Sean.G Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 So to keep things short my old light (Orbit USA Pro something or the other) broke, salt corroded a wire and I was not able to make a lasting repair on it. I'm trying to find some cheap lighting I can get away with for my ~2 foot cube (Reefer Nano) and I really just want to keep what I already have alive, all softies right now. Ideally I could keep some higher light requirement stuff towards the top of my tank but I'm looking for cheap not perfect. I don't really have a hard price limit, but around $150 is what I am trying to find. I've looked at T5 setups but the price of bulbs and need to replace them relatively often turns me off to them. Any advice appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmas_one Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Pick up a black box, hard to beat for the price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean.G Posted October 1, 2017 Author Share Posted October 1, 2017 Is black box just a generic name for Chinese LED fixtures? I looked at those but wasn't sure if they would be okay or just trash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrk13p Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Used ocean revive floating around these forums all the time or $50 more gets you brand new 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimusprime3605 Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Some people swear by them (black boxes) and others don't...I do! Especially if all you have are softies at the moment. It'll even grow sps! Just make sure you get a black box with full spectrum. I now run a Reefi light in my display and black boxes over my sump and frag tank.To each is own, tho... Sent from my Man Cave while having a cold one! [emoji41] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youcallmenny Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I'll jump on this and say I started with black boxes and they grow coral pretty well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I've had great luck with black boxes too. You have to careful not to blast your corals with too much light though with that size tank Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I upgraded from black boxes to Ocean Revives. I do feel the ocean revives do a better job and yet are still a great value. I rarely claim facts but here goes: Fact: There are a number of extremely nice tanks you can visit in the PNWMAS area running Ocean Revives. That is what swayed me finally after all these years. Guess I can be a bit stubborn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean.G Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Thanks for all the replies everyone, I'm probably gonna go with a "black box" since it seems like they aren't just trash and will get me by fine for now. Or if I can find a used Ocean Revive or a used AI prime but I'm not expecting much on those fronts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 4 hours ago, Sean.G said: Thanks for all the replies everyone, I'm probably gonna go with a "black box" since it seems like they aren't just trash and will get me by fine for now. Or if I can find a used Ocean Revive or a used AI prime but I'm not expecting much on those fronts. Used AI Primes are available on Nano-Reef & Reef2Reef all the time. I personally would avoid Black boxes myself, Ocean Revive is known for results but they have a name therefore they are not a typical no name black box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean.G Posted October 12, 2017 Author Share Posted October 12, 2017 (edited) Ended up getting a viparspectra brand black box off amazon was only $129 and has an average review score of 4.5 with around 100 reviews so I am pretty hopeful its a decent setup. Thanks for the advice everyone. Arrives next Monday. Edited October 12, 2017 by Sean.G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash21 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 The OR are just a tad bit more and I highly recommend them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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