HO t5 or LED (noob to lighting)

[rattler739]

I don't know if this matters or not but the kit that I'm looking at has 12 white 10 blue and 2 violet (UV), do the 2 violets matter or not? The site said that those make the color pop more, and are good for the corals but was not sure cause I can get 12 white and 12 blue what do you all think?

 

[2quills]

By my calculations which are based on the general guidelines for led counts gained over the last few years you don't need anything more than 36 leds max for your size tank. 36 would let you keep anything you could possibly want. Going with more than that would just be exessive in term of the high powered leds that we are discussing here. The cree and meanwells technologies are proven to be the best out there for the cost. I do think the bridgelux will do fine in your situation because your tank isn't that deep since the bridgelux max out at 700mA. Ultimately its up to you to choose. Keep reading and don't rush into a purchase just yet.
BTW, I'm not sure where you are getting your info on the Aqua illuminations fixtures in regaurds to the one unit per one foot rule but that isn't correct. Its more like one unit per two foot. You'd only need two units. Maybe you were looking at the nano fixtures? There is a guy on another site with just two of the sol fixtures over a 4 foot x 4 foot tank and is successfully keeping sps corals. Just my .02

 

[rattler739]

Quills
Il read more into it cause I won't be able to get anything till December, but unless I find a better deal with better lighting I'll probably just go with 2cause they don't make a 36 light kit
What do you think about the 2 violet UV?

 

[rattler739]

I probably was looking at the nano,I looked at so many different sites the past few days I don't which one said that sry.

 

[2quills]

I haven't seen the u.v. leds being used in person. From what I've read by the folks who have is that they really don't offer any extra fluorescence color pop above and beyond what you already get with the royal blues. And too much u.v. light can do more harm to your corals than good. Id stick with a 50/50 mix of white to blue. But I would ask them for a 50/50 mix of nuetral and cool wight leds.
BTW, if you email those places then they usually have no problem custom bundling kits for you to your specific needs.

 

[rattler739]

As for the UV it's a no go, and for all the help period it been an honor.
If anyone has any experience with this system let me know or if there are any better deals out there let me know cause I won't be getting anything till December

 

[mr. limpid]

Sorry Rattler I do not own that fixture I would of if I had SPS, I only have SPS and softies. I have the Marienland reef fixture, a good cheap fixture for shallow tanks since they are only 1 watt bulbs.

 

[1guydude]

+1 on the to much UV doing more damage than good....wat makes em pop and color up is the zooanxthelle going crazy! You can actually kill ur coral with UV...hold a black light up to ur tank and watch the colors grow....leave it on and ur corals will die. Never done this experiment myself just cuz im afraid of fluching the $1000s down the drain!

 

[rattler739]

Sorry Rattler I do not own that fixture I would of if I had SPS, I only have SPS and softies. I have the Marienland reef fixture, a good cheap fixture for shallow tanks since they are only 1 watt bulbs.
What size tank do you have?

 

[rattler739]

+1 on the to much UV doing more damage than good....wat makes em pop and color up is the zooanxthelle going crazy! You can actually kill ur coral with UV...hold a black light up to ur tank and watch the colors grow....leave it on and ur corals will die. Never done this experiment myself just cuz im afraid of fluching the $1000s down the drain!
Yeah Totally don't want that to happen

 

[reefraff]

Quote:
Originally Posted by rattler739 http:///t/388255/ho-t5-or-led-noob-to-lighting/20#post_3423651
I would get two units so 48 total and I looked up the sol lights and It said that I would need 1 unit per foot of my tank so that would be three so not just $400 but $1200 (but they would be awesome for a smaller tank) do you think these DIY kits will work cause that will be $200 for 32" fixture with 48 LEDs
48 LED's should be safe for sure but I think 36 would be enough. You could always use the extra 12 for a fuge light if you get a 48 kit. I also wouldn't mess with the violet LED's either. All they did was make me have to rebuild one circuit when they blew out, they were crap.

 

[mr. limpid]

Its a 20gal. long if you want to see photos with the LED fixture look at my profile. I modified the fixture put it inside of my old PC fixture to get up higher to throw a wider footprint and to protect the bulbs from salt spray.

 

[rattler739]

I heard that u could not keep LPS or really any corals but the low light ones on that fixture, but yours look pretty good. Did you just get that light or have you had it on there a while?

 

[mr. limpid]

I have the light now for 5 months hammers and Xena are both doing great, Xena are even growing thicker in the base. I traded of most of the plate coral but 2 pieces and the head that is still growing new ones, The 2 loose ones are turning more brown then green, so the I'm still waiting on them to see other than that tank is fine.

 

[rattler739]

Keep me posted if they end up doing ok or not. Do you plan on getting a better light or moving it to another tank?

 

[mr. limpid]

Yes my goal is to have 90gal reef using LED 3watt type. Right now my $ is going into my FOWL tank. Hopefully if my granddaughter gives time I'm watching her this weekend, going to post pictures of my tank its about 90% complete.