Nano frag tank LED lighting

[jeremy83179]

I’ve been in the hobby for a few years now and I’m going to go ahead and start fragging with a dedicated Nano tank. It’s 18x18 by 6 inches deep (8 gallons) and looking for appropriate lighting.

I have seen first hand the difference between a bubble tip with our standard LED light and what someone else’s looked like with Kessil lights. If I’m going to do the frag thing, I want the best light and coloration I can get at an affordable price (less that $300 for the lighting system)

I am dealing with two factors, mainly a small and shallow tank so I should be able to get away with the less expensive lights. We’ve never used the high dollar ones before so I am researching and getting advice before actually pulling the trigger.

What would you suggest for a tank this small with optimal lighting for any type of coral? I’ve looked into the new Kessil A80 Tuna Blue but it requires a separate controller and gooseneck stand and I’m not sure if it even has a moonlight feature.

The next one I saw was a newer Current USA Orbit Pro which has good reviews but I’m not sure if it has the quality output like a Kessil.... it is a little cheaper for the unit do that is a plus. It’s hard to find some good reviews because everything on google is mostly by companies trying to sell you something so I’m a little skeptical.

Any thoughts on what would be best for coloration and growth on a system this small?

 

[Crabs McJones]

I’ve been in the hobby for a few years now and I’m going to go ahead and start fragging with a dedicated Nano tank. It’s 18x18 by 6 inches deep (8 gallons) and looking for appropriate lighting.

I have seen first hand the difference between a bubble tip with our standard LED light and what someone else’s looked like with Kessil lights. If I’m going to do the frag thing, I want the best light and coloration I can get at an affordable price (less that $300 for the lighting system)

I am dealing with two factors, mainly a small and shallow tank so I should be able to get away with the less expensive lights. We’ve never used the high dollar ones before so I am researching and getting advice before actually pulling the trigger.

What would you suggest for a tank this small with optimal lighting for any type of coral? I’ve looked into the new Kessil A80 Tuna Blue but it requires a separate controller and gooseneck stand and I’m not sure if it even has a moonlight feature.

The next one I saw was a newer Current USA Orbit Pro which has good reviews but I’m not sure if it has the quality output like a Kessil.... it is a little cheaper for the unit do that is a plus. It’s hard to find some good reviews because everything on google is mostly by companies trying to sell you something so I’m a little skeptical.

Any thoughts on what would be best for coloration and growth on a system this small?

AI prime HD, its $199 and would look awesome on that tank. Its wifi controllable right out of the box and should cover that footprint no problem

 

[jeremy83179]

AI prime HD, its $199 and would look awesome on that tank. Its wifi controllable right out of the box and should cover that footprint no problem

Does the prime have a moonlight feature?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Does the prime have a moonlight feature?

Yes it does

 

[Michael Naegeli]

I got a IA 25 gallon lagoon Frag tank setup. I first put an AI prime on there. It was nice but I in the end moved the prime to one of my refugiums and slapped a Kessil 160 on there and am far happier. It’s really down to personal preference... on my display Tanks I have two w AI Hydra 26hd’s. My 180 I have a Kessil ap700 and 2 reefbright blues. I can honestly say my growth under Kessil/reefbrite is absolutely ridiculous compared to Ehh descent w my Hydra’s. Obviously other factors are in play but I those Kessils are the real deal in my opinion. Prime doing fantastic on my refugium. AI has far better color options and can be very versitle for different applications

 

[jeremy83179]

I got a IA 25 gallon lagoon Frag tank setup. I first put an AI prime on there. It was nice but I in the end moved the prime to one of my refugiums and slapped a Kessil 160 on there and am far happier. It’s really down to personal preference... on my display Tanks I have two w AI Hydra 26hd’s. My 180 I have a Kessil ap700 and 2 reefbright blues. I can honestly say my growth under Kessil/reefbrite is absolutely ridiculous compared to Ehh descent w my Hydra’s. Obviously other factors are in play but I those Kessils are the real deal in my opinion. Prime doing fantastic on my refugium. AI has far better color options and can be very versitle for different applications

I was checking out the lagoon tank too... if I would’ve gotten the bigger tank, I’d have to have get better lights and end up spending more than I wanted to at the moment. Thanks for letting me know that bit of advice [emoji106]