Aquarium Lighting Decoded, What's The Best For Your Fish Tank?

[@rootsnwhiskers8351]

I'm not biased or anything, but this is the best aquarium podcast I've ever listened to 😊

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I can’t imagine what would make you say that😉😉😉

[@robertwayman7974]

Are your kitties listening ?

[@leo2o915]

Carl agrees with this message!

[@DGGuaglianone]

Correction *best podcast all around*

[@anthonygustafson2150]

It's about time you two got together for a podcast. Very interesting, lots of good insight, and I'm not even a freshwater guy (yet). Looking forward to future episodes!

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@forteanfish]

I agree with Lisa's advice. I've stuck with Hygger because they are affordable and my plants grow.

[@vmcknight80]

When you two get together, we win! Fantastic discussion.

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Thank you!

[@Whips_World]

My lights are the only thing I have that are on an automated system. I just wasn't consistent enough with turning them on and off, and while I understand the fish don't need the light, like Jason, my fish room is in the basement with zero ambient light. I'm talking as dark as the inside of a coffin.

[@Whips_World]

When I bought my 210 it came as a kit, stand, canopy, two 3ft twin tub bulb lights. That was back in 2008ish. One of them is still in service and has been since the day I brought it home (albeit on a different tank).

[@reginaphalanges7331]

Thanks for making my Monday mornings less stressful!😊

[@spoiledsushi7400]

My first aquarium had the metal frame & the light hood was all metal. You had to push a button in & hold it a few seconds for the light to come on. Sometimes you got a bit of a shock! Lol....yes I'm old!

[@jerrygoebel9152]

My first (around 1970?) used the tubular incandescent bulbs. When they burned out and had to be replaced I'd invariably find they were partially corroded in the sockets, and the glass bulb would separate from the base, I'd have to unplug the light (safety first) and then used a needle nosed pliers to unscrew the base. Then the owner of an aquarium store told me to put some Vaseline on the threads to keep the water out. We had our choice of clear, yellow, and blue "plant bulbs."

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

You mean you didn’t try the potato cut in half trick? Lol.

[@jerrygoebel9152]

@@TheTankTalkPodcast didn't know that trick way back then. I was still in high school. But you guys (Jason and John) weren't even born.

[@aquablaster86]

The Fluval Aquasky 2.0s have served me very well for the past 5yrs. I have a 4ft and 2ft on my 125gal and a 3ft and 2ft on my 40 breeder and have had no issues at all and are plenty bright to grow any plant i have kept. Also, every outlet that has aquarium equipment connected to it i use the standalone gfci outlets that you plug into a regular outlet. I also have grounding probes inside all of my tanks.

[@terrymartins2552]

Nice conversation on lights, both of you made it interesting and informative and I look forward to hearing more from this channel.

[@timrussell89]

Loving these podcast. Keepem coming!

[@darrylm92]

I use LED plant grow lights. They are very bright and 5000k if I remember right. They come in 2' and 4' lengths very similar to a shop light. Not too expensive and you can get online at the most popular "big box" type of store. I did a test and placed 2 - 2' lights on a plant only 15 gallon tank and it grew a layer of algea in 1 day! Super awesome lights with a manual on/off switch so I can connect them to a smart plug.

[@FishCapadesProductions]

I went with the fluval 3.0 for my deeper 29 tank love it but went with the hygger 957 for my 10 as I didn't feel the 10 warranted the power of the fluval 3.0 but my ramp up and down and full programming is a must for me. ❤

[@blackfireaquatics]

I'm a big fan of hygger products there cheaper then most light but absolutely worth it

[@RiverRat1953]

I am running 3 hygger lights and several other products of theirs, and I feel that they are good to go.

