Finally testing the Black Box LED | BRStv Investigates

You asked and we finally got one in! Today on BRStv Investigates, we take a deep look at the popular Black Box LED and compare it against a Radion XR30. The results are pretty surprising and we can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Today on BRStv, we have a brand new episode of our series, BRStv Investigates. In this series, we explore popular reefing theories, products, methods, and what the manuals are missing, with a focus on putting them to the test!
With so many questions about what lighting is the best for our tanks, trying to determine the best lighting for SPS dominant tanks can be pretty difficult. Here on BRStv Investigates, we aim to answer those questions for a broad range of lighting options and dive deep into each one to provide you with more information than you could ever find on the packaging!
This episode is all about the Black Box LED and how it compares to one of the most popular reef lighting LED lights in the industry, the EcoTech Radion XR30!
We release a new BRStv Investigates episode each Friday, so don't forget to hit that subscribe button to see what's coming up next!
Legal Stuff
The purpose and content of this video is to provide general information regarding the products and their applications as presented in the video. Aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents disclaim all express or implied warranties, in any way, related to the products and their application as presented in this video, make no representation or warranty regarding the products and the application as presented in this video and shall not be liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages of any type, including but not limited to punitive damages, or from personal injury or death resulting from or in any manner related to the video, and the products in and contents of the video. The viewer expressly agrees that aquatic sales solutions, inc. And its officers, directors, employees and agents shall not be liable for any damages or losses related to the products in and content of the video and hereby agrees to hold the foregoing harmless from any such losses or damages.

[@Totalballa41]

So glad you guys are testing methods reefers actually use and not just products that you sell. definitely shows how devoted you are to your customers and to the community!👍👍👍

[@Mike__B]

While I agree ... to a point. I would rather see them testing brand name stuff that they don't sell, something like the GHL Mitras, or hell even the Maxspect stuff they DO sell, it really makes me worry about quality on that aspect if they aren't testing things they sell.

[@cheseenlo]

i also would like to see them test things they do sell. such as the Giesemann aurora which they tout so hightly! cause let me tell you i got that fixture and that fixture was a piece of Junk !! wasted my money ! the par on that fixture outside the center was such a joke. the build quality was Great, but the over design from the t5 reflectors to the LED spread was just underwhelming for such a costly fixture

[@kylerogers9046]

I definitely disagree with Mike - I think showing what people are buying and how people are using different products as a whole and educating people as to why those practices (like Black box usage) may not be the best idea, it helps to curb people's opinion formulation to best practices. I appreciate that Ryan didn't just blow up the black box user core and I appreciate their heart for teaching

[@wengc1857]

hit the nail on the head

[@wesharrison6360]

Reeeeeeeeeeeeee

[@papabeepbeep2727]

This is a valuable review and as the owner of a programmable Chinese black box light over a Solana 34 filled with softies, I can appreciate the quality difference between the black box and top of the line $800 product. However, it seems to me you are comparing a Yugo to a Cadillac. Surely, there is something closer in price that you chaps respect and that would provide for a fairer comparison. Most of us who buy the Chinese black boxes will never buy the $800 top of the line light under any circumstances. However, if there is something in the $300 or $400 range and you can show a significant advantage, we just might make the switch. In my case, I will be buying the Red Sea Reefer Deluxe in the coming months so will upgrade lights at that time.

[@karennation3580]

Did you find anything good in that range? You are right, Its either the crazy high price or the cheap chinese. i was all for this light until The par reading totally freaked me out! Have you heard of Ocean revive? Suppose to be a little better at 179.00 and this light is up to 129.00. I think reef breeders is kind of in between but wont work for me because I need something I can add too later on when I upgrade!

[@brandonezdoofenshmirtz2916]

@@karennation3580 some decent lights at the 200-400$ range include ai prime 16 (20-30 gallon tank) hydra 26-32 (40-50 gallon tank) also the red sea leds have a nice shimmer. And for a 10 gallon nano a kessil a80 about 150

[@shane.henderson]

Thanks for taking the time to this review BRS! I have to agree with just about everything said in the review. I've been running one of these over my nano tank for a year and haven't been able to grow anything in the middle top portion of the tank. I've got it turned down to about 10% intensity and it's still too hot in the middle for anything.

