Lighting Question

BeachSandChick

Non-member
So I currently have the current loop system on my tank. Frankly I hate it.

I thought it would be a great starter system and thought it was great I could have the jets and light on one controller. I have owned the system a year now and cannot seem to grow any corals, the jets for the system have already been replaced 2x because they just stop working and with the rubber covers on the control boxes the power plugs very easily come out I’m constantly having to plug things back in.

I am looking for an alternative lighting system ideas for a 55g tank.
 
So I currently have the current loop system on my tank. Frankly I hate it.

I thought it would be a great starter system and thought it was great I could have the jets and light on one controller. I have owned the system a year now and cannot seem to grow any corals, the jets for the system have already been replaced 2x because they just stop working and with the rubber covers on the control boxes the power plugs very easily come out I’m constantly having to plug things back in.

I am looking for an alternative lighting system ideas for a 55g tank.
Kessil leds will grow and color corals with the best bang for your buck. Most, if not all of the newer kessil models allow you to change color and insensity by turning two separate knobs. They also do not technically need ANY controller or separate units to run them. Plug and play. You could connect multiple kessil with a “spectral controller”. You could create your own spectrum and twin lights together. Good quality Leds will penetrate the tank and create a beautiful shimmer effect, similar to what you would see while diving on a shallow ocean floor. The other option I have personal experience with are t5 fixtures. If electricity/heat are not a concern then you could try a 4 or 6 bulb t5 fixture, therefore you’ll be able to combine different bulbs and tune the spectrum until it’s asthetically pleasing. T5 high output bulbs are capable of producing more than sufficient PAR values to keep corals healthy and happy. They also produce an incredible spread of light, with good coverage. If you have questions shoot me a pm. I can work with you to find a solution
 
I’ve always liked the ai hydra series. I’ve tried kessil, and I’ve tried radions and even reefbreeders on the budget end. But still ended up preferring the hydra lights personally.
Everyone is gonna swear different ways when it comes to lights, so best thing to do is, do some research make an informed decision dial in the intensity/spectrum and set it and forget it.

There is almost no wrong decision when it comes to LED lights nowadays they’re all pretty comparable.
 
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Just finally tried hydra and radion lights, I've had reef breeders for a little while now. Bang for the buck hands down goes to reef breeders, but it's a little trial and error as there isn't as much spectrum data on them as the other big name lights. If you want great quality lights for less reef breeders all the way, plug in and play hydra and radion have the most available information I found. Kessils work and have a pretty good fan base too. Hopefully this helps.
 
I have used pretty much every light option over a tank in the last 25 years,lol

A standard 55g. (48"×14"×20"] is not a very easy tank to light and do a Reef in
Personally I would use 2x 48" 54w T5, and a reefbrite Lumilite Actinic LED.
But the Reefbreeders Photon 2 does some amazing things over a 55g. as well.
 
I have used pretty much every light option over a tank in the last 25 years,lol

A standard 55g. (48"×14"×20"] is not a very easy tank to light and do a Reef in
Personally I would use 2x 48" 54w T5, and a reefbrite Lumilite Actinic LED.
But the Reefbreeders Photon 2 does some amazing things over a 55g. as well.

I would totally upgrade to a larger tank but I also like being married... LOL He isn't into reefing and tolerates my shenanigans like ordering my first sump this week lol
 
I run Kessils on 2 of my tanks. Kessil shimmer is really nice, but the AI Hydra 26/52 shimmer is pretty decent as well. T5 grows corals, but makes the tank look super flat. For on a budget, T5 + Reefbreeders Lumenbars would be my choice. The RB Lumenbars to help add some shimmer. For more $, a couple of nice used Radion XR15/30 gen 5, a year or so from now would be my choice. I don’t have experience with the Radion gen 5, but the fixture looks similar to AI Sol Blues which, for me, were great for growing coral and gave my tanks beautiful aesthetic.

If you are looking at RB Photons, Dong is growing tons of acros under the RB Photons. His acro garden is worth a visit.
 
I would totally upgrade to a larger tank but I also like being married... LOL He isn't into reefing and tolerates my shenanigans like ordering my first sump this week lol

There's plenty of lonely reef dudes out there. Just saying. :p
Agreed. Standard 55G isn't the best for reef and you're wasting a lot of light if you get into fixtures since they're deigned for more like 18"-36". I would also do T5s(2 tubes are plenty) since you can control how much it's lighting. It's also a proven lighting method for reef.
 
There's plenty of lonely reef dudes out there. Just saying. :p
Agreed. Standard 55G isn't the best for reef and you're wasting a lot of light if you get into fixtures since they're deigned for more like 18"-36". I would also do T5s(2 tubes are plenty) since you can control how much it's lighting. It's also a proven lighting method for reef.
Haha! Good to know us lady reefers have options lol

I’d like to upgrade to a 90g that’s most likely my max I don’t want to enjoy my tank in the basement.
 
Haha! Good to know us lady reefers have options lol

I’d like to upgrade to a 90g that’s most likely my max I don’t want to enjoy my tank in the basement.
I’m with B on this t5 and reefbreeder photon V2. Plus will work nice over a 90. I love this combo over my 55.
 
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