Opinion Needed

jordanf

New Member
alright, this is my second attempt at saltwater. I had one years ago, but I failed because I wasn't patient enough. Unfortunately, I realized today I did not learn anything lol.

So...I ordered a 30 gallon JBJ Biotype online and should get it by the end of the week. I decided to get an LED light, but didn't take the time to fully research. I am an impulse buyer and I am fully admitting I have a problem.

The light is a Current Orbit Marine Led (18" -24"). It has Dual Actinic 445nm/460nm Blue and Dual Daylight 8,000/12,000K White.

I don't even have the tank setup, but I was wondering what type (if any) of corals I can keep. I was thinking zoas, mushrooms and other soft corals, but I also was wondering if I could do anything else.

I would like to mention coral is way down the road, but just want to start thinking about my options. Thanks for your help/feedback!
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
"The Current USA Orbit Marine LED 18-24" is a great choice for aquarium applications where high PAR values aren’t needed—marine fish, soft corals and some LPS corals."
I think you've pretty much covered the list... I doubt that zoas will do well under this light unless you run the lights at 100% and place the zoas directly underneath the water surface. 18 watts spread across 72 LED's amounts to .25W per emitter, which is awfully weak for anything outside of low-light corals... and non-photosynthetic corals can be pretty difficult to maintain. You basically bought a "light"... :(

Don't feel bad... I have a Coralife "reef-capable" (NOT!) LED lamp with timer sitting on a closet shelf. I didn't do my homework, bought impulsively, and wasted $200 in the process. Lesson learned...
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
A cheap Chinese LED fixture from eBay or Amazon that is 165w full spectrum and manually dimmable will be a great buy.

Stop impulse buying.
 
Top