[@cheseenlo]

feels like ryan wanted to throw up by the end of this glowing review LOL

[@scottsparks5231]

Hey not everyone can afford 2000 dollar lights , reefing is supposed to be fun not having to eat Ramon noodles every night cause you bought those lovely radions

[@scottsparks5231]

BulkReefSupplyCom yea i understand, i have ok growth so far , my sps is kind of struggling but its sad that this hobby is so expensive especially to get started it limits people getting into saltwater , thx for all you guys do

[@raisethereef]

Niche hobbies will always come at a price. There isn't enough "quantity" so margins and prices must be higher. However, if one is patient you can get almost all new stuff for dirt cheap.

[@saltyfresh9712]

I can see the price of leds being kinda high, but protien skimmers on the other hand I feel hobbyist are being raked over the coals.

[@raisethereef]

That is interesting because LEDs are dirt cheap to produce. Acrylic formed in VERY limited runs is far more expensive to produce. Also, a good pump isn't cheap either. Quality components in limited supply is never cheap. With LEDs, they are all being mass produced. Especially the blues and whites. They aren't custom made for our hobby like a skimmer is. It is the housing/casing and other one offs that raise prices on LEDs

[@saltyfresh9712]

I look at the inside of a kessil and am blown away by the build quality and design. I look at a Protien skimmer and think, what a hunk of plastic (I know it's not plastic) with an electric pump to make bubbles lol

[@maocdroid]

great review!!!, I run black box on my reef and I was waiting for this video a long time a go. it totally resolve all my doubts about that light. thanks for the advises.

[@ospreys48]

I agree with everything you said. I have a vertex illumina in my DT but also have four black box for my Eel tank with anthelia. I have seen mix results in the anthelia growth due to the burning hot spots. After three years three of the boxes are still working flawlessly. On the fourth box the white lights no longer work. I am happy with my purchase for what I’m using it for.

[@trudeaumustgo1920]

Thanks for the heads up on the fires. One of the best aquarium channels. I still watch and ive never had a salt water tank

[@johnmarks936]

Late to the party, but I just purchased a pair of second hand MARS 30", 300W units for $300; safety rated. I removed the POTS controls and retrofitted them for use with a controller for under $30 total. I now can get daylight and actinic automated control. What I got out of this video is where to place corals with a high need for light versus one that do not thrive in high light. Thank you for the in depth analysis. It was helpful.

[@knowzilla]

I have been running my black boxes on my tank for 6 years with no problems, Not a single fire and the units grow corals (SPS and LPS) really well. Some of us don't have a extra $600+ to spend on lighting.

[@junito1957]

THIS IS OLD LED CAME A LONG WAYS THEY NOW COULD GROW SPS EASY THESE COMPANY ARE NOT DUMB THEY KNOW IF IT CANT GROW SPS THEN THEY NOT GOING TO SELL

[@abyankabir1910]

@@junito1957 hey which black box led would you suggest to use?

[@abyankabir1910]

Hey, which black box led would you suggest to use?

[@JoshBrown18]

Watching video after 11 months of huge success with 100 dollar led.

[@patrickp588]

Half a day after watching this video, out of the middle of nowhere my BLACK BOX CAUGHT ON FIRE!

[@Slayyyter_bitxh]

@@patrickp588 ;-; omg i just bought 2 black boxs

[@patrickp588]

@@Slayyyter_bitxh hopefully they solved the problem by now...

[@patrickp588]

@@Slayyyter_bitxh I use 2 vipar Spectra lights now...

[@Slayyyter_bitxh]

@@patrickp588 oh i just returned my black boxes now buying a current usa orbit marine ic loop *--*

[@aquaticaesthetics5117]

I run an aquarium store in Tennessee. I use the 300W (twice as long) version of these in multiple applications. #1 the freshwater plant tanks. The plants thrive. The blue LED's are never used. My plant tanks sit in a T formation with a 33Long and a 55 back to back, tee'ing up to a 45 Tall. I run two of the lights in a T pattern, 24" above the tanks. #2 the Frag Tank. It's 48x48x12 with a 12" square center overflow. I have three of the 300W box lights hanging 18" above the surface. I'm fully aware of the hot and cold spots, but that's perfect for me. I need softer light in some areas and more intense light in others. I don't have the luxury of having shadowed areas in a 12" deep sell tank. On a side note, I first came across a 165W on woot and got it for my 50g hex. With in a week, my 3 year old anubias nana shot up a bloom, then two more. I now grow mosses for harvest in that tank. These were all branded MarsAqua.

