Looking to buy a cheap LED that would be good enough for a beginner soft coral (probably GSP, Xenia, or Kenya Tree) in a 40 gallon breeder.
Guidelines:
-- Budget = about $100. (Something completely awesome at $200 could sway me but not beyond that)
-- LED only, no T5 or hybrid
-- No plans to go beyond just maybe a couple of easy/beginner soft corals. (Just not committed enough right now)
-- Will keep the beginner "weed" corals on one side of the tank so could focus light on one side of the tank and maybe do cheapie white light LED on the other side, to start, if that even makes any sense.
*If answer is, "not worth it, save up $xxx or don't bother", that's fair. (I won't be offended)
Reasoning:
-- About to tank transfer from a 5 month old 37 gallon TALL tank (FOWLR + inverts)
-- Current is just white light LED bars mounted inside a cheapie plastic lid so I'll need to get a new light anyway (as well as figure out how I want to make a new lid, probably clear mesh)
-- Still have to deal with flow (but I'll worry about that after transfer)
-- My tastes lean towards the Kessil 160/360 design in concept but not willing to spend anywhere near that much right now (and would probably want 2 so twice as far out)
After lots of reading I'm overloaded so just looking for targeted opinions based on what I said above.
This is the one I'm currently leaning towards:
*worried about the possible disco ball effect but willing to try and live with whatever happens for awhile -- my tastes lean more toward shimmer from single light emission point but haven't seen anything in my price range that seems useable
WILLS 165W Full Spectrum LED
...and if I thought two of these would be WAY better for twice the price, I'm thinking of this:
NICREW 30W Full Spectrum LED
Guidelines:
-- Budget = about $100. (Something completely awesome at $200 could sway me but not beyond that)
-- LED only, no T5 or hybrid
-- No plans to go beyond just maybe a couple of easy/beginner soft corals. (Just not committed enough right now)
-- Will keep the beginner "weed" corals on one side of the tank so could focus light on one side of the tank and maybe do cheapie white light LED on the other side, to start, if that even makes any sense.
*If answer is, "not worth it, save up $xxx or don't bother", that's fair. (I won't be offended)
Reasoning:
-- About to tank transfer from a 5 month old 37 gallon TALL tank (FOWLR + inverts)
-- Current is just white light LED bars mounted inside a cheapie plastic lid so I'll need to get a new light anyway (as well as figure out how I want to make a new lid, probably clear mesh)
-- Still have to deal with flow (but I'll worry about that after transfer)
-- My tastes lean towards the Kessil 160/360 design in concept but not willing to spend anywhere near that much right now (and would probably want 2 so twice as far out)
After lots of reading I'm overloaded so just looking for targeted opinions based on what I said above.
This is the one I'm currently leaning towards:
*worried about the possible disco ball effect but willing to try and live with whatever happens for awhile -- my tastes lean more toward shimmer from single light emission point but haven't seen anything in my price range that seems useable
WILLS 165W Full Spectrum LED
...and if I thought two of these would be WAY better for twice the price, I'm thinking of this:
NICREW 30W Full Spectrum LED