Lighting for 75 Gallon Reef Tank

[A_Tired_Shark]

Good afternoon R2R!

I have a question that hopefully someone in the community can answer for me. What lighting can I use for my 75 gallon reef tank that won't break the bank?

I was looking into getting an AI Hydra 64 light for my tank as they were suggested to me - AI lights were suggested in general - however I don't feel comfortable or able to justify spending that much on lighting. I know that probably sounds horrible, but, I just want to see if there is another way of doing this before going through with the purchase.

For example, I recently bought a Fluval Marine light for my 10 gallon tank after hearing good things about it and it was half the price of other lighting options.

So, do I have other options or do I just need to buck up and buy the AI lights?

 

[randomfishdude]

Primes are good I have 2 over my 80gal.
Just don't get the Blades

 

[A_Tired_Shark]

Primes are good I have 2 over my 80gal.
Just don't get the Blades

I've heard that the Blades are a rather new product. Is there a specific concern with them or are they just not good for my kind of tank?

 

[TopShelfAquatics]

So lighting is something we would suggest you definitely don't skimp on. Between that and flow they are two very crucial parts to a successful reef tank. The Hydra line of lights are amazing and will perform very well, but definitely not super cheap. An alternative also staying with the AI bran would be their newer Blade series of lights. They will be close to half the price of the Hydras and offer great coverage. You can start with one or two and then add more as needed.

 

[Brandont21]

Id recommend noopysche. Great light and affordable

 

[RedoubtReef]

A good used T5 fixture would work.

 

[randomfishdude]

I've heard that the Blades are a rather new product. Is there a specific concern with them or are they just not good for my kind of tank?

I have them over a 75. the issue I've had is 2 of them will randomly turn off. also the lights will get in the way during maintenance and other tings along with a lot of salt creep on them.
they are also super expensive and you really need 2 grows and 1 glow for reef systems.

the good thing i can say about them though is they provide a high par and good coverage. i just dont have barley any sps in that system... yet.

 

[Birdman Broham]

I have a 75 gallon akd I use the Kessil A160WE on a nicrew controller. The lighting is sufficient for my tank and did not break the bank

 

[Asm481]

Another vote for Noo psyche here. Have two on my 75 and they are doing good. Very controllable and see growth already.

 

[A_Tired_Shark]

Another vote for Noo psyche here. Have two on my 75 and they are doing good. Very controllable and see growth already.

Two of which model? I know that they only have a few but their descriptions are slightly confusing so I don't know which one or how many I would need.

 

[A_Tired_Shark]

I have them over a 75. the issue I've had is 2 of them will randomly turn off. also the lights will get in the way during maintenance and other tings along with a lot of salt creep on them.
they are also super expensive and you really need 2 grows and 1 glow for reef systems.

the good thing i can say about them though is they provide a high par and good coverage. i just dont have barley any sps in that system... yet.

Ahhh...okay. I just looked into them. They advertise cheaper pricing but anything over 21 inches its a steep price plus you need more than one. Interesting.

 

[Brandont21]

Two of which model? I know that they only have a few but their descriptions are slightly confusing so I don't know which one or how many I would need.

Get the k7 pro III. I wouldnt imagine youd need more than 2. Plus theyre on sale, 189 ea.

 

[nereefpat]

What lighting can I use for my 75 gallon reef tank that won't break the bank?

There's at least a handful of options. It does depend on what you think breaking the bank is. What's your budget?

I was looking into getting an AI Hydra 64 light for my tank as they were suggested to me -

A pair of those would work pretty darn well, I would bet. You say "an AI Hydra 64", a single would only cover something like 30"x24". 2 Hydra 32s would be a good option.

For example, I recently bought a Fluval Marine light for my 10 gallon tank after hearing good things about it and it was half the price of other lighting options.

I don't like that idea, unless you happen to really like those lights. The 4' model is only 59 watts at full power. You could get several...

Since you say it's a reef tank, you'll want more power.

So, do I have other options or do I just need to buck up and buy the AI lights?

Lots of options besides AI.
Cheaper ones to look at would be the Noopsyche as mentioned. You would want 2 of the K7 V3s.
Or Nicrew or Smatfarm from amazon.

 

[saltcreep74]

Im going with a T5 Hybrid fixture myself over my 65 gallon.

