I've been away from the hobby for a few years but am in the planning stages for a 75g I'm going to set up this fall. Back when I had my big tanks, I used both Aqua Illumination and Kessil LED fixtures and liked both very much. They are expensive though, so I thought I'd see if there are any other brands/fixtures out there that hold up and perform well. Someone recommended the Fluval Smart LED 3.0. I would prefer to have a fixture that rests on top of the tank rather than one that hangs from the ceiling, but as I recall from several years ago, the LED fixtures that sat on the tank tended to be weak, and didn't sparkle and shimmer like the AI or Kessil lights. Can anyone share experience with or suggestions for other fixtures?
Best Affordable LED Fixtures Currently Available?
- Thread starter Jurupari Man
- Start date
I love this light! I got the 36"-48" for $45. Customizable blend of blue and white LEDs. Bright or dim as you want. Got it on Amazon.
NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light, Fish Tank Light with Extendable Brackets, White and Blue LEDs
NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light, Fish Tank Light with Extendable Brackets, White and Blue LEDs
I think it ultimately depends what all you want out of the light.
Is it to grow plants? And if so which ones?
And what is most important to you?
The shimmer you see from Kessil and AI, is mostly due to them being pendant type lights, the shimmer us caused by the light coming from a single spit rather than being fairly constant across the while aquarium. So if you want that, you are really stuck with pendant lights.
Most all lighting fixtures these days can be mounted to the aquarium and manycanbe hung from the ceiling or from a fixture attached to your tank or stand as well.
My personal preference is for something that produces enough light to be able to grow most any plant I want to, and have a color spectrum that makes my tank contents look good to my eyes.
In my experience blue/white lights are good for looking at fish, but not so good for looking at plants due to the low amount of green light they produce.
My next light is likely to be a Twinstar or Chihiros WRGB2, not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either.
Is it to grow plants? And if so which ones?
And what is most important to you?
The shimmer you see from Kessil and AI, is mostly due to them being pendant type lights, the shimmer us caused by the light coming from a single spit rather than being fairly constant across the while aquarium. So if you want that, you are really stuck with pendant lights.
Most all lighting fixtures these days can be mounted to the aquarium and manycanbe hung from the ceiling or from a fixture attached to your tank or stand as well.
My personal preference is for something that produces enough light to be able to grow most any plant I want to, and have a color spectrum that makes my tank contents look good to my eyes.
In my experience blue/white lights are good for looking at fish, but not so good for looking at plants due to the low amount of green light they produce.
My next light is likely to be a Twinstar or Chihiros WRGB2, not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either.
Thanks, dougall - I'll check out the fixtures you mentioned. But yes, it's looking like a single Kessil pendant is what I'll be doing again. Maybe an A360X. Not trying to grow plants - this is just for aesthetics. The dramatic look from the single point light source is definitely what's most important to me here. 
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Magnus919
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There's a lot to be said for cheap daylight-spectrum floodlights off of Amazon. There have been some favorable comparisons of them to high-end Kessil lights. And while you can't dial in the brightness or the color temperature, it's got what plants crave (and I don't mean electrolytes).
Some of the reviewers tried sitting the floodlights right on the lid and that's not how they're meant to work. You're going to want some way to mount them above the tank, and you'll need to experiment with optimal mounting height.
Some of the reviewers tried sitting the floodlights right on the lid and that's not how they're meant to work. You're going to want some way to mount them above the tank, and you'll need to experiment with optimal mounting height.