Smatfarm G6 light reviews? Alternatives?

[Bigreeflittlefish]

Single point lighting at 90° gives shading around the edges. Those being 90° trying to cover a 30" tank will be hard. Coupled with 6" off the surface makes it harder to cover. If they are raised up, say 12", it will cover more but less par. Most* lights cover 24". That means 12" from the source in all directions. The lights you chosen are just that.
BRS did a video on lighting coverage. The blue sky reflects downward, blanketing the ocean. This makes sense, we need to blanket the tank. Also, the sun is a single point light that gives us shimmer.

I'm going on a limb, but I'm sure telegraham was saying more lights being the only light source. Had you said led bars or t5's with the smatfarms, he would say it would have been fine with 3 or 4 lights. IMO, @telegraham can correct me if I'm wrong.

That makes alot more sense maybe i was reading and understanding this wrong, i mean ill only have rock / coral structures max 20 inch width due to the rim of the tank, the tank has a French brace which is 4 inches wide from all sides so realistically your only working with 22 inches if your lining up with the brace i don’t have that much rock maybe 150-200 pounds I’ll take some pictures tonight for better reference
Spending 500 a light hurts my soul lol specially if i need 2-3 of them

 

[Dburr1014]

That makes alot more sense maybe i was reading and understanding this wrong, i mean ill only have rock / coral structures max 20 inch width due to the rim of the tank, the tank has a French brace which is 4 inches wide from all sides so realistically your only working with 22 inches if your lining up with the brace i don’t have that much rock maybe 150-200 pounds I’ll take some pictures tonight for better reference
Spending 500 a light hurts my soul lol specially if i need 2-3 of them

Yeah, braces suck. My 5' planet 150 has no center braces, just 4" glass euro brace each end. Love it! 5'x2'x2'

When I upgraded from my 75, I used my 48"(really 43" long) , it's 8 years old, I knew it wasn't enough so added (2) 48" T5's on each side of the tank. Those only run 6 hours at peak time.

I know I need an upgrade, I've been putting it off. I don't want to spend 1k plus on lights. It sucks.
I'm looking at the noopsyche. $152 each. 3 or 4 with the t5's, maybe 5 or 6 without the T5.
I could do 3 now and add to them one at a time and eventually delete the T5.

Or I could do 2 uno or 2 atlas. Atals I need something to control the 0-10v.
Those I'm looking at 1k+

 

[Dburr1014]

Yeah, braces suck. My 5' planet 150 has no center braces, just 4" glass euro brace each end. Love it! 5'x2'x2'

When I upgraded from my 75, I used my 48"(really 43" long) , it's 8 years old, I knew it wasn't enough so added (2) 48" T5's on each side of the tank. Those only run 6 hours at peak time.

I know I need an upgrade, I've been putting it off. I don't want to spend 1k plus on lights. It sucks.
I'm looking at the noopsyche. $152 each. 3 or 4 with the t5's, maybe 5 or 6 without the T5.
I could do 3 now and add to them one at a time and eventually delete the T5.

Or I could do 2 uno or 2 atlas. Atals I need something to control the 0-10v.
Those I'm looking at 1k+

Doh, that 43" fixture should read my Reefbreeders led light.

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

Honestly

Yeah, braces suck. My 5' planet 150 has no center braces, just 4" glass euro brace each end. Love it! 5'x2'x2'

When I upgraded from my 75, I used my 48"(really 43" long) , it's 8 years old, I knew it wasn't enough so added (2) 48" T5's on each side of the tank. Those only run 6 hours at peak time.

I know I need an upgrade, I've been putting it off. I don't want to spend 1k plus on lights. It sucks.
I'm looking at the noopsyche. $152 each. 3 or 4 with the t5's, maybe 5 or 6 without the T5.
I could do 3 now and add to them one at a time and eventually delete the T5.

Or I could do 2 uno or 2 atlas. Atals I need something to control the 0-10v.
Those I'm looking at 1k+

Doh, that 43" fixture should read my Reefbreeders led light.

I heard good things about reefbreeders

 

[Dburr1014]

Honestly



I heard good things about reefbreeders

It's been a great light. Sadly, the new one is a lot more expensive, more than I want to spend. I'm not sure how much more the current light will go. I calculated that I'm just over 35000 hours and a few years of that I was at 100% (took the lenses out) I'm now at 80% with the lenses in.
Most fixtures will say 50000 hours. Unless something fails before then........

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

It's been a great light. Sadly, the new one is a lot more expensive, more than I want to spend. I'm not sure how much more the current light will go. I calculated that I'm just over 35000 hours and a few years of that I was at 100% (took the lenses out) I'm now at 80% with the lenses in.
Most fixtures will say 50000 hours. Unless something fails before then........

