Par38 on a 54 gallon corner.

_sludgefactory · Sep 22, 2011

So i've been really thinking leds lately and I was looking at a reeftech setup that's going to run about $1200. Then I just recently saw the ecoxotic par38s. I was thinking about grabbing three of them and hanging one at each corner of my 54 gallon corner tank and then maybe one more in the center if the three aren't good enough.

The way my tank is set up is with all my sps on the top of the flattened part of my rock work about ten inches from the water surface and softies, zoos, and shrooms around the lower portion and along the sides.

Do you guys think that three would give me enough light for my sps? The savings in cost between the 3 par38s and the reeftech is pretty attractive.

Right now I have a 250 mh pendant so I would want it to be comparable and if the there didn't look good enough I would easily add the fourth.

Go for it or not?

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thewackyreefer · Sep 22, 2011

3 will definitely not be enough for SPS. Check out the fixtures Luke (luke33) at ReefFiltration sells. Awesome fixtures for the price.

_sludgefactory · Sep 22, 2011

That does look like a sick fixture. I saw it before and was thinking about it. Might have to grab one.

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FiReBReTHa · Sep 22, 2011

Diy led ftw

_sludgefactory · Sep 23, 2011

No diy, I already set my apartment on fire once.

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Reef Breeders · Sep 23, 2011

Youll be fine, tape the soldering joints and keep the wires away from curtains, and install a gfci outlet, if you have 2 or more outlets next to each other, just wire the next outlets off of the load side of the gfi and they are all protected. Anyways, good luck.

Hahnmeister · Sep 23, 2011

If you google "PAR38 reef lighting", you will find someone with a 180g using 12 of the ecoxotic PAR38's for light. The PAR numbers he posted seem almost like overkill. I would say based on that ratio, and how you mention you are cropping the actual area where the corals are, 3 of them might be enough, 4 to be safe. I know how corner tanks are... you dont actually need to light that much of an area sometimes because the back corner is so far back or just overflow and the sides are just that... sides that you dont tend to look through if they are up against 2 walls... leaving not so much actual prime space for premium coral viewing, and then you can get away with less light too. In either case or 3 or 4 PAR38's, I would say you still want some royal blue strips of LED's for supplimental blue and "night viewing"... these will add to your total light output as well, so I say go for it! PAR38's (evil's, not just any!) should be enough for you if you dont want to DIY.

_Alex_ · Sep 23, 2011

i personnaly think you would be better off and happier with the fixtuer from reeffiltration or reefkoi.com i think the par 38 would be very spotlighty and have a lot of shadows....

_sludgefactory · Sep 24, 2011

I'm not totally sold that reeffiltration lights still give me the light I need. Unless I go a reeffiltration with an ecoxotic for back fill. I'm really starting to think I may not be happy unless I go reeftech prometheus. It kicks out insane light. I think I might just spend the 1250 and go with the best.

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Reef Breeders · Sep 24, 2011

A couple ai's might do the trick, Ive heard that those were pretty good.

_sludgefactory · Sep 25, 2011

I just saw the Apollo LED setup on reefledlight.com. I'm thinking about going with that one now.

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PhelpsTanks · Sep 26, 2011

I just looked at the Apollo setup. They don't have 10k would going 12k for same tank, mostly lps
And softies be okay? not trying to jack your thread, just looking for insight.

~PhelpsTanks