Which lights are best

[Prariecanuck]

Hi. Ill be starting a new tank build it will be 250-300 gallons I haven't decided depth yet. My question is what type of lighting are the best for a fowlr system this will be my first fowlr as I have a 90 mixed reef now and use mh which I love the shimmer but hate the fans and heat. Thanks in advance for the response

[sphelps]

A couple kessil spot lights might be something to look at. You'd probably only need 2 of the A350Ws, hung up higher to spread the light better. Would give you the shimmer you're looking for without noise or heat.

[Prariecanuck]

They look nice but I think the wife would prefer me to have a canopy on it would good old t8 with some led strips added give me a good combo in your opinion?

[mike31154]

For a FOWLR LED strip lighting would be a great option. You can get 5 meter reels of different colour LEDs or even RGB strips for very low cost online. I use two strips of 5050 SMD RGB water resistant strips to supplement the 10 watt multi chips on my mixed reef. If you want more power, 5630 SMD strips are also available. Pretty simple to DIY & all you need is some aluminum stock & a 12 volt power supply. You can cut them to size, usually at an interval of every 3 LEDs or any multiple of 3. Many of the reels available online come with power supply and the RGB strips may be provided with multicolour remotes allowing you to blend colours & provide effects offered by much higher end LED fixtures. Check out the last page of my build, starting at post #54, link is in my signature block.

[Prariecanuck]

Those stripes look great just what I was thinking of. I hope I can score the same deal when I'm ready for them sure will cut my lighting cost down thanks mike

[mike31154]

If you have an eBay account, a search for SMD5050 LED strips will score a lot of hits. Depending on the type of strip, level of waterproofing & whether it comes with IR remote & power supply, the price will vary from $25-35 for a 5 meter strip, that's like 16 feet. You can cut them up & have quite a few rows packed into your canopy. Not a bad deal at all for a little diy effort. Watch the shipping costs, mostly it's free & that's a bit of a downside since it can take 3-4 weeks to get to you.

There are also some good deals available in ready made strips enclosed in aluminum housing with plastic cover.

[MCC]

I vote for LED strip lights ... simple / almost zero heat/ cost effective and never need to replace ever again. This way you can play around with the color scheme as well.

Depth wouldn't matter as light is light, you will see just fine. you aren't too concern about par values.