Lighting Decision to increase Coral Growth?

[mr fishy 3000]

Hi Everyone,

I currently have a 75 Gallon standard aquarium that is somewhat a mixed reef aquarium. I am seeing little to no coral growth and I believe it’s because of my light.

On my current setup I have 1 single Current USA light. I can’t find a link to it but is 8 years old at this point of time. It’s official title is

Current USA Orbit Marine LED 48"-60"

And it is not the the IC loop one it is the Ramp Timer Pro one. Not with the pro leds though. I paid 250 for the light in 2017 so I know it wasn’t the most high end either.


After watching a couple videos from BRS I have come to a couple different options to now light my tank.

Option 1: 2 Ai Prime 16hds and my Current USA light. After watching there videos about lighting they recommend the Ai Blade and 2 16hds for the aquariums because it reduces shadowing. I like this option because it is obviously the cheapest one and makes some use of my current light as well.

Option 2: 2 Ai Hydra 32hds or 2 Ecotech Radion XR15s G6s, this option is appealing because I believe this is all the light I could ever need it this tank even if I start adding SPS to the Tank.

Option 3: 4 Ai Prime 16hd, I believe this would help reduce shadowing and better adjust lighting zones in the tank to each corals needs. I also like this if I try option 1 and it doesn’t work I can just buy 2 more Primes and have this option essentially.

Let me know what you would do.

Current Corals

1 GSP frag, 0 growth in 2 months
1 Frog Spawn Coral, some growth in 4 months
1 Torch Coral, doubled in size in 7 months
1 Gongordian, no growth in 3 months
1 ZOA frag no growth in 8 months
1 Blasto no growth in 3 months
1 Trumpet head no growth in 6 months
1 Kenya Tree doubled in size in 8 months
1 Leather Coral, some growth in 8 months

All parameters are tested weekly and kept in check. I use progress photos to measure growth. Tank Dimensions are 48”x18”x21”

Thanks for the input in advance.

 

[Tamberav]

Two Radion XR15s G6 over a 4 foot tank for SPS?

I have these lights in G5 and had them over a 4 foot tank, I would absolutely not think these two lights can support a thriving SPS tank on 4 foot of space.

I would hate for you to spend that much money only to realize it isn't enough.

I do think your current light is weak...

I also wouldn't put primes on a 75g and I own two primes lol

If it is about budget then look at Quanta or Reef Breeders Noops or such. Reefi is great too!

You are missing so many lights on your list because you are watching BRS videos and they just push what they sell... they are a company who's business is to sell their stuff

 

[Solo McReefer]

they are a company who's business is to sell their stuff

And they have cut what they sell

By over half, in the last year

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

A pair of nicrew 150's would be better than 3-4 Prime 16's and cheaper.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I would go for two Viparspectras. $300 for both gets you amazing power and great coverage. I have two over my grow out tank which is a 55 gallon 48 inch long tank and the coverage as well as par readings blew my socks off. For reference, I have several tanks and have hydra 64s, hydra 32s, T5, Nicrews, and Red Sea 90s between all of them. I am seriously considering moving to all viparspectras because the results are so good. Just my two cents.

 

[Tamberav]

And they have cut what they sell

By over half, in the last year

Ya the website is looking bare these days. So much out of stock or discontinued.

 

[Bruttall]

I love the reefi lab uno 2.0.

1 yr growth.


I have 4 of these over an 8ft 300g running at 125 watts at peak getting 80 to 100 par on sand in 27inches of water. Lights mounted 12inches above water. (270watt lights total)

ReeFi Uno 2.0 Pro – ReeFi Lab

www.reefi-lab.com

 

[mr fishy 3000]

Hi Everyone,

I currently have a 75 Gallon standard aquarium that is somewhat a mixed reef aquarium. I am seeing little to no coral growth and I believe it’s because of my light.

On my current setup I have 1 single Current USA light. I can’t find a link to it but is 8 years old at this point of time. It’s official title is

Current USA Orbit Marine LED 48"-60"

And it is not the the IC loop one it is the Ramp Timer Pro one. Not with the pro leds though. I paid 250 for the light in 2017 so I know it wasn’t the most high end either.


After watching a couple videos from BRS I have come to a couple different options to now light my tank.

Option 1: 2 Ai Prime 16hds and my Current USA light. After watching there videos about lighting they recommend the Ai Blade and 2 16hds for the aquariums because it reduces shadowing. I like this option because it is obviously the cheapest one and makes some use of my current light as well.

Option 2: 2 Ai Hydra 32hds or 2 Ecotech Radion XR15s G6s, this option is appealing because I believe this is all the light I could ever need it this tank even if I start adding SPS to the Tank.

Option 3: 4 Ai Prime 16hd, I believe this would help reduce shadowing and better adjust lighting zones in the tank to each corals needs. I also like this if I try option 1 and it doesn’t work I can just buy 2 more Primes and have this option essentially.

Let me know what you would do.

Current Corals

1 GSP frag, 0 growth in 2 months
1 Frog Spawn Coral, some growth in 4 months
1 Torch Coral, doubled in size in 7 months
1 Gongordian, no growth in 3 months
1 ZOA frag no growth in 8 months
1 Blasto no growth in 3 months
1 Trumpet head no growth in 6 months
1 Kenya Tree doubled in size in 8 months
1 Leather Coral, some growth in 8 months

All parameters are tested weekly and kept in check. I use progress photos to measure growth. Tank Dimensions are 48”x18”x21”

Thanks for the input in advance.