[@trudeaumustgo1920]

Dont even have a salt water tank but your videos are sooooo good! Amongst the best fish tank related on youtube.

[@AquaGeek]

Mars aqua are now ETL Safety rated.

[@WichitaFallFishKeeper]

Great video! You got my attention with the cheap power supply. Thanks for the video!

[@mitian]

Wow awesome Review- Finally the most awaited review ha ha ha!

[@michaelhack5951]

Interesting review, good job guys! I went the other way to this and splashed out on Orphek Atlantiks. Would love to see a vid on that; fancy adding that to the list lol?

[@kryten93]

Thanks for making this review! Looks like I'll be going with a modified T5 HO LED hybrid system.

[@aaronsharp6271]

Glad you tested it... while I understood most of the issues, when I purchased them, I didn't care to hear about the issues 🙁 But it's my bed and I made it so I will try to continue with them, for the time being. I will think about raising them a touch. I'm at 11" right now and the lights are behind a wall so going to see if I can move them up a few more inches... thanks again for the videos! 👍

[@TheDlacey31]

Awesome video! I have been running the same 3 black boxes for at least 4-5 years now. However this is the video I've been waiting for. I've obviously always known they would grow coral just fine and that there were some definite hot spots to say the least (my poor orange lepto). It's great to know the actual numbers now between the best quality vs the best price. In this hobby consistency is key (ATO is the best piece of additional equipment you can have for coral/fish) and those par numbers don't lie. It explains why I have "no frag zones" in my tank lol. I might actually have to start saving up for some radions...... or at least some used radions ;)

[@matyas4878]

thanks guys this video is awesome

[@shaneleibel3602]

Thanks you so much for putting everything on the table, even products you don't sell, so that we reefers can make more informed decisions. It is true about the following of the Black Box, plenty of DIY projects in the forums on how to improve the 'license' plate design color spectrum. For me, I prefer the proven over time method of T5 and a mix of LED to get the shimmer effect that is so attractive. As far as safety, I am not going to put my house, family, pets or even corals at risk of a product that has a higher potential of risk involved. There is risk in everything. I just try to minimize mine, but I also run a controller on my system :)

[@vascojardim6703]

Another great video! You guys are the Top Gear of Reef light 😊👍. Please test Orphek Atlantik V4, Guiesemann Vervve, Giesemann Aurora hybrid. Also extremely curious to see if the Maxspect Recurve hits the holy grail of having the defuse light pattern of T5 with Led power efficiency.

[@TF-Times]

Thanks for the video. I agree, even rare fires are not an ok risk.

[@rudyb3194]

I bought the one that is WiFi controlled and it has been working fine. It has been working for about a year now. It has not been bad, all my corals in that tank are growing fine both hard and soft.

[@CarlosBermudezMarturet]

I would love to see a review on the new lights that are coming out. The relassy 600w looks good.

[@rpeebles]

Hey thanks for doing this guys! I really liked the price of my black box lights but after 6 months, not happy with the results.

[@sbreeflights5084]

Great to meat you guys at MACNA, and glad you showed some interest in carrying the new ULTRA light! Would have loved to send you one of our sBox lights to test. Compared to cheap ebay boxes, SB Reef lights have much thicker heat sinks, dual 70w RoHS approved drivers (Verse generic 60w you tested), regulated power supplies (Your tested light had none). 18ga wiring with molex connectors, Epistar diodes (verse generic bridelux style tested), a much-much improved spectrum, mixed optics for penetration and color blend, quieter ball bearing fans with higher CFM, plus a 2 year USA warranty with some one in Pensacola Florida to answer the phone. Just want to make sure folks understand all "Black Boxes" are not created equal. For proof of our spectrum simply look at the folks that add our retro fit PCB board to other brands and get better color and growth. We have won many grow off contests against the "$800" lights, if your tank is on point, SB Reef Lights will not hold you back. :) Our 560g display tank is one the finest tanks you will find. Everything grown from small frags under SB Reef Lights. - Mike

[@boostedbadboyzx12r31]

SB Reef Lights Mike, I just viewed your guys page, and your data to back it.. gotta say got a new fan and future customer lol. I think the big boys would shit themselves once it gets out what your product is with its price point. Very well done sir.

