folks with LED lights

[superclown]

I will double check

 

[tnyga]

Ripped Tide;754711 wrote:

>

class="gc-images" title="ImageUploadedByTapatalk1333508362.664495.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:400px" /></a>

Been running LED's for a year. Most of the stuff in there came from twigs.

Looks great Rip

 

[containerman1]

I can`t wait to get my lights all set up. The new Eshine lights look great.
I will need to get some ideas on the best way to acclimate?
How do you add new corals in the tank after your up and running the leds for 7-9 hours?

 

[skriz]

BigAl07;754878 wrote: I think if you'll do a side by side comparison of MH with some of the newer LED fixtures (ones using more than just blues or just blues & whites</em>) you'll see a HUGE improvement in everything from the coral. I feel like one thing that some older generation LED were lacking was some of the red portion of the spectrum and possibly even some UV (I'm still on the fence of UV</em>). With these new additions I've seen coral color and growth POP like never before and still reaping all the benefits of LED long life and low power consumption. I admit with my original Blue/White LED fixture (DIY unit from 3+ years ago</em>) I didn't have the best coral GROWTH but that's part of being out in front of the pack. Sometimes you get the arrows in your back LOL!

I never had faith in the classic white and blue. I insisted on UV before any fixture had uv chips in them, but it's not enough. We'll see how the radions do; they have a few colours and uv. It's going to be close to impossible to beat MH for me, though.

Generally speaking, I guess it comes down to expectations and standards. I know people who think a tank full of Kenya tree is the greatest and most beautiful thing ever. I know the colour and growth I can get and anything less just doesn't cut it. I guess it's like being used to a Ferrari and then stepping into a Chevy volt! not exactly, but you know what I mean!

 

[ripped tide]

Ok, so LEDs are the new trend, I am playing along.

Things to consider: in nature, the time it takes for the sun to rise and set is about 12 hrs. So my lights should be on for ~10 hrs right? Wrong! The sun is only in a position that will allow the PAR to peak up high enough to produce a photo cycle for about 3-5 hrs.

There has been some pretty intensive research that a photocycle for coral takes about 3 hrs. During this time, the zooxanthelle is producing sugars that provide an energy source for the coral. When the sun sets, the coral usues that energy to build their limestone structure.

So, by leaving my lights on for 9 hrs means I get 3 photo cycles, I bet that will make them grow really fast! Wrong again. The first photocycle should produce enough energy for the nightly growth, the other photo cycles won't be utilized.



Standard white and blue LEDs are reported to produce no UV light. People have come to find that a lot of the coloration of corals is actually a pigment that is designed to filter out UV rays. If a coral that is grown in high PAR LEDs, with little to no uv, and you put it under MH or t5 of equal par that produce UV, cant you do more potential damage to the coral than moving it from uv to no UV?


I run my lights 100%. 4hrs on, 8 off, 4 on 8 off. Been doing That lighting cycle for a year. I expected poor results, considering I am kinda cheating. So far so good! Things be growing like crazy!

Everyone has their own thing.

 

[superclown]

Interesting light cycle. Hey if its working and your getting a decent growth rate then why not. I kick my atinics on around 10 am off at 1 atinics back on at 6pm white lights on at 7pm whites back off at 2am atinics off at 3 am. I'm usually up till 2 am at least and don't get ready for work till 11 so this allows me to view my tank before I leave to work

 

[jbadd99]

Here's what I've got so far:

First, I've only had LED, so I don't really know the difference. I'm running two 120w Pacific Sun LEDs (it has 119 1w LEDs in it - half royal blue, half white)

That said - when it comes to whatever's new home, it goes in the tank, after a day or two, I adjust accordingly.

My photoperiod:

Lights on at 11am. Right now I'm running an "18000k" color blend, according to PacificSun. I've fluctuated this between 13000k and 18000k over the last couple months to see where my best growth is. So far, it seems to be around 18000k. The controller has the option to set up to 100 light "events" where it can dim each channel according to my desire, for any time period I desire. So, I could start at 13000k and periodically work my way throughout the day to 23000k (pure actinic). The controller also controls dimming function on and off. Lights off 8pm, with a 45 minute dimming period. Moonlight function takes over from there depending upon lunar phase.

