What's everyone using to LIGHT their saltwater reef aquarium?

[Hebrewhammer]

I'm using Current USA's Orbit R24 light on my 24 gallon cube. My corals look beautiful and they seem to be thriving so I'm happy! Haven't measured PAR yet but from my understanding, it can produce the advertised 100 par at 20" depth. I don't think anything I have is too PAR-heavy and I plan to keep it that way.

Is that a polycarb lid? I was thinking of trying that on my new tank since it's a 27 gallon and a weird shape. I need a 18x20 lid for it.

 

[reaper93]

For my 5g tank I am using an AI Prime to light a mix of softies, LPS, and just getting into some SPS! I also have two Ocean Revive T247's on a 55g that works well for a bunch of softies, LPS, and easy SPS

 

[Forty-Two]

Orphek Atlantik Icon

mix - SPS,LPS,Some mushrooms/softies

 

[ATXreefer]

ReefBrite halides and XHOs. Tank is 2 months old. Wouldn't change a thing.

What bulbs are you using?

 

[Dkmoo]

With my tank upgrade from 30 to 65, I also changed my light from 3prime/2reefbright strip to the new orphek icon. Im extremely please right now both from the coloration and the spread.

 

[flashsmith]

I'm running 2 radion G5s with reefbrite add ons on a reefer 625xxl. The Lights do OK for a mixed reef with some SPS. The reefbrites really make things pop. Mobius rarely ever works for me though. I have an IM SR80 mixed reef with 3 maxspect jumps on the tank. The app works flawless and corals grow well but the shimmer is a bit much for me. Had a frag set up with a reefbreeders 16 and love that light. Thinking of selling the radions to get another reefbreeders for the big tank. Love the simplicity and look of them. Just can't figure out if I can get by with another 16 since I already have one or need to get the 50.

 

[mattdg]

2 x AI Hydra 64 HD's with 2xSunblaster T5 Strips and 2x45" LED Strips Mixed drivers front and all blue drivers back. Covers the entire footprint of our 120 gallon SPS heavy reef. Can't imagine a better solution, other than a 48" x 24" panel, but that wouldn't leave any PAR gaps for lower light coral, which I like to mix in here and there. Ideally, someone comes out with a panel where we can dial in power, where we want it, on the grid.

 

[Steve2020]

4 GHL Mitras LX 7206's. Extremely happy with these lights.

 

[amoore311]

Noopsyche K7 Pro II + Aliexpress 470 NM Bars over the frag system for almost 3 years now. I love them.

Noopsyche K7 ProII + Aliexpress 470 NM Bars over my 220 Display tank for 1 year. I love them. I am considering upgrading to the 6' Quanta Reef Bars, since I have to run 4 of the ali express bars since they don't come in 6' lengths.

 

[Ef4life]

Happy - biocube with 70w 14k metal halide, and 2 12” reef brite lumi light strips. Lumi lights are off in the pic it gets too blue in photos. Mostly shrooms and ricordea, but now that I’m adding kalk, I have so frags of sps that are

10g desk tank - ai prime - perfect light for a small tank. The diffuser is great. Lps, sps, zoas - bonus lego aquarium with Amazon light

main system- orphek atlantik v4. This light is awesome. Worth every penny. Great cover over a 40b. Heavy sps and lps and just a few ricordea. Really beautiful aesthetic design. The frag tank has the reef breeders photon v2, i have no issues with the light and some corals get way better color under it, my only complaint is that it flickers( not to the eye), so photos can end up with banding at certain shutter speeds.

 

[rtparty]

What bulbs are you using?

Reefbrite 20k bulbs

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Xr15 g5 pro x2. Mixed reef

 

[Lak]

4 Kessil 360x with 55 Degree Reflectors

 

[DavidinGA]

I'm lighting my tank with photons.

 

[Alexraptor]

I use a Maxspect Jump 65W LED on my 15G mixed reef. I keep softies, LPS and SPS, including A couple of Acro's, and everything is thriving with healthy growth.

My 25G reef has a Maxspect RSX 150w, predominantly SPS, three varieties of Pavona, Hydnophora, and some excess monti frags, as well as some frogspawn heads and rhodactis shrooms. Again, everything seems to be doing great, and producing healthy new growth.

And both light systems can produce a very pleasant 10k lighting, which makes all the colors really pop in a way that feels natural.

 

[reefnfun]

ReefBrite halides and XHOs. Tank is 2 months old. Wouldn't change a thing.

sorry for double post.

 

[reefnfun]

ReefBrite halides and XHOs. Tank is 2 months old. Wouldn't change a thing.

Looks like an awesome combination, sit back and watch it grow.

 

[gbru316]

Currently using a Neptune Sky. Thinking about adding a reef brite XHO add-on because I'm never satisfied.

 

[DeniseAndy]

My 210g: 250W SE Metal Halide 20K Radium (I think) along with 4x 80W T5s (2 Actinic, 2 Blue Plus all ATI). I have grown SPS/clams, LPS, Gorgs and currently softies/nems/clams with these lights. Never had an issue with them. I did change to the Hamilton 5ft set up as my DIY was getting a bit old and worn out.

My 40gB: 4x T5s 39W (usually 3 Blue plus and 1 Coral, but may have a purple in there). This is currently an almost exclusively LPS system ( Duncan, Candycane, Acans, Blastos, "Favias", Torch, Frogspawn). I do have baby clams on a rack high in the tank.

My 20gL: 4x T5s 24W (same as the 40g, no purple). This tank also has a few clams with two on racks high up and one on bottom of tank. Everything else is softie (zoas, frags of large system) except a large Malu anemone that has been in rehab for months now. Finally getting color back.

My 6g (Fluval Edge): I have one Noopsyche from over a year ago. Not sure which version it is. This tank grows softies (Sinularia, Capnella), Rics, Discosoma and lps (Cyphastrea).

That about covers it. I do like my lights as I have not had issues with growth, bleaching, etc, etc. Plus, no real need to play with them as they are all on or off. I even have the noopsyche as on/ off full spectrum. I like easy!

 

[crvz]

I swapped out my 250W MH system (3 radium bulbs, reefbrite LEDs as supplement) on my 300 gallon deep dimensions tank with 3 Neptune Sky LED units. It's only been a month but I've been very happy with the change. I was dragging my feet on it but finally pulled the trigger as my MH system was aging and I was tired of changing out components.