[@SycoticRealm]

Send them a sample light i wanna see this light in action before i purchase anything. From what I've read on your website I am very curious to see it in action. They're a bit more than the regular black boxes but if the benefits are as you claim then I'm on board with these lights.

[@Tekitremble]

can you provide a link to your 48" light. You have a teaser video with it on a 90GAL, the same tank I am doing a build on. I would like to see about phrasing the light shown on the teaser.

[@FishOfHex]

I grew out my 125 under sb reef lights i can say they work and i wouldnt use them if they didnt, i went from 1" frags to football sized colonies in under 1 year and i still have these lights over my frag system. Once you get them hooked up to the apex its probably one of the best you can get for the price tag.

[@tospace2006]

I for one swear by my SB lights I've owned so far. I would love to see their products reviewed on this channel!

[@S2minute]

Well, I had bought 2- 32" ramping black boxes. The only issue I had was that the moonlights on one of them blink on the lowest % level. I have them ramp up to 100% on the channel with the most RB and violet and UV and 50% with the channel with the most whites. I do this ramping on 10 minute intervals at 5% and I have great dusk to dawn effect. Also, before I had it shipped, I had the standard layout and led type modified. I had 12 whites excluded and subbed 6 violet and 6 UV in their place. It's quite, PAR and light distribution is great and my corals seem to love them. Mind you the cost was a bit more for these than $99 and more so for the modifications.

[@MrPWalden]

Thanks for the review. I used these lights when i first started and i can strongly recommend them as a starting out cheap product, however their lack of any features and control-ability quickly made me switch to more premium brands.

[@simplereef4854]

I have FOUR of these black boxes on my 120 gallons tank and my SPS grows like crazy (most are expensive acros BTW). So, yeah you don't need Radion. You want the spread of the Radion? just blanket your whole tank with the black boxes, problem solved !!! Even if I use four black boxes, they are still way cheaper than just one Radion, so you guys go figure.

[@junito1957]

YEAP THE VIPARSPECTRA IS THE BEST ONE OF THE LOT THEY EVEN AMID IT , JUST MAKE SURE THEY HAVE 4 BLUE AND UV

[@Ryan-wo4rm]

As usual, 100% SPOT ON! UL exists for a reason! As tempting as the price is, I'm not risking my family and home - just no way.

[@LXXero]

BTW one more note - companies like SB Reef supposedly upgrade the leds in these with better spectrums. Some people remove the lens entirely. Also, you can disconnect the knobs and wire 0-10v from an apex to them - and control each channel from an apex. Of course - that's gonna be some DIY - but you said they can't be controlled which is only true if you aren't willing to get your hands dirty. I was really close to trying it, ended up getting a deal I couldn't refuse on a pair of kessils instead.

[@boostedbadboyzx12r31]

It was a honest, scientific researched data and fact backed review. I was looking at these thank you for the review, I'll avoid on safety concerns alone. Have you reviewed a Current Marine Loop led and system by chance? Great video guy's

[@boostedbadboyzx12r31]

BulkReefSupplyCom ..1... 2....3.... Dooooooiiiitttttttttttt lol You will forever visualize Supertroopers when you say that now lol Cool if you guys get a chance really interested in the loop. I understand being a strip light will probably need 2... wondering if par and growth value is really there with it. Pleaseeee and thank you lol

[@SycoticRealm]

I hated the beam me up center brightness and those awful disco effect some models have just turned me off. You guys have made some very honest points and imo I'm glad i returned mine and went back to t5's i plan on saving for some kessil because i love metal halides

[@MisterMakerMan]

My black box has wifi and phone controls. It also has spectrum adjustments and lightning and cloud options. It also has one plug not two. My black box has been great no issues. It did cost 120. So I dont think its fair that he lumps all of them together.

[@jorge79924]

Jeremy Kelly where you buyed????

[@MisterMakerMan]

eBay item number:382139243634 Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.

[@delafe]

That ebay item number was not found.

[@MisterMakerMan]

Really that is strange as I copied and pasted it from the ebay page eBay item number:311945110811 Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. try this one

[@brandonmeade8999]

Jeremy Kelly whack model did you get please can u post.link

[@Timb3rWo1f]

Was thinking about getting a black box but not after they could cause a fire! Will save my money during my long cycle and buy a good light.

[@Reject06]

The light of my people!

[@samuelblakley845]

I've seen a lot of people remove the lenses on these. It would be interesting to see if that has an effect on the hotspot, or if it does basically nothing.

