Beautiful LPS under Chihiros Nova 1 🌟

LED lighting systems are the rage these days for reef tanks. It makes a lot of sense why. The best LED lighting for reef tanks will have a lot of user friendly features like timers, ramp up and ramp down features, the ability to adjust spectrum, and multiple mount options. The main attraction for LED though, is the power savings features. LEDs are a lot more energy efficient than traditional T5s and metal halides.

Benefits of LED Lighting for Reef Tanks
Before we go through the various reef LED lighting systems, let’s talk about why LEDs have gotten so popular with reef tanks. In the past, reef tanks were run with VHOs or T5s that were equipped with manual timers. They provided great even spread of light with no shadowing, but they did not produce a lot of light intensity (PAR). Then came metal halides which produced a lot of light intensity and you have hybrid halide and T5 systems.

These systems provided a great environment for all reef tanks, but consumed a ton of power and kept tanks hot sometimes to the point of requiring fans or a chiller to keep the temperatures down.

LED came out with an promise to decrease the energy cost for a reef tank. They are far more energy efficient than metal halides and T5s. They also have unique drivers that allow them to be customizable. Many aquarium LED fixtures will have electronic timers built in that will turn on and turn off the light for you. They will have dimmable features and will ramp up and ramp down simulating morning and night time effects. Others will even run on your smartphone via an app!

LEDs Are Safe to Use
One of the main advantages in safety that reef LED lighting systems have is are the construction. LED lights are not made of metal filaments or gas that halides are made of.

Reef LED Lighting Can Be Compact
The compactness of several reef LED lighting systems is the very reason they are the ideal choice for nano reef and smaller tanks. Many reef aquarium LED lighting systems are made in “pucks” which means the unit is far more compact than traditional T5s. They are also lightweight, which means many can be mounted on the rim of the marine aquarium creating a very clean and modern look on rimless tanks where a canopy can be left out.

 90cm fish tank uses two nova1

chihiros nova1