What Lights and power heads to buy for new tank.

[JGrubbs]

I’m final going to do a reef tank!!! Super excited!!!
My tank will be here shortly and have been slowly picking up stuff. I don’t know what lights or how many to get. It’s a 80gallon AIO 48”x24”x16. I plan on having fish, LPS,bubble type corals and hope a clam one day. I was looking at AI 16 reef lights but not sure if that’s the right choice. I would love some help. Also same goes for power heads.

 

[blaxsun]

Welcome to the hobby! You'll get a myriad of suggestions, but if you indicate a budget it will help those who respond.

 

[exnisstech]

There are so many choices. I see you mention keeping a clam. That will require strong lighting or it will die. I recommend buying/renting or borrowing a par meter when you get to that point. I could not keep a clam alive when I was early into the hobby. Once I checked par I knew why. For me it's almost impossible to judge light by eye.
I keep a couple of clams now in my 180g that runs 6 Noopsyche K7 V3 lights. I like the lights and they don't break the bank. Powerheads, I've used so many different brands I can't even make a recommendation as they all moved water.

 

[jda]

There are many different types of lights. If you want to keep high light things like clams, then double up what a manufacturer recommends for coverage since they overstate it. You will get into some personal stuff and usually people just recommend what they use - not many have had a myriad of success with many different types or kinds.

For flow, pick between reliability and apps/features. I use Tunze stuff since I don't care about apps and want my pumps to last a decade, and Roger the Tunze guy fixes stuff for nearly nothing out of warranty whereas most others tell you to buy new stuff. There are many wifi enabled pumps and stuff, but I am not a pro on these and I avoid them mostly since people complain about the apps and they don't seem to have much longevity on the whole.

 

[JGrubbs]

Thanks for the replies maybe I will hold off on a clam. As far as budget I would rather buy once cry once. I don’t need top of the line but don’t want junk either. Any recommendations would be great. How many power heads should I be looking at I’m thinking at least 2 but not sure on GPH I would need.

 

[nothing_fancy]

There will be tears. Id go with a single mp40 and (2) Mp10s and (3) A 360x which mount very nicely on the back of an AIO however you will need the extra long arms which of course are sold separately from the regular arms that are also sold separately.

 

[jda]

I would get 2x Tunze 6015 pumps.

I use Metal Halide, but if somebody made me buy LEDs, I would get Photon v2 in the 46 or 48 inch version. The best tanks that I have seen with my own eyes (mostly acropora) use Photon V2s.

 

[curt]

I'd go with the Tunze power heads and ATI t-5's for lighting add a reef bright or 2 led strip for a nice look.