[@Paquidermo00]

Ryan you were the chosen one... how dare you criticize the light of our people in the budget reef keeping community. In all fairness the real question should be: Are radions 8 times better? They cost 8 times more.

[@jero1820]

But do you get 8X's the growth and 8X's the health. NOOO! I know you don't make money off the black boxes like the 100$ Each as you do on ET 800$ Boxes.

[@bigbowlowrong4694]

Are they eight times better in terms of coral growth? Unlikely. Are they eight times better in terms of piece of mind in knowing your $800 light won’t randomly catch fire and burn your house down? Definitely. Safety is an important thing to many people. If you’ve given serious thought to the risk and decided you don’t care, more power to you. Hope you have amazing home insurance though!

[@christianhildalgo]

@@bigbowlowrong4694 the marsaquas have been used for several years by many hobbyists including myself. I've never heard of one causing a fire. They're just as safe as a kessil or other light. I did open it (super easy to do) and check for any loose or unprotected cables, it looked totally fine. In fact, it looked better than most old houses' cabling. Safety has never been a problem, just an argument for people who already bought expensive lights to feel better for overpaying.

[@madusonkeeper]

Mars are supposed to be safety rated.

[@SuperDanTheShoeMan]

I was really excited to see this. I think it's about what I expected other than the safety concern. I use Kessil A380s and Ocean Revive T247 which I think are all around SLIGHTLY at least better than the ones tested here. A little better quality build and controls at least. I've been using it for several years and I really like them. It was nice to see the par distribution, as I would expect the OR to be similar based on the physical designs being similar. I really appreciate the video if for nothing else the safety aspect. I'll be pulling part my OR to see the power supply and will probably never get a cheaper black box now. One thing to note... My OR shocks me if I touch the housing while my hand is in the water. It's pretty uncomfortable. HAHA

[@dannybski9620]

Here's to hoping you guys do a video series soon on the External Algae Skimmers! Very interested in those products! I tried an upward bubble one once, and it didnt do anything for my tank. No algae growth :(

[@matthewlebaron9421]

Thanks for doing this comparison and taking the black box apart. I had considered them in the past but passed on them due to safety concerns and am glad I did. Burning your house down to save $700 is not the best route in my opinion. I just wish that there were more middle ground offerings out there but they tend to be few and far between.

[@eFISHancy]

SB reef light! SB reef light next please!!!

[@axmarr8132]

EchoTech Marine, MaxSpect, AI, IM, Orphek, Kessil would be proud. Congrats!

[@ryanwilson5936]

Ax Marr You mean BRS's suppliers? Lol

[@axmarr8132]

Ryan Wilson Just saying. These guys are a business. They are not in it to sell stuff they do not stock. If they can seem to be legit without looking like complete sell outs, this video is it. If they totally trashed chinese black boxes, people would see right through that. They present data. Sure. On bottom of the barrel chinese black boxes. They are a business trying to get your dollars. Cant be both and be honest. Someone always loses. Data or not I always enjoyed their videos. Until i started noticing that they guide your perception of succes if you only use top of the shelf equipment. Pretty much telling you that you would fail if you dont use thousand dollar equipment. Freakin elitist reefers. Lmao. Freaking joke.

[@reefnrod7159]

I had two of these over a 40B sps tank and ultimately just removed pretty much all the lenses from the led and saw how a lot of the shadowing disappeared, corals grew better, and coraline began to flurish in the back of the tank after a year or little to no purple.

[@doncolaku4032]

Which did you remove?

[@luisgalvan7219]

i have two biocubes one with a black box and another one with recently put Radion XR15w G4 ... they both grow sps lps and soft coral.... but what i noticed is the growth in the black box tends to grow the corals a bit slower that the xr15w but over all both great lights... i had the black box for nearly 4 years now no fires thank god

[@micahwhalen3866]

SB Reef lights fixed all the issues with the standard black box. Better quality parts and upgraded spectrum. Even comes with a 2yr warranty. Built by reefers!

[@AquaGeek]

There are hundreds of videos of hover board fires on the internet, I would think if these were so bad you would see videos. People are very quick to post things like that. I could not find any.

[@tamikafinn7107]

Just a heads up about the black box lights I brought 2 of them that were controlled with a remote but didn't realise that when you turn them off at the power point they will default to 1 of 3 programmed colours setting which makes them impossible to run with a controller which I find quite annoying

[@noeldavis618]

Really like and respect this review. I think you did a pretty good job of keeping it fairly neutral considering you're discussing something that is literally not for sale in the US for quality and safety reasons.

