Looking for lighting recommendations to promote coral growth

[Takashix2]

Hello, I currently have a 55 gallon reef with a Current USA 4227 Orbit Marine IC Pro LED Reef Aquarium Dual Light System. The system is 8 months old at this point.

I am looking for some better lights for my corals. Currently I have torches, duncans, hammers, mushrooms, zoas, micro lords, blastomussa, candycane, favia, bowerbanki acans, bubble tip anemones and rock flower anemones. I would like to stick with LED's and I like lights that have a 24 hour cycle, but I am willing to change to a different light setup if it is better for my corals.

The torches, hammers and duncans are doing mostly OK but everything else seems to be struggling. The parameters seem to be OK, aside from phosphate. I have also started adding kalkwasser to my water changes this week.

Salinity 1.024
Temperature 79 F
PH 8.0

Sailifert
Magnesium 1400

Hanna
Calcium 486
Amonia 0.0088
Phosphate 0.4 (It was above 0.9 but I added GFO and carbon 2 weeks ago)
Alkalinity 10dKH

 

[blaxsun]

What's your budget?

 

[Lavey29]

I run 2 XR15 s on my 65g DT

 

[Takashix2]

I could probably do up to 500.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I could probably do up to 500.

honestly that is tough. Perhaps not possible. Perhaps possible if you buy budget lights, but then, is that really an upgrade?

I bought my lights a component at a time, its an MH light with 2 OR3 bars, I purchased all 3 seperately, as my budget allowed.

 

[Takashix2]

I should also add that my end goal is to upgrade to a 180 so I would want to get lights that could cover 6 feet.

If I could spend a little more on lights do you have a specific recommendation? I might have to break it up and just buy one at a time while still using the current USA lights.

I've read AI Prime 16's are decent and I could do 2 of those but I don't know how well they do for reef compared to what I already have and i'm not certain how much area each could cover.

 

[Takashix2]

Bump

 

[19Mateo83]

You could add some orphek light bars.

 

[CO2TLEY]

For that price point maybe some viparspectras?

 

[Takashix2]

What is the expected price point on higher end lights? I might be able to make something work.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

honestly I would say easily $1000+ for higher end lights for that size tank.
I spent $1300 for lights on my 40 breeder

 

[Takashix2]

Yikes. So at $1000+ what should I be looking at? Radion's, Kessil's?

 

[Troylee]

Look for a used reef breeders photon or something similar.. $500 will get you one..

 

[ChiCity]

used ati powermodule t5 fixture ftw

 

[threebuoys]

I have 3 Noo-psyche K7 pros on my 125 gallon (6 feet long) tank. These were an upgrade from the current orbit marine dual 6 ft model. I could not be happier. Running well below max. Great coverage, great PAR.

Cost $200 each. One set up as master and two as slaves. Program the master, the other two follow. Great control over timing and colors.