Funny that you would link them, i literally just saw them on coralvue's website and it said tank mount options coming soon. I'm running a 48x20x21 (85 gal)....I'll be on the look out to see what they come out with for tank mounting options for sure. I'm using Radions right now (2x xr15w pro's with the wide angle lens) so I could sell them and make up a decent amount of money.
LEDs. Forever controversial?
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Funny that you would link them, i literally just saw them on coralvue's website and it said tank mount options coming soon. I'm running a 48x20x21 (85 gal)....I'll be on the look out to see what they come out with for tank mounting options for sure. I'm using Radions right now (2x xr15w pro's with the wide angle lens) so I could sell them and make up a decent amount of money.
I have found this to be absolutely true when it comes different types of lighting. Corals adapt readily. I think a lot of people just can't stop messing with there leds, and that is the primary reason they struggle.
Color temp has way more to do with how we see the coral, than what they actually look like. I've always told people asking me what the "ideal" spectrum for sps is, to simply dial in there lights to an aesthetic that appeals to them the most, and don't touch them again. It can be as easy as that.
mcarroll
10K Club member
I think most people tend to put aesthetics above most biological concerns - especially when it comes to lighting - so that is not a unique position.
I also do not mind if anyone wants to run halide or T5, but it does bother me a little when they are deceiving themselves (about costs, for example), or simply missing out on some key point on usage - such as how lenses can be used to our advantage, not just to make up for a design feature that doesn't work in all cases.
LED's carry so many significant advantages to T5 and halide, it's really not funny....but as presented by (most) commercial fixtures, I'll admit it's a very limited offering of those advantages. Some are downright bad.
I obviously wouldn't care one way or another if you do it, but hypothetically I think I could line you up with LED's - either commercial or custom - that you'd like as well as your halides. Using a [HASHTAG]#lux[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#meter[/HASHTAG] (or any other light meter) during the transition - any lighting transition, really - is pretty crucial.
It's probably not what you're into, but just in the light of other comments, this is a perfect role for custom LED's. The whole rig could be mounted to the ceiling with proper lenses so only the tank was being hit. It would even be simple.
Marketing? Some folks are convinced that's the way it's done. Not everyone!
I've had the same set of gu10 bulbs for my DIY fixtures for several years by now....and even the Maxspect Razor is getting a little old.
That'll happen once the Austrians get out of the Mercury business!
cjd
Well-Known Member
Two AI sol blues over a 24 by 24 cube. Some look at this as successful use of leds. But I look at it as I grew what would grow , not necessarily what I wanted to keep. If that makes sense.
TACH]
I try to make the tank look good not only inside the tank, but in the room as well. Not a fan of canopies, and I like the room form factor of LEDs. There are some nice looking German mh/t5, but wow are they spendy. It's important to me to have the overall tank look as good as inside.
People do mess with LEDs a lot. AI shared my tank on Facebook about what LEDs can do. I got so many questions about intensity and ramping and colors. People couldn't believe that I just run blue/uv channels 2:1 with white/colors and do a simple 1hr ramps up and down with 8hr full intensity. People figured there must be more to it!
People do mess with LEDs a lot. AI shared my tank on Facebook about what LEDs can do. I got so many questions about intensity and ramping and colors. People couldn't believe that I just run blue/uv channels 2:1 with white/colors and do a simple 1hr ramps up and down with 8hr full intensity. People figured there must be more to it!
mcarroll
10K Club member
Almost verbatim what you'll catch me saying.
The only thing I add to that is to get a [HASHTAG]#lux[/HASHTAG] [HASHTAG]#meter[/HASHTAG] - guessing at intensity by eye is a losing proposition.
A lux meter costs from $free for smartphone apps that use the camera, to $15 (delivered!!) for an ordinary model lx-1010B handheld lux meter. If you wanna splurg on a PAR meter, that'll work too, but for gosh sakes, don't just use your eyeballs!!
Greenstreet.1
5000 Club Member
@cjd I grew sps with only two sol's over my 75g with no problem before adding ati 4x54w t5 fixture.
TaylorPilot
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Do you have any build threads or write ups showing what you have in mind. I am always interested in new things!
mcarroll
10K Club member
Well, to me this was a great baseline:
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/267432-gu10-led-build-thread-chinese-ebay-lights/
As the link suggests, you'll find that DIY has mostly been applied to nano tanks - 55 gallons and smaller.
However, it's an instructive design and it can be scaled.
For one, it uses prebuilt, plug-in bulbs, not unlike an ordinary lightbulb, which contains the lenses, emitters, heatsink and transformer all on one package that twists into a socket you have previously mounted to a fixture. And it works. Once you have it figured out, it can be a baseline for other designs. It's also the baseline for cost - I don't know of a cheaper way to set up LED's. (Do tell if you know one!)
If you were replacing a baseline T5 or halide system, this would be a great way to do it. So cheap that even if you didn't like it, you're not out more than the cost of a set of new T5 bulbs - switch back in 6 months or try a different blend of emitters, or a different light altogether. (But you've probably got 5 years to make up your mind before the LED's wear out!
