Best LED options for Fluval Flex 32.5?

[Sink_or_Swim]

I am just starting out with the 32.5 gal Fluval Flex Sea - stock light is the Fluval Marine 3.0 LED. Once the tank is cycled, I plan on only adding a couple fish and some "easy" beginner soft corals. If I want to try some more demanding corals in the future, will the stock like work? If I'll need to upgrade, are there options that would work with the existing tank hood? TIA!

 

[Nigel35]

I am just starting out with the 32.5 gal Fluval Flex Sea - stock light is the Fluval Marine 3.0 LED. Once the tank is cycled, I plan on only adding a couple fish and some "easy" beginner soft corals. If I want to try some more demanding corals in the future, will the stock like work? If I'll need to upgrade, are there options that would work with the existing tank hood? TIA!

Should work with most soft corals and some LPS, they will grow but they won't look stellar. It's best to invest in a good light IMO. I would recommend a hydra 32.

 

[Clown2020]

I am just starting out with the 32.5 gal Fluval Flex Sea - stock light is the Fluval Marine 3.0 LED. Once the tank is cycled, I plan on only adding a couple fish and some "easy" beginner soft corals. If I want to try some more demanding corals in the future, will the stock like work? If I'll need to upgrade, are there options that would work with the existing tank hood? TIA!

Even a couple of Ai Prime 16 will do the job and offer more flexablility in terms of placement over the hydra as you can move each unit to be evenly spaced and entered where with a hydra you may find you don’t get enough coverage at the left and right edges of the tank or have a hot spot in the middle,

This is what I run on my Flex 32.5 with a red sea diy mesh lid instead of the fluval hood.

below is my lighting schedule and peak settings which are maintaining The nem in my profile pic along with some easy sps, Lps and Zoa for the past 7 months

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Should work with most soft corals and some LPS, they will grow but they won't look stellar. It's best to invest in a good light IMO. I would recommend a hydra 32.

That's pretty much what I've heard. Too bad the stock light isn't better, especially since it's not exactly cheap.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Even a couple of Ai Prime 16 will do the job and offer more flexablility in terms of placement over the hydra as you can move each unit to be evenly spaced and entered where with a hydra you may find you don’t get enough coverage at the left and right edges of the tank or have a hot spot in the middle,

This is what I run on my Flex 32.5 with a red sea diy mesh lid instead of the fluval hood.

below is my lighting schedule and peak settings which are maintaining The nem in my profile pic along with some easy sps, Lps and Zoa for the past 7 months

Thanks for the suggestions and sharing your settings! Going to have to save up for better lights for sure, because I like the variety of different types of corals. I'll be keeping it very simple for a while since I definitely don't want to spend a bunch on awesome corals only to have them not thrive!

 

[acananoreefer]

I'm not sure how the flex light compares to the stock light on the 13.5 EVO but I've been able to grow basically anything under the evo stock light. Acros don't have the best color under white light but everything else seems to do well. Have had the tank running for a few years now. Here is a picture from before we moved and I nuked a bunch of my acans letting salinity get out of control.

 

[Clown2020]

Thanks for the suggestions and sharing your settings! Going to have to save up for better lights for sure, because I like the variety of different types of corals. I'll be keeping it very simple for a while since I definitely don't want to spend a bunch on awesome corals only to have them not thrive!

For softies and LPS I don’t think you will have a problem with the stock lighting, when you are ready you could get a small frag of somthing you think is going to be more light demanding and see how it does and decide if you need to upgrade lighting from their as it. I personally think a lot of it comes down to aesthetics more than a must for the coral as I have found for the most part they are more adaptable then you think.


if your not planning on getting a controller a seneye could be worth considering as it’s a good par meter and can give you a good idea of what you can keep and where and the slides aren’t to expensive if you want ph and ammonia monitoring.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

For softies and LPS I don’t think you will have a problem with the stock lighting, when you are ready you could get a small frag of somthing you think is going to be more light demanding and see how it does and decide if you need to upgrade lighting from their as it. I personally think a lot of it comes down to aesthetics more than a must for the coral as I have found for the most part they are more adaptable then you think.


if your not planning on getting a controller a seneye could be worth considering as it’s a good par meter and can give you a good idea of what you can keep and where and the slides aren’t to expensive if you want ph and ammonia monitoring.

