- What kind of lighting do I need for a reef tank?
Well, I guess the simple answer is
any light that's specifically designed to grow corals
and other photosynthetic marine organisms.
But let's be real, that's not exactly super helpful.
So instead, let's explore what you want to look for
in a capable reef aquarium light fixture.
There are five things that new reefers should consider
when choosing a light for their reef tank
that will help weed through the seemingly endless array
of options that turn up when you start searching.
Let's kick things off with,
does the manufacturer have an excellent track record
of reefers successfully growing a stunning reef
under their lighting?
With so many no name off-brand reef light options
that cost so little it feels like
you're winning the lottery,
It can be pretty tempting to try
a cheap lighting solution on your reef tank.
And in some cases they can work,
but there's generally an associated risk as well.
Whether that's a complete lack of support
from the manufacturer or poorly designed optics
that cause hotspots and color separation
that can be hard on the corals as well as your eyes,
or issues with longevity and premature failure,
or all of the above.
The easiest way to avoid a bad experience
that could cost you more
than just wasted money on a crummy light,
but possibly also losing your corals as well
is by finding out if that particular manufacturer
has a large following of fellow reefers
who have had largely positive experiences
with that particular light fixture
and grown amazing looking corals
in their own reef tanks using that light.
One of the best ways to vet a light is just to ask about it
on your favorite reefing forum or social page.
If anyone else has had success, you're sure to find out.
Similarly, if someone has had a poor experience
or perhaps nobody was even willing to try it out,
that could be the big red flag that you were looking for.
But instead of going down that road at all
and being your own guinea pig,
there are many manufacturers in the reef lighting game
with an excellent reputation of making great products
to fit all kinds of budgets
that will also stand behind their products
so you know you're covered if something goes wrong.
Sticking with one of those well-known manufacturers
takes a lot of the risk off of your plate
and greatly increases your chances of getting
the right light fixture for your tank the first time.
Is the light easy to use right out of the box,
or do you need an in-depth understanding of lighting
to be able to set it up properly?
Chances are you're gonna be looking at some sort
of LED light fixture for your reef tanks
since that is currently the technology
that is most widely used in modern reefing.
LED lighting has a lots of benefits,
like showing off fantastic coloration
and fluorescents in corals
and having a stunning and dynamic shimmer in the tank.
LED lights often have a wide range of control as well,
and that can actually be a double edged sword
for new reefers.
Being able to play around with the intensity of individual
LED colors on your light can definitely be fun,
but if you don't fully grasp how these individual colors
will affect your corals ability to photosynthesize,
then you could accidentally make a change
that could be detrimental to your reef.
Similarly, if you're unsure of how many hours
of light your corals are gonna need each day,
or how to set up a proper schedule for your reef tank,
you may end up finding that you're providing
not enough light to your report, or even too much.
Many popular LED fixtures out there will have presets
for you to use so that you can make sure
your corals are getting what they need.
So picking a light that offers popular presets
for both the spectrum
and the light schedule is a big advantage.
Some manufacturers will give you the ability
to adjust how the light looks to your eye
without any risk of getting spectrum wrong
by giving you a single point of control
for how blue or white the light's going to appear,
which gives you the best of both worlds.
The ability to use a preset spectrum
that you know will grow healthy, colorful corals,
and the ability to adjust that spectrum
to what looks best to your eyes.
Many also provide a quick setup where you can simply type
in the time you want your light to turn on in the morning
and will then set up an appropriate light schedule
for the entire day that starts at the time that you chose
so that you don't have to.
Does the light have enough intensity
and spread for the types of corals you want to keep
for a tank with the same dimensions as yours?
How much light a fixture can provide
can be broken down into intensity and spread.
In other words,
how much energy the light can provide
and how wide of an area it can provide that energy to.
You'll definitely want to make sure
that the light or lights that you're getting
are able to provide your tank's dimensions
with the right amount of energy
for the types of corals you want to keep.
You might be surprised at how differently LED fixtures
can look and perform from one another,
from floodlight style pendants with a single optic
to larger panel style fixtures with diodes spread far apart.
All of these fixtures will have their own unique strengths,
weaknesses, and unique characteristics
when it comes to spread and intensity.
Most reputable manufacturers will give you an idea
of how their light performs with charts and diagrams,
so make sure to take a look at them and compare
that spread and intensity to your tank dimensions
to get a good idea of how that light
is going to perform over your tank.
Does it make your tank look the way you prefer?
This includes how blue or white or light appears
and how much shimmer it provides.
How a particular light fixture
and the light it provides to your tank
makes your tank appear is also gonna be pretty important
considering this is your tank and you got to look at it,
so you got to enjoy it.
And that largely comes down to personal preference.
Some light fixtures provide a ton of shimmer in the tank
and create a dynamic look with bright areas
and more shadowed areas.
Other fixtures have a softer diffused look
with very little or no shimmer and reduced shadows.
Some will make a tank appear visually brighter
and whiter and more natural,
while others are bluer
and focus on showing off coral fluorescence.
How the light itself looks sitting
over top of the tank is also a consideration.
Maybe you prefer several smaller lights
on individual matching arms,
or perhaps you'd rather have a single large fixture
suspended from the ceiling.
With so many options out there,
all capable of growing stunning corals,
there is no one single right answer for everybody.
So absolutely do take
your personal preferences into consideration.
And of course, does it match your budget?
The overall cost of a reef tank light can vary quite a lot.
So sticking to a particular budget is definitely possible.
Don't be made to feel like you have to break the bank
to get a specific light fixture because you've got options.
Everybody out there, myself included,
wants to feel like they got
the absolute best lighting option possible
for their tank for their corals.
But like I was just saying,
there are so many capable lighting options available,
there isn't a singular best light fixture.
Flagship light fixtures
from the most popular brands are fantastic, absolutely.
But there are so many great brands
that offer fantastic lighting options in mid tier
and even budget price ranges,
so if your budget doesn't allow
for several $1,000 light fixtures, don't sweat it.
And don't feel like you're limiting your success.
Find a great light that does match your budget,
and don't look back.
Now of course, there are other considerations as well,
like what kind of mounting options are available
for a particular light fixture,
whether or not you want app control,
or zero to 10 volt integration,
and even whether you want to stick to LED
or explore other options like T5.
But before you worry about all of that,
Ryan and Randy are gonna help you figure out
which of the four major types of reef lighting
best match your reefing mantra in this video right here.
Have a watch, it is going to be enlightening.
Ah, ah, check it out.