Please help!

[Manaman41]

I am trying to choose which light to use on my new Waterbox 25g Peninsula. I've done so much research and every time I think I've chosen one, I second guess my decision. I've gone from Radion XR15 blue to Reefi Uno 2.0 to Hydra 32 to Kessil A360X. All of the lights I'm looking at are about 700-800 CAD. I just wish there was a 'correct' option. I plan to have a couple fish and like torches, hammers and mushrooms...maybe som RFAs as well. I just want to make a smart decision as I don't want to get a light that won't do what I need it to.

Thank you in advance

 

[Ron Reefman]

IMHO, you are over thinking the issue. They will all do the job.

 

[Manaman41]

IMHO, you are over thinking the issue. They will all do the job.

Story of my life. I overthink everything. Haha. I've been researching tanks, lights, pumps, powerheads etc for 6 months before making my first purchase...the tank. I just want to do it right and want to give my build and inhabitants the best shot possible.

 

[Ron Reefman]

If you would like an online mentor, I'd be happy to help.

I'm a member of the Reef Squad here at R2R. We are a small group of regulars here who try to help with questions other members don't help with.

I've been in the hobby for 20+ years and had over 600g of saltwater in my house at one point ( 4 tanks & 2 refugiums). Now I have just two 40g aio tanks. One is basicly just sps & lps corals with some CUC and the other is a 'local' tank (I do some collecting when I snorkel in the Florida Keys).

BTW, not to add fuel to your over thinking fire, but consider a Reef Breeders Photon led fixture. I've been using them over all my tanks for the last 10 years. They have full color control and timing control and are probably less expensive than the other lights you are considering.

This is my coral tank and it's only been running for a little over a year. I expect to get the frag rack out of the tank soon.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Story of my life. I overthink everything. Haha. I've been researching tanks, lights, pumps, powerheads etc for 6 months before making my first purchase...the tank. I just want to do it right and want to give my build and inhabitants the best shot possible.

To put your mind at ease, the previous iteration of my tank before a power outage related crash was covered in easy sps, lps, and softies with a thick cake of purple coraline algae, and I was running 2 black box leds, a DIY fuge with some plant grow lights, and a secondhand gyre pump. Take a look at some videos and see what visually appeals best to you as far as lighting. Your corals will likely grow with any of those.

 

[Doctorgori]

fortunately most of the cheap bad actors from Sino- Amazon have been weeded out and even a Cheap Nicrew should give you comparable service life in line with the cost



as Ronreefman stated: almost any light works anymore

 

[Manaman41]

If you would like an online mentor, I'd be happy to help.

I'm a member of the Reef Squad here at R2R. We are a small group of regulars here who try to help with questions other members don't help with.

I've been in the hobby for 20+ years and had over 600g of saltwater in my house at one point ( 4 tanks & 2 refugiums). Now I have just two 40g aio tanks. One is basicly just sps & lps corals with some CUC and the other is a 'local' tank (I do some collecting when I snorkel in the Florida Keys).

BTW, not to add fuel to your over thinking fire, but consider a Reef Breeders Photon led fixture. I've been using them over all my tanks for the last 10 years. They have full color control and timing control and are probably less expensive than the other lights you are considering.

This is my coral tank and it's only been running for a little over a year. I expect to get the frag rack out of the tank soon.

Thank you so much for the reply and offer. I will certainly look into this light as well.

 

[Manaman41]

To put your mind at ease, the previous iteration of my tank before a power outage related crash was covered in easy sps, lps, and softies with a thick cake of purple coraline algae, and I was running 2 black box leds, a DIY fuge with some plant grow lights, and a secondhand gyre pump. Take a look at some videos and see what visually appeals best to you as far as lighting. Your corals will likely grow with any of those.

Thank you

 

[jda]

"Any light works" is too simple for me. Have you considered the apps and interfaces and stuff? For example, nobody likes mobius - you might be able to find one sicko who does, but otherwise, people cuss and hate it and it looks like it was written by pre-teens in the mid 2000s for a school project. Many have connectivity problem, wifi issues and some can be OK and then just crash when they force an upgrade. Some are good. They are not all the same. I would figure all of this out and let your preferences drive you.

 

[Cthulukelele]

"Any light works" is too simple for me. Have you considered the apps and interfaces and stuff? For example, nobody likes mobius - you might be able to find one sicko who does, but otherwise, people cuss and hate it and it looks like it was written by pre-teens in the mid 2000s for a school project. Many have connectivity problem, wifi issues and some can be OK and then just crash when they force an upgrade. Some are good. They are not all the same. I would figure all of this out and let your preferences drive you.

I fully agree with this. A better description would be "most modern LED lights will grow coral." You're mostly shopping for the features, UI, connectivity, and visual look you most like for your tank lighting. Do you want something set it and forget it with a slightly higher price tag? Do you like a bit of shimmer? Whose app most appeals to you? Do you want deep spectrum customizablity? How much do you care about shading? That's what you're paying for most these days.

 

[Manaman41]

"Any light works" is too simple for me. Have you considered the apps and interfaces and stuff? For example, nobody likes mobius - you might be able to find one sicko who does, but otherwise, people cuss and hate it and it looks like it was written by pre-teens in the mid 2000s for a school project. Many have connectivity problem, wifi issues and some can be OK and then just crash when they force an upgrade. Some are good. They are not all the same. I would figure all of this out and let your preferences drive you.

I really like your reply, but how do you know what the interfaces or apps are lje without having tried them. All of the product info shows the hardware but not much about software. Is there one you really like?

 

[jda]

I don't use LEDs outside of a few that I won or was given - a Gen 4 radion that I just use the button on top and another one that I am forgetting. I do not feel that they do as good of a job and I have larger tanks where the reflectors help with more coverage.

I do not subscribe to the over simplification that "any light works." Of course they do. Any car can get you to a destination too... but in my garage I have an old Flathead Ford Truck that goes at 45mph tops, a 600 horsepower 442 Convertible, a few 4wd vehicles, cars for High School kids, a Flagship Comfort Sedan and a few others... they all do different things even though they will all get you to your destination although in different ways. Any food can keep you alive too, but there are pretty big differences between McDonalds and a balanced diet. I keep corals where I can see the difference between light sources... many do not.

I mostly keep acropora and clams. The best tanks that I have seen like mine use Photon V2 with nearly all channels turned up 100%. They used to have a remote which was reliable but now they are all apps - I do not like this and would rather have just knobs.

As for the interfaces, I don't know. What I tend to see here and on a local board is that all of them are terrible. People get a Nest, Ring Doorbell or even a smart TV and expect reefing gear to be as easy, helpful and reliable and it is just not. I wonder how many would choose another type of light if they knew how bad the apps and control are?

i would tell you just to search the local market places and classified and find a light that covers the tank. 24" 4 bulb T5, older LED, a smaller 70 or 150w halide... or whatever. Spend a small amount of cash, get your bearings and then get a different light later. This is going to be better than reading, looking at charts and having people recommend what they use.