Lighting Options

[Luna]

I just wanted some help from other reefers to share the lights that they use & help me figure out a good light. I’m looking for a led option that would fit in my canopy, something that wouldn’t get too hot and burn my screen top and something that isn’t going to cost me a bunch of money. I only have about 4 inches from canopy to screen top and I’m looking for something around a $100. My tank is 48”x18”x20”. I was thinking of one or two fluval marine & reef led lights.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

I think your best bet would to be to look for used black boxes or even a used 48" 4 bulb T-5 light.

 

[ReefWithCare]

4x T5 that Tidal Gardens uses would be pretty good or CBB Vispars x2

 

[Luna]

Don’t T-5 get really hot? I have limited space under canopy and I think they would be too close to my mesh top + I’m a fan of led. My main concern is heat on the mesh top, I think the black box would be to big, not sure though.

 

[ReefWithCare]

Not really. That would be a MH issue. I’m also open top. If anything that means my heater is on less [emoji848]

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

My 4bulb t5 gets hot. The fluval 2.0 marine lights are good with wifi options

 

[DSC reef]

I think your best bet would to be to look for used black boxes or even a used 48" 4 bulb T-5 light.

Second this option. T5 does not get that hot. Also, the fluval can't touch black boxes as far as light output.

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

I just wanted some help from other reefers to share the lights that they use & help me figure out a good light. I’m looking for a led option that would fit in my canopy, something that wouldn’t get too hot and burn my screen top and something that isn’t going to cost me a bunch of money. I only have about 4 inches from canopy to screen top and I’m looking for something around a $100. My tank is 48”x18”x20”. I was thinking of one or two fluval marine & reef led lights.

Well my 72in 4bulb t5 gets very warm under my canopy, enough that I added a fan to help with it. Also this member stated that they wanted to spend around 100.00, in addition to an 18 by 20 inch tank. I had fluval on mine and it worked fine that's 6inches above water and 24 to the sand bed 24inches wide 72inches long no problem growing anything from scolys to montys to zoas. I have a black box also on a 65gal tall and it works fine aswell. Lighting is so debatable but bottom line is what you wanna spend and achieve in the long run.

 

[Luna]

I just want to grow softies & lps. I ‘m leaning more towards the fluval lights. That way they fit in my canopy. I recently bought two lumini aqua pixie 30 for my 20L. I was just wondering if there is an option kinda like that where I could get away with buying just 2 for my 75g. I don’t want to add a bunch of fixtures to my tank, maybe 2 or at the most.

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

I just want to grow softies & lps. I ‘m leaning more towards the fluval lights. That way they fit in my canopy. I recently bought two lumini aqua pixie 30 for my 20L. I was just wondering if there is an option kinda like that where I could get away with buying just 2 for my 75g. I don’t want to add a bunch of fixtures to my tank, maybe 2 or at the most.

They offer them in 48in 2 should be more than enough. You should have plenty of coverage and not be running them at full power.

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

Good luck either way you go but if you do go with the fluval let me know and I might have an extra wifi module for it I could sell ya, unless you go with new. But the wifi is the way to go, good ramping option and weather option.

 

[Hemmdog]

I just want to grow softies & lps. I ‘m leaning more towards the fluval lights. That way they fit in my canopy. I recently bought two lumini aqua pixie 30 for my 20L. I was just wondering if there is an option kinda like that where I could get away with buying just 2 for my 75g. I don’t want to add a bunch of fixtures to my tank, maybe 2 or at the most.

I would wait until your budget is a little bigger. I made this same mistake, and I ended up continuously upgrading, wasted thousands of dollars on “petco” gear.
If you want the bright awesome colors in your corals that you see in all these beautiful pictures of tanks on here, you need to have a serious light with serious output, and a spectrum specifically for corals. All of us can tell at a glance who is running current USA and fluval lights, all their corals look the same, faded, boring, and brown.
The fluval will not give you the growth or coloration the vast majority of “us” are looking for.
Just save up for 2 months and treat yourself to a proper light, I swear you will thank me later.

 

[RELLIK-REEF]

Fluval marine light at work

 

[Luna]

I would wait until your budget is a little bigger. I made this same mistake, and I ended up continuously upgrading, wasted thousands of dollars on “petco” gear.
If you want the bright awesome colors in your corals that you see in all these beautiful pictures of tanks on here, you need to have a serious light with serious output, and a spectrum specifically for corals. All of us can tell at a glance who is running current USA and fluval lights, all their corals look the same, faded, boring, and brown.
The fluval will not give you the growth or coloration the vast majority of “us” are looking for.
Just save up for 2 months and treat yourself to a proper light, I swear you will thank me later.

What would be a proper light? I like the kessil ap700, but I just can’t justify spending that much on the light.