4 - Blue+ T'5s and 2 - XR15 Pro GEN 4's

 

[A_Tired_Shark]

There's at least a handful of options. It does depend on what you think breaking the bank is. What's your budget?


A pair of those would work pretty darn well, I would bet. You say "an AI Hydra 64", a single would only cover something like 30"x24". 2 Hydra 32s would be a good option.


I don't like that idea, unless you happen to really like those lights. The 4' model is only 59 watts at full power. You could get several...

Since you say it's a reef tank, you'll want more power.

Lots of options besides AI.
Cheaper ones to look at would be the Noopsyche as mentioned. You would want 2 of the K7 V3s.
Or Nicrew or Smatfarm from amazon.

Wow, thank you for the reply.

I would probably get 2 of the 32 Hydras if it comes down to it.

I'm not in favor of Fluval. When I asked around a good light for a 10 gallon reef I was told that people were using it to grow corals in 20-30 gallon tanks and it worked great. I figured one of those would work and for the price it wouldn't hurt to try. I also thought about maybe buying another one to balance the light distribution in the tank. TBD.

 

[oreo54]

48 x 18 x 21
Fluval...waterproof.

Wattage (120 V / 60 Hz)
59w
48-60″ / 122-153 cm
Total LEDs
336
LED Colors
10000-13000K (140)
400nm (36)
420nm (36)
440nm (48)
460nm (48)
480nm (14)
PINK (14)

$520 for 2..
118w

48-60 120w.
$269.99 for 1

Prism II LED Light Fixture - Marine

Thinner. Lighter. Smarter. The new thinner and lighter AquaMaxx Prism II controllable full HD spectrum LED fixture is created from 100% recycled aluminum. Its brushed silver, ultra-slim profile design gives it an aesthetic edge over the competition, and its updated external smart controller...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Same as the Micmol Aqua Air 1200

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

www.micmol.com

Marine:
56pcs Cold White CH A
112pcs Deep Blue CH B
56pcs Royal Blue CH C
16pcs Warm White CH D
16pcs UV CH D
16pcs Red CH D
16pcs Green CH D

Next budget lights (ATM) 2 of these:

NooPsyche K7 PRO III kit with arm bracket

NP K7 PRO III v3 Aquarium LED Coral Light. Better spectrum out / Excellent Growth / Feed Almost all the of the SPS/LPS coral in one reef tank isn't a dream especially red coral / Natural perfect mixing and Shimmer / Superior Color Mixing / The best mixing spectrum technology / Affordable price...

noopsychereeflight.com

Total $378 but watch shipping costs
140w each Soo 280 listed watts

2 150w nicrews are about the same:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08HVJJLX3/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=a517d6e49507c8c5906df1e2fe90c3a3&hsa_cr_id=7115551070701&qid=1692828350&sr=1-1-3c6b3b04-89d4-46ee-857c-1e2f0de6a70e&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_lsi2m_asin_0_img&pd_rd_w=EXfft&content-id=amzn1.sym.2a7ca7f7-ae4b-4de2-8864-98b982a78a47%3Aamzn1.sym.2a7ca7f7-ae4b-4de2-8864-98b982a78a47&pf_rd_p=2a7ca7f7-ae4b-4de2-8864-98b982a78a47&pf_rd_r=CJTVQ0DS2M3WY71F31RH&pd_rd_wg=GOYG0&pd_rd_r=f8bf6a59-6462-413a-a721-3e909d70279b

There are other err "2nd tier" lights but it's a start.

Plenty of posts here in various lights and what they are good for.

Once you start moving up price increases a bit out of proportion ( opinion)

Photon 48-V2 Pro LED Light Fixture

Simple, Effective, and Powerful. ReefBreeders Photon V2 PRO LED Light fixtures are perfect for almost any reef tank. From Fish Only aquariums all the way up to SPS dominant tanks, the ReefBreeders Photon V2 PRO can do it all! The Photon V2 Pro uses the long awaited Reef Nexus app for next...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

$880 240 watts.
4 AI primes..roughly same output as above >$800.

Ect

 

[A_Tired_Shark]

48 x 18 x 21
Fluval...waterproof.