My thoughts:

My "Rose" anenome is more of a light pinkish/orange than rose. I have a ORA red planet that has grown only a few new polyps since I got it from Haninja a year ago.

I suspect this has to two with two things. First, the LEDs don't produce enough PAR for good SPS growth. Second, as mentioned before, no UV LEDs as well as some other colors, possibly causing the pigment to skew in the anenome? Could be.

I'm looking into creating my own fixture. I've opened up the Pacific Sun unit and repaired it. I know that multiple channels can be controlled with one driver and proper hardware. I'd like to add a few different colors in addition to the standard royal blue and white. I'm thinking UV, red, and cyan from what I've read.

If anyone is interested in helping, at no charge of course, let me know. I'm thinking I might be able to do an actual fixture over a 48" tank for around $600-$700 with some smoking PAR to the bottom and an automated controller to boot. Of course, that depends on if LilRobb ever gets back to me on that stuff he was looking into for me

What I'm after is a fixture in the fashion of a T5 unit that sits above my tank. It has multiple colors on multiple channels that can be independantly controlled through an automated system (such as Arduino or similar) and it only uses 1 AC plug per 24" of light. Has easily replaced parts. It has sufficient PAR and colors to create good growth and pop. And, most importantly, doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

 

[rodasphoto]

jbadd99;755046 wrote: Here's what I've got so far:


It has multiple colors on multiple channels that can be independantly controlled through an automated system (such as Arduino or similar) and it only uses 1 AC plug per 24" of light.

I would love to see a DIY way to control color temp., and what not like what Eoctech's Radion provides.

 

[snowmansnow]

the K of a light ministers to specific colors.

i read a cool article about this in CORAL ... last month I think.

don't ask me to explain it haha.

B

 

[rdnelson]

BigAl07;755123 wrote: 5500 - 6500 is generally considered "Daylight" of "Mid Day" type of light.

Is it a sunny day or a cloudy day?

OK so I stole that. The first time I told a vendor I wanted "Day Light Lamps" for a project that was his response. LOL

That was a very good explanation of the K rating on lamps. In commercial building applications the most come is 35K (short for 3500 degress K)

 

[snowmansnow]

BigAl07;755123 wrote:

the K of a light ministers to specific colors.

i read a cool article about this in CORAL ... last month I think.

don't ask me to explain it haha.

B[/QUOTE

No worry we wont ask you to explain it.. yet

It was a great article with a heavy emphasis on why BLUE light is so important with a teaser on "other" spectrum of light.

The "K" is the temperature of the light... which in very simplistic terms is the color of the light being produced.

In technical terms it's the color of the light compared a "Blackbody" heated to that exact temperature. "K" is for Kelvin which is the scale we use to determine the "Temperature" of the light. At 1800K the "blackbody" would be THAT (bright white/blueish) color and light at 1800K would closely compare. Lower "K" ratings tend to look more "yellow". 5500 - 6500 is generally considered "Daylight" of Mid Day type of light.

K ... I understand.. its how the corals actually USE the different Ks that I'm still processing

 

[rdnelson]

Try to find your car in a parking lot that has High Pressure Sodium lamps in the lighting. Those are the ones that give off a orange light. You will notice that every car in the lot is the same color. LOL In lighting, you have to also consider "color rendition". Which is why some corals seem to "pop" under certain types of light. It may be more pleasing to our eye but does little for growth of the coral.

 

[kirkwood]

Ripped Tide;755001 wrote: Ok, so LEDs are the new trend, I am playing along.

Things to consider: in nature, the time it takes for the sun to rise and set is about 12 hrs. So my lights should be on for ~10 hrs right? Wrong! The sun is only in a position that will allow the PAR to peak up high enough to produce a photo cycle for about 3-5 hrs.

There has been some pretty intensive research that a photocycle for coral takes about 3 hrs. During this time, the zooxanthelle is producing sugars that provide an energy source for the coral. When the sun sets, the coral usues that energy to build their limestone structure.

So, by leaving my lights on for 9 hrs means I get 3 photo cycles, I bet that will make them grow really fast! Wrong again. The first photocycle should produce enough energy for the nightly growth, the other photo cycles won't be utilized.



