Lighting advice - Fish Only - 65 breeder

[hightide33]

I'm looking to light a 65 breeder tank with a decent LED. I want to be sure I'm getting a light with a variety of blue/white lighting, so the colors of the fish can really glow. Is Amazon reliable for a light like this? Any recommendations on a specific, cost effective light? I'm new to saltwater and am looking for some advice from aquarists with far more experience than myself. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Almost any aquarium led fixture will be OK for fish only. A popular but inexpensive fixture is the Mars Aqua. Even the Current Orbit led fixture would be OK for fish only. It's not good for coral in a tank more than 12" deep, but it's fine for fish and has lots of color control.

How long is your 65g tank?

 

[hightide33]

Almost any aquarium led fixture will be OK for fish only. A popular but inexpensive fixture is the Mars Aqua. Even the Current Orbit led fixture would be OK for fish only. It's not good for coral in a tank more than 12" deep, but it's fine for fish and has lots of color control.

How long is your 65g tank?

Thank you for your response. The tank is 36" Long x 18" Deep x 25" High. I just want to be sure I'm getting something that is bright enough to make everything in the tank stand out. I currently have a Kessil a360x mounted, but being that I'm not going to do corals in this tank (I'm on a budget) I think that the Kessil is overkill.

 

[Ron Reefman]

You might watch the ads for a 30" or 36" Current Orbit led fixture. Many reefers get them and then find out they really struggle to grow coral in 20" and 24" deep tanks. So they sell them. They have good color control (6 channels I believe). And they appear bright to our eyes, but the 0.5 wall leds just aren't strong enough to penetrate deep at levels the corals need in order to do photosynthesis.

 

[hightide33]

Almost any aquarium led fixture will be OK for fish only. A popular but inexpensive fixture is the Mars Aqua. Even the Current Orbit led fixture would be OK for fish only. It's not good for coral in a tank more than 12" deep, but it's fine for fish and has lots of color control.

How long is your 65g tank?

The tank is 36l x 18w x 24h

 

[Ron Reefman]

If cost isn't a big issue, the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ comes in a 30" length and offers the same kind of color, intensity and ramping control that the Current Orbit does. But it does it with 3 watt and 5 watt leds that will penetrate your water better and have enough PAR for any kind of coral.

 

[hightide33]

Almost any aquarium led fixture will be OK for fish only. A popular but inexpensive fixture is the Mars Aqua. Even the Current Orbit led fixture would be OK for fish only. It's not good for coral in a tank more than 12" deep, but it's fine for fish and has lots of color control.

How long is your 65g

If cost isn't a big issue, the Reef Breeders Photon V2+ comes in a 30" length and offers the same kind of color, intensity and ramping control that the Current Orbit does. But it does it with 3 watt and 5 watt leds that will penetrate your water better and have enough PAR for any kind of coral.

Thanks a lot. I know that lighting is super important to grow corals. Still not totally ruling out the possibility of corals in the future however it just doesn't fit my budget right now. I do however want to try a rose bubble tip anemone for my pair of clowns. I'm close to pulling the trigger on an Orbit Marine LED. Will this cut it for the anemone if I decide to go that route?

 

[hightide33]

I should have also mentioned that I have a glass lid on the aquarium..

 

[Ron Reefman]

Glass lids are not a good idea. Use a screen instead. Glass blocks the gas exchange between the water and the air. I makes for higher C02 levels in the water.