K-2 Viper HQI v.s. LED Lighting for 29g

Hey everyone, I'm getting some play money in next month and instead of using it towards school I'm going to upgrade the lighting on my 29g Oceanic Bio Cube. I've been reading mixed reviews about everything and I've come up with 3 options that I would like some advice on.

1) The 250w K-2 Viper Delux with 2 LED's - JBJ K-2 Viper Deluxe 250W HQI Clamp On Lamp Lighting Fixture w/ 2 LEDs

2) The PAR30 LED lightbulb (although not dimmable it seems like a good overall light) PAR30 LED Reef Lamps by BoostLED

3) Or the option I'm leaning towards the most is the Biocube Retrofit Kit + a dimmable controller Biocube 29 Dimmable Retrofit Kit

They all seem like good choices for my tank but the fact that option #3 uses my current lid, has dimming capabilities, seems to outweigh every other lighting choice I've researched for my tank. Any advice from someone who either knows or has been through this before would be useful, thank you!

 

Side view of tank, about 7months old. Stocked with Ocellaris clown, Six-Line Wrasse, Coral Banded Shrimp, Condylactis Anemone, Devil's Hand, Green Star Polyps, Kenya Tree, a neon green mushroom, and a fat always hungry Fighting Conch. (not to mention the hundreds of pods, varieties of worms, stomatellas, clams, sponges, snails, and what I think maybe an oyster? Very very interesting seeing all the neat stuff that comes off of quality live rock... Oh ya, that reminds me, I have an annoying Asternia Starfish that I believe is munching down on my coralline algae

 

I was looking into purchasing the K-2 Viper before I bought my LEDs. I have 2 BoostLED par30 bulbs over my biocube. I have the 14 gallon though. I really like them. They make greens pop like crazy. I love that because green is my favorite color. haha. Both would be very good choices. But if I was in your position I would buy 3-4 par30 bulbs. 4 If you plan on getting into sps or lps corals in the future. But 3 would do more than suffice for softies. Another thing to think about is the price of replacing the bulbs on a halide. If you decide to go LEDs the par30 bulbs can and will last up to 13 years. Impressive Id say. That is alot of extra cash in your pocket that wouldnt be thrown towards bulb replacement. Both are awesome choices however.

 

The only concern I have about the PAR30 bulbs is they don't allow me to dim control which I think is awesome, especially if you can control which lights are on and which are off. Also do you know any differences in the "light levels" or whatever they're called that are needed for photosynthesis? So new to this stuff its really hard to get a firm grasp on every aspect of reef keeping. Personally I would prefer to go with the Retrofit kit, it'd snap right into my current lid.

 

Bump?

Anyone know what I should use with the Biocube 29g? Would like to have a giant clam, but not sure if the LED retrofit will support one, also not sure if the retrofit is better than the PAR30, or if either of those are going to be better than the K-2 Viper

 

Ive seen LED retrofits be able to support a clam. Im pretty confident that my par30s could keep one as well. Ive burned a decent amount of corals with them. They are all really good choices and all give off high PAR levels. The choice is really up to you and your wallet.

 

The 250 halide is going to put out the most power for the money, but it's also going to consume the most and produce the most heat.

BoostLED's PAR 30's are awesome lights, but they have pretty tight optics, which gets a ton of PAR really deep, so you will need a few to light a 29 gallon.

As far as the retrofit, it will depend what company you go with. If you are talking about Nanotuners, they are awesome! I've not seen much better color than what their LEDs put out.

The option I would look at if I were you is the Nano version Aqua Illumination just put out. As far as what I've tested so far, nothing in the nano category even comes close to competing with these as far as color, adjustability or looks. The price on them is actually fairly competitive against most the retro LED kits, but these have SO much more potential.

 

I couldn't get a working link to nanotuners, but if you're talking about the http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/LED_Lighting/AquaIllumination_Nano_LED_Light_Systems/Nano_Sol_Super_Blue_1xModule_LED_Light_System_w!_Controller_by_AquaIllumination I don't think I can afford 400-500 on a LED system for a tank that's only 15h" x 15d" x 20w" The PAR30 bulbs seem great but they don't allow for custom lighting config's like the retrofit kit, and I'm just curious on the difference between lighting power from the two LEDs. I understand the Viper is probably the best bet, but considering having to replace the lightbulb ATLEAST once a year is very unappealing. The bulbs cost almost as much as the entire unit.

I wish I could get more info on the par readings of the Retrofit Biocube kit. The fact it fits right into my existing hood and allows me to control the lighting intensity and color schemes is an appealing thought. Just unsure of the nm or k ratings

 

At some point in time I want to upgrade my 14 gallon biocube to a 29 gallon and use the AquaIlluminations nano fixture. It looks awesome.

 

Which retro kit are you referring to?