[@lubina8130]

im use 1st generation Black box 9 years ago called Ecoray, in my experience, they can grow sps, and growth rate is insane .. Then i use Maxpect and now i use hydra 52 .. But, i still miss what ecoray can do to my sps .. Insane Growth Rate ..

[@jestronixhanderson9898]

I think it’s important to remember the early black boxes that came out , like the cheap version of the cheapest. Those my friend I won’t go near, as I believe they were non ce. Just take a look at recalls for well known brands like dishwashers, TVs ovens etc, even the top quality guys can be tainted by an issue. I also would argue that some of those lights that caught fire may have been for a swim at some point :). Take the lenses off these units and the coverage is great, need more power, no problem buy another and then go buy all your dream frags with the savings.

[@bryansenulis2975]

U right but i put a frost type of stuff stuff in office over my black boxes. It clear and frost bought it at home depot or lows. 10 bucks. Cut it to size and glued over each light. Par went down a bit but no hot spots. That the mod to do. Mine been working great for over a year

[@mguzm12]

I would like to see you do par levels on a kessil a160 on that cube.

[@timothysilver6196]

Nothing like a lighting debate to get reefers in an uproar. Interesting review and, I think, both helpful and fair. Helps me justify the grand I spent for Kessils. If my wife ever calls me on my comment that they cost "a little over a hundred dollars," I'll be living in the black box dog house.

[@scottclark7592]

I am a halide guy- so no horse in race-but it is interesting on how the spectrum with the wave motion really changes the black box spectrum towards the 620 660 range. While it doesnt make up for the strong peak of the name brand light-it certainly is closer than in the static comparison where its great shortcoming was shown. Things like this are why one chart for spectrum doesnt always tell the whole story. Even in this case the quality of the light was basically decided based on a situation the light would not be used-without current and surface movement.

[@SsgEspirituFMSFW]

Can i ask about par38 led 22watts. If its ok in my 15gal reef tank.how high in water level to attach par38. 9" or 12" Or its low in spectrum to light corals. Begginer here from philippines.

[@robertbiederman5458]

I appreciate the video and the information. I think comparing it to a 800 dollar light for performance is a bit unfair though. Your info on the quality is fair and accurate though

[@karennation3580]

so true. The other day I watched a comparison on hydras to radions and radions totally smoked the hydra. If they would have compared to it to a hydra wouldnt have look so insane!

[@reefingmedic7537]

SB Reef Lights is a chinese black box but with a US twist. Safe and the owner stands behind it better than ecotech does. Also, their wavelength is nothing like a generic black box that you tested, same with their strength. I'll ship you mine you can borrow ;)

[@cheseenlo]

i know SB reef lights seem to have a cult like following. i wish they would test that fixture.

[@reefingmedic7537]

William Duong I personally love them. That being said though for my new build I'm upgrading to kessil for more control

[@cheseenlo]

skip kessil, they dont seem to be progressing in the hobby. they dont seem to have the urge to innovate anymore. their new AP700 was pretty much a failure on all fronts. save up your money and purchase the G4 radion instead.

[@delafe]

I am wondering the same thing. Their drivers are different and I am sure they use better lenses. Anyone care to write up a better comparison?

[@bif24701]

William Duong in no way is any of what you just said true.

[@luckyday4134]

hey guys. another great video. been waiting for this one. look i would love to drive around town in a brand-new corvette but instead i drive a kia. i buy what i can afford b box and t5s .corals grow

[@vaughanbj]

Would love to see a comparison of the coralbox moonlight. A very cheap option with full spectrum adjustment via wifi phone app as well as fade in and out on a full time adjustable schedule. A lot better than the zetlight i used to have.

[@reefkeepingandeverythingelse]

I remember seeing in many spaniard forums that it was a well liked light.

[@athomeontwo]

Hmm never owned a black box, but most of the data in this video actually impressed me about them! At this point I’ve had Kessils fail me in just over a year and as a result I don’t have any great faith in the marketing behind these premium brands. I would be willing to bet that all of the premium brands are packed with sourced parts from China.

[@GRodPericles]

You guys never cease to amaze! Great unbiased review

[@tracydoll7910]

Thanks for doing it right! What would we do without your investigations?!