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

This is exactly why we carry them on our website (John)😝😝😝

[@FishCapadesProductions]

Love this duo ❤️ you guys are great together such an interesting listen ❤

[@shanedwood]

What did I just stumble on?!?! Definitely a smart calibration

[@laattardo]

I was unsure if this was dropping yesterday and kept looking. First thing I looked for this morning. 😂😂 love you two talking, such a natural conversation between you. I have to figure out what kind of lights to get for my 54 corner. Inexpensive middle of the pack lights is what I need for a low tech highly planted tank. Just worried about light getting to the depths of the tank. I've never had as deep of a tank as this one.

[@amuseinthecraftroom6257]

I put that Hyger light on my Betta tank and the 55 downstairs and that ramp up and down has been my favorite feature I think.

[@CAMARO1Harley]

I have such a wide variety of lighting. Hyger lights are great for cheap lights!

[@reggie2803]

Two of my favorite KZbinrs on a video together. 🤗

[@greghaste5216]

Ive been running an Beams Work for the last 7yrs and its served me really well.

[@KentoLeoDragon]

I like Hygger too. I have maybe six or so of them, and it's coming up on three years and I haven't had any problems with any of them, knock on wood. Usually I just plug them into a timer that turns them on or off. I don't bother with trying to program them with their dawn, day & dusk settings. Too confusing for my tired old brain. I think I mentioned this on Jason's channel but I think in terms of how many watts I'm getting for the money. The way I see it (no pun) you can only squeeze so much light out of 15 or 20 watts, no matter how pretty the color balance is. I can put two or three Hyggers over my tank for a total of 40-60 watts of light for less than the cost of 20 watts of a Fluval light. Of course, if you have large deep planted tanks you have to start looking at lights with a higher penetration to reach the bottom of the tank.

[@stevecox8066]

I was in the hobby back in the 80s and ran the T5, then T8 bulbs. Got out after too many military moves and got back a few years ago. Running Nicrew LED. I really wish they had an app, because every light I buy from them (seven now) the timing controls seem to change to more and more features but more and more complicated. Just let me have an app already!! Luckily for me, there are plenty of windows in my house and all my fish see lighting coming into the rooms they are in before the lighting turns on and starts ramping up.

[@carolinemusic100]

Absolutely fantastic podcast. Extremely helpful, informative and interesting. 😊

[@RoseBuddMedia]

thank you for all the info guys! I'm learning so much from your vids

[@lonewolfphotography01]

Brilliant cast guys thank you.. I had no option when my fluorescent lights wore out, to replace with led, this was purely down to cost , over here I would have to pay £30 per tube , plus I'd be lucky to get hold of one .. however switching to led was a game changer , less algea for a start and more tunable brightness . Mine are the fluval brand but not hugely expensive

[@AMNitrates]

The Kessil lights have a shimmer. That’s why people love them in reef tanks. 😊

[@Laura-ed5kf]

Good to know: I’m about to cross-over to salt.

[@AMNitrates]

@@Laura-ed5kf I had a 13.5 gallon Fluval tank with a Kessil and it was beautiful.

[@Laura-ed5kf]

⁠@@AMNitratesthank you. I’ll be looking into it. I run Fluval 3.0 on my freshwater tanks and love them! But the price-point in the Kessil threw me. Though when one’s shopping cart-total is at 1.5K on JUST the tank w/out sand/coral/water/livestock/light, money starts to lose meaning! 😅 I learned w/ my freshwater & herps to START w/ the best you can afford (great advice Lisa!) from the get-go because in the end, it saves money. As I research reef tanks, I’m just going w/ my end-goal, dream-tank from day one.

[@AMNitrates]

@@Laura-ed5kf for sure! Reefing is way more expensive than the freshwater hobby. Go with the best you can get at the start, especially with saltwater.

[@davebnsfnscale4433]

Had some power compact florescent lights back in the day on my 75 planted with CO2 just on timers now have Hygger 957 ,love them

[@evilone543]

I have 6 tanks with 6 Fluval 3.0 lights on one app. I will be swapping one of those to an AI Prime on a gooseneck when I get my summer work bonus. My 10g shallow office tank has the room fluorescents and a floor lamp with an LED daylight bulb for weekends.

