Best lighting for my new nano

[nshepler]

Hey guys, I am looking to upgrade my nano lighting. Could anyone suggest the best lighting for my Nano it's 11.5 inches deep and across. I would like to be able to grow anything. I have been looking at LEDs but there's so many to choose from I'm having a hard time. I would go to my lfs but I don't really trust that guy to be honest. Plus everything in his shop is crazy expensive.


Shep

 

[nshepler]

I've seen this one a lot. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00N0PJM6A/ref=pd_aw_sbs_petsupplies_30?refRID=0W8SBS7826Q63GQAMVZ6#


Shep

 

[CCXGT]

You don't want to be skimping when it comes to lighting.

Especially if you plan on keeping a bit of everything.

I'm no genius when it comes to lighting but 6 LED's totalling 18w of lighting doesn't sound too capable of growing much.

Quite a few people run a PAR38 bulb on their Nano's.

Something like this:
http://www.marinereefled.co.uk/par38-quadspec-v2/

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[nshepler]

I would do that if I could find a solid goose neck to put it in.


Shep

 

[Mattyfelts]

I would do that if I could find a solid goose neck to put it in.


Shep

there are goosenecks, super pricey though. why dont you just use an architect lamp from walmart to hold it

 

[nshepler]

I'll go to Walmart and look at those today, thanks! I didn't even think about that.


Shep

 

[nshepler]

Which par38 should I get though? There are so many.


Shep

 

[CCXGT]

Which par38 should I get though? There are so many.


Shep

Whichever one Matty uses ?


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[Mattyfelts]

Whichever one Matty uses ?


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Haha. RapidLED mixed color/ UV par38


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[nshepler]

Thanks a ton guys!


Shep

 

[nshepler]

What do you guys think about this light for my nano? http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=181593782595


Shep

 

[jeffaquarius]

Those low wattage are for plants as it stated. You need 54 watts which they are out of stock. The problem is that they are not dimmable so you can not acclimate when introducing new corals.

 

[nshepler]

It says suitable for coral reefs? But in my 7 gallon is 36 watts not enough?
I can acclimate using screens so I'm not worried about that as much.

Shep

 

[jeffaquarius]

It's not only the wattage that you be concerned of but also the Kelvin rating. It is the light frequency band or the color that is responsible for photosynthesis. Plants need different frequency band compared to what corals need. So you better take note of each lighting fixture specification. You may have more than enough PAR but with inadequate PUR which I am discovering on these cheap Chinese LED fixtures.

 

[nshepler]

Okay then what should I look for to make sure it has enough pur? Since you said the 54w would be better and the only difference between the 36 and 54 other then watts are the Lumens am i looking for lumens?


Shep

 

[jeffaquarius]

The lumen is the brightness and you can bleach a coral without enough PUR on it. The first thing you should be looking for on the specification is the frequency of light being emitted or it is designed for reef aquarium. Some distributors will say the light is reef CAPABLE which means it may or may not work. It may work but you need more wattage to compensate for the wasted lumen that are not used for photosynthesis. It's better to have extra wattage since you can reduce it with screen filter if you need to or hang it higher. Much better if you pick a dimmable LED lighting.

 

[nshepler]

So would the above light I am looking at me fine for basic corals and zoas? It's over 5 watts per gallon.


Shep

 

[jeffaquarius]

I have not seen the specification of that bulb. The height of tank or the distance of fixture from water surface is what dictates your wattage and not the volume. The old rule does not apply to LED.

 

[mr_X]

Jeff, how are you able to measure PUR? I have not found any lacking fixtures that come from China as long as they have the same wattage as a unit from anywhere else.
What I can say about these is there's not enough blue. they won't make your corals look as nice and pop like other fixtures will, but they will all grow corals. I would want something with more blues than whites.

 

[jeffaquarius]

I agree that 7 gal is just too small. You will have a hard time making your water parameter stable with that size. It's true a 54 watts LED will be just too much.