Black box settings or possible upgrade

[money88]

So I am currently running a http://www.mrbabu.com/24-programmab...r-coral-fish-tank-grow-light.html?currency=KD on a 40 breeder. I am mostly running LPS but wouldn't mind stepping into the SPS area soon.

I am looking at possible upgrades that aren't ridiculously expensive but don't need to be budget options.

I am also wondering if anyone has any suggestions as a lighting schedule that people are running on similar or the same lights. Hours, spectrums etc. I am currently getting a lot of hair algae and think that it may be due to the spectrum I have (too many whites running).

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[dantimdad]

I would pull the lenses and replace the cool white and most of the 470nm blues with 420nm violets and use that light.

It is more than capable of growing anything in a 40 breeder.

Just my .02.

 

[money88]

I would pull the lenses and replace the cool white and most of the 470nm blues with 420nm violets and use that light.

It is more than capable of growing anything in a 40 breeder.

Just my .02.

I have no idea on how to do that, do you have any guides or more information?

 

[dantimdad]

I am actually going to do a complete DIY tutorial as soon as my white box LED gets here. I will have a parts list, tools needed and step by step instructions and the reasoning behind the modifications.

Stay tuned!

 

[cvrle1]

What dantimdad mentioned is easy enough to do if you have the soldering iron, time and some know how. It does require soldering of LEDs to the board and such, so if you never did this before, it may not be a good idea to try. In the end you may have broken fixture and bunch of extra LEDs sitting around. If you choose not to go this route, look into Mars Aqua, ViparSpectra, Bloomspect, Ocean Revive T247 and SB Reef lights. These go from cheapest to most expensive. I left out all the high end ones, as you said that you arent looking for ridiculously expensive. On 40B, one unit from any of these would be more than enough

 

[dantimdad]

My light will be here Tuesday so the mod thread will start Tuesday night most likely.

 

[money88]

What dantimdad mentioned is easy enough to do if you have the soldering iron, time and some know how. It does require soldering of LEDs to the board and such, so if you never did this before, it may not be a good idea to try. In the end you may have broken fixture and bunch of extra LEDs sitting around. If you choose not to go this route, look into Mars Aqua, ViparSpectra, Bloomspect, Ocean Revive T247 and SB Reef lights. These go from cheapest to most expensive. I left out all the high end ones, as you said that you arent looking for ridiculously expensive. On 40B, one unit from any of these would be more than enough

Thanks for some suggestions, I would be willing to spend more than that if needed I just wasn't looking for the $1000 options

 

[money88]

My light will be here Tuesday so the mod thread will start Tuesday night most likely.

Have you started this process? Definitely would love to follow along

 

[dantimdad]

Light came in thoroughly thrashed in shipment.

Returned it. Waiting on another.

 

[money88]

I am actually going to do a complete DIY tutorial as soon as my white box LED gets here. I will have a parts list, tools needed and step by step instructions and the reasoning behind the modifications.

Stay tuned!

Light came in thoroughly thrashed in shipment.

Returned it. Waiting on another.

Did you ever get around to making a tutorial on this?

 

[dantimdad]

I did do a short tutorial in my build thread.

The full tutorial got put on hold as several other projects took precedence. This summer, I plan on making a series of DIY threads for everything from a dual float ATO to black box upgrades.

Sorry for the delay.

 

[WVNed]

Ridiculously expensive is an excellent descriptor for reefing.

 

[money88]

Ridiculously expensive is an excellent descriptor for reefing.

yep and may just bite the bullet like I did for my freshwater lights haha. Bought myself 2 360xs. Like them so far so would either go that route or XR15s if I upgraded I think. For now I think lights are fine I just have to still dial in the right settings

 

[WVNed]

For my new tank I bit the bullet and bought MH and T-5. No room for error this time.