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Coral Vue Hydros

LED for 5 Gallon and Under?


thams

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HI all, 

 

I'm new around these parts and am starting to get back into reef keeping after years of being away.  I've got a few freshwater planted tanks and I'm now looking at setting up a nano reef that 5 gallons or less.  I'm wondering if I could get some lighting suggestions.  Not sure what corals I'll eventually keep, but I'm definitely looking at LPS and softies.  Here is what I narrowed my search to:

  • Kessil A80
  • Hygger 13 Watt
  • NICREW 30 Watt
  • Lominie S20
  • Fluval Sea Marine Nano - 20 Watt
  • HIPARGERO 30W

 

Am I missing any other good LED options or are any of these extreme overkill?  Any help would be most appreciated!

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I would get the Lominie pixie 30 or just find a used AI prime hd. I had e lining which was fine but after switching to the prime I realized how much more powerful the prime is. 
 

Also, the dimensions of the tank will come into play. 

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The Kessil is the best on the list. 

 

The hiparagero was liked by many

 

Abi par38 tuna blue is liked by many

 

Ai Prime is a good light.

 

I didn't care for my lominie/asta20. Controlling was a pain, growth was slow.

 

 

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I appreciate both fo the replies!  Wouldn't the AI Prime be a little powerful for a 5 gallon or smaller?  I know you could dim them if needed, but they're pretty pricy considering some of the other options (no doubt they're fantastic lights - even at that price point).  I guess the advantage of having a powerful dimmable light is that I could use it on a larger tank if I decide to upgrade later.

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23 minutes ago, thams said:

I appreciate both fo the replies!  Wouldn't the AI Prime be a little powerful for a 5 gallon or smaller?  I know you could dim them if needed, but they're pretty pricy considering some of the other options (no doubt they're fantastic lights - even at that price point).  I guess the advantage of having a powerful dimmable light is that I could use it on a larger tank if I decide to upgrade later.

You would definitely run the Ai much lower but if you were to upgrade to a 10, 15, 20, 25 you could still use it and if you went even bigger you can just more Ai's to the 1 you have.

 

The kessil is definitely a good light but you could probably only use it up to a 15g. 

 

 

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1 minute ago, Clown79 said:

You would definitely run the Ai much lower but if you were to upgrade to a 10, 15, 20, 25 you could still use it and if you went even bigger you can just more Ai's to the 1 you have.

 

The kessil is definitely a good light but you could probably only use it up to a 15g. 

 

 

As long as the 15 is less than 12" otherwise you get serious shading and shadowing

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2 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

As long as the 15 is less than 12" otherwise you get serious shading and shadowing

I figured it would need to be a cube style like the fluval flex because i have heard the a80 doesn't have great spread. 

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I run an AI prime over a mixed 7 gallon and wouldn't hesitate to stick it on a 5 gallon, especially if I was going with stony stuff. Great controllability and spectrum 🙂

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Awesome, that's definitely something to consider then.  I really like the Kessil, but I hear so many people complain about the lack of intensity and spread.  I just worry about having buyer's remorse at that price point.  Even though the AI Primes are more, it may be easier for me to justify the price if I consider future upgrades in tank size.  

 

I've also heard mixed reviews about the lights I initially suggested when growing SPS.  I don't plan on keeping any right now, but I might in the future.  I feel like buying an underpowered light from the start might paint me into a corner without making another lighting investment.

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Lomini Asta would be an affordable way to get started, and I can grow some low-end stuff, but you WILL be upgrading it down the road. 

I’ve used the Asta and A80, they’re both great lights if you know their limitations. Pixie 30 is one someone else threw out there. It’s basically just a brighter version of the Asta. Good affordable light though. 
An AI prime would be a great light, the controllability is unmatched. It is in the pricier end for a tank this size though, and you’ll have to dial it down quite a bit. They’re quite bright lights. 

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TerraIncognita

A80 is a fine light for a 5Gallon.

 

The BEST light I think that wouldn't be OVERKILL but still stronger than needed would be AI Prime.

 

However that AI Prime wont transfer to larger than a 1Sqft, maybe 1 1/2 Sqft. But if you ever get a 75 Gallon, you can use that AI Prime and 1 Hydra and you'll be gucci. 🙂

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I appreciate everyone's help here.  Getting back into reefing is like drinking from a firehose.  There is so much more technology since I last kept corals and it wasn't even THAT long ago.

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TerraIncognita
4 minutes ago, thams said:

I appreciate everyone's help here.  Getting back into reefing is like drinking from a firehose.  There is so much more technology since I last kept corals and it wasn't even THAT long ago.

True! But the technology is so much better! haha.

 

AI Prime is awesome light, and you can connect all AI together. so if you ever upgrade and get more AI's they can all be on the same app, you can also even put multiple tanks on the same app with AI and control them from the same spot.

 

If you make an investment in AI stay with AI as it makes life easier. They have wave controllers and things too you can put on the same app, but I'm not so hot on their non lighting equipment.

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Just now, TerraIncognita said:

True! But the technology is so much better! haha.

 

AI Prime is awesome light, and you can connect all AI together. so if you ever upgrade and get more AI's they can all be on the same app, you can also even put multiple tanks on the same app with AI and control them from the same spot.

 

If you make an investment in AI stay with AI as it makes life easier. They have wave controllers and things too you can put on the same app, but I'm not so hot on their non lighting equipment.

Yup.

 

I run 1 on my 20g.

 

Ran 1 on my 25 and added another although both have had to be lowered.

 

All controlled on mine and my hubby's phone. 

 

I still use the original prime i got 6 yrs ago. Used on a 15g, then 5g, now 25g with an hd.

 

Still working great.

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In my opinion the Kessil’s are too expensive. You need to buy a separate controller if you want to set timers and light temp etc. I have a 5 gallon as well and  I purchased a fluval sea marine LED for nano tanks and its a great little light. Pretty strong too for the price. The best part is the app. It’s so easy to use and very user friendly. I purchased an Ai Prime HD and I have to say the light itself is amazing. It is a bit strong for a 5 gallon. So you have to set the settings a bit low. But two things I hate about it. The app is terrible and not user friendly at all. Everything is everywhere, its difficult to go back and “edit” the settings. The flex arm is another terrible item. The base of it is so large it takes up a lot of space. So if you have any other equipment on the back of the tank good luck fitting it all. I took it off and went back to the Fluval LED until I can find a good alternative to the prime mount. Good luck. 🙂 

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17 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Yup ran two on the 15g at 24x12x12, I did like how I could control both from the same controller 

Its pretty cool, especially since i remember using PC lighting where you have no control.

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4 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

Its pretty cool, especially since i remember using PC lighting where you have no control.

That was my experience when I last kept a reef tank.  I had to retrofit my hood with PCs since there weren't many other choices other than metal halides.  Just opening the LED lighting page on Amazon gives me anxiety with all the choices.

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You could always look at one of the 165w Chinese Black boxes, decent light for the money really good spread and penetration but no real control over lighting schedule, just standard on/off. Pretty future proof as I used mine on my 5g cube and my rsm130d

 

Or search for a 2nd hand light, I'd offer mine but I'm in the UK.

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3 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

You could always look at one of the 165w Chinese Black boxes, decent light for the money really good spread and penetration but no real control over lighting schedule, just standard on/off. Pretty future proof as I used mine on my 5g cube and my rsm130d

 

Or search for a 2nd hand light, I'd offer mine but I'm in the UK.

I'll have yours 👍🏼

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