to make the 24" hybrid accessories so that the larger LED like XR30 and Hydra 64 could rotate in the fixture and cover more area in a combined fixture with the T5. See photos of the XR 30 in the center of the T5 Hybrid.

But the 24 inch accessories are not available for the coral cover correct?

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

That is correct. We have not made the endplates in the 24" width at this time. We only have for the T5 original version.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Would the normal configuration of the light be sufficient on a tank such as the reefer 750 that is roughly 25 inches wide?

 

[AquaticLifeProducts]

The 18" width of the Coral Cover would be the best width for a 25" wide aquarium. Plus if you need, the fixtures can angle 15° inward if needed.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Does the color spectrum of the coral cover provide the pop from the coral that other fixtures provide or is it more white. Specifically if the other lights mounted within the coral cover are off would the coral cover provide the pop or would the coral cover need to be off and the pop come from the supplemented led fixtures?