superman
Member
Hey all. I'm about ready to make the change to LED lighting. I currently run PC lighting and it's great, but it's expensive to run, hot, and obviously short bulb life in comparison. I've read through a lot of posts on here, but just don't have time to read them all so I'll just put out my questions and see who can answer what. My tank is a 40 gallon and is 36" wide.
-Are the lighting guidelines for LEDs similar to PC? Meaning, I run 2x 96 watt PC bulbs at the moment, which equates to just uner 5 watts per gallon. For corals, I've always used the 4-5 watts per gallon rule. Do LEDs work this way as well? If not what is recommended?
-What kind of spread is recommended for the lights? I've seen many people posting that they get mostly blue, a few white, and a few red. I'm trying to attain maximum color from my corals, and blue seems like a pretty good route for this, but I am curious about other possibilities.
-What do DIY kits usually include? And what extras will I need? The parts I can think of are the bulbs, the housing, power source, and probably a fan. I've had plenty of experience building circuits and the like, and figured this can't be that much different. Also, are the lights typically plug and go or will I be looking to do some soldering? I've checked out a few websites so I have an idea of what's out there, but am just curious what other members have experienced.
I appreciate any insight into an already exhausted topic. Also, if you'd just like to point me to someone else's post, that's fine. I was just unable to find precisely what I was looking for in the posts I've read. Thanks!
-Are the lighting guidelines for LEDs similar to PC? Meaning, I run 2x 96 watt PC bulbs at the moment, which equates to just uner 5 watts per gallon. For corals, I've always used the 4-5 watts per gallon rule. Do LEDs work this way as well? If not what is recommended?
-What kind of spread is recommended for the lights? I've seen many people posting that they get mostly blue, a few white, and a few red. I'm trying to attain maximum color from my corals, and blue seems like a pretty good route for this, but I am curious about other possibilities.
-What do DIY kits usually include? And what extras will I need? The parts I can think of are the bulbs, the housing, power source, and probably a fan. I've had plenty of experience building circuits and the like, and figured this can't be that much different. Also, are the lights typically plug and go or will I be looking to do some soldering? I've checked out a few websites so I have an idea of what's out there, but am just curious what other members have experienced.
I appreciate any insight into an already exhausted topic. Also, if you'd just like to point me to someone else's post, that's fine. I was just unable to find precisely what I was looking for in the posts I've read. Thanks!
