Red Sea go large with the new ReefLed 160S light fixture

Every reefer loves a new light and this week we see the rather unexpected launch of the new Red Sea ReefLed 160S. So-called because it uses a maximum of 160 watts of power the 160S is now the largest, most powerful LED fixture in the Red Sea lighting range, joining its smaller brothers the 50 and 90, also named after the maximum power they consume.

On the outside, the 160S looks identical to the 50 and 90 models, a bit plain, but not unattractive, and it’s slightly larger than the 90 at 6.9”x6.1”x2.5”. In terms of design on the outside, it’s a pretty standard black box but the underside reveals the compact LED array and stadium shaped lens which Red Sea says makes it capable of illuminating a tank of 32x32x32” with a single unit, meaning you’ll only need two for a tank of five feet, and three for their largest, flagship model the Reefer 3XL 900.

In terms of spectrum the 160S is weighted heavily towards the blue, violet, and ultraviolet wavelengths with nearly all of its output in the 350-450 nanometer band. In fact 140 of that 160-watt maximum output powers the blue and violet channels with an extra 20 watt on top for a 9000 Kelvin white channel. There’s a moonlight feature too.

Every light has to provide spread and penetration while also preventing sideways light spill and glare, and the 160S does this with both a deeply recessed lens and an included clip-on visor. For an added Red Sea point of difference, the light will also shut-off when using their own mounting arm and tilted back for access and maintenance, something that the Max AIO series used to do with T5.

The ReefLed 160s features full app control and built-in Wi-Fi, and at a $649 price point, it places it firmly up against the Hydra 64 from Aqua Illumination, running 135 watts at full power and with a similar spread and coverage.