$520 for 2..
118w

48-60 120w.
$269.99 for 1

Prism II LED Light Fixture - Marine

Thinner. Lighter. Smarter. The new thinner and lighter AquaMaxx Prism II controllable full HD spectrum LED fixture is created from 100% recycled aluminum. Its brushed silver, ultra-slim profile design gives it an aesthetic edge over the competition, and its updated external smart controller...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Same as the Micmol Aqua Air 1200

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

LED aquarium light, LED lights, Nano reef aquarium, Reef Builders, Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog, Aqua mini, Aqua Pro, LED nano, micmol

www.micmol.com

Next budget lights (ATM) 2 of these:

NooPsyche K7 PRO III kit with arm bracket

NP K7 PRO III v3 Aquarium LED Coral Light. Better spectrum out / Excellent Growth / Feed Almost all the of the SPS/LPS coral in one reef tank isn't a dream especially red coral / Natural perfect mixing and Shimmer / Superior Color Mixing / The best mixing spectrum technology / Affordable price...

noopsychereeflight.com

Total $378 but watch shipping costs
140w each Soo 280 listed watts

2 150w nicrews are about the same:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08HVJJLX3/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=a517d6e49507c8c5906df1e2fe90c3a3&hsa_cr_id=7115551070701&qid=1692828350&sr=1-1-3c6b3b04-89d4-46ee-857c-1e2f0de6a70e&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_lsi2m_asin_0_img&pd_rd_w=EXfft&content-id=amzn1.sym.2a7ca7f7-ae4b-4de2-8864-98b982a78a47%3Aamzn1.sym.2a7ca7f7-ae4b-4de2-8864-98b982a78a47&pf_rd_p=2a7ca7f7-ae4b-4de2-8864-98b982a78a47&pf_rd_r=CJTVQ0DS2M3WY71F31RH&pd_rd_wg=GOYG0&pd_rd_r=f8bf6a59-6462-413a-a721-3e909d70279b

There are other err "2nd tier" lights but it's a start.

Plenty of posts here in various lights and what they are good for.

Once you start moving up price increases a bit out of proportion ( opinion)

Photon 48-V2 Pro LED Light Fixture

Simple, Effective, and Powerful. ReefBreeders Photon V2 PRO LED Light fixtures are perfect for almost any reef tank. From Fish Only aquariums all the way up to SPS dominant tanks, the ReefBreeders Photon V2 PRO can do it all! The Photon V2 Pro uses the long awaited Reef Nexus app for next...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

$880 240 watts.
4 AI primes..roughly same output as above >$800.

Ect

Oh wow, thank you for the detailed reply.

I thought about 2 coast to coast lights from somewhere like Fluval but I quickly found out that I don't have the room on my lids for that. It would make any maintenance or feeding time horribly difficult.

I'm feeling on the fence/slightly uncomfortable with noopysche lights.

On another light related question. If my dimensions are 48x18x18 would a light like the AI hydra 16 with the light dimensions of 24x24 work for my tank if I got 2 of them?

I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense. I'm having difficulty with trying to figure out what size lights I need.

 

[SALTY 75]

Good afternoon R2R!

I have a question that hopefully someone in the community can answer for me. What lighting can I use for my 75 gallon reef tank that won't break the bank?

I was looking into getting an AI Hydra 64 light for my tank as they were suggested to me - AI lights were suggested in general - however I don't feel comfortable or able to justify spending that much on lighting. I know that probably sounds horrible, but, I just want to see if there is another way of doing this before going through with the purchase.

For example, I recently bought a Fluval Marine light for my 10 gallon tank after hearing good things about it and it was half the price of other lighting options.

So, do I have other options or do I just need to buck up and buy the AI lights?

I had a similar question for my 75 gal. I went with some VIPARSPECTRA, I think they are actually a green house light but they worked wonders for my tank. Super bright as well and you can dim them and control them quite a bit. I still have my two fixtures

 

[SALTY 75]

I had the ones that looked like these, don’t remember what wattage they were. They both fit perfectly on either side of my tank brace. For my 75

 

[A_Tired_Shark]

I had the ones that looked like these, don’t remember what wattage they were. They both fit perfectly on either side of my tank brace. For my 75

So I took a quick look at this one and thought the reviews were good across the board.

What have you grown using these lights? Are there any issues with them you've experienced?