Here is some more information on the current light. I believe it only has blue and white light.

 

[mr fishy 3000]

Two Radion XR15s G6 over a 4 foot tank for SPS?

I have these lights in G5 and had them over a 4 foot tank, I would absolutely not think these two lights can support a thriving SPS tank on 4 foot of space.

I would hate for you to spend that much money only to realize it isn't enough.

I do think your current light is weak...

I also wouldn't put primes on a 75g and I own two primes lol

If it is about budget then look at Quanta or Reef Breeders Noops or such. Reefi is great too!

You are missing so many lights on your list because you are watching BRS videos and they just push what they sell... they are a company who's business is to sell their stuff

I don’t really care about budget but wouldn’t like to spend a fortune on it. What would be your ideal setup for a 75g?

 

[mr fishy 3000]

A pair of nicrew 150's would be better than 3-4 Prime 16's and cheaper.

What do you think I can support on this coral wise?

 

[mr fishy 3000]

I love the reefi lab uno 2.0.

1 yr growth.


I have 4 of these over an 8ft 300g running at 125 watts at peak getting 80 to 100 par on sand in 27inches of water. Lights mounted 12inches above water. (270watt lights total)

ReeFi Uno 2.0 Pro – ReeFi Lab

www.reefi-lab.com

So you would recommend 2 of these for my needs?

 

[Tamberav]

I don’t really care about budget but wouldn’t like to spend a fortune on it. What would be your ideal setup for a 75g?

Reefi has a 3 year warranty and blows rations away, made with quality components.

If you like bar style quanta has new ones coming September.

 

[mr fishy 3000]

Reefi has a 3 year warranty and blows rations away, made with quality components.

If you like bar style quanta has new ones coming September.

Ok, are kessil lights any good?

 

[Tamberav]

Ok, are kessil lights any good?

Ya not bad but you need a good amount for sps as they are a single point of light. They are very clean looking though.

They have nice shimmer, a lot of people open them up all the way after warranty expires to deep clean to make them last.

Some people run t5s with them.

 

[mr fishy 3000]

So basically budget option would be Viparspectras, medium budget option would be Nicrew 150s, and best option would be Reefi Uno pro 2.0?

 

[RIC13]

When I started this hobby seven years ago I also had a Current USA light over a 20 gallon. My coral failed to thrive and eventually died. I even killed Xenia! Lesson: I wasn't supplying enough PAR to the coral.

Over the years I've tested many lights. I even got into the lighting industry and custom made my own light bars. Today, I have 3 tanks and run ten Viparspectras, my custom lights, and an older model Maxspect Razor. The Viparspectras absolutely grow coral. In fact, my zoas thrive under them.

Bottom line: You can grow anything with enough PAR and the right spectrum. Choose a light that you don't have to run at 100% in order to grow all coral types. Rent a PAR meter to dial them in. Set it and forget it.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I guess I was trying to convert earlier that while Viparspectras are considered the budget option, I would choose them over more expensive lighting options.

 

[Tamberav]

So basically budget option would be Viparspectras, medium budget option would be Nicrew 150s, and best option would be Reefi Uno pro 2.0?

Any of those will grow coral. Reefi will get you better build quality, perhaps better visual look, and a warranty/customer support.

I think it just comes down to which one has the features/spectrum you want at the price you want.

Basically if you are going to spend a lot of $, get reefi and forget Radion and all that garbage. The reefi is just as good or arguably better than radians, kessils, Orpheks, whatever but better price.

If you want to spend less, the other two will certainly grow coral too.

The thing is if you want sps, two little fixtures of any brand over a large tank is a terrible idea because of shadowing.

If you can afford more fixtures of the cheaper ones, that will get you better coverage than more expensive lights.

You could always add more fixtures later regardless of what you choose and if you decide you want a sps dominant tank some day.

I would look around at other tanks and see what you like. It’s not uncommon to mix different light fixtures either.


Anything you buy will be massive upgrade to what you have!

Lighting is a very personal decision, research and check things out, you can find a lot on the search function here.

Another thing to keep in mind is different lights have different mounting heights and such. Lots of things to consider.

 

[alanr3]

If I were you, made this mistake many many years, rent a PAR meter, document your current readings, look at suggested PAR for your corals, see if placing the light on one corner will give you the desired PAR and coverage for your corals. If you can get adequate light intensity with just one light wait a few months to a year for results and don’t change anything. it’s most likely a PAR issue rather than coverage issue. I wouldn’t splurge too much on light

 

[Bruttall]

So you would recommend 2 of these for my needs?

Absolutely, I'd HIGHLY Recommend them. After running these lights for a year and seeing first hand the coloration and growth, I am beyond impressed with my Reefi lights. And you will find Daniel Lu, the creator of these lights stands behind his product better than anyone I have seen in this industry so far. He is very active on his facebook page providing al manner of support, answering questions etc.


I also highly recommend you use a PAR Meter to set these lights up, I am only using 125watts of the 270watt available and getting 80 to 100 par on my sand bed in 27 inches of water. These lights are powerful!! Here is a pic of my light interface.