Reef Lighting for 75 gallon

rooneyj889 · Sep 17, 2020

Hey all, I got my 75 gallon tank up and running about a month ago and only have fish in there right now but am looking to start putting corals in there soon. As this is my first reef tank i am looking to mostly do softies with some LPS. I was wondering whats the most cost effective option for this tank. I am not planning on keeping this tank forever, and will probably be upgrading to something significantly bigger in a year or so, but I want something that can grow corals but won't break the bank. Also, I would prefer an LED or hybrid fixture over just T5's just because of customization. Thanks!

EDIT: Would also like to keep anemones. I've also been looking at AI Primes, but dont know if theres anything more cost effective.

MetaKnight101 · Sep 17, 2020

Current USA Orbit Marine LED light should be sufficient for LPS and Softies. Do not attempt to keep anemones though, the par on these are not adequate enough.

rooneyj889 · Sep 17, 2020

MetaKnight101 said:
Current USA Orbit Marine LED light should be sufficient for LPS and Softies. Do not attempt to keep anemones though, the par on these are not adequate enough.

Okay, I'd like something a little stronger than because I would like to keep anemones

MetaKnight101 · Sep 17, 2020

In my experience, my anemones did not do well under these light; however, in other pictures of people that purchased these lights, they do seem to thrive. However, you can always get the dual version, which should be more than enough (Current USA Orbit Marine IC PRO LED DUAL). Do you have a specific budget on a light? Because if you plan to keep the 75 gallons for only about a year, you might as well by the high end of the model and switch it over to your new tank when you upgrade. That'll save you money, in the long run, then to buy a cheaper one now only to buy an expensive one next year, unless the next tank upgrade is going to be so wildly big that its recommended light would cook up your 75-gallon tank.

rooneyj889 · Sep 17, 2020

MetaKnight101 said:
In my experience, my anemones did not do well under these light; however, in other pictures of people that purchased these lights, they do seem to thrive. However, you can always get the dual version, which should be more than enough (Current USA Orbit Marine IC PRO LED DUAL). Do you have a specific budget on a light? Because if you plan to keep the 75 gallons for only about a year, you might as well by the high end of the model and switch it over to your new tank when you upgrade. That'll save you money, in the long run, then to buy a cheaper one now only to buy an expensive one next year, unless the next tank upgrade is going to be so wildly big that its recommended light would cook up your 75-gallon tank.

Next tank was gonna be around 200 gallons, but I might just do a bunch of pucks of something

CookieRdReef · Sep 17, 2020

2 Vipraspectra 165w on my 75. I wanted a cheap option though. There are better LEDs but not cheaper better LEDs.

MetaKnight101 · Sep 18, 2020

rooneyj889 said:
Next tank was gonna be around 200 gallons, but I might just do a bunch of pucks of something

You could always buy a cheap 20-gallon tank and smack on cheap led and store your corals and anemones in the meantime until you upgrade. That'll cost cheaper than any light for a 75 gal and you can still keep your corals and still save money for getting the high leights for your 200 gallon.

12gallonsofhex · Sep 18, 2020

A pair of Ocean Revive T247's should fit the tank and budget well. I have been running one for 17 months and it works great. I have a mixed reef with Acros, sps, lps, and zoas. My acros are growing well and keeping their color. They wont give you the 'color pop' and even par distribution of the high end lights (Radion, Kessil, Coral Care, etc.) But they are a fraction of the cost. Mount them high to get a good spectrum mix and distribution. They will definitely grow coral well.

Chibils · Sep 18, 2020

A used metal halide setup or properly-selected Chinese ("black box") LEDs are going to be your best affordable choices to support anemones in a 21" tank.