[@Jeswald1]

LED lights got me ack in the hobby. The old aluminum hoods were ugly and hot. I have dropped my NiCrew in the tank at least times and it still works, but if it didn't, they are cheap enough to replace. Nano only speaking here!

[@adeptusmagi]

yep 40w incandesents and heated the tank as well LEDs last longer because flourecent tubes only put out 50% of the original light output after about 6 months LEDs put out 99% of the light output just before they die 5 or so years later LED cells are degraded by heat and heat is produced on an exponentially curve so if you use a Dimmer and reduce the output by 20% the subsequent heat reduction gives you the infinite life everyone talks about, Its all down to cooling on top end lights over cheap ones but yeh cut down the heat by dimming the light BY 20% as i said even a cheap light will last years and years Yes the fluval full spectrum light will give excellent fish colours because they are full spectrum but there are cheap chinese full spectrum lights on that website that will also give this and use the dimming trick and they work out just as good

[@timrussell89]

Which light from your website would you recommend for a 55 gallon planted aquarium and also a 55 gallon non planted aquarium?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

For the planted tank I’d recommend the 46w Hygger and for the non planted I’d recommend the 46w Hygger lol

[@timrussell89]

@@TheTankTalkPodcast easy enough lol

[@Dogfish63]

I have hyggers but one of the three died within two years and my other two are still working. I bought a Nicrew that only lasted a little over a year. I liked the look and the control of the Nicrew better though.

[@plushpossum]

I still have 2 of the old school lights that still work. But I’ve had to replace a few LED lights because that big square box thing went out. (I don’t know the terminology.)😂

[@annemarieacosta8775]

Love my Hyger lights ! ❤

[@jhoanestiv]

I would love for you guys to try and review the brands, Twinstar and Chihiros both high end aquascaping freshwater planted aquarium led lights that also do very well on fish coloration display.

[@TinkTink1328]

I recently switched from salt water to freshwater. And are using the reef reader photon pro 4ft $750 and have it on my 65 jbj and love the control but the hardest part was finding the right level of Intensity there are not alot of Info for lights made for reef aquarium and using them in a planted aquarium and after spending all that money for these expenses light last thing I want to do is by more lights it grows my plants great but it Was a lot of trial-and-error.

[@bwood4505]

I surprised you didn’t mention the need for a Ground Fault Interrupting plug for your aquarium in case you dunk a light. Prevents electrocution of both you and your fish and a very necessary aquarium need.

[@mattknowlton5983]

I have 4 aquariums right now and all for have a different light in each one. I chose my lights on what plants I put in each aquarium. Ranging from low light anubius and java ferns to higher lights for rotala h ra.

[@pg412]

Maybe I'll try a Hygger on one of my tanks. I still run mostly T5 HO fluorescent lights on my planted tanks and even a Coralife compact fluorescent on one of them! One reason is what Jason mentioned in the beginning...once an LED goes, you're spending money on an entire fixture again, and I can't justify spending the money on the ones that would really be worth it knowing the clock is ticking toward when I'd need replace them. I've had my T5 fixtures for 19 years now and have only had to replace bulbs. I've tried some of the lower-end LEDs but found them lacking. My double-T-5 four-foot fixture on a tank with red-eye tetras...the color in their eyes really pops compared to when I tried a four-foot Beamswork fixture on the same tank (although Jason's right...the Beamswork is BRIGHT).

[@pg412]

*15 years, not 19...I'm terrible at math...whatever it would be from 2009! 😄

[@ubrosso]

I'm using my saltwater light on the freshwater by altering each led intensity via software. Just because it's a low tech planted and I don't want to expend extra money. Lighting is always expensive.

[@305miamifishing9]

I have 2 Fluval 3.0 on a 44 gal. tank. I started having problem with algae, when I drop the light intensity my carpet grass started dying. Yes I have CO2.

