LED questions

[Chorse Momma]

I am totally lost in the sea of lighting. I have a 36L x 18D x 21.5H tank in which I am going to get seahorses. I am considering using LEDS to light the tank but I am stumped as to what type of LEDS I really need. I amy have a few LPS in there, definetly NO SPS. There are so many choices for styles of lighting. I think the most important issue I am up against is the wattage. I will want to try and repicate the reef for seahorses as much as possible. I will also want to try growing some Macroalgae in the tank as well. In addition to the amout of watts I would need, for the size tank I hve what size would be the most appropriate size? Do I want to go for a full 36 inch LED fixture or should I get one smaller?

 

[jedimasterben]

I don't think I would put LPS in the tank. I know you're not doing dwarf seahorses, but a lot of LPS have an intensely powerful sting, and seahorses aren't particular quick to get away.

Are you wanting to DIY a fixture or buy one premade? What is your budget?

 

[screefer]

+1 on avoiding LPS in the seahorse tank. Load it with macro algae and gorgonians. They will be happy! Seahorses don't require a ton of light and neither do the other life forms (plants, etc.) within the tank. You wont need to go too extreme on the led fixture.

 

[Chorse Momma]

Yes I am fully aware of the stinging of some of the LPS. As far as fixtures go, I am wanting a ready to go fixture. As fr as budget, I am going to sound vague, but it would depend on the fixture with the watts. Again I would like to know of HOW powerful dare I go on the watts. I know I do not need anything too powerful, but something to help sustain growth. I would like to pop in a few gorgonians, shrooms maybe some colt coral. The reason I am not doing a DIY- I have no idea on electrical beyond changing bulbs and plugging it in.

 

[ReeferBob]

You could get a bottom of the line Odyssea $50 fixture or a top of the line $500 ATI fixture. You need to pick a budget and go with it. I think I'd go T5. T5 does need to be replaced annually however, so figure in the recurring costs (@$100/year for 4 bulbs). You could go with a 24" or 36" unit. Not much price difference.

 

[jedimasterben]

Yes I am fully aware of the stinging of some of the LPS. As far as fixtures go, I am wanting a ready to go fixture. As fr as budget, I am going to sound vague, but it would depend on the fixture with the watts. Again I would like to know of HOW powerful dare I go on the watts. I know I do not need anything too powerful, but something to help sustain growth. I would like to pop in a few gorgonians, shrooms maybe some colt coral. The reason I am not doing a DIY- I have no idea on electrical beyond changing bulbs and plugging it in.

My personal preference, above all others, would be a Maxspect R420R - a 27" unit would have plenty of spread for the tank and more than enough power, but is about $500, and for soft corals and LPS would be overkill. That being said, you can dim the unit down, and not only will the LEDs run more efficiently, they'll make less heat and will last longer (but they're already rated for at least 50,000 hours of operation).

And don't judge any lighting by how many watts it pulls - it's about the output and spectrum. A 120w Chinese fixture will not have the same power as a 120w brand-name unit that uses quality LEDs, and will usually use cheap drivers (the power supply, kinda like a ballast), as well.

If you're not looking to spend quite that much, I can customize a Reefbreeders value fixture for you that will give optimum color rendition in comparison to their default setup. It won't have the same build quality or aesthetics of the R420R, but output will be plenty for your tank (if not too much again, just dim them down) and should come in at about $200.