Galaxyhydro Dimmable Full Spectrum LED Aquarium Light	OceanRevive Arctic-T247	AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD
Light Strength: 10/10	Light Strength: 9/10	Light Strength: 10/10
Price:$$	Price:$$$	Price:$$$$$
Warranty: 1 Year	Warranty: 1 Year	Warranty: 1 Year
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There comes a time in every aquarists life where they finally add corals to their tank. These deep sea beauties can really bring a lot to the tank but full sized corals can cost a fortune. Luckily with the right set of lights you can grow a tiny frag into a full blown colony.

Finding The Best Coral Growing Lights

While it’s no secret everyone loves their corals under rich, blue lighting it is not always ideal. Kelvin rating such as 15,000K-20,000K produce blue lights. These drain a lot of the power and PAR (photosynthetically active radiation/water penetration) to produce the blues. Normal yellow or white lights, 6,500K and 10,000K respectively, consume far less power for color. This leaves more power for your corals photosynthesis, which makes up 75% of corals nutrients.

I am not saying you cannot have blue lights for coral growth. Some lights bring such high wattage that high Kelvin ratings are needed to prevent frying the tank. Additionally lights that are too far spread also dilute their strength. What we are looking for is a healthy balance between Kelvin rating, PAR, spread and wattage for the correct intensity.

Galaxyhydro Dimmable Full Spectrum LED Aquarium Light

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Dimensions	Watts	LEDs
15.8″ x 8.4″ x 2.4″	165	28 Cool white, warm white, red 660nm, green 520nm 27 Blue 460nm, purple 410nm, royal blue 55 LEDs Total

First off we have a common coral growers choice. The Galaxyhydro features high wattage, a full spectrum with a medium angle of distribution to preserve light strength.

This light is actually a variation of a common resellers light. The difference here is Galaxyhydro has chosen to use the high end components for their light without spiking the price up like the Magiove.

Features

The Galaxyhydro has an interesting design with two power plugins and dimmer switches on the back of the light. The left set controls the white, green and red(Day) lights while the right set controls the blue and violet(Night) lights. This allows you to use timers on each set independently or simply adjust them manually.

Additionally the back holds four mounting rings. These are used by connecting one of the included hooks to the back mount, looping them around a ceiling mounted hook, and then returning to the light on the opposite side mount.

The white LEDs are a 45mil Bridgelux brand while the blue lights are Epistar. These tend to be 30% brighter than other versions of the same LED.

One of my favorite choices Galaxyhydro has done is installing nearly silent ventilation fans on the light. These keep the LEDs cool, increasing their average lifetime and don’t make the room uninhabitable. They are actually so quiet you might think they never even turned on.

Light Strength

First things first, the Galaxyhydro provides enough power to grow any coral you can find. The lights are divided evenly between the two channels of blue and white lights that can be dimmed to match your tanks needs. When first installing the light you will need to slowly turn the light on, adjusting each channel separately to suit your needs. Blasting corals with the Galaxyhydro at 100% is a sure fire way to make them go into hiding.

The high wattage of the Galaxy hydro allows it to be used for tanks over 200 gallons large. The light spreads over 20 inches before the power diminishes, meaning long tanks will need multiple fixtures. When going this route keep in mind each light needs 2 plug-ins, increasing the number of sockets you need pretty quickly. If however you are growing less demanding corals you may choose to mount the light higher above the tank, allowing the light to spread further at the cost of light strength. The Lenses dispense the light at 120 degrees, which is a healthy middle ground for strength and coverage.

Lifetime & Warranty

The lifetime of the Galaxyhydro is limited by only two factors: If you personally break it or if the LEDs burn out. The LEDs take on average 30,000 hours, 8-9 years of normal use, before they begin to fade, making them an excellent investment into your tanks equipment.

Galaxyhydro offers a 30 day money back guarantee along with a 1 year maintenance warranty. Even after the warranty I advise you to contact them directly for assistance, as they have some quick and helpful customer service.

Summary

The Galaxy hydro is a powerful hanging aquarium light that can grow any coral put under it even in deep tanks. The lights can be dimmed, it runs silent and lasts over 8 years.

OceanRevive Arctic-T247

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Dimensions	LEDs	Watts
16″ x 10.4″ x 1.6″	16 x 450nm Royal Blue, 8 x 470nm Blue, 6 x 10,000k Cool White, 8 x 12,000k Cool White, 2 x 520nm Red, 2 x 660nm Green, 6 x 420nm UV, 48 LEDs Total	120

The OceanRevive Arctic-T247 brings a solid 12,000k Kelvin rating, powerful water penetration, high wattage and a built in timer all in one package. Additionally if has mounting brackets and a hanging kit included.

Using The Timer

here’s a quick step by step guide for using the Arctic-T247’s built in timer:

• Press the clock button then arrow right to start setting the overall time for the light
• Use the up and down arrow keys and press ok when the time has been set correctly. Remember it is in military time.
• Leave the remote idle until it returns to displaying the time.
• Hit the channel 1 on then right arrow button to start setting the time on/off
• Use the up and down arrows to set the time for the channel to turn on
• press the ok button to confirm the time
• Repeat for channel 1 off and channel two on/off times
• To adjust the intensity you will hit the menu button, which brings up channel 1 on the display. You can cycle between 1 and 2 via the left and right arrows
• Using the up and down arrow keys you can adjust the intensity of the selected channel. Hit ok when done.

