Adding full spectrum LED's to my setup benefit coral

[zero26]

Well as you can see I am trying to figure out my current lighting situation. Heres a run down,

90 mixed reef

Currently I have 50, 25 RB 25 CW built in 2011 with close to 9k hrs on them. My coral growth is very slow if non existent. Should I add green, red, and violet LED to have better coral growth?


Thanks

 

[jedimasterben]

Making your array 'full spectrum' will only help with growth if you are lacking in PAR right now, but most of the LEDs you would add will only help improve color.


Do you have XR-E right now? What drivers are you using?

 

[zero26]

I'm using dimmable mean wells, I'm not sure the model of the leds I bought them summer of 2011 from rapidled as part if there premium dimm kit.

 

[madadi]

check your voltage coming out of your drivers first. I had mine set up with standard voltage like rapidled sent me. when tested looks like it was sending out only 25v for 12 leds when it really should have been closer to 42v. it was noticeably brighter after adjustment.

 

[jedimasterben]

I'm using dimmable mean wells, I'm not sure the model of the leds I bought them summer of 2011 from rapidled as part if there premium dimm kit.

Ok, so more than likely they are Meanwell ELN-60-48D. Rapid still uses them today even though there are better alternatives now

Anywho, so you're limited to around 48v output. If you're using XR-E (which in 2011 that's what it would have been), then with 12x of them you will be using ~43v with the LEDs at 1A, or ~40v with them at 700mA, so you really are maxing out your current drivers.

Are you only thinking of adding colors in or would you be wanting to do a total swap? The XR-E are very inefficient compared to the diodes available now, which are nearing 60% electrical efficiency.

check your voltage coming out of your drivers first. I had mine set up with standard voltage like rapidled sent me. when tested looks like it was sending out only 25v for 12 leds when it really should have been closer to 42v. it was noticeably brighter after adjustment.

That's not how the ELN constant current drivers work. The voltage is variable and depends on the amount of current flowing through the LEDs, more current means that the LEDs are using more voltage. Cree LEDs, especially the older XR-E and XP-E, won't even strike with only 2v going into them.

 

[zero26]

No, I am looking just to add some more colors to my current fixture. I will measure my strings and report back.

So if I am measuring this right, on the 10A setting of my multimeter the blue strings measure about the same at .88 and the whites are around the same as well at .98


When I installed the drivers I did take them apart and adjust them.

 

[jedimasterben]

Ok. I think that if I were you I would at least swap out a bunch of the LEDs you have now for high-cri white and lime, trading out a couple of your royal blue for blue and cyan. You have very limited voltage to just add to your strings without taking away, so extra driver(s) may be necessary, and realistically I would add one.

 

[zero26]

Ok. I think that if I were you I would at least swap out a bunch of the LEDs you have now for high-cri white and lime, trading out a couple of your royal blue for blue and cyan. You have very limited voltage to just add to your strings without taking away, so extra driver(s) may be necessary, and realistically I would add one.

Oh yea for sure I was going to use the Mean Well LPC-35-700 driver to run the violets, reds and greens. I was only going to add around 10 more.

Looks like the driver can run up to 14 at 700mA