Aquastyleonline.com LED questions.

[Neurovet]

Mad and Hobbzz...I plan on having mine approximately 6'' off the water surface for my 80 kit on the 90...You think the stock 60 optics are too tight? Tell me quick so I can talk to Ray!
I recognize you get more spread with the wide optics, but don't you loose PAR deeper? Could these concerns be corrected with grouped stars? Ever consider putting optics on some but not all?

 

[nemosworld]

I think you will be fine with the 60's. You will get good even coverage with 80 over a 90 gallon. Along with good par.

 

[Neurovet]

Thanks nemo...I'm fired up! Can't wait to see what these lights do to my SPS and iridescent fish (jawfish!)

 

[MADtanks]

deff man, see my problem is that all my LEDs are too close in relation of space between each LED. 40each on a 7X16 5 rows of 8 LED's = a ton of focused light! I almost want to order some U channel and redo my setup so that i have more even spread.... still dont know what i want to do lol.

GL

 

[hobbzz]

Mad I just noticed you only have 72 for that tank. That's only one led per 25 sq in. Even crees are supposed to be one for every 16-18 sq inch Iirc. That would dedinitely attribute to the par. I'm going to be sending ray a request for a quote on a 48 kit. I'm thinking of the following:
2 red
8 4500k
8 10000k
4 violet
26 royal blue ( I'm going to ask if they've regular blue also)

From the mix you have, would you say my mix would give me close to a 20k look?

 

[MADtanks]

Whats up hobbzz.... I actually have 120LED's total.

2Red, 18RB, 20CW.... per heatsink, and a total of 3 heatsinks. over 3 24X24 openings, plenty of light too much focused light for me is the problem lol.

so I think im going to end up going with 5 U channels 72" long and make the space between the LED's a little more spread out so that i am not focusing so much light in the middle of each 24X24. That or i will end up adding 2 to 4 60" T5s lol

 

[hobbzz]

Ah gotchya. I thought I saw 72 on the last page, my mistake. What do you think about my mix? Do you think I would need more blue for a 20k look?

 

[hobbzz]

I found my mistake, Nemo was the one with 72. So I guess I'd also like to ask Nemo if he thinks my mix would get me to a 20k look.

 

[MADtanks]

no worries brodda....

Not sure on the mix man, but the ratio i have is pretty white 12-14k. 1:1..... and the recommended for 20k is 2:1(rb:cw)

Being that your trying to mix in reds, nw, and uv not sure how that will translate? I am also thinking of getting another 6 Blues and move my reds over with the White leds so i can get a bit more blue... I am sure the LED experts will chime in

 

[hobbzz]

I sent ray the quote request so hopefully he'll have some input. I'll actually be using the regular violet, not the UV. So 420nm. I also got the mix wrong. It'll be 14 whites and 28 blues. I counted the violets as blues and the reds as whites. And if they have regular blues I'll either swap some out for the royals or add 4-6 if needed to get to 20k.

 

[Neurovet]

I did 40 RB, 20 4500, 10 6500 and 10 10K. Mine are on the same heatsink as yours Mad. I didn't understand your reply...you think the 60 is ill advised and go with 80? Nemo already chimed in. Credit for the color temp to screen name cet.

 

[MADtanks]

Sorry, I think if you place the LED's high enough the 60s are fine, but i dont plan to have my LED's higher than 11" above the water surface and in my 24X24 area the 60s create a spotlight right in the middle of the sand bed. So I think for my application maybe a mix of LEDs would work better. 80* mixed with 60* on the outside. I am no expert but its my observation on my tank(29" tall and the LED's sit 11" from the water) Not sure what i want to do man, keep going back and forward with ordering new optics(80*) or redoing the rig with U channel.

 

[nemosworld]

no worries brodda....

Not sure on the mix man, but the ratio i have is pretty white 12-14k. 1:1..... and the recommended for 20k is 2:1(rb:cw)

Being that your trying to mix in reds, nw, and uv not sure how that will translate? I am also thinking of getting another 6 Blues and move my reds over with the White leds so i can get a bit more blue... I am sure the LED experts will chime in

My mix is 2:1 royal blue to 10k white. Not sure if thats 20k or more like 18k
But i do like it.

 

[nemosworld]

Sorry, I think if you place the LED's high enough the 60s are fine, but i dont plan to have my LED's higher than 11" above the water surface and in my 24X24 area the 60s create a spotlight right in the middle of the sand bed. So I think for my application maybe a mix of LEDs would work better. 80* mixed with 60* on the outside. I am no expert but its my observation on my tank(29" tall and the LED's sit 11" from the water) Not sure what i want to do man, keep going back and forward with ordering new optics(80*) or redoing the rig with U channel.

I think it may be cheaper to play with optics before buying channels.

 

[hobbzz]

I would say 80's for optics. Might need to go a little higher than 6 inches though. What color temp would you say you have? 15k?

 

[hobbzz]

Mad also has a good idea with the 60's on the outside and 80's inside.

 

[hobbzz]

Thanks Nemo.

 

[Neurovet]

I really like the idea of 80 degree in the middle and 60 on the sides. A link in reefledlights.com suggested doing this. But then again, aren't the LED stars inherently 90 degree? Would be especially good for a bowfront. Mad, maybe just take the optics off in the center and see what that does?

 

[MADtanks]

Actually the "built in" optics are 120* so it does not work quite so well lol, I tried trust me but i was getting algae growth like crazy on the glass and the intensity of the light was bleeding outside the canopy instead of staying in the tank . I am sure if i lowered the light closer it might work a bit better but I dont want to get the led's too close to the water haha.

I think before i venture into rebuilding the setup im going to order 54(80*) optics and do some testing from there.

Thanks.

Edit: didnt see the other post.... Good to know Nemo, yea i was going by what the vendor told me, so i guess he has it as 20k in his eyes hehe, color temp for me with the 1:1(almost 2 reds in there) is like 12 -14k its got that blue tint but more white than blue.

 

[Highwind]

Im about to blow money on the 90 LED setup that will be set up with a

75g DP (40g Breeder right now) and a 33g long DP

the 40b is a fish and reef which will be upgraded to a 75g display tank.

the 33g long is a fish only but ive been thinking of putting coral in it was well

okay for the LEDs

are UV and RED LEDs needed? do they supplement something?

I was thinking of getting 52blue 30 white (6500k) 4 UV and 4 Red on 60degree lenses


lemme know what you think.