Curious as to the reason for changing from the Fluval 3.0. Or can you elaborate on what about the colour you don't like?
Sure. There’s a lot that I enjoy about the Fluval- the warranty, the waterproof rating, the app control, grows medium to low light plants just fine. My crypts love it.
What I don’t love:
-It’s limited spread: I wish the light was wider. It is very narrow and I find that it doesn’t cover the whole tank well. Which brings me to the next point-
-It’s lack of mounting options: You can order a hanging kit for this light from Fluval to raise it up off the glass, but if you don’t want to hang the light, then you need to get creative. I went to a plastic store and had a couple pieces of acrylic cut and I then glued them together to create diy risers for the light. Check out my 60p journal. The risers I made work great for me raising the light about 5 inches off of the water. They allow me to increase the spread which is great and more room for me to work over the rimless tank. Without them the light sits right on top of the water which sucks IMHO.
-the color: While I like that I have more control of the color intensity, the “pink” LEDS it has are not very powerful. Increasing the pink has a minimal effect as the output of the pink LEDs is so weak. Now do I need the pinks to be just as intense as the whites or cold blues...no...but would I like to have more control of them...for sure.
I think that the chihiros has way more capabilities than the fluval.
The cons to me: They are not as widely available in the US. They have a limited 1 year warranty. They have a low waterproof rating. They run hot.
The pros: Mounting kit included. Increased lighting spread. Functional App. More powerful. Wider coverage. Telescoping height adjustments. Can be used as a pendant. Greater PAR. Optional Shades (which I ordered) that you can attach to the light to reduce spill outside of the tank.
For me it has a lot to do with upgrading my setup. Do I absolutely need the Chihiros, nope. My tank grows fine. Am I a little bit stir crazy staring at my fish tank during the pandemic, you betcha! For me my upgrade came down to the Twinstar 600 vs the Chihiros. I went with the chihiros finding it to have way more capability and versatility. Still waiting for customs to realease mine. Hope that helps.