Standard white and blue LEDs are reported to produce no UV light. People have come to find that a lot of the coloration of corals is actually a pigment that is designed to filter out UV rays. If a coral that is grown in high PAR LEDs, with little to no uv, and you put it under MH or t5 of equal par that produce UV, cant you do more potential damage to the coral than moving it from uv to no UV?


I run my lights 100%. 4hrs on, 8 off, 4 on 8 off. Been doing That lighting cycle for a year. I expected poor results, considering I am kinda cheating. So far so good! Things be growing like crazy!

Everyone has their own thing.

Ripped - that philosophy agrees with a lot of things I've read about light cycles on various boards. Do you use any moonlighting in between your light cycles, just for selfish reasons of still enjoying your tank throughout the day?? Also, how did you come up with the 8 hours off?? Is that based on what you's expect for elapsed night darkness in tropical waters?? Just wondering... I've been running my lights (T5HO before and LEDs now) at 6 hour blue and 4 hour white/blue and see good results w/ growth and containing algae... i have wondered for some time if i could trick the corals into 2 grow cycles each day like you are doing...

 

[project1004]

Hi,
I went and picked up my LED from Robb last Friday evening and was installed on the same night. I had T5 39Wx4 bulb aquaticlife fixture for about a year but could never get growth from my corals... not even mushroom would grow. anyways I picked up manual dimmable LED and now my tank is looking better than ever...

BTW, I am not allowed to post these pcitures on my built tread because I am not a PAID member any-longer???? why???

These LED are on 100% full from very first day. (I just bought the manual dimmable in case I have to adjust my corals but NO needed...) Been about one week and so far all my corals are doing so much better... over all tank looks so much happier... :yay:

Time set using Reef keeper 2
Blue on :11 am - 11 pm
White on : 1pm - 9 pm

Thanks

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

 

[legalreefer]

I did a DIY from aquastyle and have noticed more coral and coraline growth. I bleached my monti but it is still growing like crazy! I do however like the color of a 20k MH over the LEDs (and the LEDs are dimable).

 

[snowmansnow]

project1004;755403 wrote: Hi,
I went and picked up my LED from Robb last Friday evening and was installed on the same night. I had T5 39Wx4 bulb aquaticlife fixture for about a year but could never get growth from my corals... not even mushroom would grow. anyways I picked up manual dimmable LED and now my tank is looking better than ever...

BTW, I am not allowed to post these pcitures on my built tread because I am not a PAID member any-longer???? why???

These LED are on 100% full from very first day. (I just bought the manual dimmable in case I have to adjust my corals but NO needed...) Been about one week and so far all my corals are doing so much better... over all tank looks so much happier... :yay:

Time set using Reef keeper 2
Blue on :11 am - 11 pm
White on : 1pm - 9 pm

Thanks

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

with adequate t5 lighting you can grow whatever u want. if that is a 24" deep tank I wouldn't have gone with less than 6 lamps and a QUALITY fixture. no offense to anyone.

B

 

[rdnelson]

My tank isn't that deep but my 6 lamp DIY T5 setup with beat up reflectors and cheap lamps has done fantastic. If my corals grow any better under the MM LEDs I am about to get just going from a 45 to a 125 won't be enough. . The SPS have grown more than anything

 

[superclown]

One flaw in the logic of what lights grow what better is lights is not the only contributing factor in getting good coral growth u can have a perfect on par setup without good chemical balance the corals will be stressed and not grow

 

[snowmansnow]

SuperClown;755430 wrote: One flaw in the logic of what lights grow what better is lights is not the only contributing factor in getting good coral growth u can have a perfect on par setup without good chemical balance the corals will be stressed and not grow

+1

Lighting get a lot of attention, but honestly corals can adapt to reasonable conditions as far as lighting goes as far as how much they need.

I've found that the RIGHT flow is actually a bigger deal that most people realize. I read an article several years ago about the respiration of the coral and how that inadequate flow impedes it and causes bleaching or even death.

b

 

[acroholic]

Skriz;754995 wrote: I never had faith in the classic white and blue. I insisted on UV before any fixture had uv chips in them, but it's not enough. We'll see how the radions do; they have a few colours and uv.

Radions don't have UV. Red, green, blue, royal blue and cool white.