[@ericj1500]

I use a different type of black box which has a unique mouted led style, look at the ocean revive brand. Thanks for sharing

[@Nathan-wn5mc]

They brought out the nes black box, I would like to see it tested again.

[@jonerikpeterson1727]

So should i keep my 65w x2 power compacts 420-460 over these black box leds on my 30g hexagon

[@reefkeepingandeverythingelse]

I wander if one could get a More even distribution out of a black box with one of those light diffuser screens

[@Crazydude3886]

Check out hipageros led for coral growth on nano tanks for $60 I have had a ton of growth

[@peterle2205]

I had my blackbox 2 years now it works great for my sps corals, the blackbox is good if you cant afford those good qualities lights that cost you 300+ in canada

[@reefghost7595]

only thing i think is why not test the most popular " black " boxes like SBREEFLIGHT - REFFREPUBLIK - etc etc - its easy to pick the cheapest 80-100 dollat light and call it crap - instead of going with the widely used well trusted "black " box that reefers now use

[@Davelembo]

I'll say this and be on my way I have bought 3 different brands of this light and have seen all 3 to have different visual spectrums. No One would run this light at 100% on both channels The "License Plate" is adequate as a heat sink or the leds would burn out [ try to desolder an LED and you will see how effective it is ] Reviewed by a distributor that doesn't offer a comparable light in this price range is set up to be biased

[@stewsaquarium1397]

Thanks for your scare vid, did the guys with the $800 dollor lights give u all that testing equipment, its a great vid cause it made me make up my mind completely to buy the very beautiful very stylish and excellently priced black box, I mean if they all went to all that trouble to scare it must be really upsetting the $800 dollor light guys figures hahaha, oh and btw, yes your correct from some info iv seen some of these can burn out, but the Mars Aqua one has all of the safety ratings that westernized countrys have, I just bought one in Aus and its also shipped from Aus with all safety ratings, I think they ship from other countries to not just China, it was $148 Aus Dollar,, free shipping also, nice

[@reefingwithryan2217]

You guys should compare this to the sb reef light. I think most would like to know if the sb is a good middle ground like they claim.

[@andrewanaruma2358]

Great video from a reefer that has both hydra hd n black boxes would love to be able to afford more hydra s to replace my black boxes they outperform in all ways

[@electricreef7333]

Does anyone know what brand of black box this is? I know BRS won't say it but I know a few black boxes that have good drivers and actual heatsinks rather than a thin aluminum plate.

[@MARINETV]

Electric Reef it looks like marsaqua

[@johns9311]

You guys keep showing a cube tank with a Radion on it in the videos. What settings do you have on it? It looks great!

[@LigerQ4]

Sweet! So is there a raffle for the china box?! :D

[@larryquick8488]

I use a black box on the white channel turned down to the minimum on my fuge. I've gotten some decent chaeto growth from it. It was a 30 dollar used box, so cheap fuge light. Im actually quite curious to see a comparison between it and a cfl or par 38. (Obviously the kessil or other dedicated grow light is going to be much better)

[@freethinker7759]

Hi I bought these on ebay over the year ago the 165w model, I know alot about electronics etc but most components are manufactured by a group of companies, the top teer lights are way way over priced, since you can get a top of the range marine tank here in ireland for around €2000 but buying the top lights could be another tank! I have run them on my sps tank I cant keep up with the growth! alright you cant control them by your phone, so what, all I want is a healthy tank and keep it old school. I noticed on the web in the US you are more interested in gagets then the live stock. These top companies should start making more buget units and make reef keeping more at arms reach for everybody. China seen a gap in the market and built a unit to fit it more power too them. My unit has 4 UV blubs and on it and your report says none? Im very happy with these before I upgraded to these lights I ran TMC aqua rays with controller and they were crap they cost around €300 and id say they also were made in china.

[@SaltCritters]

Test the Ocean Revive light. We love ours.

[@karennation3580]

I am looking into that. have you ever tested it with a par meter. I was looking into ocean revivie then I just looked at a bunch of tanks with Mars aqua and the color po looked amazing. I mean as good as the radion tanks, so I was about to pull the trigger and then I saw this. I afriad I might fry the hell out of some but there is no rhythm or reason to these pars levels and you jus would have no idea on placement of a coral. Do you get good color pop fro ocean revive and how high do you have to mount it?

