Lighting recommendations 36" Nuvo 24

[shiftline]

Hi all.

I'm debating upgrading my 12g reef to my Nuvo 24 tank.

The lighting is currently an ecoexotic e-series which is great for planted but probably not quite there for coral

Do you guys have any recommendations on some lighting that would work for sps corals? Either a second add on strip or a replacement?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by shiftline

I'm debating upgrading my 12g reef to my Nuvo 24 tank.

Do you guys have any recommendations on some lighting that would work for sps corals? Either a second add on strip or a replacement?

Would you consider the 24" Nuvo 40? An AI Hydra 26 would be great on it and it would cover the whole tank nicely because of the dimensions of the tank.

[shiftline]

I actually have a 36" Nuvo already. I may be doing a trade for the 24" however I was planning on using the 24" as the planted (transfer from 36"). And upgrading my current 12g reed to the 36"

[Myka]

I see. I like T5s over 36" length, unless you want to buy 2 Hydra 26. I really like the Hydras - they do a great job.

[shiftline]

I see a lot of people suspend their lights above the tank. It makes sense for larger spread however I have always had them right above the water line so you don't see the light Just the glow

[Kabong]

You definitely need to go higher if your go with the hydra 26.
I had one on my 50 gal and it was probably at least 12" above the water surface.

If you do go with a LED light, be advised they do not have as much visible light spectrum as other types of lights.
So your tank may seem darker, but the corals will still be getting the light they need.

[shiftline]

I have 36w of led on my 12g nano reef and everything seems happy. I prefer leds since they are sleeker (lower profile) and consume less power. Is there any thin long reef strip lights similar to the ecoexotic e-series currently on the Nuvo 24 ?

[shiftline]

Has anyone used an orbit marine led? Would it work for higher light corals in a tank that's only 13" deep?

[mikellini]

Originally Posted by shiftline

Has anyone used an orbit marine led? Would it work for higher light corals in a tank that's only 13" deep?

Those are less than 1w LEDs, like I was saying you probably won't be happy with those if you want some acros or a clam.

Check out Reefbrite. 3w emitters in strips, the make a 36" "HO" version that has 30 of them for a total of 90w. That should be more than enough light. The regular strip has 18 emitters, which is also probably sufficient.

[shiftline]

This is the other one I found which is the current Runner up
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/prod...251754500.html