LEDs - Good, Bad or just another addiction?
- Thread starter pecan2phat
- Start date
- Location
- Port Jefferson station
Wow, awesome write up Warren!
One small step for Warren and one giant step for all reefers :cheers:
I wonder is there a Moore's law for LED's? Good time to be a reefer!
One small step for Warren and one giant step for all reefers :cheers:
I wonder is there a Moore's law for LED's? Good time to be a reefer!
- Location
- yonkers ny
Just put up my aqua illumination fixture on Friday. Love it. Love it. Love it!
- Location
- NJ
Anyone using Wingo's LED's and if so how are they?.. Can't seem to find any Reef tank pics with them..TIA
nyfireman3097
Senior Member
- Location
- Staten Island New York
I have always wanted to get involved with LED lights but just never could pull the trigger. I felt the same way about all T5 and when I did I cut my electric in half and had the same results as I did with my MH. So hopefully soon will be able to go with the LED. I have a couple of questions for you warren or anyone in that fact with the LED's
1. On a 4'x3' tank what would I need ? (Im with you warren when you talk about spill out)
2. Now that your using them would you feel good taking your chiller offline ?
1. On a 4'x3' tank what would I need ? (Im with you warren when you talk about spill out)
2. Now that your using them would you feel good taking your chiller offline ?
- Location
- Flushing NY 11355
One of such tank can be found here.
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/wingo-led/43638-led-mh-replacement-wingo.html
The owner told me last week that the fully DMX controllable LED light and the tank is still running good. Even the RBTA I gave him is growing very well. The light is at about 90W if I remember it correctly .
LED good, so far...
So, I'm new to the saltwater aspect of the hobby.
I put together <repaired> a 125 gallon tank
dropped in 100 # of live sand and 150# of live rock
Set up the fliter and light and realized that half the lights weren't working - coralight 4 bulb setup
Someone gave me a watermellon and kenyan tree.
I dropped them in and they did fine
NEXT, I bought a pair of 225 LED blue and white panels and set them up on top of the tank <about 2 inches from the glass.
The watermellon is HUGE - bigger than ever!
The Kenyan Tree is almost as big as before.
So, I'm new to the saltwater aspect of the hobby.
I put together <repaired> a 125 gallon tank
dropped in 100 # of live sand and 150# of live rock
Set up the fliter and light and realized that half the lights weren't working - coralight 4 bulb setup
Someone gave me a watermellon and kenyan tree.
I dropped them in and they did fine
NEXT, I bought a pair of 225 LED blue and white panels and set them up on top of the tank <about 2 inches from the glass.
The watermellon is HUGE - bigger than ever!
The Kenyan Tree is almost as big as before.
LED Lightings at LIRA Monthly Meeting This Friday
Welcome to LIRA monthly meeting this coming Friday, here is the link for the speaker and location,
http://www.longislandreef.org/
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=156
Ice Cap will possibly come and show their new LED products at the meeting, all vendors are also welcome to bring your samples and show them to the attendees, but please identify yourself and check in before 7pm.
You can also see various tanks under different lightings. Here is a picture taken on 1/11/10 with 175G tank, most corals have been grown from frags strictly under LED lightings since Dec.2007 and eyewitnessed by hundreds of hobbyists.
See you Friday,
James
Welcome to LIRA monthly meeting this coming Friday, here is the link for the speaker and location,
http://www.longislandreef.org/
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=156
Ice Cap will possibly come and show their new LED products at the meeting, all vendors are also welcome to bring your samples and show them to the attendees, but please identify yourself and check in before 7pm.
You can also see various tanks under different lightings. Here is a picture taken on 1/11/10 with 175G tank, most corals have been grown from frags strictly under LED lightings since Dec.2007 and eyewitnessed by hundreds of hobbyists.
See you Friday,
James
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Thanks Walter, we'll turn you into an LED man in no time :lol:
Nick,
The minimum that you want to do is three 120w modules placed/hung perpendicular to the length of the tank. As you go hardcore on your SPS, you can always add a 4th module since they are only 8.5 inches wide when placed perpendicular wise.
I have not had the faith to disconnect my chiller yet. Even though the Lamps give off minimal heat transfer to your water column, there is still the heat from my multiple external pumps, dual Eheims off my skimmer & ambient room temperature. I will see come late spring.
