Best Planted Aquarium Light

[kvokal]

"How to Pick the Best Planted Aquarium Light"
The way you assign the lights by volume of the tank is absolutely wrong! Shouldn't you assign the light by the tank depth instead? And what about the area of coverage!?

[Daniel]

33 minutes ago, kvokal said:

Shouldn't you assign the light by the tank depth instead?

In my largest tanks because of their depth I went with Kessil's a360x with narrow beam reflectors (despite the cost). But for more standard size aquariums I chose Finnex Stingrays because they were durable and inexpensive. You just have to pick the right light for the job.

[varanidguy]

44 minutes ago, kvokal said:

"How to Pick the Best Planted Aquarium Light"
The way you assign the lights by volume of the tank is absolutely wrong! Shouldn't you assign the light by the tank depth instead? And what about the area of coverage!?

Yes, by today's standards, given the progression of LED technology, depth and spread are much better metrics when deciding on what lights to use than volume. The watts per gallon metric is an old school method, when T8, T5, and T5HO were the standards.

[David Ellsworth]

I agree with those above that by gallonage is mostly wrong. With LEDs they look more at watts, lumens, and kelvin for a quick reference, especially if your going the shop LED light route. Going by tank depth is better for gauging what light will work for your needs. I think that the watts per gallon metric is a way to take into account larger tanks with more depth. They were more popular with metal halides, T5HO, etc. That changed with LEDs. 

 

I agree with Daniel that depth is a great measure. Like he says if you have say a 12" deep tank then a stingray is generally sufficient. You don't need much to punch through that much water. However, if you have say 18-24"+ then you need to take that into account if you want more than floaters/very low light plants. 

 

You also have to take into account aesthetic. While a stingray is sufficient for lighting shallower tanks, that quality of light is vastly different than higher end fixtures. I picked up a Kessil A360x tuna sun for the thanksgiving sales and it is by far my favorite light for the crisp attractive lighting. I have it over a new 40 breeder I set up and the shimmering effect is amazing. I even prefer the look over my Fluval 3.0 on my 30L. Both are 36", both the 3.0 and the kessil handle the 36", but the light aesthetic are very different.

 

So price point and aesthetic can be a major factor as well. If your setting up a shelly tank on the cheep and want some anubis/ferns in a mostly sandy/rocky scape then slap a cheep stingray on there and call it done. You just need to see the fish in a tank like that or in fish only cichlid tanks unless you have money to spend and want a certain look for a display tank.  If you are doing aquasoil and CO2? then your going to need a better light and it will cost more. So right tool for the right job. 

[tolstoy21]

Yeah, I generally check if the light has a par rating chart first, illustrating par at the various depths, and then see if I can find any information or reviews discussing its realistic spread in various tank sizes.

i only really do this in my display tanks. My other tanks I just grab the most inexpensive planted LED I can find and not really worry about its performance ratings. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by tolstoy21

[Streetwise]

I would like to try the Kessil lights that @Daniel mentions. I would also like to try the next-gen AI Prime, when I try larger tanks. The Fluval Plant 3.0 has worked for me in tanks from 2.5 to 20 gallons.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Streetwise

[tolstoy21]

I also like and use Fluval 3.0s and have thought about a Kessil for aesthetic reasons, but have yet to pull the trigger on one of those because $$$.

My wife wants me to put a large angel or discus tank in our living room (darn spouses and their demands!), and when we do that some day, I might check out the Kessils. 

[David Ellsworth]

Yeah, you can literally buy 2 fluval 3.0s and be cheaper than just one kessil a360x, then come the add-ons. The price point hurts. It also hurts with the ADA lights. 

I'm still trying to decide the lighting on my 90 gal tank. Two 3.0's are about $440 but there is that center brace, 2 kessils and that's over a grand with the hanging arm. I don't wanna spend that kind of money. Also still trying to finalize what I want in there. 

[Paige]

Recommendation for a large tank?  180, so 72”x24x24.  Does anyone have experience with Current USA Serene series?  They have 72” LED which I like aesthetically.  

Edited December 5, 2020 by Paige

[Paige]

Starting new thread so I do not hijack this one since my question is related but different

[kvokal]

Yes, it boils down to money. All those cube tanks take very little effort to lit up but my tank is 72x21x18 with 2 braces in the middle. I build it from LED bulbs and grow lights, still I am going to change it. Well anyway, thank you for the feedback.