Wondering what experienced folks would say....
I'm debating whether to get a Kessil A160 or one of the A360's (either old or the newer X). A Red Sea 90 Watt is not out of the question- price is same as A360WE, not as nice a light color IMO but you get the wifi/timing included.
Tank is 19" per side.
I plan to grow: A variety of zoas, cyphastrea, encrusting montipora near the top of my rock work, and eventually a couple of alveopora. I am using a lot of rock (happy with my pukani aquascape). For the overall/coral, I hope to eventually encrust all of the rock, I'm going for tons of color and a flowery look (and aesthetically I like repetitive themes- I don't want a smattering of every kind of coral I find). Hope to have a Mandarin fish eventually. (A trippy looking tank!?) No mushrooms or faster growing soft coral are in the plans. Torches and similar will be tempting, but I actually hope to not go there in this tank, to preserve a certain look I have in my mind.
It's my first tank, which means I have to try to think about the future too. Ideally, this tank will develop into something I can keep long term so don't have to think about other uses for a light, but after we move, a larger (additional?) tank would be the plan if all goes well, so who knows what happens.
I know that sticks needs more light, but since I'm not going for that here (I really don't want that complication in this tank), it doesn't matter, and I get the impression (from LFS etc.) that many reefers overbuy on the light- many tanks have 90+ watt fixtures turned down- a waste of $$$ IMO.
Still, I'm unsure what I'm not thinking of and which way to go on the light. I lean towards an A160 and if it doesn't work out, buy another down the road. But is that unwise? Would spending now on the larger light make more sense? From Kessil and others the information I have is the the A160 would light this tank and grow the coral I plan to have.
Thanks in advance
I'm debating whether to get a Kessil A160 or one of the A360's (either old or the newer X). A Red Sea 90 Watt is not out of the question- price is same as A360WE, not as nice a light color IMO but you get the wifi/timing included.
Tank is 19" per side.
I plan to grow: A variety of zoas, cyphastrea, encrusting montipora near the top of my rock work, and eventually a couple of alveopora. I am using a lot of rock (happy with my pukani aquascape). For the overall/coral, I hope to eventually encrust all of the rock, I'm going for tons of color and a flowery look (and aesthetically I like repetitive themes- I don't want a smattering of every kind of coral I find). Hope to have a Mandarin fish eventually. (A trippy looking tank!?) No mushrooms or faster growing soft coral are in the plans. Torches and similar will be tempting, but I actually hope to not go there in this tank, to preserve a certain look I have in my mind.
It's my first tank, which means I have to try to think about the future too. Ideally, this tank will develop into something I can keep long term so don't have to think about other uses for a light, but after we move, a larger (additional?) tank would be the plan if all goes well, so who knows what happens.
I know that sticks needs more light, but since I'm not going for that here (I really don't want that complication in this tank), it doesn't matter, and I get the impression (from LFS etc.) that many reefers overbuy on the light- many tanks have 90+ watt fixtures turned down- a waste of $$$ IMO.
Still, I'm unsure what I'm not thinking of and which way to go on the light. I lean towards an A160 and if it doesn't work out, buy another down the road. But is that unwise? Would spending now on the larger light make more sense? From Kessil and others the information I have is the the A160 would light this tank and grow the coral I plan to have.
Thanks in advance
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