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

[PR_nano]

Hydra 26HD over Nuvo 20 softies tank.

 

[tigre44]

This week we are going to dive into some lighting topics and there's no better way to kick it off than to see what lighting everyone is currently using! We also need an answer to the second question as well please! So let's talk about it!

1. What light(s) are you currently using to light your reef tank?

2. What types of corals are you keeping in your tank?

image via @Dipan Desai

 

[OrchidMiss]

This is the AquaMaxx Prism CC II you were so generous to give me on Saturday!
It has replaced the Kessil A80, which replaced the Reef Breeders Nano.
I just swapped it out today, so I will share my results as they days go on

 

[Fishy888]

I guess I get to be THAT guy this time around since I voted Other. I have a light that has done ok all things considered. It is a Beamswork light. 52 watts over a 45 gallon reef. It is fine for the xenia I have right now. If I ever want color in this tank though I need an upgrade in a major way.

In a few months I should be getting some decent lighting. It won't be the Rolls Royce of lights exactly but it won't be the '72 Pinto either. I am going with Viparspectras. They'll let me have some control of things and the quality is higher than most other black box lights. Oh and I won't have to take out a mortgage to pay for them. I reserve the right to change my vote at that time.

 

[Strat1960s]

Can you share how you mounted all those. Your aquatic life units look super wide. Are those different?

They are 48 inch fixtures. I needed longer brackets to house the reef breeders.
Each unit is mounted on stainless steel drawer slides so I don't have to do bulb changes over the water.

 

[DarkReefer]

1x Hydra 32HD on my Waterbox.
Sometimes I think I should add more white into the lighting (easily adjustable through the app),but I don't want to ruin anything lol.

 

[sawdonkey]

Very unsatisfied. After about four years of nothing but trouble with my two Orphek V4s, I’m going to offload them to someone for next to nothing. I’ve replaced the boards three times on two fixtures and now, one has a flickering blue channel and a half lit uv/violet channel. The other has an unlit uv/violet channel.

Someone else’s can have these and pay for the upgrade to icon….I’m surely not giveing more $ to Orphek.

I bought two coralcare G2 last night to go over the new tank.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I'm in the modified viparspectra club. Have been using my new set up since Aug last year. I have had the actual light since dec 2017 same drivers but have just swapped out leds for better colour. Coral wise hammers with a bubble coral hidden down the side and some mushrooms. (Just blue channel in photos)

 

[Matt1997]

One tank was lit with 8 bulb ATI and reefbrite the other with radions with t5. New tank will be halide, t5 and led.

 

[Fredrxn]

Four ai prime hd reef mixed reef

 

[bxclent]

This week we are going to dive into some lighting topics and there's no better way to kick it off than to see what lighting everyone is currently using! We also need an answer to the second question as well please! So let's talk about it!

1. What light(s) are you currently using to light your reef tank?

2. What types of corals are you keeping in your tank?

image via @Dipan Desai

 

[David Groos]

4 Red Sea 90’s on my 125 Lps tank. Two XR15’s on my 60 gallon breeder zoa tank. I’m happy with both.

 

[Nate Chalk]

3x kessil a360x, 4xorphek or3 150s

2blue plus 2skyblue

 

[Ober_Reef]

On my 90 gallon I currently run two AI Hydra 32s and just added Reef Brite XHO add ons for both units. It’s been almost two weeks and I believe I am already seeing increased growth and better color. Starting out I really thought I would be set for everything with the two Hydra 32s and everything was doing ok however I could tell I was missing something. I will say this as well though, in setting up my Hydras I instantly set the AB+ setting and never touched it again. I have not had the time to really dig into the settings on the Hydras to see if there is something I could bump up and to be really honest I was worried about messing up the schedule. In my next house I will be going larger tank wise and I believe I will look into Radions, Orpheks, and Reef Breeders with Reef Brite XHOs as supplement due to the similar benefits they seem to offer as classic T5s.

 

[NDIrish]

Noo-psyche k7 v3.
Sps is growing good. PC rainbow, Hawkins, Blue planet, pearlberry and red planet.

 

[SunnyX]

I voted very happy. Radion G5 PRO’s that provide incredible color rendition and SPS growth.

I currently see no reason to update or change my lighting. The G6 with its wider coverage and updated spectrum is intriguing, but for what it would cost to upgrade all of my lights I could grab two XR30 G5’s used and have even more coverage.

But hey, if anyone is willing to send over a G6 upgrade kit I’d be happy to test and document my findings.

Radion G5 PRO
Mobius lighting schedule

 

[Turkey head]

Kessel AP9x for a 65g AIO tank. It’s great. It took me a little while to get the lights set how I wanted them though. I ended up buying a PAR meter. The price was worth it. I keep mostly LPS with a few SPS.

 

[jmatt]

I voted very happy. Radion G5 PRO’s that provide incredible color rendition and SPS growth.

I currently see no reason to update or change my lighting. The G6 with its wider coverage and updated spectrum is intriguing, but for what it would cost to upgrade all of my lights I could grab two XR30 G5’s used and have even more coverage.

But hey, if anyone is willing to send over a G6 upgrade kit I’d be happy to test and document my findings.

Radion G5 PRO
Mobius lighting schedule

Among the things I love about this tank is the light colored background instead of some black back wall encrusted with coralline. It's just so much more visually appealing.

 

[roggy23]

4 hydra 32s on my 6 foot tank.. just a couple corals atm.

 

[Pelagikos]

Hydra 32s

How many, what size tank & what are your settings?!