[@SaltCritters]

Karen Nation the ocean revive lights is all we run on our farm. We only run around 200 par. The lights are only at 20% on the blue and 1% on the whites to get that par. They are very powerful. We ditched our radions for them.

[@reefgaming3996]

I have 2 Chinese never happy with them I finally bought kessil 360we on my nano and use Chinese for refugium they do great job

[@langeparkian]

Reef Gaming ... you do realize that Kessil lights are made in China right?

[@soempaing2436]

I love my oceanrevive T 247. It has it drawbacks but the color is pretty awsome. My zoas are loving it.

[@erictucker4475]

Soe M Paing That's what I'm using too, would love to see a review.

[@SoulJimyDark]

Soe M Paing i want to buy that light what drawbacks it has? Or can you give a review of it?

[@soempaing2436]

SoulJimyDark OR T- 247 can sure grow corals and it can also pop the colors. I had mine for almost 3 years and it run like new. The good thing is the fan will only turn on if the fixture is set at high brightness on both channel. Built in timer is downside though. The clock tend to be inconistent and somewhat faster by a minute each day. It tend to save the settings in case of power outage but sometimes for no apparent reason loose the setting. But for what it costs It is one of the best among chinese blackbox and IMO its OEM is Evergrow which is quite famous in horticulture lights. Also buying directly from Oceanrevive seems to be cheaper than the alternative and they do give out discounts during special days. I got mine for 160$. Hope this help.

[@SoulJimyDark]

Thank you man :) with your review i made my mind n buying and aqua mars 300w led

[@brockkirschenmann9711]

Thanks. For doing this. I run 2 on a 75 gallon. And what's shocked when I par tested mine and found the hotspots. Mine have a different lenses but still bad. One spot tested 650 par and 2 inches away tested 240 par. Crazy I have actually heard from many people that they completely remove the lenses all together and just let them be exposed. They they have turn them up of course. But the spread is much better then. I have considered this option but don't have a par meter any more. As dumb as that option sounds to remove them. It makes sense considered how bad he lenses are to begin with.

[@nickfel7434]

Great video as usual. This isn't actually a fair comparison to a Radion per se. If you test a $130.00 Coral Box Moon LED, which has a fan and the ability to be controlled/dimmed via wifi on an app you will get a much better option of whats available from Asia.

[@JordanCataldo65]

Man, i wish I would've saw this video earlier. I was about to buy a 6 light T5 to replace my black boxes after one failed. I ended up going with the new reefbreeder photon to save some money but had I watched this video, I would've just went with the T5 fixture...

[@jonathanchristian9776]

Thanks for saving me the headache of buying one of these for a new nano i'm building. Perfect timing guys.

[@Live4Ibanez]

Is there a dedicated email for one of the guys in charge of choosing these BRS investigates videos? I'd like to request one that I feel many old school reefers would thoroughly enjoy!

[@IS-db6pn]

Two things I would never go cheap on are lighting and protein skimmer

[@seyed7705]

If you remove the lense caps from each of the black box LEDs you'll get 120° spread rather than a 60° spread. That basically makes it not be so focused on the center works great 👍

[@hous0067]

@IamOnlyArchon Pull them off with your fingers (or pliers)....they are just glued down with silicone adhesive. Rock them or pull straight up, if you twist you might break the solder on the diodes.

[@madrox4132]

When are you doing the AP700? Been chomping at the bit here

[@mikelstevenson4968]

Would this light get too hot to set on a glass canopy.

[@WalidAldeeb]

What if we add a diffuser to the black box? Like the acrylic ones used for florescent ceiling lights from a home improvement store. Would that spread PAR a little more evenly?

[@BRStv]

That would certainly be plausible!

[@PoopyButt7]

I am now super happy I saved for a bit to buy maxspect razor.

[@patrickp588]

Half a day after watching this video, out of the middle of nowhere my BLACK BOX CAUGHT ON FIRE!

[@dubsydabster]

I'll just keep it under my bed then.... Thanks BRS!

[@salohcind3349]

I got 2x 6000k 50 watt flood lights and a 5630 actinic led bar 36 watts Great shimmer and sunlight look with a hint of blue cost me $180 total for a 55 gallon tank

[@ReasonablleDoubt]

The inside of this black box is hilarious 😂😂😂😂😂

[@brandonezdoofenshmirtz2916]

Im taking the lenses off mine now before I set up the tank