Lighting question

[solar]

So im getting the itch to either add more lighting or get a new light. I want more blues than i currently have.

My light is a 150 watt halide thats 14k hamilton bulb, 2 18 watt blue t5's, and 4 blue led moonlights.

Would I be better off buying leds and drivers and adding to what I have now or buying a whole new led fixture?
Priced 12 royal blue 3w leds and 12 uv 3w leds with heatsink and drivers and optics is $179
Or I can get the reefbreeders value fixture its 120w and has bridgelux leds and is dimmable?
This is gonna go over my 40 breeder and I want to be able to put sps at the bottom if possible.
Never used led's and I don't know how many blues/uv is to much if I add some.
My metal halide fixture is 18" long and covers my whole 40 breeder pretty well just not enough blue to make corals pop.
Also what is the difference between the optics and no optics? What optics would I want?

 

[revsgirl]

Bump


Chasing the Dream Giver, not the dream! Tonya

 

[gmoney243]

I would get a full spectrum unit from reefbreeders if u wanna go leds unless you just wanna diy it. You can get cheaper bridgelux diy kits from aquastyleonline.com.
As far as optics wider optics give more spread but less par for a 40b and any shallow tank i would do 120° optics or 90° at the most anything tighter is gona be way to much par and not enough spread. If u have a small canopy and need to hang the light close to tank then i would do no optics or 120° at most.


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[Reefing Madness]

You can try and find a 20-22k Halide or easier would be LEDs, as you can dim out the whites so the blues come out more.

 

[NeveSSL]

FWIW, 120° is no optics. Its using the LED's optic it comes with, thus its cheaper than the 90° or 60° options.

Brandon

 

[gmoney243]

FWIW, 120° is no optics. Its using the LED's optic it comes with, thus its cheaper than the 90° or 60° options.

Brandon

Thought no optics is 180? Half a circle.is 180 lol

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[NeveSSL]

Thought no optics is 180? Half a circle.is 180 lol

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Nope, check the specs. The built-in lenses are "120 to 140 degrees", most of the time they're assumed to be 120. The same holds true for Cree LEDs.

Bridgelux LED 3W blue

Brandon

 

[solar]

I was thinking about this unit.

reefbreeders

Would that cover my 40 breeder?

I can hang my light up to 14" above my tank, no higher as there is a shelf in the way.
My current mh is 14 1/2" above water atm.

 

[Reefing Madness]

No worries about the height, you can always acclimate your tank, the unit has dimmers. Got my thumbs up, good unit.

 

[NeveSSL]

I was thinking about this unit.

reefbreeders

Would that cover my 40 breeder?

I can hang my light up to 14" above my tank, no higher as there is a shelf in the way.
My current mh is 14 1/2" above water atm.

I think you'd probably be ok, but the best thing to do would be to ask them... they are actually a sponsor here and have a forum here: Reef Breeders



Brandon

 

[gmoney243]

Description says 24" sps area with 36" total for low.light past the 24" area.

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[solar]

Description says 24" sps area with 36" total for low.light past the 24" area.

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Ya I just don't want to buy one and decide I need more.
Do you think its equivelant to what I have now?

 

[gmoney243]

Ryan runs 2 of these on his 120 u saw at the meeting

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[bknapp]

Keep the halide.

 

[solar]

Ryan runs 2 of these on his 120 u saw at the meeting

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Them were the bridgelux ones?

Keep the halide.

How many blue/uv leds would I have to add to make corals pop?
Or should I frankenstein 2 t5 ho?
I want more of the neon effect I see under leds.
And I don't have a controller so the leds will be at 100% all the time.
My fixture is a aquatraders and well for the price I paid for it it held its own, it will grow sps lol.

 

[bknapp]

Just buy an LED strip like the ReefBrite strips.

I don't want to start the LED vs. MH debate (again) but I am a believer in MH.

If growing SPS is the goal why fix what isn't broke?

 

[solar]

Just buy an LED strip like the ReefBrite strips.

I don't want to start the LED vs. MH debate (again) but I am a believer in MH.

No worries :thumb:
Would one strip be suffecient?

 

[bknapp]

I would start with one and go from there not too add so much light intensity at once and if you feel the need for a second one than add one. I've seen where people have screwed the strips into the side of a fixture and it looks nice and clean.

 

[solar]

I would start with one and go from there not too add so much light intensity at once and if you feel the need for a second one than add one. I've seen where people have screwed the strips into the side of a fixture and it looks nice and clean.

That was the plan I was thinking also, but ouch there 167$ 12$ more I can get the whole fixture lol im so confused.

 

[solar]

Hate to rehash a old thread but my light is crapo for my tank

Emailed logan 3 times now and still haven't got a response

I know there are tons of people on this site who have sps in a 40 breeder with reefbreeders led's pretty please with sugar and cherries on top chime in.

Or do the posts in mtrc not go sitewide?