New lights - Desperate at this point...

[PheonixKingZ]

Nicrew

I keep seeing this name pop up... do their lights tend to be blue/dull? Or super bright/white?

 

[AquaBarb]

Nicrew are very good lights and good value for what you get. Well built and gives off good light.

I tried one for my 22g long and my plants etc are thriving

 

[TheTenthDoctor]

Shop lights with high powered LED bulbs

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Nicrew are very good lights and good value for what you get. Well built and gives off good light.

I tried one for my 22g long and my plants etc are thriving

Do you have a similar model to this? Amazon.com : NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light, Fish Tank Light with Extendable Brackets, White and Blue LEDs, Size 18 to 24 Inch, 11 Watts : Pet Supplies

 

[Fishmanic]

Nicrew has a newer model for a few $$ more that has a dimmer feature.https/www.amazon.com/NICREW-ClassicLED-Aquarium-Dimmable-2-Channel-dp-B07V7DCCJB/dp/B07V7DCCJB/ref=dp_ob_title_pet

 

[eatyourpeas]

Do you have a similar model to this? Amazon.com : NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light, Fish Tank Light with Extendable Brackets, White and Blue LEDs, Size 18 to 24 Inch, 11 Watts : Pet Supplies

That is the exact one I have on my nano cube (12"). Plants like it.

 

[Utar]

Need new aquarium light, Finnex HLC, ALC, KLC, CRV what is the difference?

Check out my thread on Finnex lights for help in learning about lights in your quest to learn. In that thread I am comparing several different models of Finnex lights with the help of Razzmatazz who actually has bought Finnex lights. They are more expensive than Nicrew which I have now. Nicrew are great lights, but don't offer much in remote control, but I believe Nicrew has recently came out with a model that does have remote control.

There are so many lights to study and choose from that it can be a bit tiring and confusing. So I will try and give you a few guide lines to start.

1. Cost (what is your budget and how much can you spend, lights can cost very little or get very expensive like some of the Fluval models.)

2. Type of lighting (Here there are two main categories florescence lighting and LED lighting.)

3. par rating (looking at the par rating simply means how bright the light is, the higher the par rating the brighter the light.)

4. Control (An aquarium light can have a simple on/off switch up to a remote control that allows you to program your light for different lighting effects, some like the fluval aquasky even have smart phone apps that create a remote control on your phone.)

5. Popularity (There are lights that are more popular than other lights, and this maybe the only way you can learn from others about how good the light is for your propose.)

6. Colors in the light spectrum (This is probably the most important, simply because plants need the diffrent colors produced in nature, reds, blues, as well as natural white to bloom, grow, and propagate.

 

[AquaBarb]

Do you have a similar model to this? Amazon.com : NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light, Fish Tank Light with Extendable Brackets, White and Blue LEDs, Size 18 to 24 Inch, 11 Watts : Pet Supplies

Yes Mines just the next size up.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Need new aquarium light, Finnex HLC, ALC, KLC, CRV what is the difference?

Check out my thread on Finnex lights for help in learning about lights in your quest to learn. In that thread I am comparing several different models of Finnex lights with the help of Razzmatazz who actually has bought Finnex lights. They are more expensive than Nicrew which I have now. Nicrew are great lights, but don't offer much in remote control, but I believe Nicrew has recently came out with a model that does have remote control.

There are so many lights to study and choose from that it can be a bit tiring and confusing. So I will try and give you a few guide lines to start.

1. Cost (what is your budget and how much can you spend, lights can cost very little or get very expensive like some of the Fluval models.)

2. Type of lighting (Here there are two main categories florescence lighting and LED lighting.)

3. par rating (looking at the par rating simply means how bright the light is, the higher the par rating the brighter the light.)

4. Control (An aquarium light can have a simple on/off switch up to a remote control that allows you to program your light for different lighting effects, some like the fluval aquasky even have smart phone apps that create a remote control on your phone.)

5. Popularity (There are lights that are more popular than other lights, and this maybe the only way you can learn from others about how good the light is for your propose.)

6. Colors in the light spectrum (This is probably the most important, simply because plants need the diffrent colors produced in nature, reds, blues, as well as natural white to bloom, grow, and propagate.