)
PM coming....
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/267432-gu10-led-build-thread-chinese-ebay-lights/
As the link suggests, you'll find that DIY has mostly been applied to nano tanks - 55 gallons and smaller.
However, it's an instructive design and it can be scaled.
For one, it uses prebuilt, plug-in bulbs, not unlike an ordinary lightbulb, which contains the lenses, emitters, heatsink and transformer all on one package that twists into a socket you have previously mounted to a fixture. And it works. Once you have it figured out, it can be a baseline for other designs. It's also the baseline for cost - I don't know of a cheaper way to set up LED's. (Do tell if you know one!)
If you were replacing a baseline T5 or halide system, this would be a great way to do it. So cheap that even if you didn't like it, you're not out more than the cost of a set of new T5 bulbs - switch back in 6 months or try a different blend of emitters, or a different light altogether. (But you've probably got 5 years to make up your mind before the LED's wear out!
)PM coming....
I'm didnt read many of the comments from all the previous pages. Part of the problem with people using LED's is that they expect to add three lights (using a 180 or 210 for example) and then are dissatisfied when they have massive shadowing everywhere. Has anyone considered that when MH's were used that most ran a VHO or T-5 for supplementation along the outer edge of the tank. Think about it, a reefer is running three LED's down the middle of their tank and they are wondering why they are unhappy with the corals so they add a couple T-5's along the outer edge of the tank and VIOLA, suddenly they are happy. I have four black boxes on my 210 along with two DIY stunner strips (Along the outer edge) and I am completely satisfied with my tank. I am not so sure that its that T-5's are superior, but that so many reefers are missing the spread of light that is so important. The sun does not shine on a reef from a single pin point source(you get the point). It is spread out.
FlyinBryan
Well-Known Member
All I know, I'm getting amazing color and growth from xr-30 pro's! Both sps & lps. In both my 150 and 29 bio-cube. That one has just the xr15 with the tiered lens. In fact im blown away by growth on my 29g.
Im really happy I changed to LEDs.
Im really happy I changed to LEDs.
TaylorPilot
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One of my favorite tanks is one they have at a LFS. It is 84" x 42" x 32". He lights it with (3) 400 watt radiums and (6) xr-30 pro's. LOL Yea about 5k in lighting, but the colors are awesome!
mcarroll
10K Club member
Not completely.
Are you saying that you consider this an unsuccessful tank?
Which corals you like is personal, of course - I think those corals look nice under that light, for what that's worth.
What did you want to keep but found yourself unable to?
(That's heavy "garden mix" selection of corals...not the easiest to keep together without some special consideration...leathers, polyps can both irritate stony corals, for example.)
jetmaker
Valuable Member
I'm running a orbit marine pro now with 2x 96 watt t5 and I have been doing halides forever but I have to say this combo totally works. I know about lux and par but I think when it comes to led it is more about spectrum witch we don't measure.
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mcarroll
10K Club member
I know it's barely a quantitative measurement, but try a hobby spectrometer like the ProjectSTAR.
There're also a ton of DIY options these days (these are related):
https://publiclab.org/wiki/spectrometer
https://spectralworkbench.org
There're also a ton of DIY options these days (these are related):
https://publiclab.org/wiki/spectrometer
https://spectralworkbench.org
JMacedo
Active Member
If we only have 2 T5s over a 150gl tank and want to optimize coral growth, colours and spread, we buy more bulbs!
If we only have 2 MH over a 150gl tank and want to optimize coral growth, colours and spread, we buy more bulbs!
If I only have 2 LED modules over a 150gl tank and want to optimize coral growth, colours and spread, I buy more modules!
It is no different! (just more expensive in the short run)! We also can mix them all!
If we only have 2 MH over a 150gl tank and want to optimize coral growth, colours and spread, we buy more bulbs!
If I only have 2 LED modules over a 150gl tank and want to optimize coral growth, colours and spread, I buy more modules!
It is no different! (just more expensive in the short run)! We also can mix them all!
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alton
Valuable Member
The biggest issue with leds is being able to adjust colors. At the end of the day you like the color but does your color help or hinder your corals? I have been using buildmyleds for two years first as supplement to my MH's on my 300 and then replacing all my T5's and MH's. It was simple if you want the Radium look and spectrum they had it or 14K or 12K. Your corals where happy and the only adjustment was to how much PAR you wanted. Too bad the horticulture market is so good for them that they have placed the aquarium trade on the shelf, hopefully they will be back in a couple years? Or Phillips borrows there layouts since most of the leds BML used was Phillips.
Here is a 65 gallon with two bml 20k lights. The frags that I used in this tank came from colonies from my 300 which for two years the leds ran for 10 hours while my MH only for 3
Here is a 65 gallon with two bml 20k lights. The frags that I used in this tank came from colonies from my 300 which for two years the leds ran for 10 hours while my MH only for 3
