5 Best budget reef Lighting on Amazon
Lighting a reef tank these days can get very expensive. If you are not on a budget and want a high end LED to bring out the colors and growth of your corals, there are many options available for you. There is no shortage of expensive lights on the market.
But for those of us who are not looking to break the bank and still have a great LED light, don’t worry you have plenty of options too.
There are several different LED aquarium lights on Amazon that are suitable for a reef tank. They won’t bring the high-end quality of some of the top brands in the market, but they are considerably cheaper and do a great job in my opinion.
Today I will show you the 5 Best cheap reef LED lighting on Amazon. I have personally used these products and will show you my reviews with the pros and cons of each.
1. Viparspectra 165W Full Spectrum
I have listed the Viparspectra LED as my top choice for a few reasons. First is the light quality for the price. It’s tough to beat it.
Also, this light is timer controlled and dimmable. It comes with a remote and is easy to use. The light is 165 watt and has 55 LED’s that are 3 Watt each.
It is suitable for all coral types including LPS and SPS. I have been using this light for over 2 years and have had zero issues with it.
This light is easy to install using the included mounting cables. If you have a canopy on your tank, they will fit underneath and be hidden. If not, you can hang from the ceiling or any other mounting rails or bracket.
This light is also available in a 300-watt model. So if you have a larger tank, this makes a great option.
Features and specs:
- Programmable for sunrise, sunset and is great for acclimating new corals to the light
- High-Intensity 3W Bridgelux/Epileds LEDs. (55 led’s x 3w)
- Great for all coral types
- 90-degree lens angle
- Lifespan: 100,000 hours
- Dimensions: 16×8.5×2.4inches
- Weight: 6.8 lbs
- Avg. Power Draw: 105W±3%
- Use the control knob or included remote for all settings
- VIPARSPECTRA timer control series V165 LED aquarium light is scientifically engineered to keep the balance of the PAR output and perfect for 24"x24" coverage
- Dimmer & Timer Functions: Dimmable feature adjusts the brightness of two channels individually from 0%-100%; internal timer allows you to turn the V165 reef light on and off automatically
- Enhanced Growth Full Spectrum: With our proprietary layout, which is contributed by thousands of ReefCentral members, V165 aquarium lights have had years of success
Actual customer reviews from Amazon:
“I’ve had these lights for three weeks and so far they are AWESOME. The corals look beautiful and the color spectrum is great.”
“I purchased three of these for my 240-gallon reef tank and they work incredibly well.”
“Got 2 of the 165W version for my 90-gallon tank and it is perfect.”
Pros:
- Great quality for the price
- Controllable with remote
- Suitable for all coral types
- Fans are quiet
Cons:
- Can not be daisy-chained
- Each light requires it’s own remote
Note: If the Viparspectra is out of stock, the Wills or Phlizon are similar options.
2. MICMOL Smart LED
MICMOL Smart LED is another great light at an affordable cost. This light has many features and is available in different sizes to fit a variety of tank sizes.
It is suitable for all coral types, even SPS corals will grow great. I really like the look of this light, it is slim and modern looking on your tank. The controller is easy to use and has many different settings.
The overall wattage will vary based on the size of the light you choose. For example, the AA-600 model is 48 watts and the AA-900 model is 72 watts. The extendable legs will fit a range of tank trim sizes.
Features and specs:
- Fits rimmed and rimless tanks
- Great for all coral types
- All aluminum modeled body design
- No fan needed for cooling
- AA-600 dimensions: 22 x 5 x 0.4 inches
- AA-600 weight: 2.6 pounds
This light is available in 4 different sizes.
- AA-600 48W Only 11mm (0.4"), Super thin Smart led aquarium light fashion design and great for saltwater marine reef coral LPS SPS fish tank.
- Super bright LEDs, the real HD full spectrum building 7 bands which comes colorful spectrum of spectral combinations to fit your tank.
- Smart Controller with timer, sunrise, sunset, lightning, 3 channel adjust intensity with 6 timer points, touch switches easy to control.
Actual customer reviews from Amazon:
“Awesome awesome awesome light! My coral love it!”
“Affordable and looks great!” “For the price I don’t believe I could have gotten anything as attractive looking or as functional as this light.”
Pros:
- Modern looking design
- LED’s produce great shimmer
- Smart controller
- Fanless
Cons:
- Auto mode doesn’t completely turn off light when set to 0
- Screws on adjustment bracket seem weak
3. Kessil A80 Tuna Blue LED
If you have a smaller nano reef tank, the Kessil A80 is a great choice. This light is suitable for tanks up to 24″ wide. My recommendation is for use up to a 10 to 15-gallon tank. For tanks larger than that you will need multiple units.
Kessil is a top brand and is well known for its quality and service. All of the Kessil LED lighting units are great and you really can’t go wrong with them. One of the nice things about the A80 is you will get that great water shimmer that Kessil is known for.
My current reef tank is run by the Kessil A160’s and I have no complaints at all about them.
