Best solution for lighting for my BTA?

W

Weboh

Member
I found out I don't have sufficient lighting for my BTA. My light is 10,000K and supposedly promotes the growth of zooaxthanelle but it's only a T8 bulb, and my anemone looks bleached.

What should I do about lighting? I thought about getting the next step up in lighting this one compared to what I already have, but I'm not sure it would do any good. I don't think the next one is any brighter since it's still a T8. If I'm going to get a whole new fixture anyway, I should probably go with an LED one, right? They're much cheaper in the long run and better overall, I've heard. Is there one you'd recommend that my LFS or Petco might have so I can pick it up ASAP?
 
I've run Maxspect Razors over my tanks for about 2 years now. Fairly cheap, come with adjustable legs so I didn't need to drill my ceiling to hang them, and have grown everything I put under them.
 
"Fairly cheap." I'm not that into reefing yet! :)

Not to mention it's a specialty item that I doubt my LFS has.
 
I run a Fluval reef 2.0 led on my daughters 40g tank and don't have an issue with it. It's cheap and gives off enough light for a BTA. Her RBTA has split once and both are about 8-10" now (started out about 12" about 6-8 months ago). It's not a great light if you wanna have corals but will keep alive and let most softies thrive. I even have some frogspawn in there that is growing like crazy. When I bought it, I had no plans on putting corals in the tank but she told me "nemo" needed a home.
 
Imagine you are the BTA. you want to just get surviving amount of light or enough light to thrive.
AI Prime is good light.
 
Fluval is cheap? It's $150 and apparently isn't even really that good? AI prime seems to be pretty expensive as well, for something that covers a small area and doesn't look upgradable.

I'd like something that will be good both for my current and a larger future one. Months ago, my LFS showed me one that has individual modules that slide onto it (so you can get the perfect lighting for everything in the tank by putting it exactly over them in the same fixture). I'm not sure of the brand or how the quality would be, but it sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for. it was $100ish and the modules were $15ish.

I don't mind paying a high price for high quality, but I'd rather not pay for features I don't need (like the smartphone integration with the AI Prime fixture. I think 90% of "internet of things" "smart" devices are pointless—smartwatch, thermostat, stove…) I'd also rather not pay more than I have to get a quality product. If one light is 10% better than the other but costs 50% more, I'm going to go with the other.

In the meantime, while I'm doing research on lighting, would it be practical to buy a small fixture, maybe a single blue bulb from Lowe's or something and put it directly over the anemone? I have a feeling it would not be, as there's a reason the aquarium fixtures are so expensive (even while LEDs are getting cheaper and more popular everywhere).
 
Sounds like you need a reality check, this is an expensive hobby and Lighting in this hobby is the largest cost. If you want the good stuff pony up the cash, if not then don't plan on keeping corals and sell your BTA. Yes the Fluval light is cheap $150 is a bargain while other lights will set you back $500-$1500. That said there are some chinese led lights that are good if you dont mind buying a timer or turning them on off every day. There are a few threads on here about these ones:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mars-165W-L...397845?hash=item1e8fc9fb55:g:pSMAAOSwblZZDTEX
 
Weboh said:
Fluval is cheap? It's $150 and apparently isn't even really that good? AI prime seems to be pretty expensive as well, for something that covers a small area and doesn't look upgradable.

I'd like something that will be good both for my current and a larger future one. Months ago, my LFS showed me one that has individual modules that slide onto it (so you can get the perfect lighting for everything in the tank by putting it exactly over them in the same fixture). I'm not sure of the brand or how the quality would be, but it sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for. it was $100ish and the modules were $15ish.

I don't mind paying a high price for high quality, but I'd rather not pay for features I don't need (like the smartphone integration with the AI Prime fixture. I think 90% of "internet of things" "smart" devices are pointless—smartwatch, thermostat, stove…) I'd also rather not pay more than I have to get a quality product. If one light is 10% better than the other but costs 50% more, I'm going to go with the other.

In the meantime, while I'm doing research on lighting, would it be practical to buy a small fixture, maybe a single blue bulb from Lowe's or something and put it directly over the anemone? I have a feeling it would not be, as there's a reason the aquarium fixtures are so expensive (even while LEDs are getting cheaper and more popular everywhere).
Click to expand...

they are two type of led fixture. one work(cost a little bit) one dont work(who care the cost at this point)
if you want futureproof do the AI hydra 26. i havent see anything that's come in modules work ever. good luck with that.
if you cant control the LED = worthless fixture.
again, do what's right for the animal.
 
I have it narrowed down to two different fixtures:

Both of them seem pretty good and pretty well recommended. Which would you recommend I get? The Current USA one seems to have comparable features for cheaper. Is the only difference the app integration or what? I know there's a more expensive version of the same light that seems identical to me, besides being newer with less reviews. I read lots of the "newbies guide to LEDs threads" here, but I guess not well enough to pick up on subtle differences like these?

Is the $125 Current USA fine? It seems to have all the things it should and has good reviews. It doesn't seem like one of those cheap quality made in China fixtures (to me. I could be 100% wrong).
 
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