Aquarium lights for nems and corals

[GillianB]

I currently have a BTA and a Condy/LTA along with a few corals
The the corals are looking very unhappy an i am wondering if my light in my problem.
Here is the link to my current light. If my light isn’t good enough is there any you recommend? Thanks!

 

[Sdot]

Hey bud, welcome to the party. So a few things needed so we get a better "picture" of whats going on with your tank.

1. What size is your tank
2. What are all of your water parameters (PH, ALk, Nitrate, phos.....etc)
3. How long has the tank been setup
4. Lastly.... what is your par?

Not to say these lights cant work.... not all LED's are made alike and there is a reason aquarist tend to stick with certain brands.... there is a gaurenteed performance you get per se if applied correctly. If you plan on being in the hobby for any length of time.... get better lights.

To answer your question though...without knowing your water parameters...cant tell you where to start looking for an issue.

 

[MohrReefs]

If your light isn't strong enough, they will usually reach and stretch for light (not everything does this but its a good indicator).Were those pics of corals and nems current or was that when they were first introduced?

 

[GillianB]

Hey bud, welcome to the party. So a few things needed so we get a better "picture" of whats going on with your tank.

1. What size is your tank
2. What are all of your water parameters (PH, ALk, Nitrate, phos.....etc)
3. How long has the tank been setup
4. Lastly.... what is your par?

Not to say these lights cant work.... not all LED's are made alike and there is a reason aquarist tend to stick with certain brands.... there is a gaurenteed performance you get per se if applied correctly. If you plan on being in the hobby for any length of time.... get better lights.

To answer your question though...without knowing your water parameters...cant tell you where to start looking for an issue.

Ph is 8.2-8.4
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-.5
Ammonia 0
I do not have a test for calcium phos or alk but I am getting one soon
It 30 gallon
The tank is about 9 months
I’m really sorry I don’t know what par is

 

[Dbichler]

Looked on Amazon those lights are for planted aquariums and only 31 watts. Not near enough for anemones possibly soft corals but not likely for good growth.

 

[Sdot]

Ph is 8.2-8.4
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0-.5
Ammonia 0
I do not have a test for calcium phos or alk but I am getting one soon
It 30 gallon
The tank is about 9 months
I’m really sorry I don’t know what par is

No worries bud... please familiarize yourself with some of these terms. This make it very easy to assist. In layman's terms par is the intensity of light (In numbers) across a specific spectrum.

 

[GillianB]

Looked on Amazon those lights are for planted aquariums and only 31 watts. Not near enough for anemones possibly soft corals but not likely for good growth.

Any recommendations for better lights?

 

[MohrReefs]

Not redsea 90s

 

[GillianB]

No worries bud... please familiarize yourself with some of these terms. This make it very easy to assist. In layman's terms par is the intensity of light (In numbers) across a specific spectrum.

I’m really sorry for the inconvenience
I cannot find any info on the par
But it says it is 4515lumens if that means anything
Thanks for you patience

 

[Sdot]

Any recommendations for better lights?

That's a complicated question...lol. It depends on what your goals are...what do you want to keep. If i were you i would stay away from "cheap" lights. You end up buying the good lights anyway...so save to get those lights rather than waste money on the amazon stuff. This place is a great sounding board on lights....be honest with your goals and budget. As you know this hobby isn't a cheap one, so if you do it right the 1st time you will likely save money in the end.

 

[ZoWhat]

Here's what you need. All you need for around $240:

Noopsyche K7 PRO II LED Light (light only) Choose Color Option

Noopsyche K7 PRO II LED Light A stylish light system for your marine aquarium. Power: 95 watts Dimension: 7.09" x 4.72" x 1.5" (180 x 120 x 38mm) LEDs 6x Osram Cool White 6x Osram Blue 6x Osram Royal Blue 2x Semi LED 410nm 2x Semi LED 420nm 2x Osram Red 2x Osram Green Beam angle 90...

www.noopsycheusa.com

 

[MohrReefs]

You can get used lights on this forum pretty good prices

 

[Sdot]

I’m really sorry for the inconvenience
I cannot find any info on the par
But it says it is 4515lumens if that means anything
Thanks for you patience

No worries... at 31 watts im certain it isnt putting enough par to really keep your animals healthy...also there are no spectrum documentation... we have no clue the "quality" of light your animals are getting.

Please see example courtesy of Orphek

 

[GillianB]

Not redsea 90s

Alright

 

[MohrReefs]

Alright

Good light. Just comes with a litany of issues. I'd get different lights if I had a redo.

 

[GillianB]

No worries... at 31 watts im certain it isnt putting enough par to really keep your animals healthy...also there are no spectrum documentation... we have no clue the "quality" of light your animals are getting.

Please see example courtesy of Orphek

Thanks so much for your patience and help
Are there any lights you recommend?

 

[Sdot]

Thanks so much for your patience and help
Are there any lights you recommend?

Hey no problem. Just depends.... whats your goals for this tank coral wise?

 

[GillianB]

Hey no problem. Just depends.... whats your goals for this tank coral wise?

I don’t really know much about corals but I would like them to grow and I would like to keep my nems happy

 

[Sdot]

I don’t really know much about corals but I would like them to grow and I would like to keep my nems happy

Understood... could you provide your tank dimensions?

 

[Jekyl]

If you want to stay cheap I'd go viparspectra or marsaqua. Otherwise check through bulkreefsupply.com there are plenty of options.