Advice on IM Nano 8 Light Upgrade

[Itsy Bitsy Fishy]

Hi, I'm new to Canreef and this is my first post.

I have an Innovative Marine Nano 8 gal tank set up for about 1.5 yrs and looking to upgrade the lighting. Existing 8w LEDs are OK for soft corals, but my RBTA seems a little pale. I also want to try raising some SPS. Is the AquaRay miniLED 500 suitable for my needs? It's on sale at J&L.

Any advice is appreciated. Merry Christmas!

[shiftline]

I would look at the AI prime for a smaller tank


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[FishyFishy!]

If you can afford an AI prime, they are great, but if price is a concern, I have great nano success using the rapid LED Par38 full spectrum LED bulbs. Good choice for a smaller tank, cheap and they screw into a regular bulb socket.

And again, if price isnt an option, you can always try nanobox LED's. They are pretty dang nice, but you sure to pay for them.

Same goes for a Kessil a160we. Great fixture, but expensive for a nano fixture.

Oh...and that aquaray will leave you dissapointed
Its more white light than anything. Probably better suited for a freshwater tank or refugium.

[FishyFishy!]

You can buy these at reefsupplies.ca pretty cheap

[Itsy Bitsy Fishy]

Originally Posted by FishyFishy!

If you can afford an AI prime, they are great, but if price is a concern, I have great nano success using the rapid LED Par38 full spectrum LED bulbs. Good choice for a smaller tank, cheap and they screw into a regular bulb socket.

And again, if price isnt an option, you can always try nanobox LED's. They are pretty dang nice, but you sure to pay for them.

Same goes for a Kessil a160we. Great fixture, but expensive for a nano fixture.

Oh...and that aquaray will leave you dissapointed
Its more white light than anything. Probably better suited for a freshwater tank or refugium.

Sigh! My gut feeling was that the AquaRay would be inadequate, but it's relatively cheap (and on sale).

The Par38 bulbs are reasonably priced, but I don't think it's slick looking enough for my living room. I'll probably break down and get the Kessil a160we or AI Prime (just won't tell my wife the price).

I appreciate your and 'shiftline's advice. I've followed the Canreef community for a while now and it's a great site. Have a good holiday.

[shiftline]

See which ever Boxing Day sale tempts you the most


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[Tyfighter]

I just picked up an ai prime for my 9gal nano. I'm pretty happy with it so far. Looks good as well.
Hopefully you can find one on a Boxing week sale!

[Itsy Bitsy Fishy]

Originally Posted by Tyfighter

I just picked up an ai prime for my 9gal nano. I'm pretty happy with it so far. Looks good as well.
Hopefully you can find one on a Boxing week sale!

Congrats. I'm interested in how you make out with coral growth. Despite the excellent advice, I picked up an AquaRay miniLED 500HD over the holidays (I just couldn't bring myself to shell out the big bucks). The AquaRay website recommended these lights for nano reef set ups. I'm going to photo journal my coral and anemone growth to see if there's much improvement over the stock lights that came with my tank kit - hopefully I won't regret my choice.