treefisher Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Hi all, I have a 20g hex that I recently turned into a salty tank. I have a 36w cf over it now, which seems to keep the couple corals I have alive, but I want to upgrade this eventually. I don't want to spend a ton of money on this, and likely won't try to grow any high-end corals. My preferred requirements are: - Something that will work well on soft and LPS corals. - Moonlight option - Hanging only - It needs to fit (of course). There's not a lot of room vertically or horizontally, so it needs a fairly low profile all around. - Cheap, Chinese lights are OK with me as long as they don't fail or burn the house down. The 165w MarsAqua lights look OK, I guess, but I'm worried that they're a little too long and a little too powerful for my needs. Any fixtures out there that are just a bit smaller and less powerful? I'd be willing to DIY something, but I'd want a similar plan to follow. I can upload pics and get some measurements of my current setup if it helps. Thoughts? Link to comment
RIP Sebastian Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Honestly, do yourself a favor and get rid of the 20 hex. They're a pain in the butt to clean. Also, you say you don't want SPS now. You will. Go Nanobox Duo. Link to comment
RotaryReef Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Treefisher talk to this guy! @DaveFason Link to comment
treefisher Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 2 hours ago, RIP Sebastian said: Honestly, do yourself a favor and get rid of the 20 hex. They're a pain in the butt to clean. Also, you say you don't want SPS now. You will. Go Nanobox Duo. Hex tanks aren't my favorite either, but I do like the challenge of aquascaping them. I'll use a better/easier size tank for saltwater someday, and will definitely move on to more advanced corals after I get the feel for things. I'm a big planted tank guy, and have a small fishroom setup with tanks of all shapes and sizes. This hex tank was a decent looking planted tank, but I decided to take it down to try something else with it. Reef tank it is! 1 hour ago, NanoSteve said: Treefisher talk to this guy! @DaveFason I checked out his website. Those are some really sleek lights for sale, but quite a bit more than I was hoping to pay for this. Link to comment
RIP Sebastian Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 7 minutes ago, treefisher said: Hex tanks aren't my favorite either, but I do like the challenge of aquascaping them. I'll use a better/easier size tank for saltwater someday, and will definitely move on to more advanced corals after I get the feel for things. I'm a big planted tank guy, and have a small fishroom setup with tanks of all shapes and sizes. This hex tank was a decent looking planted tank, but I decided to take it down to try something else with it. Reef tank it is! I checked out his website. Those are some really sleek lights for sale, but quite a bit more than I was hoping to pay for this. In this hobby, you get what you pay for. You can often find used ones in the hardware classifieds. If you consider overall quality, his is the cheapest option. Link to comment
treefisher Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 Oh, I know, trust me. I've invested thousands in the freshwater side. I breed, buy, and sell lots of plants and shrimp to make this hobby support itself. I'm low on stock right now, so sales and money are low. I'm not looking for the highest quality fixture around. I just want something simple, that works (and has moonlights). That's why I was eyeballing the MarsAqua lights. I'd get one of those, but I read you can only dim them so much. I don't want anything too powerful. Link to comment
RotaryReef Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 @treefisher you can get used tide mini's for $200 Link to comment
Kellie in CA Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 If you want to splurge a little, I just got a good deal on a Kessil 360 on Amazon. With subscribe & save and the coupon code it was $100 off. Link to comment
RotaryReef Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Just now, Kellie in CA said: If you want to splurge a little, I just got a good deal on a Kessil 360 on Amazon. With subscribe & save and the coupon code it was $100 off. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BW9KEH2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 Even with say the $100 off its still $300, higher that what he is seeming to go. You are not purchasing just one light if you hit subscribe and save fyi. Be sure to hit cancel before your next one ships out lol Link to comment
Kellie in CA Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 1 hour ago, NanoSteve said: Even with say the $100 off its still $300, higher that what he is seeming to go. You are not purchasing just one light if you hit subscribe and save fyi. Be sure to hit cancel before your next one ships out lol Yeah... you have to make sure to cancel after it ships. But if anyone is looking for a deal, check it out! Link to comment
RotaryReef Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Just now, Kellie in CA said: Yeah... you have to make sure to cancel after it ships. But if anyone is looking for a deal, check it out! Might went to let them know what coupon code to use too! Link to comment
BattleAthletics Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Why not go with a par 38 bulb? Link to comment
treefisher Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 $300 is a bit beyond my budget, though I may look into those when I get another tank going. The Tide Mini is a consideration, but still hoping to go lower on price if possible. I just want low-end but functional here. I'll spend more on my next tank. Will Par38s be bright enough for this tank? Link to comment
BattleAthletics Posted February 19, 2017 Share Posted February 19, 2017 I think so. mars aqua has a 100$ light that will do as well. Link to comment
treefisher Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 I've been looking at the Mars Aqua lights, but I read you can only dim them so much. I'm worried they will be too strong for my tank since I can't mount it very high above the water. The only lights they have (as far as I know) are the 165w ones. Link to comment
Clown79 Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Aquamaxx nemolight. Budget friendly, sleek, no heat issues, programmable. I have one with a mixed reef, works great. Or coral compulsion par 38 full spectrum(no moonlighting though) Link to comment
treefisher Posted February 26, 2017 Author Share Posted February 26, 2017 I like the Aquamaxx. It's nice and low profile. That might be second on my considerations list after DIY. I might end up getting one if it ends up being that much cheaper for me. Link to comment
charlesgage Posted February 28, 2017 Share Posted February 28, 2017 Kessil a80 may be a nice option too. 120 bucks, very high quality. Probably the best depth penetration of the bunch too. Link to comment
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