What’s the best lighting?

nept2n

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Hey y’all I’m in the market for new lights for my 75 gallon tank. I have current USA lights right now and can only have lps and softies but I want to expand my corals to sps. I have a toadstool and a recordist mushroom right now. So my question is what is a good lighting for around $800.00 or less that will work for my tank?? I have been researching the kessil 360we tuna blues and I can get 2 lights, link cable, controller, and brackets for around $889.00 from amazon. But I would like opinions on this lighting and others that are affordable. So what do y’all think??

Nicole if you've got some time about half an hour check out this video from @BRS they review the best lighting of 2019 for all price range and coral types.
 

NormanB

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Hey y’all I’m in the market for new lights for my 75 gallon tank. I have current USA lights right now and can only have lps and softies but I want to expand my corals to sps. I have a toadstool and a recordist mushroom right now. So my question is what is a good lighting for around $800.00 or less that will work for my tank?? I have been researching the kessil 360we tuna blues and I can get 2 lights, link cable, controller, and brackets for around $889.00 from amazon. But I would like opinions on this lighting and others that are affordable. So what do y’all think??

It all boils down to what you want vs the cost you are willing to pay. I have a standard 75 gallon tank and use the Reef Breeders Photon 48-V2+ and find it works will for me. At $700 it's in your price range and has sunrise/sunset options.

I just added my 1st SPS, a green slimmer, so yes it is not super demanding, but the rest are zoas, mushrooms and LPS. All are doing just fine. The system is 3.5 months old and rocking along.

So, is the photon the "Best" light? Who knows, I can only talk about my experience.
 

Ron Reefman

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I 100% agree with @jda. The Reef Breeder Photon V2+ is the best bang for your money IF you want sunrise/sunset control, 6 channel color control, less shadowing than puck style leds and a good looking fixture to boot.
 

jda

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I will say that I do not use any of these, so take any of my suggests to be worth nothing, but if I had to, then it would be panels over pucks. Also, I would run them more along the lines of 100% on all channels, so hard to ignore therman and battlecorals success with these units doing exactly that - I like what they do more than I like what WWC, Vivid, etc. do with their Radions.
 

lpsouth1978

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I'd consider a pair of noopsyche LEDs paired to their T5 hybrid fixture. That will give you plenty of power and will be under budget.

This comes from a guy running radions and primeHDs on two separate tanks. Don't get me wrong, their controllability and build quality is hard to beat, but they dont have the spread and coverage of a T5/LED hybrid and noopsyches products look solid for the price

+1
 

MikeyG

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Hey y’all I’m in the market for new lights for my 75 gallon tank. I have current USA lights right now and can only have lps and softies but I want to expand my corals to sps. I have a toadstool and a recordist mushroom right now. So my question is what is a good lighting for around $800.00 or less that will work for my tank?? I have been researching the kessil 360we tuna blues and I can get 2 lights, link cable, controller, and brackets for around $889.00 from amazon. But I would like opinions on this lighting and others that are affordable. So what do y’all think??
Hey y’all I’m in the market for new lights for my 75 gallon tank. I have current USA lights right now and can only have lps and softies but I want to expand my corals to sps. I have a toadstool and a recordist mushroom right now. So my question is what is a good lighting for around $800.00 or less that will work for my tank?? I have been researching the kessil 360we tuna blues and I can get 2 lights, link cable, controller, and brackets for around $889.00 from amazon. But I would like opinions on this lighting and others that are affordable. So what do y’all think??
If you are close to PA 19030 I could sell you my ATI dimmable t5 fixture with bulbs cheap.
Its 4 feet long.
$400 takes it.
 
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Nicole Sarnowski

Nicole Sarnowski

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If you are close to PA 19030 I could sell you my ATI dimmable t5 fixture with bulbs cheap.
Its 4 feet long.
$400 takes it.

Unfortunately I live in Missouri. I also cannot hang anything from my ceiling because I have really high ceilings like 10 foot high so lights have to be able to attach to my aquarium. Thank you for your great offer just wish sometimes my ceilings were normal lol
 

Gareth elliott

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Unfortunately I live in Missouri. I also cannot hang anything from my ceiling because I have really high ceilings like 10 foot high so lights have to be able to attach to my aquarium. Thank you for your great offer just wish sometimes my ceilings were normal lol

Another option are shelving brackets, use some long screws into studs and have a way to hang above the tank without being attached to it.
Just verify the brackets are rated for the weight intended.
 
