Best lighting option?

[benwatto]

Currently looking at a waterbox 100.3, seeking recommendations on what the best led lighting to go with. Looking to keep fish and corals, LPS and possibly SPS down the track.
Any help would be appreciated

 

[ナイトコア猫]

I would get one Kessil a500x:

A500X Controllable LED Aquarium Light - Tuna Blue

The power, coverage, and penetration of metal halide, without the heat or energy consumption. Kessil A500X LED light delivers greater capability than ever before, and can meet the needs of large SPS dominated systems with ease. Thanks to Kessil’s dense matrix LED arrays and specialized optics...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

It is appropriate for the footprint of your tank. However, this will be a point source of light---it will be fine for a long time, but if acropora corals become enormous, You can either buy a ReefBrite or Blade Glow fill light, or a second Kessil a500x.

 

[Poochaku]

Reefi uno 2.0

 

[rtparty]

What’s your budget? How do you plan to mount it?

Too many things to consider before blindly recommending lights.

 

[dedragon]

I would get one Kessil a500x:

It is appropriate for the footprint of your tank.

I do like these lights a lot but they are better for wider tanks, i think one of these would be awesome for something like the IM ext 112, but I would be annoyed by the huge light spill over a 24" wide tank.

There are too many options out there so it would be better to know what budget you have, as well as what sort of aesthetics you like both for mounting options and look lof the light in the tank. Do you like a lot of natural shimmer like kessil or want less shimmer and a lot of blue like an ecotech radion blue?

 

[ナイトコア猫]

I based my recommendation on @benwatto 's inquiry of "best led lighting", and a budget that seems in line with what a buyer of a Waterbox 100.3 might be comfortable with:

Currently looking at a waterbox 100.3, seeking recommendations on what the best led lighting to go with. Looking to keep fish and corals, LPS and possibly SPS down the track.

I do like these lights a lot but they are better for wider tanks, i think one of these would be awesome for something like the IM ext 112, but I would be annoyed by the huge light spill over a 24" wide tank.

There are too many options out there so it would be better to know what budget you have, as well as what sort of aesthetics you like both for mounting options and look lof the light in the tank. Do you like a lot of natural shimmer like kessil or want less shimmer and a lot of blue like an ecotech radion blue?

You think so? I use Kessil A500X for main LEDs, with additional fill lighting. My aquarium is approximately two of Waterbox 100.3 side by side. I really love A500X's shimmer not only on sand, but also elsewhere too. However, to the effect of what you say, A500X height is 11 cm from water surface, and of course if I had it higher, light would spill out edges. How I have tank is in my profile on here. Using both, I get the effect BRSTV friends describe with combination of intense point source light muted with fill light.

 

[nereefpat]

I would not expect a single puck to cover a 3'x2' footprint. If you like Kessils, you would be better off with an AP9X, or multiple 360s or even 160s if you used 3+.

What features are important to you, and what's your budget?

 

[benwatto]

I would not expect a single puck to cover a 3'x2' footprint. If you like Kessils, you would be better off with an AP9X, or multiple 360s or even 160s if you used 3+.

What features are important to you, and what's your budget?

Mainly looking for something that’s Easy to setup, tank mounted with a flex or solid arm if possible and don’t really have a budget, just want something that’s not going to let me down and get good results

 

[benwatto]

I do like these lights a lot but they are better for wider tanks, i think one of these would be awesome for something like the IM ext 112, but I would be annoyed by the huge light spill over a 24" wide tank.

There are too many options out there so it would be better to know what budget you have, as well as what sort of aesthetics you like both for mounting options and look lof the light in the tank. Do you like a lot of natural shimmer like kessil or want less shimmer and a lot of blue like an ecotech radion blue?

Mainly looking for something that’s Easy to setup, tank mounted with a flex or solid arm if possible and don’t really have a budget, just want something that’s not going to let me down and get good results, not a fan of the really blue lights

 

[benwatto]

What’s your budget? How do you plan to mount it?

Too many things to consider before blindly recommending lights.

Mainly looking for something that’s Easy to setup, tank mounted with a flex or solid arm if possible and don’t really have a budget, just want something that’s not going to let me down and get good results

 

[rtparty]

Mainly looking for something that’s Easy to setup, tank mounted with a flex or solid arm if possible and don’t really have a budget, just want something that’s not going to let me down and get good results

Personally, I would grab the new AI Blade. 3 strips would give full blown SPS coverage. Plenty of mounting options. The HMS arm would make it super easy if you wanted. You can start with 1 or 2 and add the 3rd later down the road.

