Best lighting?

[Mikuchar]

I have just recently purchased a water Box 130.4 waiting for the arrival I'm looking for suggestions on the hands down best lighting system to provide for SPS and LPS tank...Ty in advance

 

[Phildago]

Metal Halide seems to be the best. I have not personally used, but there are so many pros to using MH. The only real downside that I've seen people discuss is the heat it produces.

 

[CCauthers]

I think it would be best if you looked at the sticky threads, they likely have most of what you need to know. There is no single best lighting fixture, and this question usually only serves to start arguments rather than promote constructive discussions.

 

[Bpb]

What criteria are you thinking of when you say best? Most popular? Most expensive? Most economical? Most efficient? Best looking? Purely the best coral growth period the end?

There is no single fixture or technology that just does it all. Whichever route you choose there will be another choice that excels at something else

 

[Silent]

What criteria are you thinking of when you say best? Most popular? Most expensive? Most economical? Most efficient? Best looking? Purely the best coral growth period the end?

There is no single fixture or technology that just does it all. Whichever route you choose there will be another choice that excels at something else

Well said.

 

[Biglew11]

What criteria are you thinking of when you say best? Most popular? Most expensive? Most economical? Most efficient? Best looking? Purely the best coral growth period the end?

There is no single fixture or technology that just does it all. Whichever route you choose there will be another choice that excels at something else

+1
there is no one single best lighting solution. you need to way the pro cons of each and decide what's best for you.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Everyone will say their given lighting choice is the best. When you ask someone like Adam at Battlecorals who uses LED, T5 and MH, he says he can't tell the difference between any of the corals he grows, be it under LEDs, T5s or MH.

All the major lighting technologies grow corals. The best one is the one you like and that fits in your budget.

 

[jda]

Best for what?

Best pure performance is some kind of metal halide.
Best coverage and ease of use is T5
Best apps and tech are some of the expensive LEDs
Best cheapness is probably some Black Box LEDs or used Metal Halide.

Budget might help. If post tank dimensions and type of inhabitants, then you might get some helpful suggestions for your budget - water box 130.whatever is not helpful for most folks who have been reefing long before red sea, waterbox or whatever even started.

 

[Bpb]

I feel like these threads most often end with someone picking up some form of AI Prime or Hydra. Not because they’re the best. But because they’re not the MOST expensive, and they carry a bit better construction than black boxes.

 

[sfin52]

Pick a light and you can and will find exceptional tanks.
Led has the most customized color and shimmer
T5 are plug and play amazing saturation
Halide is also plug and play and has amazing shimmer

 

[RayDRoot]

Bulk Reef Supply just concluded their best of lighting series, it's worth a look. No review on Metal Halides.

 

[Mikuchar]

Sorry the Dimensions are 47.2 x 23.6 x 21.7... My goal is to have higher end pieces leaning towards SPS and lps I have radion XR 15 on my 75 now but I don't have that many SPS I recently watched the video from brs on lighting and they were saying the best of both worlds is the hybrid. I just wanted to see what everyones thoughts were. Ty

 

[jeffrey750750]

Two votes, first one for kessil and then ecotech radion

 

[CCauthers]

Sorry the Dimensions are 47.2 x 23.6 x 21.7... My goal is to have higher end pieces leaning towards SPS and lps I have radion XR 15 on my 75 now but I don't have that many SPS I recently watched the video from brs on lighting and they were saying the best of both worlds is the hybrid. I just wanted to see what everyones thoughts were. Ty

That XR15 may not give you enough light

 

[jda]

Understand that BRS pushing their own interests at least as much as yours - they produce infomercials. There are some good things in some of the videos, but all of them need taken with a grain of salt for what they are. Perhaps their best talent is to convince people that they are looking out for you, which they are very, very good at.

For a tank that size with high dollar lighting, even a hybrid, you would need 2x Radion xr30s and 4x T5s. xr15 or a Kessil are underpowered to keep higher end stuff everywhere in that tank - you would likely need 4 of them and then some T5s too. You could also just do a 6 or 8 bulb T5. I would light that with a pair of 250w Halides and no supplements, but some who use halides would put a Reef Brite, or the like, LED strip on there. No wattage savings either way, but some significantly different startup costs.

 

[GillMeister]

Most of my experience has been with halides and PC actinics. I had great success with this combo but you have to live with high heat, high electrical, and the cost and hassles of bulb replacement. I currently have Orpheks and I love the look and the color. I'm getting really nice coloration in my SPS corals and a few of them are growing like crazy. These are high wattage LEDs and run a little higher initial cost than most. Having said that, you can surely get good results with any premium LED fixture. Kessils, AI, Radion and others are good choices. The Philips fixture looks nice too. With any of these, and good use of a PAR meter you should get results you'll be happy with.

If you want plug and play, halides, T5's or Kessils. For a lot of customization potential LEDs are best. IMO.

 

[Biglew11]

i'm currently running 2 kessil a360x and an aquatic life t5 hybrid on my 75 love the kessil for adjustability and shimmer, love the t5 for the even coverage. kind of a best of both worlds.

 

[Krw]

I have just recently purchased a water Box 130.4 waiting for the arrival I'm looking for suggestions on the hands down best lighting system to provide for SPS and LPS tank...Ty in advance

Hi Mikuchar, I am an Electrical Engineer I warn you early. There are No standards of comparison for lighting in the aquarium society. To me this is strange as there are IEEE standards for almost everything including lighting in refineries and petrochemical plants but nothing for aquariums. BRS investigates just finished an extensive review of LED lights. A 4 part series I suggest you start there. The Metal Halide fans are probably older like me and fondly remember them. However the energy efficiency movement is going to make those obsolete very soon. Go toward the light and concentrate on LED. If your a phone apps person only way to go. The rest is personal preference find an LFS that has several mounted to view. For me the big difference between them is the amount of shimmer (disco ball effect). I have just concluded four months of what you are asking. My coral quarantine tank will be AI 16HD my rectangular DT for now will be the Kessil AP9X. Nothing about lighting is cheap. And the only common thread I can find is like my Harley Davidson everyone has their preference.

 

[Pistol Peet]

I have just recently purchased a water Box 130.4 waiting for the arrival I'm looking for suggestions on the hands down best lighting system to provide for SPS and LPS tank...Ty in advance

If you're new to the Hobby I'd have to say go with a T5 lighting option one that is plug and Play get some experience and then move on to LEDs you almost cannot go wrong with T5 they are dummy proof

 

[Pistol Peet]

T-5 This option is also way more budget-friendly no shadowing perfect spread and blending not overpowering or underpowering yes there r going to be those who argue that it does not have the Shimmer but if you're new to reefing that should be the least of your concerns the biggest concern you should have at the moment is being successful and keeping your little Pets Alive happy to help hope this helps