Inexpensive led lighting

[mcarroll]

I just remembered they are at a 120 degree angel and my tank is taller than it is deep 24" tall/18" deep so would it be better for me to get the 90 degree ones?
Not sure if the Mars Aquas angle makes up for the rest for the light to reach the bottom of my tank better.

...continued from post above.

Lenses in the fixture and the fixture's mounting height determine the coverage your fixture provides.

But you are asking about lighting levels, which should be controlled by your dimmer (if present).

For example, at 12" of mounting height a light with 120° lenses would give you a spread of over 40" at the water surface.

To fit that light on an 18" wide tank like a 90 gallon without spilling light, you'd have to mount it less than 5" from the water.

This setup is obviously designed for shipping from overseas vs being designed for your tank. [emoji6]

So anyway, that is how you would (should?) determine mounting height.

You then set brightness with the dimmer - and it's set according to a lux meter.

Anything between roughly 20,000 lx and 80,000 lx will give you a realistic approximation to the sun's intensity on a reef.

I grow lots of stony corals at both ends of that range, btw...there's no need to "max out" the tank on lighting. As long as you are talking about the quality of light from a regular blue and white LED system or better, less is probably more so far as intensity within that range goes. Almost all corals are extremely adaptable.

At/above 80K lux you will be likely to cause problems for your corals....from retarded growth, to bleaching and death.

FYI, you can look up a sample lux scale on the Wikipedia article about lux.

P.S. A PAR meter will work too, just a different scale so you'd have to look up the numbers. They are just silly-expensive compared to the $15 lux meter I use.[emoji6]

$0.02

 

[Chadthresher]

I use a Mars 36" on my 90 its 48' long, I think it was $165 shipped. I like it pretty well so far I am please and everything seems to be doing well had them for a few months now. The ends actually get quite a bit of light.

https://goo.gl/photos/MnjkpxZFZSzShdHJ6

https://goo.gl/photos/wsWX1VAdma7wASwp7

 

[mcarroll]

I use a Mars 36" on my 90 its 48' long, I think it was $165 shipped. I like it pretty well so far I am please and everything seems to be doing well had them for a few months now. The ends actually get quite a bit of light.

https://goo.gl/photos/MnjkpxZFZSzShdHJ6

https://goo.gl/photos/wsWX1VAdma7wASwp7

Curious what lux reading you get in the center vs the edge of that fixture.

 

[Chadthresher]

Curious what lux reading you get in the center vs the edge of that fixture.

That I dont know. I can try an get a meter Do you recommend a meter?

 

[mcarroll]

That's mine. It's the standard model you will find for sale most places.

I think it will read up to 100 K, but I'm not positive. The second picture is +70K lux reading, just for example.

And I think I misspoke earlier if I said my razor gets up to 80K lux. I think at max it gets up into the 50K's, but that is more than bright enough. 80K would be silly.

I typically do not run this light at more than 80% at peak. I'll have to take a new sample, but I bet it's in the 40K's.

 

[mcarroll]

I use a Mars 36" on my 90 its 48' long, I think it was $165 shipped. I like it pretty well so far I am please and everything seems to be doing well had them for a few months now. The ends actually get quite a bit of light.

https://goo.gl/photos/MnjkpxZFZSzShdHJ6

https://goo.gl/photos/wsWX1VAdma7wASwp7

Found this on their 165w ebay listing - interesting they show lux measurements. Gotta give them credit for that!

It seems from their readings that there is a very small area, even at <12" from the light, that will generate "sun like" conditions. Significant overlapping of adjacent fixtures would be needed to make up for this in all but cube-shaped tanks.

This is why I prefer to design my own. (Though I admit I like the sunrise/sunset timer in my Razor!)

 

[mcarroll]

Even their 300w model generates only a tiny spot of "sunny conditions" considering all the watts being used....even just 10" from center (peak).

[SOAPBOX]

I don't get these fixtures. Almost everyone has rectangular tanks, yet most people buy/use lights like these that are really made (judged by how they put off light) for cube-shaped tanks and then "make up for it" by using multiple fixtures. $$$ Nevermind the huge percentage of light wasted lighting up the room and the tank glass.

Back in the day we put up with that with crud like that with metal halides because they gave the best colors and overall results. But it was - and still is - neanderthal lighting.

LED's offer the solution to almost every problem of lighting a reef. However, not all of those solutions package well or are equally profitable. So you find, coincidentally, a lot of fixtures made to (mis)behave like halides.

I guess I'd rather explain how to use a triangle calculator and lux meter to design your lights.

While my gu10 DIY lights are all-AC powered (no drivers to figure out) and easy to wire (no solder, for sure!!), DIY is still not for everyone.

You do have to make - or otherwise come up with - the frame (not heatsink) to mount the sockets to, but that can be almost anything. I've used wood and sheet metal, others have recycled old T5 or halide fixtures or up-cycled some other interesting object. Some have just used PVC pipe. If you can do something like this, then the LED rig to mount to it costs very little...$2-3 per bulb (incl. lenses, emitters, heatsink and AC/DC driver) plus $1 or less per socket. Add some wire, some wire-nuts. When you're done it will be a better, more-efficient fixture than any of the ones built like this.

