Reef lighting under £150?

[Nathans_Reef]

Hello everybody, i am going to set up a 40 gallon lionfish tank and i would like to grow macro algea, zoanthids and mabye an anemone. I like the Twinstar 600 but it is a planted tank light, it is full spectrum, 7050k and about 30w, would this be bright enough for at least macro algea? If not does anybody know of any lighting for under £150 that will be good for a 80cm tank?

Thanks

[Clown79]

The light might work for some macro but not an anemone.

 

A black box on amazon like this would be better

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VIPARSPECTRA-Control-Aquarium-Dimmable-Spectrum/dp/B07HG5GV5V/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=mars+aqua+led&qid=1580928531&sprefix=mars+aqua&sr=8-1

[Ratvan]

@Nathans_Reef if you want to go the black box route I have one going spare. Luxbird version of the above. Too strong for the nanos but worked well on the RSM 130D. It's not that programmable unless you add stuff to it.

[Nathans_Reef]

15 hours ago, Clown79 said:

The light might work for some macro but not an anemone.

 

A black box on amazon like this would be better

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VIPARSPECTRA-Control-Aquarium-Dimmable-Spectrum/dp/B07HG5GV5V/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=mars+aqua+led&qid=1580928531&sprefix=mars+aqua&sr=8-1

Would the light work for some low light corals like zoanthids?

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Nathans_Reef said:

Would the light work for some low light corals like zoanthids?

Yes does really well on Softies, and LPS Corals. 

You can have a look at the light on this thread

 

[Nathans_Reef]

1 minute ago, Ratvan said:

Yes does really well on Softies, and LPS Corals. 

You can have a look at the light on this thread

 

I mean the light that i suggested, would that work?

[Ratvan]

2 minutes ago, Nathans_Reef said:

I mean the light that i suggested, would that work?

Oh, sorry my bad. 

 

Only Macro's probably should be okay, Caulerpa does really well at 5-6.5 kelvin for me 

[Nathans_Reef]

2 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Oh, sorry my bad. 

 

Only Macro's probably should be okay, Caulerpa does really well at 5-6.5 kelvin for me 

Ok thankyou, do you think its worth a try with a zoa frag?

[Ratvan]

Just now, Nathans_Reef said:

Ok thankyou, do you think its worth a try with a zoa frag?

Yeah worth a punt I suppose, what tank do you have? I know you said 80cm long, maybe a couple of PAR38 bulbs?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Luxbird-Waterproof-PAR38-Spectrum-Non-dimmable/dp/B07SJZCC94/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=par38+coral&qid=1580983953&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-13

 

[Nathans_Reef]

9 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Yeah worth a punt I suppose, what tank do you have? I know you said 80cm long, maybe a couple of PAR38 bulbs?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Luxbird-Waterproof-PAR38-Spectrum-Non-dimmable/dp/B07SJZCC94/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=par38+coral&qid=1580983953&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-13

 

This is my tank

https://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquarium/fish-tanks/nano-and-small/ultra-clear-140l/

[Ratvan]

10 minutes ago, Nathans_Reef said:

This is my tank

https://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquarium/fish-tanks/nano-and-small/ultra-clear-140l/

Nice tank, I would try the light that you have. If not then try an upgrade, probably to the PAR38 bulbs as that would be the cheapest option and would be more than enough for softies and macro. 

[Clown79]

5 hours ago, Nathans_Reef said:

I mean the light that i suggested, would that work?

It might keep them alive but it's in the wrong spectrum which will give very little growth, brownish colours, you won't get the pretty colors of zoanthids with 7050k

 

The spectrum is for plants and freshwater. It will definitely help you grow green algae. 

 

Why waste the money on something that you will need/want to change when there are better options in your budget?

[Nathans_Reef]

 

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

It might keep them alive but it's in the wrong spectrum which will give very little growth, brownish colours, you won't get the pretty colors of zoanthids with 7050k

 

The spectrum is for plants and freshwater. It will definitely help you grow green algae. 

 

Why waste the money on something that you will need/want to change when there are better options in your budget?

Because i have a freshwater aquascape next to it and i would like it if the lights matched, a planted saltwater tank would be cool anyway.

Thanks for your help.

[mcarroll]

On 2/6/2020 at 11:41 AM, Nathans_Reef said:

 

Because i have a freshwater aquascape next to it and i would like it if the lights matched, a planted saltwater tank would be cool anyway.

Thanks for your help.

I have to admit that's a funny pre-condition for lighting a reef tank where the light is not decorative, it's essential.  Aesthetics trumping basic husbandry?  No, no, no.

 

Before setting up a saltwater tank I'd strongly suggest checking out at least one reading suggestion from this thread:
Chime in with your reef-oriented reading list! 

 

Either one of Martin Moe's books would be a great place to start.

 

If you really want to use that light you linked then I would just stay away from corals.  Fish and macroalgae will be happy enough under it though. 

 

Corals may not actually do well and could even be stressed enough to die just from the light. 

 

(You won't find a single coral for sale that's acclimated to white light like that.....and many corals for sale are from deep water where it's almost all blue-light.)

[Ratvan]

Stumbled across these if any use? 

https://krakencorals.co.uk/orphek-or2-90-reed-plus-led-bar.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-bjyBRCcARIsAFboWg2R9mEJepERtqVB0vO9b1eMg8FTSu9tIOABoJW3d1BqIXQ_TY_KWVgaArIDEALw_wcB

 

[Nathans_Reef]

6 hours ago, Ratvan said:

Stumbled across these if any use? 

https://krakencorals.co.uk/orphek-or2-90-reed-plus-led-bar.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-bjyBRCcARIsAFboWg2R9mEJepERtqVB0vO9b1eMg8FTSu9tIOABoJW3d1BqIXQ_TY_KWVgaArIDEALw_wcB

 

These look great 👍, thanks