Lighting preferences for multiple tanks?

[Fishdude]

At the moment my lighting situation is a mishmash of different lights, some given, some purchased from different sites, some bought on the cheap through Facebook...what's your preference for lighting and how much do you usually spend on lights? If you were setting up 10+ aquariums in one place, would you use a mix of lights or try to get a uniform setup with one brand?

[Hoss]

I think it depends on what the goals are of the tanks, if they are stable in what they have in them and such.

 

A mishmash of lighting is fine, if you are matching lights to tasks.  For instance, we have dwarf cichlid tanks with almost no plants (and those are all annubis) so we run cheap leds.  We've got 8 gallon specialty tanks for shrimp and guppies that we grow with actual grow light LED's (because we aren't worry about displaying these, they are for grow out), and then we've got our big display tanks that we run stingrays on.  I'll probably get a Fluval 3.0 for some new tanks I have in mind...but yeah.  Mishmash works well for us.  

 

If I were going for production of plants, snails and fish in the same tank, I would likely look at standardizing as lights went bad, just to make it easier.  I don't think I would just change lights to change them, unless they aren't working for what you need them to do.

[Fishdude]

2 minutes ago, Hoss said:

I think it depends on what the goals are of the tanks, if they are stable in what they have in them and such.

 

A mishmash of lighting is fine, if you are matching lights to tasks.  For instance, we have dwarf cichlid tanks with almost no plants (and those are all annubis) so we run cheap leds.  We've got 8 gallon specialty tanks for shrimp and guppies that we grow with actual grow light LED's (because we aren't worry about displaying these, they are for grow out), and then we've got our big display tanks that we run stingrays on.  I'll probably get a Fluval 3.0 for some new tanks I have in mind...but yeah.  Mishmash works well for us.  

 

If I were going for production of plants, snails and fish in the same tank, I would likely look at standardizing as lights went bad, just to make it easier.  I don't think I would just change lights to change them, unless they aren't working for what you need them to do.

Sensible, I definitely agree. I really like Beamswork lights and I appreciate that they work with the cheap Nicrew dimmer switch. I'd like more Fluval and Finnex lights but...money.

[Hoss]

30 minutes ago, Fishdude said:

Sensible, I definitely agree. I really like Beamswork lights and I appreciate that they work with the cheap Nicrew dimmer switch. I'd like more Fluval and Finnex lights but...money.

I'm trying to do some research in just getting LED lights that work in those spectrums needed, and running my own in the fishroom.  I've got LED lighting everywhere in the house at this point, all tied into a home automation system.  Cheap LED strips are easy to find, even WiFi variants.  I'll keep ya'll updated now that I've found this forum, see what I can find out here and through my local fish club.

I mean I like the grow LED strips, but they don't have the right spectrum for the fish to look themselves, and they aren't very powerful.  But in shallow tanks, they seem to work beautifully, even if the fish aren't quite as pretty under them.  That probably just means I need to add some additional spectrum bulbs.  But because I run those tanks in racks, I'm not worried about them being 'ugly' because they are hidden and attached to the shelving above.  

Edited March 30, 2021 by Hoss

[Jungle Fan]

If you want to set up 10+ you might want to look at standardizing so you don't have to fiddle with each lights settings at a time, something like the Fluval Plant 3.0 LED would be great so you can access them from the same control app and clone settings. Of course all of this depends to a huge degree on what you have set as your budget.

With the Kessils I'm using I could control several tanks and chain their lights and run them off the same setting. However, 'could' is the operative word here, the two Kessil A360X, Spectral controller, two goosenecks, and another cable ran about $1,300.

This is my dream tank and I saved up for it for quite a bit. I no longer keep more than three tanks now, the 75 gallon, a plant holding tank, and a tank for my two aging plecos. When I kept a fish room and multiple large tanks my lights were based on planted tank or not, availabililty, and affordability.

Uniformity can be easier, and can look very nice but the question is will it cover all the needs, still be affordable, and how much does it disturb you if the lights aren't uniform. Those are questions only you can answer.

With my Kessils I'm aware that some people hate the shimmer, some like myself love them because they replicate the way natural sunlight looks under water much  better with their point array than a light that distributes light evenly coming from lots of LEDs  without creating dark and shaded spots as well. Many aren't aware that the amount of shimmer of the Kessils is dependent on surface movement, less movement less, to no shimmer. Having shade and light is something you need to consider when planting with these, especially in the presence of wood. Kessils are a preference, not a need to have but they remind me of days when I was younger snorkeling the Crystal River in Florida to watch manatees, or collecting fossils in rivers and creeks in various states. Would I recommend Kessils as a go to light for a fish room, no I would not, there are more economical lights out there, although they could make life easier but the cost would be prohibitive

As long as one considers all the features of lights one wants and needs, and can balance them with their budget standardizing is a very nice option. When I kept my fish room, affordability and light features in regards to purpose were my deciding factors over standardization; and 'affordabilty' was still debatable with the need to replace several T5 HO fluorescent tubes every few months, even though I bought them from a local lighting shop at a discount for bulk purchases back then. LED's are way more affordable in that regard. It's another way I could justify my Kessils to myself LOL, however those who never bought tube lights lack the frame of reference in regards to expense over multiple years.