Lighting A 40g Mixed Cube

[T-J]

I'm just coming back into the hobby after a 5 year hiatus, and LED lighting has changed so much since then. My last tank (125g) had MH and T5, and this time around I'd like to go full LED.

The new tank is a 40g Aquatop Recife. It's basically a 21"x21"x21" cube. I'm doing a mixed reef, so I've been looking at the following lights: Hydra 26, AI prime 90 and Kessil 160.

Preference out of those three? Suggest something else? Thanks in advance!

 

[RapidReefer]

I got the same tank and I went with the kessil 360 l

 

[Hemmdog]

Kessil 160 and prime won’t be sufficient. 360x, ap700, radion xr30 pros, hydra 36 would be your mainstream led options.

 

[Arcticfirefighter]

I would go with the AI Prime HD myself. I have 2 of them on my 57 Deep Blue which is 36x18x20, and I am only running them at about 50%. Recommend spread is 18x18 but they say max spread of 24x24. They are cheaper, and it's just over the recommended spread. However, if you have the extra cash the Hydra 26 is going to cover the cube spread a bit better. Just my 2 cents... People tried to tell me that the Primes wouldn't work and the suck because they are cheap. I always say just because it's not a $800 light doesn't mean it doesn't work. However, I run a 99% softy/LPS tank, with a ORA Neon Green Pocillopora which is growing great under the Primes. I have only had it about 2 months.

 

[Daniel92481]

Kessil A360X. Welcome back! :)

 

[jalewis]

I'm just coming back into the hobby after a 5 year hiatus, and LED lighting has changed so much since then. My last tank (125g) had MH and T5, and this time around I'd like to go full LED.

The new tank is a 40g Aquatop Recife. It's basically a 21"x21"x21" cube. I'm doing a mixed reef, so I've been looking at the following lights: Hydra 26, AI prime 90 and Kessil 160.

Preference out of those three? Suggest something else? Thanks in advance!

T-J what did you decide? I just got the same tank and will probably upgrade the lighting at some point for a mixed reef setup.

 

[T-J]

T-J what did you decide? I just got the same tank and will probably upgrade the lighting at some point for a mixed reef setup.

Ultimately I went with the Reefbreeders Photon V2+ 16". So far so good!

 

[jalewis]

Looks like a good choice. Question - Did you do anything with the middle area the stock light covered or did you leave it open?

 

[T-J]

Looks like a good choice. Question - Did you do anything with the middle area the stock light covered or did you leave it open?

I removed all the glass and replaced it with a mesh top that I built. Glass traps heat and reduces PAR.

 

[jalewis]

Gotcha. Next question (I hope you don't mind). Are you using the stock skimmer? Looks like yours is in the central compartment. What did you do with the media trays?

Thanks again.

 

[splitting_lanes]

looks great

 

[T-J]

Gotcha. Next question (I hope you don't mind). Are you using the stock skimmer? Looks like yours is in the central compartment. What did you do with the media trays?

Thanks again.

I am not using the stock point of sale skimmer. I pulled it and put in a Tunze skimmer in the central compartment. I left just the two bio media trays in.
I also put a surface skimmer in the overflow compartment, a Seneye in compartment two, WiFi controlled heater and UV sterilizer where the return pump is.

 

[mell0w]

Hey, old thread sorry for the bump but what Tunze skimmer did you put in the back? I have the same tank and the crap one it came with is just not cutting it

 

[T-J]

Tunze 9001

 

[Bpb]

If you can find a 16” reef breeders photon v2+ that would be my top recommendation. Otherwise. I’d do a pair of AI primes on a tank that size for mixed corals. If you start to delve into sps dominant status, a pair of xr15 pros.

But the reef breeders will be the best bang for buck option. It’ll create a blanket of light end to end and not cost much to do it

 

[Jr villa]

Any news pics of the set up? Just acquired this exact tank. Just received my hydra 32

 

[CKI]

I know this is old, but I’d love to see the surface skimmer setup!