 

[tonkaoz]

Following along

 

[mcarroll]

Now that I messed with my Razor's ramp-timer (switched to Manual to measure the lights, then back to Auto) the blue channel is stuck on at something like 100%.

:mad:

Cancel what I said about liking the ramp-timer.....I really like my on/off DIY fixture better now.

 

[reefer junky]

aqua traders has a great set of leds there called mr120 80 bucks each 165 watts full spectrum 120 degree lens these are great lights for growing coral i have a set on a 20 gal frag tank 3 fans i am sold on them had them 14 months now check them out

 

[Chadthresher]

Even their 300w model generates only a tiny spot of "sunny conditions" considering all the watts being used....even just 10" from center (peak).

[SOAPBOX]

I don't get these fixtures. Almost everyone has rectangular tanks, yet most people buy/use lights like these that are really made (judged by how they put off light) for cube-shaped tanks and then "make up for it" by using multiple fixtures. $$$ Nevermind the huge percentage of light wasted lighting up the room and the tank glass.

Back in the day we put up with that with crud like that with metal halides because they gave the best colors and overall results. But it was - and still is - neanderthal lighting.

LED's offer the solution to almost every problem of lighting a reef. However, not all of those solutions package well or are equally profitable. So you find, coincidentally, a lot of fixtures made to (mis)behave like halides.

I guess I'd rather explain how to use a triangle calculator and lux meter to design your lights.

While my gu10 DIY lights are all-AC powered (no drivers to figure out) and easy to wire (no solder, for sure!!), DIY is still not for everyone.

You do have to make - or otherwise come up with - the frame (not heatsink) to mount the sockets to, but that can be almost anything. I've used wood and sheet metal, others have recycled old T5 or halide fixtures or up-cycled some other interesting object. Some have just used PVC pipe. If you can do something like this, then the LED rig to mount to it costs very little...$2-3 per bulb (incl. lenses, emitters, heatsink and AC/DC driver) plus $1 or less per socket. Add some wire, some wire-nuts. When you're done it will be a better, more-efficient fixture than any of the ones built like this.

Sorry for the delay was traveling/Christmas stuff.
I am gonna order a meter today I can tell your into to this and I will post back the reading I get plus I would like to have one any how I as well only run about 80% on the dimmer for all but blue is usually 100%. I have considered putting together A LED set up a few times now but have not I have been worried about the bulbs getting hot/burning out however a lot of things have gotten better in the last few years. I am gonna set up a small frag tank in a couple months and maybe I will take your advice then and piece one together for that. Still doing a little thinking on filtration/method ect ect.

 

[Polishpower]

Not to high jack the thread but why start another one with the same topic. i have a 60 g cube 24x24x24. will any of these LEDs work for my cube i was looking at the sbox and the mr 120. i would like to do a mixed reef. any info would help a lot. thanks

 

[domination2580]

So what would all of your opinions be? The suspect leds or the popular growth leds? Which do you think is better?

 

[Chadthresher]

Curious what lux reading you get in the center vs the edge of that fixture.

The light meter I ordered is out for delivery should have some readings later this afternoon.

 

[Chadthresher]

Curious what lux reading you get in the center vs the edge of that fixture.

On the Mars 30in 300w at 100% on both dimmers at 8.5 inches off the water on a 48in tank I got the center at 102,000 lux and the right side at 750 lux the left side at 630 lux. At 8.5in above the surface the ends do not get very much light. I do think by the time the light reaches the bottom which is 30in from the fixture its a little closer together. I measured the light at the substrate of coarse its through water and glass but the numbers are closer together for whats that worth the center 158 lux right side 142 lux and left side 105 lux. The tank is in an entry way and the right side is where it opens to the living room and has some indirect sunlight.
I am happy with the light however I think I will move it over to a 30in tank I am setting up and possible attempt to order the led components and piece a fixture together for the 48in tank.

 

[mcarroll]

Nice! Lx1010bs....looks like that may be a higher range unit. Mine lacks the "s" in the model and the switch only clicks up to 50,000. I think mine reads up to 100,000 though, so I suspect yours may read up to 200,000.

So you have "direct sun" levels (~100K lux) in the center -more, actually cuz of the heavy blue - enough to bleach corals that are close to the surface.

In the ocean corals are known to still grow and photosynthesize with 1% of that light level...160 ft, or whatever, from the surface.

That's 160' of lighting variance compressed into one tank. I don't know if that's bad, but it doesn't sound good.

How did you measure under water with that sensor? (Interesting. But not necessary.)

 

[Chadthresher]

Well the meter says 100,000 max but it has some feature called "over" which it comes on at 100,000 but still displayed 102,000. The directions do not say what the over feature is maybe it less accurate over 100,000 not sure. The readings at the substrate are through the water and glass. Just did those for comparison one to other. I am sure the light isnt enough on the ends especially up high but I really dont have many things to speak of in that area. I do want to piece a fixture together sometime with the sun rise, sun set and lunar feature.