Best led light for a reef aquarium

[Aquama]

Hi there. Can you please let me know the best possible LED lighting for a 96x77x54(h)cm reef aquarium?

Which make and model should I use?

 

[dakoop]

You will get a lot of answers. Everyone likes something different. I run radions on my tank

 

[Aquama]

Shall I use Radion XR15 (2x) or XR30 (1x), if I also prefer to use Radions?

 

[PM Corals]

What are you planning to keep

 

[Serpentman2024]

Shall I use Radion XR15 (2x) or XR30 (1x), if I also prefer to use Radions?

I would go with two XR15's

 

[Uncle99]

Hi there. Can you please let me know the best possible LED lighting for a 96x77x54(h)cm reef aquarium?

Which make and model should I use?

What are you planning to keep?

 

[Aquama]

What are you planning to keep?

LPS and some fishes... I am new on this and it was my dream to have a reef aquarium when I was young but could not make it happen. At the age of 53, I made the decision to realize this dream

I want to buy whatever I need to make maintenance easier, and at this point I think I will need the help of experienced friends like you. So, please let me know what would you buy for the best of everything I need...

I have the products listed below;

- Teco TK1000 Cooler (with heater)
- Tunze Turbelle Stream 6100.10 (x2). I had bought about 10 years ago (or more), so I will use them.
- Tunze Multicontroller 7095
- Tunze Master Electronic 1073.090 (8.300 l/h)... I will probably not be able to use it as it will be too big for the tank, thus will buy another one...

 

[Uncle99]

Radion makes a good controllable light, buts on the higher end of $

Nicrew makes a good light, less controllable, but much less expensive.

Both will work well.

 

[tzabor10]

You will get a lot of answers. Everyone likes something different. I run radions on my tank

Kessil’s and Reefbrite strips for me

 

[JNalley]

LPS and some fishes... I am new on this and it was my dream to have a reef aquarium when I was young but could not make it happen. At the age of 53, I made the decision to realize this dream

Personally I like the look and ease of use of a Kessil... A single AP9X will cover a tank that size, and it's user friendly

 

[cilyjr]

Yup asking that question here is like asking "what's the best pizza topping?"

LED lights are better with more at a lower intensity. As opposed to running one fixture high over the tank at 100%. Consider running two fixtures at a lower percentage rate.

 

[Jeremy_d]

Orphek is the only correct answer. The best spectrum and spread of any consumer level LED. I’ve had radions, AI’s, kessil’s, Reef breeders, Chinese black boxes, none of them could hold a match to the growth and performance from the Orphek. I will never use another brand of light.

I prefer the natural look over the insanely blue look you see on coral websites, and the coloration I get is beautiful.

Will the other lights work? Of course. But the Orphek trumps them all.

 

[Aquama]

Orphek is the only correct answer. The best spectrum and spread of any consumer level LED. I’ve had radions, AI’s, kessil’s, Reef breeders, Chinese black boxes, none of them could hold a match to the growth and performance from the Orphek. I will never use another brand of light.

I prefer the natural look over the insanely blue look you see on coral websites, and the coloration I get is beautiful.

Will the other lights work? Of course. But the Orphek trumps them all.

Thanks for your reply. Which model will cover my tank (96x77x54(h)cm)?

Note: I can change the height of the tank by the way. Would you suggest 55 or 60cm of height? (from the water level to the bottom of the tank)

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

Here we go!!!! lol

 

[X-37B]

Radions, Reefbreeders, friend runs 4 Orpheks over a 300. They are all good if you know what you are doing, imo.
For Radions I would suggest 2 xr30's. The reason is the tanks 30" depth. This wil be all the power you need and you wont have to run them at 100%.
I will run Reefbreeders and Radions on my 2 new systems.
Best advice I can give is find someone here who has a system that you want yours to look like.
You can get alot of info from threads.
Imo, following ones advice is better than trying to piece together 10 different ways to do the same thing.

 

[JNalley]

Orphek is the only correct answer. The best spectrum and spread of any consumer level LED.

Can you qualify/quantify this? Or is this just a personal preference?

I’ve had radions, AI’s, kessil’s, Reef breeders, Chinese black boxes, none of them could hold a match to the growth and performance from the Orphek. I will never use another brand of light.

Again, are you positive it was the lighting that gave you the growth? How are you certain it wasn't nutrients, or biome, or any number of other things that we have going on in our tanks? Why are you specifically attributing the growth to the lights?

I'm not trying to be combative, I am genuinely curious... My AP9X was the light that did it for me, everything just started looking better, it's kind of hard to describe honestly, polyps extending more, color becoming more vibrant, growth exploding, etc. But, some of that may have had to do with also starting a refugium around the same time...

For Radions I would suggest 2 xr30's. The reason is the tanks 30" depth. This wil be all the power you need and you wont have to run them at 100%.

54cm (or up to 60cm as op recently posted) is only 21-24 Inches... Not 30...

Edit: Wait, are you talking front to back and not top to bottom? This may be where the mixup is

 

[X-37B]

Can you qualify/quantify this? Or is this just a personal preference?

Again, are you positive it was the lighting that gave you the growth? How are you certain it wasn't nutrients, or biome, or any number of other things that we have going on in our tanks? Why are you specifically attributing the growth to the lights?

I'm not trying to be combative, I am genuinely curious... My AP9X was the light that did it for me, everything just started looking better, it's kind of hard to describe honestly, polyps extending more, color becoming more vibrant, growth exploding, etc. But, some of that may have had to do with also starting a refugium around the same time...

54cm (or up to 60cm as op recently posted) is only 21-24 Inches... Not 30...

Edit: Wait, are you talking front to back and not top to bottom? This may be where the mixup is

96×77×54cm is 37x30x21"?
No problem its all good.

 

[JNalley]

96×77×54cm is 37x30x21"?
No problem its all good.

hehe, I read "depth" as vertical height... so for me it's Length, Width, Depth/Height, not Length, Depth/Width, Height. I think he could get away with a single XR30 though, even at 30" wide since he's only going to be doing LPS/Softy and Fish... If OP moves up to SPS though, I agree, needs a second light

 

[Aaron75]

I'll throw another one into the mix for chaos, Reefi Uno 2.0!

 

[Aquama]

Can you qualify/quantify this? Or is this just a personal preference?

Again, are you positive it was the lighting that gave you the growth? How are you certain it wasn't nutrients, or biome, or any number of other things that we have going on in our tanks? Why are you specifically attributing the growth to the lights?

I'm not trying to be combative, I am genuinely curious... My AP9X was the light that did it for me, everything just started looking better, it's kind of hard to describe honestly, polyps extending more, color becoming more vibrant, growth exploding, etc. But, some of that may have had to do with also starting a refugium around the same time...

54cm (or up to 60cm as op recently posted) is only 21-24 Inches... Not 30...

Edit: Wait, are you talking front to back and not top to bottom? This may be where the mixup is

For the dimensions, please check the attached file.