Using The Knob

I highly recommend you get used to using the remote, but if for whatever reason you need to use the knob here are some easy to follow instructions:

• push the button once and then turn the knob right once
• Next use the button to cycle to what you are adjusting (clock, ch 1 on/off, ch2 on/off)
• Next turn the knob to adjust the time
• When the right time is selected simply wait and the light will save your settings and exit
• To adjust the intensity start by hitting the button twice
• Rotate the knob to adjust the intensity
• Press the button again to move between channels
• Wait when you have finished setting the intensity wait and the light will save you settings and return to the clock display

Light Strength

Just like the Galaxyhydro, the ArcticT-247 brings some serious wattage to our tanks. The difference here is that while this light has fewer watts it also has a lower angle of distribution. At 90 degrees we lose some light spread but gain more PAR and overall intensity. With that taken into account the OceanRevive is just a little weaker than the GalaxyHydro, cutting back on the electric bill.

The OceanRevive also bring in UV lights, which are essential for combating algae and parasite growth. To combat the parasites you will need the UV lights on at full strength, which are a part of channel two(white lights). The lights can be controlled via the remote, allowing you to dim the light when needed and crank it back up at any time.

The light should be used for at most a 26″ x 18″ tank with high light demanding corals and 32″ x 24″ for medium light demanding corals.

Lifetime & Warranty

The lifetime on the OceanRevive Arctic-T247 is pretty long, often exceeding 50,000 hours of use. With the standard 8-10 hours per day lighting schedule that comes out to 13-17 years.

To make the light last this long I highly recommend adding a DIY splash guard to the light or using a glass top on your tank. Additionally hanging the light a fair distance above the tank will protect it too.

The light also comes with a 30 day money back guarantee along with its 1 year warranty.

Summary

The OceanRevival Arctic-T247 outlasts the Galaxy hydro while only being slightly weaker for deep tanks. It offers reduced spread and a built in timer/intensity control via a remote control, making the light extremely convenient.

AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD

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The AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD is absolutely packed with power, PAR and a massive Kelvin range all the way up to 20,000k!

Dimensions	Watts	LEDs
11.875″L x 5.357″W x 1.6″H	135 Watts	12 Cree XP-G2 Cool White, 12 Cree XT-E Royal Blue, 12 Cree XP-E2 Blue, 4 OSRAM OSLON Deep Red, 4 Cree XP-E2 Green, 4 Cree XP-E2 Green, 4 SemiLED 400nm 52 LEDs Total

Set Up

The AI Hydra 52 comes with the light, power adapter and quick start guide. No hanging kit or mounting bracket. This means it is up to you to set up your light. There is a hanging kit mentioned below the product on amazon, but to use this you will need a drill and some extra time.

Features

With such a high price point it’s no surprise the AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD brings some awesome features, all controllable through the MyAI system.

• Multiple light fixtures can be added to one tanks setting, which acts as a save slot, along with multiple tanks for easy use
• The Dashboard allows you to change the mode of the light, turn it on and turn it off
• The Schedule Mode allows you to set when each set of lights turns on and off
• Easy Setup allows you to adjust each color individually and set the times these will turn on and off
• Manual Kelvin Mode adjusts your lights Kelvin rating/color using two wheels
• The Acclimation Mode allows you to slowly introduce the light to your tank automatically using a start and end date, preventing any stunted coral growth or fish scares
• Weather Control gives you options for preset and custom weather functions. Additionally you can have the MyAI copy the current, real world weather for your tank

All in all the AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD is the most customizable light available

Light Strength

The AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD features powerful Cree LEDs, a step above the more common Bridgelux brand, which are capable of up to 20,000k lighting. This is then channeled though 80 degree lenses, which have 90% optical efficiency, to promote strength with a fair amount of spread.

PAR values at 12″ on the left & 24″ on the right

Powering this light is the 135 watt power supply. When applied through the 80 degree spread the PAR is through the roof, allowing more light demanding corals to rest at deep levels in the tank.

The Hydra provides one of the strongest full spectrum’s available, making coral growth quick and easy.

Lifetime & Warranty

Aquaillumination offers a one year warranty on all of their products. To get the warranty you will need to register the product within thirty days of purchase.

Even after the warranty has ended I highly recommend contacting them for any additional issues, as big businesses love to keep their customer service ratings high.

If you must fix the light on your own Aquaillumination has their very own parts shop where you can get only what you need to repair your light.

Summary

The AquaIllumination Hydra 52 HD is a high end light that out performs even the Kessel ap700. It has a built in controller that can be used via the app. The light strength is more than enough for any coral with PAR ratings that are absolutely amazing.

Keep in mind these lights are made for high light demanding corals. If you are growing less demanding lights you may need to read one of my other aquarium lighting pages.