Features and specs include:
- Best suited for small nano tanks with low light demand corals
- Modern looking design
- Light coverage 14″- 24″
- Compatible with the Kessil Spectral Controller
- Color and intensity knobs are easy to adjust
- Full-spectrum lighting
- No fan – quiet operation
- Durable and long-lasting
- Dimensions: 0.98″ x 4.88″
- Weight: 0.88 pounds
- Power use: 15 watts
- The Kessil Tuna Blue A80 LED Light is the newest Kessil offering is half the intensity of the A160, but comes with all the same features and color and control knobs. This A80 (the Tuna Blue) version is for reef tanks.
- Compatible with the Kessil Spectral Controller
- Coverage is 14" to 24" depending on the scenario
Actual customer reviews from Amazon:
“What an incredible shimmering effect and the controller is a most! Set it and forget it. Watch your corals bloom like crazy!”
“Awesome light with lots of functionality. It gives our small tank tons of shimmer; a lot more than I expected from a small LED. Great looking and very well designed and best of all fanless.”
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight
- Modern looking design
- Great quality and long-lasting
- Fanless design
Cons:
- Low demand corals only
4. Current USA Orbit Marine
If you are looking for an LED light that has a lot of bells and whistles but stick to a smaller budget, I recommend you try the Current USA Orbit Marine.
This is a very slick looking light that has many different program modes and settings. The LED’s provide excellent colors and shimmer effect.
Also if you currently use the Loop system, you can connect this light and control your wavemaker and light. This light comes in a variety of sizes and the legs are extendable to fit different tank sizes.
It will fit on tanks with a plastic trim or rimless.
Features and specs include:
- Very thin and modern looking design
- Great coral color and shimmer effect
- Wireless loop control
- Full-spectrum – Best for soft and LPS corals. Possible SPS depending on coral and tank position
- Various modes include sunrise, sunset, cloud cover and storm modes
- Built-in programs provide a realistic environment
- 120-degree wide-angle dispersion lenses
- Wireless remote included
- 4 available sizes
- 36-48″ model dimensions: 34.8″ x 3.5″ x 0.44″
- 36 watts total
- Weight: 2.8 pounds
- BRIGHTER, MORE COLORS- Your aquarium is full of spectacular colors, why not bring them all to life. Introducing the new Orbit Marine LED. Now packed with even more ultra-bright LEDs in a far wider color spectrum, it will make your corals and fish look even more spectacular. And it’s now in the LOOP, providing both light and pump control, taking your aquarium experience to a whole new level.
- SUPER COLOR- Producing eye-popping color rendition and brilliant shimmer effects, the Orbit Marine produces a limitless number of color spectrums. A higher ratio of actinic blue spectrum LEDs balanced with full spectrum creates the perfect color combination for fish, inverts, live rock and corals to fluoresce and look amazing. Wide angle dispersion lenses evenly spread light over your entire tank while ensuring superior color blending.
- MULTIPLE MODES- With modes that dim periodically to create cloud cover effects, storm modes that will blow you away complete with lightning strikes and innovative evening modes that include lunar and dusk – it’s sure to add excitement and intrigue to any aquarium.
Actual customer reviews from Amazon:
“Excellent! I have a 125 gallon saltwater and these are great!”
“Amazing light for the price, I have had almost every type of coral thrive. Maybe not bright enough for stoney but now i have switched to a 12 hour lighting time and everything is doing really well.”
“These lights have made my corals grow exceptionally well! The other features like thunder storm and what not is cool to show off.”
Pros:
- Many modes and settings
- Modern looking design
- Connects to the Loop system
- Great color and shimmer effects
Cons:
- The controller can be complicated to use
- Power cord is short
5. Fluval Sea Nano
The Fluval Sea Nano LED is great for desktop and small nano tanks. This light is programmable, Bluetooth enabled light that is 20 watts. Operates only via the FluvalSmart App on your mobile device.
If you have a desktop tank, this is a great little light that is suitable for low light corals. I wouldn’t expect the quality to be similar as the Kessil, but for the low cost, it does a great job of showing the corals colors and you will get decent growth.
Features and specs include:
- 24-hour light cycle settings
- Programmable
- Fully adjustable positioning on the tank
- Aluminum shell provides effective heat transfer
- Improved protection from water – IP67 waterproof rating
- 7 unique band waves for full spectrum results
- New H.T.E (High Thermal Efficiency) LEDs function at a higher operating temperature
- 100 LED’s- 20 total watts
- Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Programmable, gradual 24-hour light cycle settings (sunrise, mid day, sunset and night), 7 unique band waves for full spectrum results and independent color control
- Fully adjustable positioning (up/down, side-to-side, forward/backward) and new over-the-glass mounting design with repositionable, secure grip
- The new generation of H.T.E (High Thermal Efficiency) LEDs function at a higher operating temperature, providing improved long-term light output and spectral performance
Actual customer reviews from Amazon:
“Excellent nano tank. This looks great on my 7.4 nano tank. The Bluetooth function is very good, light can be adjusted so it’s just right for your tank.”
“I LOVE THESE LIGHTS! Way more affordable than other “High-End” fixtures for my nanos”
Pros:
- Great for desktop tanks
- Compact and lightweight
- Industry-leading waterproof rating
- 24-hour light cycles
Cons:
- Bluetooth App can be unreliable
- Doesn’t fit wider tank trims