(thrilling music)
- Hey, it's Thomas here
and today we're going
to be taking a look at Red Sea's new ReefLED 160S
which is their answer to lighting wider
and deeper reef tanks.
If you're looking for an LED light
for your larger, deeper reef tank
that is WiFi controllable,
takes almost no effort to set up
so that it looks great to your eye,
while also providing your corals
with the spectrum they need,
has a recessed lens and includes an optional visor
to cut down on any unwanted light spill,
with a few great mounting options
and can provide over 100 PARs spread evenly
over a 32 inch by 32 inch footprint
at the bottom of a 32 inch deep tank,
then check out the ReefLED 160S.
This thing has a super interesting lens design
and basically makes it
so you can have fewer light fixtures
over your larger, deeper tank.
So if you don't want a bunch of fixtures up there,
this might be the ticket for you.
Not all reefers want to dive down
that lighting rabbit hole
and get an LED fixture
that has every LED color under the sun.
And a slider to control every single one individually.
And more options than you'd know what to do with.
What most of us really want is a fixture
that's going to give our corals the light they need
while also giving us enough control
to make the fixture,
more or less white to suit our personal taste.
Beyond that, keeping things simple is something
that most reefers can appreciate.
I'll take a leap and say
that most reefers out there want to be able
to rely on the light itself
to have the right ratio of LED colors
with the right intensity,
an even spread and great color blending,
along with a pleasant shimmer
so that getting lighting right
for our reef tanks isn't something we have to worry about.
Red Sea has been helping reefers achieve exactly that
with their ReefLED fixtures for a while now
with a smooth and simple setup that is basically effortless
through their ReefBeat app.
Sleek mounting options.
A great balance of blue to white LEDs
that provides not only the spectrum
your corals need to grow,
but achieves it without wasting power on LEDs
that would otherwise just get
their intensity turned way down.
And their new 160S is bringing all of that
to a beefier fixture designed for larger,
deeper reef tanks
and includes their brand new stadium-shaped lens.
But before we talk more about that,
let's get it out of the box.
In the box, you'll find the Red Sea ReefLED 160S,
the included clip on visor,
and the power supply.
The 160S has a very unique looking stadium lens sitting
over top of its 160 watt LED array.
And is designed
to effectively light a 32 inch by 32 inch by 32 inch space.
This fixture has a lot of punch,
Red Seas PAR testing shows that it can provide
over a hundred PAR at the bottom
of a 32 inch deep reef tank.
And that's with the fixture sitting 12 inches
off the surface of the water.
It's a lot.
Pretty impressive.
I'm going to get more into the stadium lens
in a little bit.
Like their smaller ReefLED 90 lights,
they leave the choice
of mounting hardware up to you
and don't include it with the light fixture.
That way you don't end up paying
that little bit extra when you buy the light
and end up with a piece of mounting hardware
that you might not actually be able to use.
There are a few different options available
to choose from including a hanging kit
for a single light,
a multi light pendant available
in lengths from 30 inches up to 90 inches
which looks super slick.
And an adjustable 160S specific mounting arm
which is fantastic.
It is really slick,
has an internal channel
for revving cords neatly
and allows you to tilt the light up
and out of the way for maintenance.
Plus, the light will automatically shut off
so you aren't blinded.
It can attach to panels up
to 3/4 of an inch thick and will center
the light perfectly on aquariums
between 22 inches and 32 inches front to back.
While holding the light 12 inches off
the surface of the water,
which is the recommended height
for this beefier ReefLED fixture.
Red Sea also opted to include
an optional clip on visor
to further recess the LED inside of the fixture.
And that way,
cut down on any extra unwanted lights built
into the room,
or from light hitting you in the eyes
while you're sitting down trying
to enjoy your tank.
This guy again?
Coming in here like he owns a place.
Trying to steal my shine, get it?
'Cause it's a light, there is light coming.
And then you shine to less of it.
Yeah?
Plus, what am I supposed to do with two of these?
I've got one light fixture.
Now I've got two.
What's this for?
Did you think of that?
- [Responder] I don't know why you asked me to do this
if you're just going to complain about it!
- Setting up the light is really simple
and Red Sea puts a big focus on ease of use
so that you can worry less
about making sure you get the settings right,
and can focus on setting up the lights
so that it looks good to your eye.
Once you've got the lights set up
and over the tank,
you can download the ReefBeat app
to your smart device
and pair the light to the app.
Next, you can choose from one of three presets depending
on if you prefer a slightly whiter or bluer looking tank.
And then what time of day you'd like the lights to come on.
The ReefBeat app will do the rest from there.
You'll have a full schedule for your lights.
They'll ramp up and down for sunrise and sunset.
And provide the spectrum your corals need
to grow with great coloration.
You can certainly go in and adjust the schedule
or spectrum of your lights if you'd like to tweak it.
And if you make any changes
that could be detrimental to your corals,
the app give you a warning
to let you know so you don't accidentally make changes
that could cause issues for your reef tank.
The app also includes acclimation mode,
lunar cycles and the ability
to stagger sunrise across multiple light fixtures,
which is super cool!
The ReefBeat app will also provide your tank
with a heartbeat.
If any devices become disconnected
like during a power outage,
the app will let you know.
If you do have a larger aquarium
that requires multiple light fixtures,
the other ReefLED lights
you add will automatically be paired
with the first fixture and adopted settings.
So you only need to program a fixture one time
which is wonderful.
Red Seas 160S uses basically the same spectrum
and ratio of LEDs as their 90 and 50 models.
With 140 watts of the total 160 watts dedicated
to their Reef-Spec Blue LEDs
and the remaining 20 watts
to their 8,000K Whites.
The overall spectrum produced is a more refined approach
that's not as wide as other options,
but zeroes in on one of the most effective piece
for coral photosynthesis.
While also providing some violet
and UV, as well as that 8,000K daylight
for a brighter and balanced appearance.
Personally, I really liked the look
of the 15,000 Kelvin setting
that having all channels at 100% produces.
It's nice and bright.
And does a good job of showing off natural colors
and pigments of fish and corals.
As well as that awesome coral fluorescence
that most reefers like to focus on.
Like I mentioned earlier,
all of the LEDs are packed behind
that single stadium lens
which creates a nice homogenous spectrum,
with no visible color separation or disco effect
and a wide even spread and beautiful shimmer.
The new lens and 160 watts of LEDs
are what make this fixture better
at covering that 32 inch by 32 inch footprint.
And able to penetrate effectively up to 32 inches of depth,
making these fixtures a great option
for larger taller reef tanks where you want
to have fewer fixtures
but still have the wide,
even coverage and usable PAR levels
throughout the entire tank
for easy coral placement.
I still recommend testing your reef tank
with a PAR meter just to be sure you
have the overall intensity dialed in just right
for the types of corals
that you'd like to keep.
Having even a basic PAR map
of your exact reef tank,
with your exact rock work can be a great way
to make sure that you always put a new coral
in an optimal location.
That way you don't accidentally bleach it
or have it go brown from over lighting it
or under lighting it.
If you don't have your own PAR meter,
you can actually rent one
for less than the cost of a nice frag.
You can check out this video right here
where I show you exactly how
that PAR meter rental works.
How you can make that rudimentary PAR chart
of your entire tank
so you know where your corals should be getting placed.
And yeah, you can basically just take lighting
as an element that could cause any kind
of failure in your corals, right off of the table.
You just know the lighting is not the problem.
Which is a really good feeling.
So, check it out.
(upbeat music)