Recommended Light System for a 20 Gallon High Nano Reef

[weimerheimer]

Looking for your opinions!

What would you be your Top Three Choices for a light system for a 20 Gallon High Nano Reef that houses mainly soft corals and inverts in it?

Good:
Make/Model:
Approx $:

Better:
Make/Model:
Approx $:

Best:
Make/Model:
Approx $:

 

[HydroReefer412]

Good- aquatic life 24" dual t5
Better- aquatic life 24" quad bulb (what I run over my 20g high)
Best- ecotech or an Aqua Illuminations

I'm a big fan of the reef tech LED's iv seen amazing results from them, softies, LPS, and SPS also

Just my general opinion, check out my tank if you'd like, iv been getting great color and growth in my SPS

 

[HydroReefer412]

Oops sorry I forgot prices lol
Aquatic life 24"t5 $106 retail
Aquatic life 24t5 quad $260 I believe
Ecotech $699
AI $299-699 depending on your choice

Reef techs $1100 ( I can get them made for me for $500)

 

[Smoker]

LED is the way to go. Tube lights create too much heat and need replaced often. I had a quad T5 (72W) on my 20H and it wasn't enough. I doubt the bad brand of Beamswork made all the difference. I only have inverts in it now and use a 30W LED and that same fixture on a 10g grows corals. I hate 20H for a reef and only used it because I had it. Those inverts will go into my 20L when it's ready. On it I'm using a 132W (44 x 3W) LED that cost $200.

 

[HydroReefer412]

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that, I run 4 24" t5 korrelen Zutch over my 20 high, my temp never gets higher than 79, and I'm keeping all SPS that are growing very fast and have great color, LEDs are crap unless you are using 3w Cree's, i maintain around 60 different reef tanks on a weekly basis for my work and from the results iv seen the only led fixtures that work well are high end ones

 

[Doogle]

Ya no kidding, try a ATI, GIESSMAN, TEK, AQUATICLIFE, CATALINA or CURRENT 4x24w T5HO fixture with good bulbs from ATI, KZ, GIESSEMAN and you can grow anything., the first 4 are best though.
The ATI SUNPOWER is probably the most proven SPS light to date.

Pic of 4x24w ATI SUNPOWER over 29g

 

[Doogle]

A 150w halide like a reef optix pendant and Phoenix 14k bulb.
A 4x24w T5HO like those mentioned in the post above.
A decent led fixture like the maxpect razor420R or reefbreeders/evergrow fixtures are liked a lot. Although I don't use LEDs I'm giving you what I think are fixtures that will work in all lighting formats.

 

[Doogle]

A month and a half of SPS growth under t5ho.

And alot of encrusting.

 

[major fish]

Plenty of research on the net and look at images of good tanks and then see what lights they run with.

Don't be fooled by reviews, even ones that have written statements saying that they are unbiased. I have some LED lights that you can't (as far as I am aware) get in the USA. The vast majority of the reviews don't rate them that much and especially not for a deep tank. Only one review that I have seen has been on the whole complementary. I have 4 of these TMC Aquaray lights on my 60X24X30 (Total cost less than 1 AI Sol blue) and 1 cheap and nasty chinese import t5 lights......2X39 Watt tubes.

So my lighting, although temporary (all be it longer than anticipated), is according to any reviews or 'this is minimum requirement' articles, a load of rubbish. In less than a year some of my leathers have grown 300%, my torch, hammer and frogspawn are all immensely happy, thriving and growing on the bottom of the tank.

AI Sol Blue are according to many people.....the dogs danglies compared to cheap chinese rubbish. The owner of one of my LFS has both and they are identical apart from the body! Maxspect razor.....They had to send one back for repair but the manufacturer is not sure exactly which factory in China made that particular one. they change suppliers for particular parts as the prices change........They are not assembled in one factory from start to finish.