Lighting recommendations for frag tank

[Formulator]

I’ve been in the hobby almost 9 years and have a successful 120g mixed reef. I want to setup a small dedicated frag tank in a 10 gallon aqueon currently collecting dust. I have always used metal halide/T5 setup on my DT, but thinking LED is the way to go for the frag tank. I know almost nothing about this kind of lighting…

I don’t want to break the bank and don’t mind buying used. Ideally less than $200. The frag tank will be mostly/all torches. I have an apex if that is relevant. Recommendations? TIA!

 

[bradreef]

Either 2 noopsyche mini or one k7.

 

[Mschmidt]

I like my reefbreeders Pico. This is about half power on a dirty tank

 

[Formulator]

Thanks for the replies. Other than the specific models you recommended, what are the general specifications I should be looking for that will provide good growth rates in euphyllia corals? (Ex. wattage, spectrum, etc.)

 

[jeffmr4]

I'm not sure on the wattage and spectrum but I'm sure the ReefBreeders Nano could handle both. It is configurable. Euphyllia are LPS (large polyp stony) corals so they can take a little more light than softies and less than SPS (smalll polyp stony) corals. I'd say a PAR of 80 to 150 would be good. Google has the wattage and spectrum answers. I'd say for spectrum you want blues, violets, some white and then a little of whatever else is left. Probably whatever you choose is going to grow it well. Its just how much pop you want to see. Lower spectrum is more pop (so towards blue and violet).

Another good light where you can control individual colors well is the Aqua Illumination 16 HD. This light has a lot more power than you need so you have to be careful not to burn the coral. But it is highly configurable and this can be done from your phone which is nice.

 

[Formulator]

I'm not sure on the wattage and spectrum but I'm sure the ReefBreeders Nano could handle both. It is configurable. Euphyllia are LPS (large polyp stony) corals so they can take a little more light than softies and less than SPS (smalll polyp stony) corals. I'd say a PAR of 80 to 150 would be good. Google has the wattage and spectrum answers. I'd say for spectrum you want blues, violets, some white and then a little of whatever else is left. Probably whatever you choose is going to grow it well. Its just how much pop you want to see. Lower spectrum is more pop (so towards blue and violet).

Another good light where you can control individual colors well is the Aqua Illumination 16 HD. This light has a lot more power than you need so you have to be careful not to burn the coral. But it is highly configurable and this can be done from your phone which is nice.

Thanks for the detailed reply! This tank will be in my basement sump room, so visual appearance is not as important as growth rate. The goal is to offset some of my running costs by selling a few torches here and there. Based on my understanding, whites are better than blues for fast growth.

 

[exnisstech]

Pretty much any of the newer led will do what you need. I've used Chinese black boxes, Ai hydra, gen4 radions, ReefBreeder photons, and noopsyche k7s. Currently I have 3 photons over 2 tanks and six of the k7s over another. Photons get my vote as my favorite. The noopsyche are my favorite best bang for the buck lights and will grow anything I've had under them. There are so many options that will grow coral fine it's hard to list them all. Radions are the only light I won't recommend because I've had the mobius app change date and time often enough I will no longer run them. Too many times the light comes on in the middle of the night because the app changes date and time on its own.

 

[jeffmr4]

Blue light is what you need for coral growth. The more of that the better.

 

[Formulator]

Blue light is what you need for coral growth. The more of that the better.

I don’t think this is entirely true. I don’t know enough to have a productive discussion with you about it, but I have been in the hobby quite a while and some very reputable folks have expressed the opposite opinion. I’m sure there is a long and heated debate on the subject somewhere on the forums…

 

[jeffmr4]

I could be wrong. Never afraid to admit I may be mistaken. Most of the answers I've based on experience and googling. You might try to google, "what wavelengths are best for growing coral fast" or something. That's what I have done. Good luck!

 

[Mschmidt]

Thanks for the replies. Other than the specific models you recommended, what are the general specifications I should be looking for that will provide good growth rates in euphyllia corals? (Ex. wattage, spectrum, etc.)

I've not been dissatisfied with the growth from my kessils on the big tank. I know even adjusting the visual spectrum to what I want they stay optimized for the coral. What that means, see the gif. I imagine it's some UV through blue with a healthy dash of red.