Led headache. Please help.

[Saveafish]

I wanted to just hit MH. But after some study the bulbs I use to use is no longer made. I'm not liking that the bulbs are getting harder to find.
So LEDs here I come. Here are a couple choices I'm thinking on.
Reefbreeders photon V2
Sb reeflight Xbox ultra
Dsuny panel style.

Note: with the dsuny it's easy to change lenses and LEDs out for others.
Pros and cons on each.

 

[CC13]

I wanted to just hit MH. But after some study the bulbs I use to use is no longer made. I'm not liking that the bulbs are getting harder to find.
So LEDs here I come. Here are a couple choices I'm thinking on.
Reefbreeders photon V2
Sb reeflight Xbox ultra
Dsuny panel style.

Note: with the dsuny it's easy to change lenses and LEDs out for others.
Pros and cons on each.

What MH bulbs did you use? I still use them and you can find almost all bulbs still available for purchase. I have LED's and to be honest MH with T5 looks and grows corals far better in my opinion.

 

[Jay Norris]

What MH bulbs did you use? I still use them and you can find almost all bulbs still available for purchase. I have LED's and to be honest MH with T5 looks and grows corals far better in my opinion.

It all depends on the LED lights you tried, their are a few that grow LEDS just as good if not better then MH's or T5"s, but M/H and T5's are great for growing corals also.

 

[dantimdad]

Talk to @Flippers4pups

He has a good sized tank with black boxes.

I am started running LED because the bulbs I used are no longer available so I feel your pain.

But, I have been happy with LED for the most part.

I DIY a lot.

 

[DSC reef]

I wanted to just hit MH. But after some study the bulbs I use to use is no longer made. I'm not liking that the bulbs are getting harder to find.
So LEDs here I come. Here are a couple choices I'm thinking on.
Reefbreeders photon V2
Sb reeflight Xbox ultra
Dsuny panel style.

Note: with the dsuny it's easy to change lenses and LEDs out for others.
Pros and cons on each.

I've seen the reef breeders in person, they look nice. Heard good things about SB reef as well. If you want to stick with halide I'd look into Hamilton as they have a wide range of bulbs. Their 20k looks pretty amazing.

 

[dantimdad]

I sure wish you could still get the blueline super 10000K bulbs they were so beautiful. I had great growth and coralline was insane with them.

They also lasted longer than other bulbs. Blue line recommended 13-14 months and that's what I stuck with. Of course, they were $80 even back in early 2000's. OUCH!

 

[Saveafish]

I sure wish you could still get the blueline super 10000K bulbs they were so beautiful. I had great growth and coralline was insane with them.

They also lasted longer than other bulbs. Blue line recommended 13-14 months and that's what I stuck with. Of course, they were $80 even back in early 2000's. OUCH!

That's what I used. . I'd push them to the 2yrs mark.

 

[dantimdad]

That's what I used. . I'd push them to the 2yrs mark.

Weren't they awesome?!

 

[Flippers4pups]

I wanted to just hit MH. But after some study the bulbs I use to use is no longer made. I'm not liking that the bulbs are getting harder to find.
So LEDs here I come. Here are a couple choices I'm thinking on.
Reefbreeders photon V2
Sb reeflight Xbox ultra
Dsuny panel style.

Note: with the dsuny it's easy to change lenses and LEDs out for others.
Pros and cons on each.

I personally run modded Mars Aquas. 3, 165w units over a 6ft, 125 gallon mixed reef. SPS, LPS and yes some softies. I modded mine to mimic the SB basic box led diode layout. I did pull all of my lenses except for just a few 20000k diodes for better coverage and light blending. At 12" above water line, with the lenses pulled, I'm getting just under 200 par at mid tank and 300 at the top off my rock work. Diodes are very cheap and fairly easy to get online.

I was a huge T5 user in the past, but replacing bulbs was running me $200 dollars a year and I took a jump into LED's and haven't looked back.

I'm happy with them.

Old picture from about six months ago.

Here's a video of a reefer I know that runs nothing but CBB's :

 

[Saveafish]

Weren't they awesome?!

I think they was like a true 13K

 

[Saveafish]

I personally run modded Mars Aquas. 3, 165w units over a 6ft, 125 gallon mixed reef. SPS, LPS and yes some softies. I modded mine to mimic the SB basic box led diode layout. I did pull all of my lenses except for just a few 20000k diodes for better coverage and light blending. At 12" above water line, with the lenses pulled, I'm getting just under 200 par at mid tank and 300 at the top off my rock work. Diodes are very cheap and fairly easy to get online.

I was a huge T5 user in the past, but replacing bulbs was running me $200 dollars a year and I took a jump into LED's and haven't looked back.

I'm happy with them.

Old picture from about six months ago.

Here's a video of a reefer I know that runs nothing but CBB's :

Please fill me in. How you set the timers. What diodes you replaced. That's why I'm looking hard at dsuny. Easy to replace diodes

 

[Flippers4pups]

Please fill me in. How you set the timers. What diodes you replaced. That's why I'm looking hard at dsuny. Easy to replace diodes

Sure, timing is done with simple household appliance timers, one for blue channel and one for white channel. Two timers.


Diodes are 3w LED's, replacing them isn't bad, but requires soldiering skill.
There is a number of black box videos on how to do this. A soldiering gun, flux, solder and the diodes. Heat up the two connections and they pop off. A little flux, heat the diode connection and add a drop of solder. Done.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Started out as a quarter size frag back in 2016.

 

[dantimdad]

The dude in the video is lying. Everyone KNOWS you can't grow SPS with black box lights. ;Smuggrin

I love Melev's reaction when he tells him what's up with his lighting. LOL!

 

[dantimdad]

BTW, @Flippers4pups I am going to distract you and raid your tank next summer.

 

[Flippers4pups]

BTW, @Flippers4pups I am going to distract you and raid your tank next summer.

You can raid it coming the beginning of the new year, as I'm going to do a major tank reset. Tank is going more SPS dominant!

 

[Flippers4pups]

The dude in the video is lying. Everyone KNOWS you can't grow SPS with black box lights. ;Smuggrin

I love Melev's reaction when he tells him what's up with his lighting. LOL!

Yes, Marc's reaction was acted. He knows they work!

 

[Saveafish]

Sure, timing is done with simple household appliance timers, one for blue channel and one for white channel. Two timers.


Diodes are 3w LED's, replacing them isn't bad, but requires soldiering skill.
There is a number of black box videos on how to do this. A soldiering gun, flux, solder and the diodes. Heat up the two connections and they pop off. A little flux, heat the diode connection and add a drop of solder. Done.

Thank you. So much.
When are you going on vacation? That monti looks like it needs a sitter.....

 

[dantimdad]

PM me. We need to talk!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Thank you. So much.
When are you going on vacation? That monti looks like it needs a sitter.....

Lol, the thing is once you have the proper intensity (PAR) and spectrum dialed in, then it's up to husbandry and a sweet spot, then they take off.

Digitata's, acro's, Monti's are easy then. Well some.....lol


@dantimdad,
Anytime! Okay.