Lighting a 54gal corner with LED

[salmon alley]

My corner tank has 24" sides and is 30" deep. I'll probably go with a 4 to 5" sand bed, so that means 25 to 26" of water height, plus another 8-10" above the waterline (presumably)
I'd like to keep a mixture of SPS and LPS corals.
Can someone give me some direction regarding the number of LED that I would need and what type of optics would be recommended? (I've already got opinions about the color mix :smile

I'm still trying to decide if I should DIY this or go with a commercial fixture. Would this type of tank be best lit with a 'standard' rectangular or square heat sink or should I look at the pendant type fixtures?

Thanks everyone!

 

[smy168]

I almost feel like saying a pendent should work remarkably well.

I had the same 54 corner, before the LED craze I used a 250w HQI 20K center mass and it worked really well hitting all side and the 28 to 30 depth. The Kessil A350W would be a great fit with it being dim-able.

How are you controlling water flow? That drove me insane, this was in 98' all we had were maxijets!

Good luck and update, would like to see what you're building.

 

[salmon alley]

Thanks for the reply!

The tank is yet to be setup, so I haven't to tackle the water flow challenges. Still in planning stages.

That said, I had this tank up and running two years ago, and also used a single 250w MH to light it. I was also pleased with the coverage, but not pleased with the heat and other MH quirks.

I was looking at the Kessil, but I'm hesitant because it doesn't have full spectrum (no 660 red, no green, no indigo/violet). I like the idea of being able to tune and tweak the lighting color to my preferences.

If I remember correctly, when the tank was running two years ago I used several Tunze nano streams to provide water flow.

 

[smy168]

I have a site for you to check out....

Aquarium Supplies

They have a pendent light that has the Green and Red LED incorporated into it. i think they build it themselves, i picked up my maxspect from them.

As for flow, if you can spare the dollars, I would say invest in a VorTech MP, it creates great flow and it eliminates the need for a timer.

How are you handling filtration? overflow box or drilled?

I'm kind of excited for you!

 

[salmon alley]

LOL. This is turning into an entire build planning thread. :angel:
No worries, though, I appreciate having another opinion on the build so I don't screw it up!
I'm torn between the Tunze and VorTech. I've always had Tunze and had great luck with them, so I've got brand loyalty, but hear great things about the VorTech as well. Would you go with a a single VorTech for a tank this shape? or should I look into 2 of the smaller VorTechs? Would they both be on the same wall or "facing" each other on opposite sides (as much as they could face each other given that the legs aren't parallel)?

The tank has a built-in bottom to top overflow box, so I'm locked into that, but I'll probably take out some of the teeth to give better surface capture.

My plan for the inside is to get a one or two lengthes of acrylic or fiberglass rod, then drill the liverock and have it build off the center.

I'll check out that link.

 

[ReefLEDLights]

salmon alley

I've always been a fan of DIY as you can control the quality, type and even the specific Bin of the LEDs for optimal looks.

smy168 has a very good point about a single 250 watt mh. 45-55 XT-E LEDs driven at 700mh will give you about 200 PAR on the sand bed and give you a tad more light than a 250 watt mh. If you use two 12-18" heatsinks parallel to the back sides and angled inward you will optimize spread and reduce spill.

Tunze or Vortech is like choosing between a Mercedes or BMW...You cant go wrong with either choice. I prefer the Vortech but having the pump on the outside of the glass might not work for you. Both can be controlled by the APEX.

Bill

 

[Isoprene]

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks/101360-iso-55-bow.html

Check out my tank and build, I have some of the tougher sps acros and milli's down to zoas and everything likes this lighting combo. 24 bulb set up on 2 heat sinks and 2 drives 6 white / 6 royal blue / 12 blue, all from rapid LED and build the fixture myself.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do...shed-do-yourself-light-emitting-diodes-2.html

also posted the progress and finished products in this thread.

I run 13 hours of blue 8 hours of white, nothing but LED and I have seen amazing growth in all corals. My acans look great but I have to admit they are showing a bit more red/orange then they would under T5's but IDC! Everything looks great and my coralline has taken off over all my rock.

If you have any other questions let me know, this is my first tank and I have had a bow front for about 1.5 years now. I run all types of corals except anemones

 

[salmon alley]

Thanks for the replies!

Bill- I assume the 45-55 LED you suggest are to be split between the two heat sinks? Maybe 24 per heat sink? I think I understand the orientation, given the depth of the tank how high would the fixtures be mounted and what type of optics would you suggest?

From a $ and electricity standpoint, going from 250w MH to a 120w LED fixture probably won't save much money from strictly an operating cost standpoint, but it would cut down on heat transfer to the tank significantly and allow me the flexibility of color control and sunrise/sunset/moonlight control (if it's dimmable and programmable), which is the main reason I'm considering LEDs.

Isoprene- Nice job on your DIY! I may need to PM you to see how you did the wood bending (Did I mention I need to build a stand for this as well?)

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Thanks for the replies!

Bill- I assume the 45-55 LED you suggest are to be split between the two heat sinks? Maybe 24 per heat sink? I think I understand the orientation, given the depth of the tank how high would the fixtures be mounted and what type of optics would you suggest?

From a $ and electricity standpoint, going from 250w MH to a 120w LED fixture probably won't save much money from strictly an operating cost standpoint, but it would cut down on heat transfer to the tank significantly and allow me the flexibility of color control and sunrise/sunset/moonlight control (if it's dimmable and programmable), which is the main reason I'm considering LEDs.

Isoprene- Nice job on your DIY! I may need to PM you to see how you did the wood bending (Did I mention I need to build a stand for this as well?)

Yes the LEDs are split between the two heatsinks.

Optics will determine the height. I like the Carclo Ripple Wide based on their quality. With these 8-12" should give you the spread and minimize the spill.

If you go 48 LEDs thats closer to a 400 watt Radium or a 250 watt 10K XM. Using a controller to simulate sunrise and sunset with the light on full for only 4-6 hours a day will save you about $7 a month in electricity or about $150 a year including bulb replacement.

Bill

 

[smy168]

Tunze or Vortech...both great but I would probably use 1 MP10 on either side of the back walls, it's pretty vers. so you would be able to combine with your return and really create a ton of water movement. I'm not sure about the lower tank though, that's always been an issue since that's where most of the detritus builds up. The corner systems with depth are beautiful but always complicated when it comes to lighting and water movement.

Thanks all for the lighting info, I'm not that strong in the LED world and a lot of that info helped get me a little caught up.

I bring up all in ones like the Vortech and programable LEDs because I just wanted to move away from using timers. I've been in this game since 1996 and timers have always proven to a) lose time b) malfunction c) create electrical issues.

Keep us updated!