[@aTurney03]

No thoughts on the co-op light? I have both the co-op light and the hygger lights and both are excellent. Hygger value is hard to beat in this hobby. Hyggers are too light though, as in the weight of the power cord moves the light.

[@tiffanyclark-grove1989]

I need this, I’m just using standard aquarium lights and I never turn them on because they’re too bright; but of course, I don’t have plants in my tank yet, so I guess I don’t have to. But I’d like lights to emulate the natural light cycle. I have two giant picture windows in the fish room so I don’t need lights but I do want them. I know my betta hates the lights (you know because he likes to be up top). Would you guys be shocked to know that my powder blue dwarf gourami was eating hair-looking algae the other day? I was quite surprised 😄

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Nice!

[@robertwayman7974]

Just for thought, I put a strip of rubber/electrical tape over a strip of l.e.d's bulbs or individual bulbs to cut the light down from being too bright.

[@FIUPanther305]

No thoughts on the Aquarium Coop light?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I have used it (Jason). If you like the warmer end of the spectrum (more yellow) you will like that light. I tend to prefer the cooler end.

[@danbrown8979]

They are "Highly water-resistant", according to Cory.@@TheTankTalkPodcast

[@moffitdrew]

How’s only 2K people subscribing to this fish gold from the fish daddies

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

It takes time : -)

[@Mdoubleyou77]

I listen... On KZbin. However, I also just subscribed on Spotify. I keep testing the water in my relatively new, but planted tank and I don't need many full water changes... Mainly top ups. 👍🏼

[@KarynJacobson]

I just last year my wife got me an Aquenon 55 gallon led light .this thing because it changed colors and recreate different times of the day and night😢😢😢😢❤❤❤

[@-EJ00]

Im a little late to the conversation, but i have been running a smat-farm g5. Its a great light for saltwater but im using it for freshwater.

[@Scaperoot79]

How do you feel about the ACO light? I was surprised you didn't mention it. Did I miss it?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I've never heard of the ACO brand so you didn't miss it.

[@Scaperoot79]

Aquarium Co op, sorry@@TheTankTalkPodcast

[@Scaperoot79]

Have you had a chance to test the Aquarium co op light? It's pricey, but it seems durable with a great warranty. Not sure if I should pull the trigger on getting one.

[@bjg6775]

I have a 55 and 75 non planted.. neither have lights. Plenty of ambient and plenty natural lighting.

[@mikeireland5118]

Aquarium Co-op lights are conspicuous by their absence. There were a few areas of this discussion where those lights were relevant. A definite dent on the credibility of this cast.

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Would you see Cory discuss a product the I carry? Yes you would but it would be so that he could trash it and tell everyone not to buy it. That's not my style. (John)

[@DeniseSlack]

I have a LED shop light, 3200 lumens(36 watts?) on my 55 g tank. Is that strong enough for plants?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Part of it also depends on the spectrum.

[@denofzen59]

Ah yes,the incandescent tubular bulbs that would heat your water and melt the plastic hood...😂

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Yes!

[@Socialmediaisvile]

For me the older school Fluval with the hand held remote was my all around favorite. Had 2 of the larger ones on 2 265g put the purple censors together and boom on them blue at night 2 clicks , now I have the aquasky phone app jmo

[@HapiPETSWM]

I have everything from LED UV grow lights to straight LED and fluorescent. The light I get commented most frequently on is a Phillips screw in UV LED bulb, costed 15$ but it’s also hung over rather than sitting directly on top. I wonder if distance from the tank helps give a better range of light, I see a lot of higher end lights either clipped on the back of the aquarium and draping over for a similar effect. Any thoughts? Might change over all my lights

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

As lights are raised about the surface they provide more shimmering - especially the higher end lights like Kessil and AI.