Nick,
The minimum that you want to do is three 120w modules placed/hung perpendicular to the length of the tank. As you go hardcore on your SPS, you can always add a 4th module since they are only 8.5 inches wide when placed perpendicular wise.
I have not had the faith to disconnect my chiller yet. Even though the Lamps give off minimal heat transfer to your water column, there is still the heat from my multiple external pumps, dual Eheims off my skimmer & ambient room temperature. I will see come late spring.
- Location
- Flushing NY 11355
Warren, have you gotten your new LEDs that you express interested in RC? If so how are they?
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Wingo,
Those are no frills LED lamps that are non-controllable. They are being ordered next week I think so will probably take another 14-20 days.
One great thing about controllable fixtures are when you add new corals to your tank. No hassle of lower placement or raising light for acclimation. Just lower intensity for 3-4 days, simple.
Those are no frills LED lamps that are non-controllable. They are being ordered next week I think so will probably take another 14-20 days.
One great thing about controllable fixtures are when you add new corals to your tank. No hassle of lower placement or raising light for acclimation. Just lower intensity for 3-4 days, simple.
Aqua Illumination at LIRA Meeting This Friday
I bought a piece of the new Aqua Illumination LED lighting weeks ago, and await their shipment. All the attendees can see and play this new toy at the meeting if I receive it.
My "Acan Lighting" will also start to accept the application for "Product Evaluator" of the my LED lightings, details will possibly be announced at the meeting or available at MR after I complete my official registration with MR.
James
I bought a piece of the new Aqua Illumination LED lighting weeks ago, and await their shipment. All the attendees can see and play this new toy at the meeting if I receive it.
My "Acan Lighting" will also start to accept the application for "Product Evaluator" of the my LED lightings, details will possibly be announced at the meeting or available at MR after I complete my official registration with MR.
James
Solaris I5
Great pics....nice looking critters!
Your LED path is very interesting. I have a 72" Solaris I5 on a 210. The 210 is 29" deep and I'm having a very difficult time determining how to set the light. I am running the day whites at 70% during the day and the day blues at 50%. At these settings, I have fox corals bleaching at mid point in the tank, and very unhappy brains at the bottom of the tank. I've had the light for about 7 months and have experienced little if any coral growth....other than my xenias that I think can be grown in a bath tub.
My questions, if you could be so kind to offer an opinion, are:
Does it help to raise the lights...I have virtually no light spill.
What % of power is typically ran. Should I be graduating up to 100%?
What mix of whites and blues do you use?
Any tips?
Thanks
Great pics....nice looking critters!
Your LED path is very interesting. I have a 72" Solaris I5 on a 210. The 210 is 29" deep and I'm having a very difficult time determining how to set the light. I am running the day whites at 70% during the day and the day blues at 50%. At these settings, I have fox corals bleaching at mid point in the tank, and very unhappy brains at the bottom of the tank. I've had the light for about 7 months and have experienced little if any coral growth....other than my xenias that I think can be grown in a bath tub.
My questions, if you could be so kind to offer an opinion, are:
Does it help to raise the lights...I have virtually no light spill.
What % of power is typically ran. Should I be graduating up to 100%?
What mix of whites and blues do you use?
Any tips?
Thanks
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Hi pacifictor, another Solaris user :groupflip
Welcome :fish::fish::fish:
At 7 months, your corals should have acclimated to the I5. What type of lights were you using before the Solaris and were the same corals in the tank at the time?
When I swapped out a 6-bulb T5 fixture for the I5, I had the light at 50% for 14 days. I then adjusted 10% each additional 7 days until I was at 100% intensity on both blues & whites. Currently, I have dialed back the whites to 80% because I felt the light was too white at 100% for my liking. I see that you like the 10k to 12k more.
If you don't want to attempt to move the corals around then try bringing both blues & whites down to 50% for a couple of weeks and see if the corals do any better. If so, then you can start bringing the intensity back up in 10% increments weekly.
How high is the fixture off the surface of the water? You would not experience light spill with the Solaris fixtures because they use 41 degree focal optics and the light is very focused and your tank is decently wide from front to back. I'm surprised that you are able to have decent coverage from front to back and do not notice the pyramid cast from the narrow optics.
Also since your brain corals are mobile, you can try moving them away from any direct light cast of the focal optics.
After gradual acclimation of the light, most users hve their blues at 100% and adjust their whites to personal taste.
