Help with picking lightning

[Jungle321]

Hi! This is my first post here, I’m sorry if I placed it in a wrong section.
I have an aquarium 18”-18”-18” ( I’m going to add a panel so the display tank will have 18”-14”-18”). For quite a while I am looking for a lighting for my tank. I’m planning on keeping mostly soft corals and some LPS corals. The main issue is that I can only buy light for up to 150$, because as a teenager i can’t afford anything more expensive. I found a couple of light that i think I like but I could not find any information whether they’re good or not.




If anyone has any better suggestions I would greatly appreciate them! Thank you for reading this!

 

[Radman73]

I don't have any experience with those lights so all I could go off of would be the Amazon reviews. Consider an A80 Kessil. It comes with an actual warranty and fairly well known build quality. I am partial to Kessil's though lol! The other lights claim more wattage, significantly more so actually, but at $130 the A80 is in your price range.

Another option is to look for a, hopefully, gently used light in the classifieds. Ask for plenty of pictures before buying.

I know many have had success with off brands, so hopefully someone who has direct experience with one of those lights, or brands at least, can chime in.

 

[MTBake]

I've heard good things about the Mars Aqua but have never used one myself.

 

[Jungle321]

Consider an A80 Kessil. It comes with an actual warranty and fairly well known build quality. I am partial to Kessil's though lol! The other lights claim more wattage, significantly more so actually, but at $130 the A80 is in your price range.

I’ve got kessil a80 for Christmas from my brother. But then I read that it’s used for smaller aquariums, so i thought that this light would not be enough for my tank. Is it true or not ?

 

[Njbjr]

You have a low budget and your being mindful of it. I’d use mars aqua if I was in your shoes. They have a good history.

 

[a4edwin]

If you have the a80 keep it the shimmer on that light is awesome. You should be ok with what you plan on keeping. I had a mars aqua for 20min over my tank didn’t like the disco ball look. I ended up getting two kessil a160we’s

 

[Jungle321]

Ok. I’ll think about it. I simply didn’t consider kessil a80 beacause guy in the store said it would be too weak for my tank. Also when I asked on another forum, people said that for a 20 gallon cube I would need at least Kessil A160WE Tuna Blue.
In case if one kessil a80 is not enough, would adding any light work. If so what light would I have to get (t5 , another kessil, par38 bulb,etc.)?

Thanks for replying!

 

[a4edwin]

Another 80 https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/381388-keeping-sps-under-kessil-a80/ if you read the thread somebody asks about a tank with the same dimensions as yours

 

[MTBake]

I had a Kessil a160we over a 20 tall. It was perfect for that tank. Put it back in the box when I took that tank down almost 2 years ago. Things been collecting dust ever since. I've been thinking of putting it over my mantis tank so i can throw some easy coral in there.

 

[Radman73]

I’ve got kessil a80 for Christmas from my brother. But then I read that it’s used for smaller aquariums, so i thought that this light would not be enough for my tank. Is it true or not ?

If you have one in hand, I'd research what size tanks people have successfully used it on and if it fits your profile, I'd roll with it. Softies and LPS don't typically require much light.

 

[Jungle321]

Thanks for replying, I was just about to return the kessil to the store (I would lost 10% worth of the purchase).

 

[Radman73]

In case if it turns out to be too weak what light could I add to it ?
Thanks for replying, I was just about to return the kessil to the store (I would lost 10% worth of the purchase).

Here's a short thread about the A80.

Kessil a80 Tuna Blue PAR

Hey everyone, After reading over some old forum posts, I found that a few people claim that you get the highest PAR readings out of Kessil a360 and a160 models at 60% color and 100% intensity. Does anyone know if this is true for the a80 as well? Thanks!

www.reef2reef.com

It's probably borderline for an 18" deep tank. But, you mentioned only LPS and softies, so that's why I suggested you consider it. According to Kessil, it'll handle LPS to 24", but I've never trusted manufacturer's claims, even those I like lol!

I still highly suggest researching the A80 here and on other forums to see if anyone has used it on a tank similar to yours. That'll be your best guide as to whether or not it will work for you. Read reviews of it on vendor websites and see what buyers think of it and if they're having to supplement it with anything else.

I can guess that it would work fine, especially if your LPS is up high on rock, but I don't know that to be a fact.

 

[a4edwin]

keep us updated on your tank what ever you decide to do can be helpful to others wondering the same thing you were wondering. Progress pics or just make a build thread.

 

[Jungle321]

I will make a build thread for sure!
I will most likely save more money and buy AI Prime hd or Kessil A160WE Tuna Blue ( I’m still not sure which one I would like better) .

 

[Kzang]

Check out Amazon's viparspectra. Make sure to buy the reef version. My buddy has one on his 40g breeder. He has it high up and still has 500 par on the sand