That makes total sense. I actually was eyeing the Seneye - definitely on my wish list.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I'm not sure how the flex light compares to the stock light on the 13.5 EVO but I've been able to grow basically anything under the evo stock light. Acros don't have the best color under white light but everything else seems to do well. Have had the tank running for a few years now. Here is a picture from before we moved and I nuked a bunch of my acans letting salinity get out of control.

That's encouraging! Attached are the specs for the stock light in the 32.5 gal. There is a space and brackets included specifically for adding a 2nd light as well... something to think about I guess.

 

[Clown2020]

That's encouraging! Attached are the specs for the stock light in the 32.5 gal. There is a space and brackets included specifically for adding a 2nd light as well... something to think about I guess.

See how you go, when I looked into a while back it was not easy to get the second because it has to be a specific model to fit the bracket as the standard retail models have a mount built onto them and you had to buy the power lead seperate. But that may have changed now

The other thing to consider is heat two lights that are stuck under a hood. Some people have modded the hood with fans and that works for them. However if you are going to be running a chiller I see no issue with the hood. 1 light depending on climate will likely be ok with the stock hood.

to give you an idea our hot summer days here are around 27 degrees and I’m now having to float bottles of ice to keep the temp under 28.5. and my flex is mesh top with lights 8 inches off the surface

 

[MaxTremors]

I don’t have an EVO, but I have a Nanocube and the lights are very similar to those in the EVO and the Fluval Orbit or whatever it’s called. Here’s what I will say, they will grow most softies, LPS, and even some SPS if placed high on your rock work. But your corals will not look anywhere near as good as they could. I don’t mean just that they won’t fluoresce as much, I mean that the actual corals won’t have be as bright or as colorful. As an example, in the above photo of the EVO there are a bunch acans that are clearly growing but are all kind drab orange/red/brown/flesh colored, my acans looked like that too under the stock lighting, here is what they look like under better lighting:

I was running an AI Prime and saw significantly better coloration compared to the stock lighting, then switched to a Noopsyche V3 and saw even better coloration. So, again, while the stock lighting will grow most softies and LPS, your corals won’t look as colorful as they should.

 

[JNalley]

As has been said.

Stock lights will do the job for soft corals and LPS, and even some SPS if you place them way up high with little room to grow.

No other lights (Besides a 2nd Marine 3.0) will fit into the hood, so you will need to replace the hood, and then you will also have to deal with the evaporation from that. (You cannot buy an off-the-shelf Marine 3.0 from the store, you need to purchase the one specific to the tank from Fluval directly in their parts section for the tank, the total cost is $225 I think since you need to buy the power brick separately) Though, a second Marine 3.0 is an option you could consider, I've seen a couple of tanks in the Fluval Marine Flex 123/32.5 group on facebook with 2 marine 3.0's that have SPS in it.

If you go the AI route (Was the cheapest of the Name brands until Maxspect Jump lights) definitely go with 16HD's and not the Hydras or the edges of your tank will be starved for light while the center of your tank will be a hotspot. Even distribution is better, and the ability to control your light is important.

Maxspect jumps as alluded to above are also a decent choice, and offer you True UV LEDs, and are set to drop a Blue variant in the near future.

2x Kessil's is probably overkill and much higher priced, but Kessils are definitely great lights, so they're also something to consider.

Noopsyche V3 is going to suffer some from the same as a Hydra, though the pucks are further apart I believe.

Personally, I am running 2 AI Prime HD's (Last gen not the 16HD's) with a modified version of the Pirates of the Caribbean schedule. I was able to pick them up together for $325 with solid mounts here in the R2R Classifieds, and I love them.

