75g lighting for mixed reef

[Subuchef]

Hi everyone so I'm looking to upgrade my lights atm my tank is just a fowlr with all the fish I had in mind and I'm ready to start getting corals into the tank! does anyone have decent any suggestions? When it comes to lighting I'm pretty lost since there are so many brands and it's not the cheapest piece of equipment so I dont want to invest and have it not turn out.

I have a prime HD over my nano tank and I absolutely love it so my first thought was to start looking in to the Hydra 26 models any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks in advanced!

 

[mcarroll]

I'd look at multiple Prime's if you like it. The smaller Hydra would be OK too. Smaller the better as you get more control over puck placement that way.

Not sure what you like/don't like, but you may not have even considered LED strips. They'll give you a much more T5-like light vs the spotlights you're using now, which are much more halide-like in their output. Something like the Current USA Orbit IC or Orbit Pro, or GHL's Lightbar2's, for example.

Do you DIY?

 

[Subuchef]

I was thinking 2 for the tank yeah, led strips I haven't looked much into but i have seen an orbit led strip but it said not capable of keeping corals so I just kept looking, are they a good brand?. I'm honestly into any kind of lighting that looks good, grows nems and a mixed coral variety. I've never done diy and I feel like my end products wouldn't look too astheticly pleasing lol.
Also a quick question I just though of I have these glass lids for my tank so will my lighting be effected any way? my current light is just a cheap led strip sitting on the glass propped up an inch but I would like to hang my next lights.

 

[Subuchef]

anyone use kessil? been reading about the 360we but they aren't programmable are they.

 

[mcarroll]

led strips I haven't looked much into but i have seen an orbit led strip but it said not capable of keeping corals so I just kept looking

I dunno who said that, but I would have kept looking for advice instead of for a differnt light. Kidding.

The Orbits can all grow corals just fine....as can most lights on the market. Most lights on the market can also NOT grow corals if misused.

If you read the sizing guides that Current USA publishes on their website, they're all pretty accurate guidelines to building a tank with their lights. From memory: The plain orbit is good for tanks up to about 12" deep. The Orbit IC is good to about 18" and the Orbit Pro is good for 24"+. One strip will cover roughly a 12" width of tank, depending exactly which light and how you mount it....so a tank ≥18" in width will take two Orbits. A tank ≤18" will take one. In the case of all recommendations you'll have room to add one or more strips if you want a brighter tank or more coverage for any reason.

anyone use kessil? been reading about the 360we but they aren't programmable are they.

They have their own programming software, but a manually controlled model should be just fine too. Depends on your priorities....corals will be happy either way.

 

[madweazl]

anyone use kessil? been reading about the 360we but they aren't programmable are they.

I ran two A360s over a 75g mixed reef for a little over a year and was quite pleased with the results. They're not programmable but this isn't something that is necessary either; this "feature" is for the user because the inhabitants don't care. With that said, I ran them off a Reef Angel + on a two hour ramp for color (0%-65% with eights hours at 65% and then back down to 0% in the evening). Intensity was on a six hour ramp from 11% (where the lights turn on with this controller) to 40% and then back down to 11%.