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Nicole Sarnowski

Nicole Sarnowski

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Another option are shelving brackets, use some long screws into studs and have a way to hang above the tank without being attached to it.
Just verify the brackets are rated for the weight intended.
I’m sorry I should have explained my house better. My aquarium is against an outside wall and my house is very old. My outside walls are brick upon brick with an air pocket in between. So that’s why everything has to be able to attach to my tank. I’m truly sorry for explaining properly. I am still thankful for you trying to help me out. I greatly appreciate your help and offer. Thank you very much.
 

Ron Reefman

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Well, that's just another reason to go with the Photon...legs that sit on the tank are included!

And those legs are adjustable up and down as well. Currently that's what I'm using. And I believe Reef Breeders now has a system available to hang the Photon off the back glass. That's what I want to do, but I'm using 2 Photons for a 30" tank; so I'll end up having back of the tank hangers made for me.
 

SeaJay

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I also run noopsyche leds. My lfs has some on a couple of their tanks and he says he was surprised to see their performance in comparison to the radions. My noopsyche leds are mounted in an aquatic life T5 hybrid. The noopsyche hybrid is very aesthetically pleasing, including the legs that mount it to the tank. The only reason I went with the aquatic life hybrid is because noopsyche doesn’t make theirs in a 61”.
 
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Nicole Sarnowski

Nicole Sarnowski

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Wow my lights just shipped that is pretty quick. I wasn’t expecting it to ship till tomorrow or even Monday. I’m impressed!!
 

SeaJay

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Wow my lights just shipped that is pretty quick. I wasn’t expecting it to ship till tomorrow or even Monday. I’m impressed!!
Join the noopsyche USA Facebook group. Any questions you have will be addressed quickly there. I think you’ll like the lights once you figure out the 1980s Casio controller.
 

nano reef

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Sorry if this comes off as snarky, that is not my intent but I can see how it may read that way.

::steps on soapbox::

First, the question of "what is the best lighting?" - as your thread title asks - is subjective to the end user. Many will argue that Radions are hands down the best thing out there, while others will argue for T5s, Metal Halides, different LEDs - or a combination of some/all. You can literally google "best reef tank lighting" and easily find dozens of thread full of arguments for what is "best". This can truly only be answered by you, as they all work. If you instead ask, "what kind of light would you recommend for my tank and goals?", you will get more direct advice & recommendations.

::gets off soapbox::

So now, let's move on to your question and set up.

I am one of those people who has tried many different lighting options. Based on your tank and what you want to do, I would recommend going LED as I feel they will achieve all of your goals with less work down the road (you did say you like to "set and forget"). I have used cheap black boxes (they do grow coral just fine), Current lights (like yours - one of my least favorite that I have tried), Noopsyche, AI Hydras, and Ecotech Radions.

Of these, I would go with either the Noopsyche (economical option) or the AI Hydras (my go to, best bang for your buck option). To cover your tank you will need two. The AI interface is a lost simpler, it's controlled from your phone making it easier to use. The Noopsyche uses a funky/clunky scroll wheel controller that is a little more difficult to initially figure out. Both lights allow for ramping up/down (sunrise/sunset), both lights get great color - the AIs are (objectively) nicer and easier to use.

Hope this helps.

Edit: I can hear all the Ecotech users screaming "but Radions are the 'best'", while I agree that Radions are a better light, I truly feel that you get a better value -ie quality product for the price- from the AI Hydras (and AI & Ecotech are under the same parent company). If money was no issue - go with the Radion XR30s but know that you will be spending $1,700+ by the time you buy the mounts verse <$1,000 for Hydras.
Hydra's are only 50 bucks cheaper than radions and if you count the mount then maybe 65 but radion has such a nicer looking mount. If you move up to the bigger hydras its only 130 watts and 200 cheaper though so maybe thats what you are speking off when you say way cheaper but then you need to buy more so maybe not
 

nano reef

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If you need an argument for Reefbreeders, search for user therman threads. I have not seen many, if any, Radion tanks that look like that.
What do you mean by user therman threads? I know that razors have a bigger color spectrum that radion. Its crazy they hav e 390 true uv then 400 lavender than 410 super acintinic then 440 blue 450 blue 470 blu and 500 cyan, green, red and 2 whites! Totally blew me away and someone just sold abrand new one a little longer than my tank like 2 inches but it gave me 4 pucks instead of 3 and i inch overhang on each side! Crazy cheap and a gyre controller! I missed it by a day and he kept reducing and reducing! I think they are ugly though and at that time didnt realize the crazy spectrum or I would have went for it! I like the photons but they are out in 24 inch My tank is 30 and the maxspect was 32!
 

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