Chihiros - final decision help

[Basviola]

Please help me make this decision!

I have two plantet tanks. both 128 liters, 80 x 40 x 40 (cm)
I plan to have carpets plants in both of them. Montecarlo, Dwarf hair grass, and allso HC. and lots of other plants.

Buy the moment they are running without CO2, but I plan to ad that in the nearest possible future.

I decided to go with Chihiros.

I like the customization possible with WRGB and command 4. And I am also ready to have a spare phone lying between the tanks, to control the lights, as people complain about the stupid fact that phone need to be in reach of the light, to turn them on and off !!! WTF!

But most important, i need enough light to grow carpets. And I have these options in mind:

Solution 1
1 x WRGB 60
3500 lm, on 65W.

Solution 2
2 x WRGB 60
Then 7000 lm, using 130W

Solution 3
2 x RGB 60
Together emitting 4900 lm, using 100W

Solution 4
1 x VIVID
5500 lm, 130W

Solution 5
A combination of A-series (with very high lumens / W) and RGB or WRGB for better CRI.


With solution 4, I have some wife issues, I don't think she would like the look of the lamp, as she is used to the aquarium light laying on top of the aquarium as you can see on the tank to the left.
Also she really likes the lamps hanging on the wall, as I kind of suits the look in the kids room with castle on so on... and the VIVID's will kind of hang just in front of them!!
Maybe I could hang the old looking lamp higher on the wall... with the spaceships just under (very nice look!!) Any other suggestions?

Buy the way... I plan to hide 2-4 kg CO2 mounted on the wall inside/behind the blue thing in the middle! =)


Questions:

1. What light solution will be best?
   As I will try to grow carpeting plants and other medium to high light plants... at least I would like to have the option to dim up light, when I get to set up CO2.
   
   
2. Will all solutions grow carpeting plants?
   
   
3. What is the deal with W/lm ??? It is so much higher with the A-series and other "pure white" LED's, when compared to RGB LED's.
   Is this difference in light intensity per. W just the trade off, to get better CRI with the RGB's?
   

Thanks you for reading and hopefully taking the time to answer my questions!

 

[Zeus.]

What is the deal with W/lm ???

Watts and lumens are a very poor ways to judge the lights output what we need is Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) but we seldom get the PAR figures. LEDs are changing so fast its hard to keep up with their PAR outputs and watts used is pretty meaningless to compare one with another due to the efficiency increasing all the time so PAR outputs are increasing for watts used. ADA | WASMAS | ZETLIGHT | TWINSTAR | CHIHIROS | LED PAR DATA [The power of light] great thread but getting a little dated

I would go with option 4, but a cover on the tank may stop the young ones dropping stuff in the tank, but having it open top makes maintenance much easier

CHOOSING A LIGHT is a good overview IMO

 

[Basviola]

Thank you Zeus. Once again!

I am not sure I can fit in the spaceships! But I really like the CRI of the VIVID's.

If I go with the RGB60 series should I go with one or two lights on each tank, to grow carpeting plants and get good light distribution?

Also does anyone knows if 'Commander 1' works without the same problems like the Commander 4?

The 'Commander 4' should be a design disaster, only turning light on/off when the phone is close by and connected through the app. Because they did not integrated a battery or some memory in the product.

Thanks.

 

[Daveslaney]

Is the commander 4 not the same controller as in the vivid?
If so you only need your phone to be in the bluetooth range of the light to actually program the light or turn the light on manually.
Once you have programmed the light and set it in auto mode it turns on and off and runs the auto program regardless of if your phone is in bluetooth range of the light or not. It does on my Vivid anyways.
So you don't need a spare phone just to run your light.

 

[Nuno Gomes]

Thank you Zeus. Once again!

I am not sure I can fit in the spaceships! But I really like the CRI of the VIVID's.

If I go with the RGB60 series should I go with one or two lights on each tank, to grow carpeting plants and get good light distribution?

Also does anyone knows if 'Commander 1' works without the same problems like the Commander 4?

The 'Commander 4' should be a design disaster, only turning light on/off when the phone is close by and connected through the app. Because they did not integrated a battery or some memory in the product.

Thanks.

That had to be a faulty unit, I've had a couple faulty controllers but the one I have now is flawless, I programmed it once and it turns on and off on time every day.

 

[Basviola]

That had to be a faulty unit, I've had a couple faulty controllers but the one I have now is flawless, I programmed it once and it turns on and off on time every day.

Alright, that sound good. Would be so fun/neat to have more red at sunrise and set, also some weak blue toned light after sunset!
Please confirm that this flawless controller is the commander 4 with WRGB?
Also, do you know how many commanders+lights you can control from the app? (as I might need 2-4 lights)

....I wonder what my odds will be, receiving 4 x flawless working Comander 4's, if I end up buying 4 x WRGB lights!!!


Chihiros WRGB has more output in lumens compared to RGB. I can't find PAR data on WRGB, but as the RGB-series has 36 PAR 40cm away (with difuser) I guess I can assume the WRGB will have a bit more.

Sorry, but you guys are priceless with your experience and knowledge)

Please... I have some more questions:

• 2 x WRGB60 Is that overkill for a 128 liter tank (80x40x40)cm? (according to above and Zeus reply, I guess it's around 70 PAR at 40cm)
  Will this be enough light for most carpeting plants, with pressurised CO2 and fertilisers added?

• Do you think I could pull of a Monte Carlo carpet, and some red stem plants in the back, with just one WRGB60? (with CO2 + ferts)

• Don't you think I can get closer to the VIVID's CRI with the WRGB and not the RGB, as I can turn down blue and red a bit, to get "even" on red, green and blue light?
  (VIVID and ADA RGB SOLAR is also even in red, blue and green in the spectrum)

• It's not easy to let go of the 'RGB VIVID'. It will also be cheaper than 2 x WRGB.
  
  How close to the water surface do you think I can get away with hanging the VIVID, and still have even spread of light in the tank?
  (Tank: 80cm long, 40cm high)

Thank you for your time!

 

[Nuno Gomes]

Yes mine is the controller 4 with a WRGB90. The newer units have a plastic connector instead of the old metal connector that would get loose over time and break the cables inside. I dont know how many lights you can control with the app, I only have one controller.

I think just one WRGB will be enough, I run mine at less than 50% total output on my 90x45x45. You can definitely get closer to the VIVID with the WRGB compared to the normal RGB, but it's still not quite there yet.

If the looks and noise of the VIVID don't bother you, I would definitely get one, color rendition is about the same as the ADA solar RGB, albeit the unit itself is much lower quality - looks like chinese crap, makes fan noise and heats up a lot compared to the ADA unit.

 

[Basviola]

Please, how close would you guys think I can get away with hanging the Chihiros VIVID to light up a 80x40x40 tank?

Thanks again for all the advise fund here.