 

[ナイトコア猫]

Mainly looking for something that’s Easy to setup, tank mounted with a flex or solid arm if possible and don’t really have a budget, just want something that’s not going to let me down and get good results

If you don't like really blue lighting, then you'll want to go with one of the Kessil options, because they can be adjusted for a range of spectra.

 

[dedragon]

Personally, I would grab the new AI Blade. 3 strips would give full blown SPS coverage. Plenty of mounting options. The HMS arm would make it super easy if you wanted. You can start with 1 or 2 and add the 3rd later down the road.

Im still skeptical of these lights for the moment, especially the coral glow light (no real uv). Just not sure about color rendition or visual look yet. I think you said before you were picking up some, have you tried them out yet?

 

[dedragon]

Mainly looking for something that’s Easy to setup, tank mounted with a flex or solid arm if possible and don’t really have a budget, just want something that’s not going to let me down and get good results, not a fan of the really blue lights

Lots of options then, I would try find lfs near you that have some of these fixtures first before ordering so you can see them in person and get a better idea of their visual look in a tank.
Orphek and Ati have some of the nicest looking, whiter spectrum lights that I have seen. Ati's new straton pro looks great just isnt available in the US and idk if it is in australia. Kessil 2x a360s arent a bad option either and have some of the best (if not the best) shimmer but you may have to add a reef bar like orphek or quanta for shading and a little par increase as well. You may like the ecotech radion pro, blue one is too blue for me.
I use an orphek icon with 1 reefbar and it works great as well, just need to check the mounting for these as these might need to be mounted where the overflow box for the mounting arm placement.

I would call around to see what some of the lfs use on their display tanks, many stores will run tanks with different lights as well so you may get to see multiple of these fixture brands at the same store and get it over with one trip

 

[rtparty]

Im still skeptical of these lights for the moment, especially the coral glow light (no real uv). Just not sure about color rendition or visual look yet. I think you said before you were picking up some, have you tried them out yet?

Mine arrives Thursday. Got the Glow to test first.

I am a halide user but I’ve yet to see any scientific data that real UV does anything for corals. Most is filtered out quickly in the ocean and those that receive UV at low tide usually slime up heavy to protect themselves. There’s also way too many healthy and colorful corals from tanks using LEDs with absolutely no UV.

I am replacing one ReefBrite XHO with the glow so I will get a good idea of the differences between the two

 

[dedragon]

I am replacing one ReefBrite XHO with the glow so I will get a good idea of the differences between the two

This is gonna be a great comparison, I hope they do work well just dont like non uv being labeled as uv, not just them but 430nm being considered uv was weird. Let us know which has the better coral pop please. I am hoping the 95 degree lenses work well to hang them close to the height of the main tank lights.
I am testing out a populargrow led (all 470nm) right now so they might actually work well in conjunction with the ai blade for an ultra blue frag tank or something like that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Youre on your way to twenty different answers as everyone has a favorite and will refer to that. I can say Orpheks as i use them exclusively but other good lights are :
@noopsyche
Kessil
Aqua Illumination
Ecotech

Vivarspectra - Good budget light

 

[rtparty]

This is gonna be a great comparison, I hope they do work well just dont like non uv being labeled as uv, not just them but 430nm being considered uv was weird. Let us know which has the better coral pop please. I am hoping the 95 degree lenses work well to hang them close to the height of the main tank lights.
I am testing out a populargrow led (all 470nm) right now so they might actually work well in conjunction with the ai blade for an ultra blue frag tank or something like that.

Yes, the marketing is bad and AI has been rightfully criticized for it. I hope we see it change ASAP

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I like a mix of light brands, and number of fixtures. More fixtures with less intensity.

At Dimensions of (LxWxH): 900 x 600 x 550mm (35.4" × 23.6" × 21.7")

I would get the kessil ap9x and a combination of some bar type leds, like the xho reefbrites and tune it for more white out of the ap9x for some amazing glitter lines.

The new AI blades also have some amazing potential. I'm curious to see how these do, unfortunately the price tag is up there.

 

[Tamberav]

Reefi uno 2.0

This gets my vote