What light to use for a frag tank

Johnny M · Jul 8, 2019

I'm considering buying a IM Nuvo fusion aio 25g lagoon - 23.5"L x 23.5"W x 12"H - for a frag/coral QT. BB with egg crate made into 2 or 3 tiers mostly for softies & lps.
The lighting I was thinking of : 2- HD prime or 1- Red Sea reefer 90w or 1 - Hydra 26. I already have one HD prime over my 20g fish QT and really like the app. Any suggestions? **once I get some experience with softies & lps I would like to try some not too demanding sps. Thanks

ahiggins · Jul 8, 2019

I have two ai primes over my 40 breeder

120reefkeeper · Jul 8, 2019

I would go with a T5 setup. Cheaper and you’ll be able to expand and grow SPS with it easily.

Johnny M · Jul 9, 2019

120reefkeeper said:
I would go with a T5 setup. Cheaper and you’ll be able to expand and grow SPS with it easily.

Thanks for advice but I prefer LEDs, my lfs only uses kessil ap700's and has no problem growing lps & sps. I use one over my 66g DT.

Johnny M · Jul 9, 2019

ahiggins said:
I have two ai primes over my 40 breeder

Ur 40 breeder is about 16"high. How far do u keep the lights above the water & what is your daily light schedule? Spectrum & intensity, ramp up/down? Thx

ahiggins · Jul 9, 2019

Lights are 10” or so above waterline. I do a 2 hour ramp, 5 hr peak, 3 hr blues/purples only, and 2 hr ramp down.
Peak=60% blues, purples, uv. 25% white. 5% green and red.
Blues only=same as peak but 0% white red green.
I keep lps, leathers, and zoa/palys.

ahiggins · Jul 9, 2019

Oh and I do have two so I keep them evenly spaced. No exact measurements but they’re close to 6-8” from the sides and centered over the tank. Probably about 10” or so between the two.

Johnny M · Jul 9, 2019

ahiggins said:
Lights are 10” or so above waterline. I do a 2 hour ramp, 5 hr peak, 3 hr blues/purples only, and 2 hr ramp down.
Peak=60% blues, purples, uv. 25% white. 5% green and red.
Blues only=same as peak but 0% white red green.
I keep lps, leathers, and zoa/palys.

Sounds like a good schedule. Do u ever have problems with algae? Do u have a cuc?

ahiggins · Jul 9, 2019

I have a Midas blenny and a 6 line wrasse in there and feed them lightly. Feed the tank reef roids, and I do have an HOB skimmer from reef octopus. Clean up crew is just astreas and a turbo. Lots of love rock rubble but bare bottom. I made my own frag rack that sits 5” above the bottom on stilts and the rubble (probably about 25lbs) beneath it. The only algae I have junk on the glass and if any new frags happen to have a bit on them. I take care of the algae pretty religiously with new frags.

ahiggins · Jul 9, 2019

If you look at my profile pic, that’s my Midas in one of the stilts lol

120reefkeeper · Jul 9, 2019

Johnny M said:
Thanks for advice but I prefer LEDs, my lfs only uses kessil ap700's and has no problem growing lps & sps. I use one over my 66g DT.

Then I’d go with Radion Xr30 gen 4 pro.

Johnny M · Jul 10, 2019

120reefkeeper said:
Then I’d go with Radion Xr30 gen 4 pro.

Over $900 for light, mount arm & reeflink to use app, OUCH! Thanks but that's almost double of what I can afford. Plus I saw on BRS light only gets 66% favorable reviews- many complaints of light failing early on & poor customer service & reeflink gets mixed reviews too.
Appreciate your input but I think I'll go with 2 HD primes or 1 kessil A360x.

Johnny M · Jul 10, 2019

ahiggins said:
If you look at my profile pic, that’s my Midas in one of the stilts lol

U have a nice setup. Cute blenny. I have a forktail blenny in QT going in DT in about another week along with a bangaii cardinal and they will join a McCosker's flasher wrasse & Rainford's goby.

ahiggins · Jul 10, 2019

Flasher wrasses are gorgeous

I have a yellow coris wrasse in with the Midas too, love that fish. Kind of irritating cuz I had to have a small container of sand for him in there hahaha

jda · Jul 10, 2019

If you can, match your display.

Johnny M · Jul 13, 2019

jda said:
If you can, match your display.

That might be difficult. Frag tank I've decided on a kessil A360x and on DT I have an ap700. Don't have any corals in DT yet, just fish. Even if I had corals in DT the ap700 app is different from the spectral X controller in spectrum & intensity.
Also with rear sump DT is 23"×16.25"×12", so I think 1 A360x should be enough.

ahiggins · Jul 13, 2019

Johnny M said:
That might be difficult. Frag tank I've decided on a kessil A360x and on DT I have an ap700. Don't have any corals in DT yet, just fish. Even if I had corals in DT the ap700 app is different from the spectral X controller in spectrum & intensity.
Also with rear sump DT is 23"×16.25"×12", so I think 1 A360x should be enough.

That’s what I did, with the ai primes I just like them-mostly because they’re semi cheap and easy to control and I’ve never used anything else lol