Good luck with your decision! lighting and flow are the two most important things for a reef tank, so choose wisely.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

I don’t have an EVO, but I have a Nanocube and the lights are very similar to those in the EVO and the Fluval Orbit or whatever it’s called. Here’s what I will say, they will grow most softies, LPS, and even some SPS if placed high on your rock work. But your corals will not look anywhere near as good as they could. I don’t mean just that they won’t fluoresce as much, I mean that the actual corals won’t have be as bright or as colorful. As an example, in the above photo of the EVO there are a bunch acans that are clearly growing but are all kind drab orange/red/brown/flesh colored, my acans looked like that too under the stock lighting, here is what they look like under better lighting:

I was running an AI Prime and saw significantly better coloration compared to the stock lighting, then switched to a Noopsyche V3 and saw even better coloration. So, again, while the stock lighting will grow most softies and LPS, your corals won’t look as colorful as they should.

That's good to know - I only want to start with things that would both grow AND color up under the stock lighting. I'm guessing that could be a short list? I'll wait until I can afford a couple of those AI Primes before I try to add anything that requires better lights.

 

[MaxTremors]

That's good to know - I only want to start with things that would both grow AND color up under the stock lighting. I'm guessing that could be a short list? I'll wait until I can afford a couple of those AI Primes before I try to add anything that requires better lights.

You can grow whatever you can under the stock lights, they’ll color up once you switch. It’s not like if you grow something under the stock lights it’ll stay that color forever. They’ll color up whenever you switch.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

You can grow whatever you can under the stock lights, they’ll color up once you switch. It’s not like if you grow something under the stock lights it’ll stay that color forever. They’ll color up whenever you switch.

Gotcha, good to know! Zero experience with corals here so wasn't sure. I'm home sick and have been watching BRS videos and others about corals all day, and am starting to get a bit nervous about even attempting them. ‍I'm worried a dip won't get all the nasties off and my tank will start off infested, I can't figure out exactly what tools I'd need to get them off the frag plugs they come on, and not sure even after reading, which ones should go where in the tank... also, I don't like the look of the frag plugs at all - would think it looks better to attach them straight to the rock but not sure if I could move them later if needed, etc... maybe I need to start a "Help me I have coral anxiety" thread somewhere else on here.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

As has been said.

Stock lights will do the job for soft corals and LPS, and even some SPS if you place them way up high with little room to grow.

No other lights (Besides a 2nd Marine 3.0) will fit into the hood, so you will need to replace the hood, and then you will also have to deal with the evaporation from that. (You cannot buy an off-the-shelf Marine 3.0 from the store, you need to purchase the one specific to the tank from Fluval directly in their parts section for the tank, the total cost is $225 I think since you need to buy the power brick separately) Though, a second Marine 3.0 is an option you could consider, I've seen a couple of tanks in the Fluval Marine Flex 123/32.5 group on facebook with 2 marine 3.0's that have SPS in it.

If you go the AI route (Was the cheapest of the Name brands until Maxspect Jump lights) definitely go with 16HD's and not the Hydras or the edges of your tank will be starved for light while the center of your tank will be a hotspot. Even distribution is better, and the ability to control your light is important.

Maxspect jumps as alluded to above are also a decent choice, and offer you True UV LEDs, and are set to drop a Blue variant in the near future.

2x Kessil's is probably overkill and much higher priced, but Kessils are definitely great lights, so they're also something to consider.

Noopsyche V3 is going to suffer some from the same as a Hydra, though the pucks are further apart I believe.

Personally, I am running 2 AI Prime HD's (Last gen not the 16HD's) with a modified version of the Pirates of the Caribbean schedule. I was able to pick them up together for $325 with solid mounts here in the R2R Classifieds, and I love them.

Good luck with your decision! lighting and flow are the two most important things for a reef tank, so choose wisely.