Welcome :fish::fish::fish:
At 7 months, your corals should have acclimated to the I5. What type of lights were you using before the Solaris and were the same corals in the tank at the time?
When I swapped out a 6-bulb T5 fixture for the I5, I had the light at 50% for 14 days. I then adjusted 10% each additional 7 days until I was at 100% intensity on both blues & whites. Currently, I have dialed back the whites to 80% because I felt the light was too white at 100% for my liking. I see that you like the 10k to 12k more.
If you don't want to attempt to move the corals around then try bringing both blues & whites down to 50% for a couple of weeks and see if the corals do any better. If so, then you can start bringing the intensity back up in 10% increments weekly.
How high is the fixture off the surface of the water? You would not experience light spill with the Solaris fixtures because they use 41 degree focal optics and the light is very focused and your tank is decently wide from front to back. I'm surprised that you are able to have decent coverage from front to back and do not notice the pyramid cast from the narrow optics.
Also since your brain corals are mobile, you can try moving them away from any direct light cast of the focal optics.
After gradual acclimation of the light, most users hve their blues at 100% and adjust their whites to personal taste.
I5
My tank was new 7 months ago and I set it up with the Solaris I5. I have no experience with any other lighting systems. The 100% blue and then adjusting with the daywhites makes sense and I never thought of approaching it that way.
My light is on the factory supplied legs...approx 5-6 inches off the water. My aquascaping is set up so I don't really need light in the back 6 inches of the tank. The light is presently situated off center favoring the front of the tank.
My tank was new 7 months ago and I set it up with the Solaris I5. I have no experience with any other lighting systems. The 100% blue and then adjusting with the daywhites makes sense and I never thought of approaching it that way.
My light is on the factory supplied legs...approx 5-6 inches off the water. My aquascaping is set up so I don't really need light in the back 6 inches of the tank. The light is presently situated off center favoring the front of the tank.
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Try the 50% intensity route and see if your corals bounce back.
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Alfie (albano) runs dual 72" I5s on his 300g 36" wide tank, maybe he can chime in on his experiences also.
- Location
- mays landing , NJ
wow, i read all this and i had to become a member,, smile.. iam in the process of making a 75gal reef ready tank,, and iam always into the LED's but i think i got TO much info about the different LED manufactories out there and now iam in stuck mode, now if ya dont mind me stealing some of the steam of this post,,,(sorry)
i see here someone got the pacificsun led, i was gonna fork out the cash for the exotic panorama 22.5" X 2 for my 75gal BUT if you dont know me (witch you dont of course,,,lol) i like to be ready for everything,, meaning if i wanted to put a clam of any type in the buttom of the tank, i dont wanna go and get a new set of lights,, i would like my lights to be able to handle everything, just in case,
so with that say witch light do you guys recommend i should get, and if its a module one how many module, (you can have the threath back,,,,,for now,,,smile)
i see here someone got the pacificsun led, i was gonna fork out the cash for the exotic panorama 22.5" X 2 for my 75gal BUT if you dont know me (witch you dont of course,,,lol) i like to be ready for everything,, meaning if i wanted to put a clam of any type in the buttom of the tank, i dont wanna go and get a new set of lights,, i would like my lights to be able to handle everything, just in case,
so with that say witch light do you guys recommend i should get, and if its a module one how many module, (you can have the threath back,,,,,for now,,,smile)
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
Hi mori30,
Looking at the Panorama fixtures, they run $760 for a 27.5" unit with 72 one watt LEDs. I don't know if they started offering the option of the 453nm modules and definitely haven't seen or read where you can even control any of the six individual LED strips. That being said, you not only have a non-controllable fixture but also cannot do basic things like manual color temperature adjustment or sunrise/sunset for blues only.
The Panorama does not seem like a good choice IMO, if you do not need controllable features, I would take a look at the EcoLamp.
I would look into the Pacific Sun 90w units because your 75g is not too deep or tall.
Looking at the Panorama fixtures, they run $760 for a 27.5" unit with 72 one watt LEDs. I don't know if they started offering the option of the 453nm modules and definitely haven't seen or read where you can even control any of the six individual LED strips. That being said, you not only have a non-controllable fixture but also cannot do basic things like manual color temperature adjustment or sunrise/sunset for blues only.
The Panorama does not seem like a good choice IMO, if you do not need controllable features, I would take a look at the EcoLamp.
I would look into the Pacific Sun 90w units because your 75g is not too deep or tall.
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