Welcome to BAR - the Bay Area's premier saltwater hobbyists hub!

Need some lighting help

Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2025
Messages
213
Wednesday night my wife did an OTA update to her Fluval 4.0 Plant and it bricked. We have tried everything to get this light working again, and it will just not respond. We have had the light for 4 weeks, and luckily the seller is allowing us to return it. BTW Fluval's customer support sucks, filed a claim, and have not heard from them.

As of this moment I have tied a very old fluorescent aquarium light to a mic stand and that is giving her tank at least some light. Her tank has no top due to plants. Is the light janky.... hell yes, ugly.. check.... annoying the wife... more than you can imagine.

So we are checking out some other lights. We are looking at the Orphek Freshwater (great sale right now), AI Hydra 32 Freshwater (used, new is way to much), and also Hygger. She wants an app controlled light, or at least a light that has a remote. She was almost sold on the Orphek, but the 1 year warranty and NO return policy has her scared. She likes the Hydra, but the price for a new one scares the crap out of both of us. The Hygger checks alot of boxes, but no app control. I tried to point her to Kessil, but she thinks they are all ugly. Form over function is not in her vocabulary.

Any recommendations? Anyone have experience with the Orphek? or Hydra 32 freshwater?

Thanks
 
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2005
Messages
6,627
I use hygger on my 40g planted tank. Great price and good output. No app as you stated
 
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
2,493
What coverage size do you need? May be able to get a couple Red Sea 50/90s used or cheaper now that there are new models out there. There is a daylight setting and app to set it. I have two- they work great.
 
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2025
Messages
213
We picked up an AI blade freshwater yesterday. So far she loves it, the Mobius app not so much, but the light is so much more powerful than the fluval.

Her tank is 30 wide 14 deep and 24 tall. It is odd sized.
 
Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2025
Messages
213
IMG_3597.jpeg
 
Guest
Joined
May 21, 2019
Messages
364
We picked up an AI blade freshwater yesterday. So far she loves it, the Mobius app not so much, but the light is so much more powerful than the fluval.

Her tank is 30 wide 14 deep and 24 tall. It is odd sized.
i like ai. app is ok, but once you set it. you really wont go back into it
 
Top