LED Aquarium Lights ??

[aussieman57]

Looking for a good light for a 90 gallon tank for African Rift lake Cichlids. Don't have any familiarity with different brands or quality of brands. The LFS keeps pushing the Fluval Planted Light 48-60 which is about $220. Seems kind of silly to fork out this much money in a tank with no plants. What do you guys use and recommend. If it was a fish room I would just use overhead lighting but this is for a living room/display tank and will need it's own light source.

 

[FJB]

I don't know what brands are easily available to you. I have Finnex Planted+ on several tanks, and I am very happy with them. The cost to me was considerably less than what they are quoting you for the Fluvals; and I can't comment on the Fluvals as I have not seen on a tank.
Good Luck!

 

[C. Breeze]

I have Fluvalsky and I like it. Works well for lowlight plants I think it runs half pf
What the plant version cost

 

[aussieman57]

I have Fluvalsky and I like it. Works well for lowlight plants I think it runs half pf
What the plant version cost

I think this is what I'll get as it is readily available locally.

 

[Deadeye]

I also have the fluval aquasky - I’m very happy with it.
The nicrew lights are also cheap and have good reviews. If you’re not going with plants these are good options (but both are also great for planted tanks).

 

[C. Breeze]

Only things I’d say about the Fluvalsky are that there no in off switc, it only works through your phone, and I found that it was “barely enough” for a 28” deep tank. It’s killer on 21-24” high tanks.

 

[Deadeye]

Only things I’d say about the Fluvalsky are that there no in off switc, it only works through your phone, and I found that it was “barely enough” for a 28” deep tank. It’s killer on 21-24” high tanks.

Yep that on off thing is a pain. Whenever power is cut (like a blackout) you have to reset it from the app, pain if you aren’t home.

 

[aussieman57]

I also have the fluval aquasky - I’m very happy with it.
The nicrew lights are also cheap and have good reviews. If you’re not going with plants these are good options (but both are also great for planted tanks).

Any issues with algae blooms with the nicrew lights? See people complaining about this in reviews. But it could also be just poor aquarium maintenance?

 

[Rocksor]

Since I don't have a canopy and no plants, I just went with a 3W LED bedroom wall mounted reading light (https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Minimalist-Bedside-Bookshelf-Display/dp/B07F7P18DS) for $15.

 

[Deadeye]

Any issues with algae blooms with the nicrew lights? See people complaining about this in reviews. But it could also be just poor aquarium maintenance?

I haven’t had one myself, but whenever there is a lighting increase there will be an algae bloom unless lots of plants can compete.
I had lots of algae when I first upgraded my lighting to the aquasky, and even before when I started running my tanks stock lights all day.