Wildman926
Community Member
I purchased the BuildMyLED.com lighting to replace my former vendor's led strips and T5 combo, Current USA. I did not want to run that combo as I did not feel my corals were getting enough of the "correct" lighting, or spectrum of light per say. I ran ATI Bulbs, AquaBlue Special and True Actinics, and the led strips were the 12k, Fusion, and 453nm. All I can say, is wow, what a difference after the change.
I started out with only a 14000k 6' strip, replacing the T5's in the beginning of June. After a week of running these, I noticed a big change it the tank overall. I noticed corals started coloring back up, and loss of any hair algae (what little there was), and cyano was going away. I then placed another couple of orders for a 6' Custom Reef Spectrum and a 5' True Actinic. I did not want to over due it with the blue, so that is why I bought the 5' strip. Currently the cyano is gone, with changing the lights out only, with no other changes.
I am extremely happy, and anyone that is contemplating these as a replacement to their current lighting, or initial lighting, go for it!!
Here are a couple of pics with my IPhone, unedited. I currently am using the tank mounts now, but only half of the assembly. I use only the ring that mounts to the strip, not the bottom half that sits on the tank. I did this due to this tank being behind my couch, and my TV sits on the opposite wall, so the glare using the full assembly provides a glare. Using it like I do now, does not produce the glare for me on my tv, and still gives some space between the strips and the tank for air circulation and cooling. I have them installed so that the lip on the ring, catches the inside lip of the tank, and the outside portion of the ring rests on the tank rim. This way, it performs as if using the entire assembly. I don't need to tilt the strips for proper angle to utilize all of the light output, as I purchased the strips with 90* lenses, and each strip covers the entire tank where they sit. My 150g lps tank and some corals in it -
I started out with only a 14000k 6' strip, replacing the T5's in the beginning of June. After a week of running these, I noticed a big change it the tank overall. I noticed corals started coloring back up, and loss of any hair algae (what little there was), and cyano was going away. I then placed another couple of orders for a 6' Custom Reef Spectrum and a 5' True Actinic. I did not want to over due it with the blue, so that is why I bought the 5' strip. Currently the cyano is gone, with changing the lights out only, with no other changes.
I am extremely happy, and anyone that is contemplating these as a replacement to their current lighting, or initial lighting, go for it!!
Here are a couple of pics with my IPhone, unedited. I currently am using the tank mounts now, but only half of the assembly. I use only the ring that mounts to the strip, not the bottom half that sits on the tank. I did this due to this tank being behind my couch, and my TV sits on the opposite wall, so the glare using the full assembly provides a glare. Using it like I do now, does not produce the glare for me on my tv, and still gives some space between the strips and the tank for air circulation and cooling. I have them installed so that the lip on the ring, catches the inside lip of the tank, and the outside portion of the ring rests on the tank rim. This way, it performs as if using the entire assembly. I don't need to tilt the strips for proper angle to utilize all of the light output, as I purchased the strips with 90* lenses, and each strip covers the entire tank where they sit. My 150g lps tank and some corals in it -
