Lighting for a standard 55g

[Boxfish]

55 gallon tank. Mixed mainly soft coral. I have a nanobox retro kit that I could incorporate into something or get a new light
Goose neck or sit on top options, no hanging. Could 2 prime HD’s work? Or if I got another retro nano ? Or something like a used sb reef ultra? Thanks

 

[Peace River]

55 gallon tank. Mixed mainly soft coral. I have a nanobox retro kit that I could incorporate into something or get a new light
Goose neck or sit on top options, no hanging. Could 2 prime HD’s work? Or if I got another retro nano ? Or something like a used sb reef ultra? Thanks

Because the 55g is so long and narrow this may be a rare situation to go with a couple of strip lights, instead of a small square format like the AI Prime (or comparable).

 

[Boxfish]

Strip lights like- current oribt or Orphek or sb reef bars? I’m kind thinking a diy nano box quad. Thoughts.?

 

[Peace River]

Strip lights like- current oribt or Orphek or sb reef bars? I’m kind thinking a diy nano box quad. Thoughts.?

Yes, there are several strip lights like Coralife, Current, and other that sell the long narrow lights. I am not recommending a brand and you may have to add two strips to get enough light. Because a 55g is so narrow it is hard to get full coverage without getting a lot of light spillage beyond the tank. Not a big problem to go with a couple of primes (or other smaller lights), but realize that you may need to plan the layout around higher light and lower light areas.