Thanks for all the advice! I will keep those in mind for when I upgrade. Sounds like a pain to add the 2nd Marine 3.0 and for the cost, probably better in the long run to go the "ditch the lid/get totally new lights" direction. The AI Prime look like awesome lights! If I remove the lid down the road, evaporation is my biggest enemy here especially in the winter, so I ordered an ATO. I know that will help with the evaporation issue, though I bet it will run a lot more.
I bought a gyre pump for flow after doing a bunch of research, but mostly because I like the low profile in the smaller tank, not gonna lie. I'll add an additional powerhead if needed. We're getting a new sofa this weekend so I'll finally have room to set up the tank! Have been waiting to get our old ginormous sectional out so I even have room for the stand to go where it needs to. So, just gathering equipment. I've had freshwater tanks for 30 years... I swear I've probably dropped less money on those tanks and equipment combined than I've spent on this one BEFORE even getting it up and running. (I knew it was going to be that way going into it though as I'm picky and a planner and like the gadgets that help make things easier, lol... want to hopefully set myself up for success with the extras).

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

See how you go, when I looked into a while back it was not easy to get the second because it has to be a specific model to fit the bracket as the standard retail models have a mount built onto them and you had to buy the power lead seperate. But that may have changed now

The other thing to consider is heat two lights that are stuck under a hood. Some people have modded the hood with fans and that works for them. However if you are going to be running a chiller I see no issue with the hood. 1 light depending on climate will likely be ok with the stock hood.

to give you an idea our hot summer days here are around 27 degrees and I’m now having to float bottles of ice to keep the temp under 28.5. and my flex is mesh top with lights 8 inches off the surface

Sounds like that's still what you have to do - buy the Marine 3.0 from Fluval direct plus another power brick... by the time I do that costwise, might as well just ditch the lid and get a couple better lights. The temp hopefully won't be much of a problem for me... I'm always hot so I keep my house around 68°F all year. (My fiance hates it, but just wears his slippers and sweatshirts, lol). Extra heat from lights might actually help the tank heater run less!

 

[JNalley]

Sounds like that's still what you have to do - buy the Marine 3.0 from Fluval direct plus another power brick... by the time I do that costwise, might as well just ditch the lid and get a couple better lights. The temp hopefully won't be much of a problem for me... I'm always hot so I keep my house around 68°F all year. (My fiance hates it, but just wears his slippers and sweatshirts, lol). Extra heat from lights might actually help the tank heater run less!

The good news is, there is always someone willing to buy a 2nd 3.0, so you can sell your light when you upgrade and make some money back. I sold mine for $180 with the brick to someone local. I'd have done $200 w/ shipping included to someone out of state. Like you I keep my house at 70F year-round when I had the hood it made my heater not have to run because tank temp was 78 and heater was set to 75-76. Once I got the screen top and the AI Primes, I unplugged my heater just to see how low it would get and it dropped all the way down to 72 before I decided that was enough of an experiment and turned the heater back on Evap is crazy, I'm adding about a gallon or so every other day right now, waiting for that humid summer weather to come back so it will slow down, lol.

 

[Clown2020]

The good news is, there is always someone willing to buy a 2nd 3.0, so you can sell your light when you upgrade and make some money back. I sold mine for $180 with the brick to someone local. I'd have done $200 w/ shipping included to someone out of state. Like you I keep my house at 70F year-round when I had the hood it made my heater not have to run because tank temp was 78 and heater was set to 75-76. Once I got the screen top and the AI Primes, I unplugged my heater just to see how low it would get and it dropped all the way down to 72 before I decided that was enough of an experiment and turned the heater back on Evap is crazy, I'm adding about a gallon or so every other day right now, waiting for that humid summer weather to come back so it will slow down, lol.

Good point evap is way higher once you ditch the hood, definitly to the point of large daily top offs, I top off manually at lights out but an ato would make life easier if you ditch the hood.

 

[Sink_or_Swim]

Good point evap is way higher once you ditch the hood, definitly to the point of large daily top offs, I top off manually at lights out but an ato would make life easier if you ditch the hood.

Very true - I feel like I was topping off my freshwater tanks every other day and they had hoods, except for narrow openings in the back for the HOB. I have seen people comment that the Fluval Flex hood is really good at preventing evap, so that's a plus in my mind for the time being. I still splurged and bought an ATO (got the Hygger one off Amazon... I really hope not going for a more expensive one isn't gonna bite me in the you-know-where). I feel kind of silly that I didn't even know auto top offs existed... where were these things all my life? LOL!