1. Budget: I wouldn’t like to go over $30.

2. Probably LED

3. N/A

4. Probably just an on/off switch.

5. Yes

6. N/A

Here again, the 20g long isn’t my favorite tank by an means. I don’t want to go “all out” on it, because it’s not my favorite. I do however want to get a decent light for it, that can at least grow plants and is nice and bright. (It’s going to be a Zebra Danio only tank, along with tons on Cherry Shrimp)

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yes Mines just the next size up.

Awesome! And when measuring, how do I measure? The light I have on my 20g long barely fits now, because it’s to small. So... probably the 18 - 24 inch?

 

[eatyourpeas]

One of the images on the Amazon site gives the min and max extension of the light. Don't get it too close to the max so that the brackets don't fall off on you. Get as much of the light as you can on the tank if you want lots of plants.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Ok, thanks.

This is what is on my list for my 20g long: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ID3OK3S/?tag=ff0d01-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XW2F5TQ/?tag=ff0d01-20

I hear good things about that QuitFlow, so I’m getting it for my 20g long. (It doesn’t have a filter right now)

Not sure when I’m getting more ZD’s yet.

Just order both, spent $53. That light better be worth it.

 

[Utar]

1. Budget: I wouldn’t like to go over $30.

2. Probably LED

3. N/A

4. Probably just an on/off switch.

5. Yes

6. N/A

Here again, the 20g long isn’t my favorite tank by an means. I don’t want to go “all out” on it, because it’s not my favorite. I do however want to get a decent light for it, that can at least grow plants and is nice and bright. (It’s going to be a Zebra Danio only tank, along with tons on Cherry Shrimp)

The Nicrew is going to be your best budget light. I have tried a couple of the other cheap lights and they don't compare to the Nicrew, so don't waste your money on those. I got the Coodia Light first and was disappointed in it, so I ordered the Nicrew Classic for my ten gallon, way much better light. Get the Nicrew Classic it is your best bang for the buck. The measurement on the lights starts with the length of the light itself, out to the end that extends the legs. 30 -36" means the light itself is 30", but the legs extend out to 36". Your 20 gallon long is 30 1/4 inches long, so you could go with the 30 - 36" which is $38.99, a bit more after shipping charges are applied then the $30 you want to spend. Or you could go with the shorter version 18 - 24" but you would be loosing 12" of light coverage. That is your decision to make.

You should measure you tank's length and make sure of all this. It doesn't hurt anything to just set the light on the glass cover or what ever you use without the legs, that is what I have done. But if the tank is open then obviously you can't do that. But and this is just my opinion, I would never set any light with legs or otherwise on the tank without a lid. These lights aren't completely water proof. For an open tank I strongly suggest hanging form the ceiling or some other way of using the light by outside the tank mounting.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

The Nicrew is going to be your best budget light. I have tried a couple of the other cheap lights and they don't compare to the Nicrew, so don't waste your money on those. I got the Coodia Light first and was disappointed in it, so I ordered the Nicrew Classic for my ten gallon, way much better light. Get the Nicrew Classic it is your best bang for the buck. The measurement on the lights starts with the length of the light itself, out to the end that extends the legs. 30 -36" means the light itself is 30", but the legs extend out to 36". Your 20 gallon long is 30 1/4 inches long, so you could go with the 30 - 36" which is $38.99, a bit more after shipping charges are applied then the $30 you want to spend. Or you could go with the shorter version 18 - 24" but you would be loosing 12" of light coverage. That is your decision to make.

You should measure you tank's length and make sure of all this. It doesn't hurt anything to just set the light on the glass cover or what ever you use without the legs, that is what I have done. But if the tank is open then obviously you can't do that. But and this is just my opinion, I would never set any light with legs or otherwise on the tank without a lid. These lights aren't completely water proof. For an open tank I strongly suggest hanging form the ceiling or some other way of using the light by outside the tank mounting.

That is strange they aren’t fully waterproof, may look into hanging it from the ceiling...

Yes, I saw the price difference, but when I measured the tank rim to rim, it was a little over 30”, so I figured the 28.5” would be perfect for that! Hope it doesn’t disappoint...

 

[Utar]

That is strange they aren’t fully waterproof, may look into hanging it from the ceiling...

Yes, I saw the price difference, but when I measured the tank rim to rim, it was a little over 30”, so I figured the 28.5” would be perfect for that! Hope it doesn’t disappoint...

It will be a good light, just that you want get the entire tank light coverage, but then you may not need it.