Makes sense I’m mostly likely gonna go with 3-4 of the smatfarms then next year add 2 orpheks to blast the blue spec heavily thinks that’s gonna be the game plan

 

[PeterErc]

Nope. I'd double that number.

Dude asks for help, gets an answer then wants to argue about the answer smh

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

Dude asks for help, gets an answer then wants to argue about the answer smh

Guess you don’t know what an argument means simply trying to understand his perspective on the subject you clearly don’t try google

 

[Shooter6]

Two suggestions depending on your asthetic requirements.
2-3 quanta atlas lights. Need a controller with 0-10v access in order to run sunrise to sunset.
Light is about 500.00 each u.s.

Option two, 3-4 aliexpress a8s these are xr30 g5 clones. If you search these on r2r there's a thread in it someone mentions a coral farmer / vendor on here who stocks these stateside. Light with meanwell driver 350.00 each u.s.

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

Two suggestions depending on your asthetic requirements.
2-3 quanta atlas lights. Need a controller with 0-10v access in order to run sunrise to sunset.
Light is about 500.00 each u.s.

Option two, 3-4 aliexpress a8s these are xr30 g5 clones. If you search these on r2r there's a thread in it someone mentions a coral farmer / vendor on here who stocks these stateside. Light with meanwell driver 350.00 each u.s.

Do you know where i can buy these quanta atlas i looked online there is a website but doesn’t have atlas model nor pictures

 

[telegraham]

Well ima be putting them 6 inches off the water and I’m pretty sure 4 of them literally covers the entire tank

When you say literally, you sort of don't mean literally, right? This is four of the 140W lights that I've not tested over your 200g. Just guessing that this ain't enough.

How won’t 4 x 140w lights not support a a 20 inch deep tank isn’t that kinda over kill?

There's no such thing as overkill in dimmable lighting. You can run these things at all channels max and maybe not have the look you want and/or not enough light, or you can buy more/different lights.

The hobby has been conditioned into thinking you need fewer fixtures than you actually need. Literally.

 

[telegraham]

Dude asks for help, gets an answer then wants to argue about the answer smh

It's ok. It's difficult to wade through the crap marketing like the number of Primes over a 40 breeder.

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

When you say literally, you sort of don't mean literally, right? This is four of the 140W lights that I've not tested over your 200g. Just guessing that this ain't enough.

There's not such thing as overkill in dimmable lighting. You can run these things at all channels max and maybe not have the look you want and/or not enough light, or you can buy more/different lights.

The hobby has been conditioned into thinking you need fewer fixtures than you actually need. Literally.

I mean it makes sense icurrently have 3 of the 140w and their taking up most of the space above i guess I’ll save up some cash and add on some 200w lights to the mix didn’t think I’d need so much lights for just a wider dimension then my previous tank

 

[telegraham]

icurrently have 3 of the 140w and their taking up most of the space above

What's the actual measured wattage?

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

What's the actual measured wattage?

Not entirely sure haven’t done a measurement on them just reading what their advertising I’m surprised there’s so little 200 watt lights in the market

 

[telegraham]

Not entirely sure haven’t done a measurement on them just reading what their advertising I’m surprised there’s so little 200 watt lights in the market

My 80W SmatFarm, at 100% intensity, pulled 58W at a spectrum that mimicked AB+.

This is more reasonable. Down the road, you might need bars, and I'd look Quanta Helix's way for that.

 

[Bigreeflittlefish]

My 80W SmatFarm, at 100% intensity, pulled 58W at a spectrum that mimicked AB+.

This is more reasonable. Down the road, you might need bars, and I'd look Quanta Helix's way for that.

Makes sense now, I’ll look around for additional lighting

 

[Tamberav]

I bought a smatfarm and returned it.

The color just didn’t look right to me was the main reason.

My tank was 24 inches wide and I can’t imagine trying to run those on a 30 inch tank.

Quanta is releasing two new lights, I am waiting to check out their new controllable led bars.

 

[telegraham]

Do you know where i can buy these quanta atlas i looked online there is a website but doesn’t have atlas model nor pictures

Contact Luca directly. The Atlas mimicks 14,000k MH. Manually switchable wattage (100W/200W/250W) and 0-10V dimmable. A spectrum for corals, not people.

 

[Shooter6]

Do you know where i can buy these quanta atlas i looked online there is a website but doesn’t have atlas model nor pictures

They are updating the website now. Just email them they are available already. I'm ordering 8 myself for my 2 displays. The a8s I'm using over a few 40g coral qt and a nem tank.