[@Droveit]

How much light "blockage" do you get with a 1/4 inch clear multiwall polycarbonate lid? Will this type of lid block certain rays?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I use poly lids in my plant room and have no issues whatsoever (John)

[@billbullock4534]

Do lights need to extend from one end to the other or can a 48" light be sufficient for a 72" length of planted tank?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Depends on the plants - for low light plants a 48” light may be enough.

[@lemonlizard1]

When you're taking about the finnex stringray, would you be referencing the 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

We have the 1.0 and 2.0s in our fish room - Jason

[@lemonlizard1]

@@TheTankTalkPodcastahh okay, thanks!

[@allauricia1985]

I wanna know about the sunrise to sunset mode on the led lights No on is talking about what it does to planted aquariums Or maybe I just can’t find it I just installed some in two tanks exactly a week ago So far so good no noticeable changes Which surprised me because the lights are on so much longer every day Please tell me what you know about how things are likely to go The suspense is killing me

[@donnauk2493]

First thing I would ask is running them at 15/20/30% does it change the life expectancy of the light if it does either way is it worth the price tag. The other thing I would ask if them bulbs do start going dull can you up the intensity for the spectrum to be the same brightness and will that make them crash faster 😊

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

They should last longer when steeping down the percentage.

[@donnauk2493]

@@TheTankTalkPodcast great I'm in the middle of setting up a 100g tank and it's the biggest tank I've ever set up and it's taking ages as I want it to be the best tank I've ever set up and I don't want to keep changing it like I have all my other tanks in the past 😊

[@toothpicdinosaur3777]

I found out my heater went out (shorted) by reaching in to grab dead fish

[@peanut2343]

Don’t know where else to put this suggestion for a show, but perhaps you could introduce a segment about the health benefits of having an aquarium in the home, especially if you have seniors around

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I love that idea!! (John)

[@peanut2343]

There are many studies that you can reference

[@robertwayman7974]

Are those grounding probes for aquariums worth getting, or did I waste my money just for peace of mind ?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I’ve never used one (John) but I can’t tell you if you wasted your money or not.

[@DeniseSlack]

I have a 55g. It has plexiglass on top, will light go through that enough for my plants or should I switch to glass?

[@mightymike9469]

It will penetrate fine

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Should be fine

[@charlenewells5545]

just expressing my opinion here. Any lights that have their own programming that aren't compatible with an outlet timer I can't use. Simple reasons for that I don't feel a need to explain. Also, I prefer mid-range pricing on lights, don't like cheap ones and can't see spending a fortune just on lighting either.

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

Have you boys tried the Aquarium Coop light?

[@robertwayman7974]

Do the animals in the tank prefer a certain brightness of light, that near to their natural habitats ?

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

Yes - you will find certain fish are far more active when the lights are subdued!

[@theanimanga1744]

Man I think I’m to advanced for this channel. Love you guys though.

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

We will be covering more advanced topicas too. : -)

[@MPYES2483]

Do a review of the Ecotech radion xr 30

[@Riley095]

Two bald legends lol

[@tyler9mm614]

Ai primes or ai blade for upcoming tank? 🤔

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

I really like them both. The primes have more customizability (Jason).

[@sherricampeau2701]

Interesting

[@chia_pet7121]

Do you have an agreement where only one of the shaved head twins can have a long beard?

[@christinatilson95]

😂

[@christinatilson95]

I think the correct term is thingamajig

[@gregcampbell2598]

all your light are free along with most everything you talk about we regular people can only afford cheap crap from amazon.

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

If the tank is fish only why would you want a $300 light?

[@pauldemke4306]

I think aquarium lighting is not good for hair growth but it is good for Beard growth 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@TheTankTalkPodcast]

You may be right 😃

[@gmull79]

New mon morning podcast.

[@arnoldlancelot9489]

Im a huge follower of the both of you!!! but... a podcast about fresh water lightning and you dont talk about CHIHIROS?? TWINSTAR??????, for crying out loud!!