ReefBrite XHO Product Spotlight

There are a lot of different saltwater aquarium lights to choose from but a classic light that has remained one of our favorites is the ReefBrite XHO. Here is a list of what makes the XHO one of our most frequently recommended lights.

Strip Light Form Factor
Years ago, nearly every aquarium light was a true light fixture that spanned the entire length of the aquarium. In the last decade the hobby has gradually switched to light pendants for most high-end lights. There are some advantages to the pendant design, such as how you can easily increase the total amount of light by adding additional pendants later on, or how you can easily keep your old lights and add a couple more when upgrading to a larger aquarium. However, there are also some benefits to a true light fixture, such as the ease of mounting, better coverage with fewer shadows, the ability to mix and match LED strip colors, and a lower profile installation. Pendant lights need to be high off the water to spread out their light while ReefBrite XHOs can sit directly on the rim of the tank. This form factor is preferred by many aquarists to this day.

Multiple Mounting Options
ReefBrite XHOs can sit directly on the aquarium with mounting legs, they can be connected together with the multi-light bracket and suspended over the aquarium, they can be screwed into a wooden canopy with the included brackets, or they can be used in conjunction with other lights by purchasing the XHO Add On Kits. This makes the XHOs our favorite option for mounting in wooden canopies or as a supplemental light.

Mirrored Reflectors
Most LED lights have lenses to direct or project the light down into the aquarium. The XHOs use an extra wide lens inside of a mirrored reflector that replicates a fluorescent lamp in a mirrored reflector. This gives a very nice uniform color and spread that is great for reducing shadows and filling every inch of the tank with light.

Multiple Control Options
When you purchase an XHO light it simply turns on and off when plugged in. Many will choose to plug the light into a timer. Because most tanks will use multiple XHOs a dawn dusk effect can be easily created by staggering the light's on and off times to replicate a gradual sunrise and sunset effect. If you want more control, you can use a simple inline dimmer to adjust the intensity of the light. You can purchase a Bluetooth controller to program a dimming light cycle from your phone, or you can purchase an Apex interface module to control the lights through your system controller. There is an option that fits everyone’s needs.

Great Stand Alone or As Supplemental Light
You can use the ReefBrite XHOs as a stand-alone light that replicates the classic fluorescent aquarium lights or you can use them in conjunction with other lights just as fluorescent and metal halide lights were used in conjunction for many years. You can mount the XHOS in a wooden canopy along with your other lights, you can use an XHO add-on kit to attach XHOs to your Kessil light fixture, or you can use the ReefBrite Hybrid Kits to attach your LEDs and XHOs together and then suspend the whole fixture above the tank. In our opinion, the best lighting setup we have used is this hybrid setup with a combination of fill lights such as the ReefBrite XHOs, and point source lights such as the Kessil lights.