Bought new led light fixture from China.

[Fuzzy]

Yes, send an email to Kevin, he will respond to your request. Usually by the next day. They've been very good with communication.

 

[ScubaSteveOz]

Help/Advice for LED newbie

Help/Advice for LED newbie

I am a bit late to this thread. I have been in contact with Kevin @ LEDZeal and I am looking to get one of these units.

I am upgrading from T5 lighting (have not used LED before).

I have a 48" tank that is about 26". I am looking to get the LEDZeal Malibu S300. The unit will be placed on the optional retractable brackets, not hung from ceiling, so I guess 6-8" from water.

1. Do I need to get any Optics? Recommendations?
2. Colours - Kevin sent me the attached. Any recommended changes? I've noticed a few variations through this thread, but most common is the addition of Royal Blue, and reduction in Whites.
3. Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Silfer]

Mine was sent yesterday too! Can't wait to get it

 

[conix67]

I am a bit late to this thread. I have been in contact with Kevin @ LEDZeal and I am looking to get one of these units.

I am upgrading from T5 lighting (have not used LED before).

I have a 48" tank that is about 26". I am looking to get the LEDZeal Malibu S300. The unit will be placed on the optional retractable brackets, not hung from ceiling, so I guess 6-8" from water.

1. Do I need to get any Optics? Recommendations?
2. Colours - Kevin sent me the attached. Any recommended changes? I've noticed a few variations through this thread, but most common is the addition of Royal Blue, and reduction in Whites.
3. Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

My tank is 48" and 21" (height) and I got S300 /w 120deg lens. I'm not too concerned about overall light output, more concerned about light spread so went with 120deg all around.

I removed RED LEDs and added 4 UV, 2 Greens (per module). Other 3 channels are Royal Blue, Blue, and 12000K whites in 1:1:1. If I had to do it again, I'd look for cyan. in place of some Blues or Royal Blues.

There's an ongoing thread on RC about LED in depth. Compared to T5HO, it is the upper 400nm-500nm spectrum that appear to lack in many LED fixtures - 470nm to 500nm area.

 

[AkoAung]

My tank is 48" and 21" (height) and I got S300 /w 120deg lens. I'm not too concerned about overall light output, more concerned about light spread so went with 120deg all around.

I removed RED LEDs and added 4 UV, 2 Greens (per module). Other 3 channels are Royal Blue, Blue, and 12000K whites in 1:1:1. If I had to do it again, I'd look for cyan. in place of some Blues or Royal Blues.

There's an ongoing thread on RC about LED in depth. Compared to T5HO, it is the upper 400nm-500nm spectrum that appear to lack in many LED fixtures - 470nm to 500nm area.

Hey Conix, it's Bay from GTAA. your tank is 18" wide right? did you go with a hanging kit or with brackets? how high above tank are you planning on hanging the lights? I'm leaning towards these lights for new tank which is 48"x18"wx24"H

 

[conix67]

Hey Conix, it's Bay from GTAA. your tank is 18" wide right? did you go with a hanging kit or with brackets? how high above tank are you planning on hanging the lights? I'm leaning towards these lights for new tank which is 48"x18"wx24"H

I'm getting the brackets, and will be mounted on top of the canopy, not the tank, so there should be around 10" to 12" gap between the surface of water and the fixture.

 

[moonwater]

just wanna say thanks to this thread and Gillguy that i've ordered the S150, 90degree optics and using bracket to mount on top of the tank. Got an email saying it was sent out today and I'm in Asia so should be getting it by this weekend =)

my tank is 3'x2'x2' and i'm keeping a mixed reef with mostly SPS on the top 1/3 of the tank, and currently i'm using the older versions of the 120, 1watt chinese LED lights(no features at all, just 60white, 60blue), what would you reckon that i start the intensity with so as not to shock the corals ??

Thanks for the inputs !!

 

[Chrisq0904]

I just found out how intense these lights really are. My sps have been crashing so I've been going crazy trying to figure out what's wrong with my parameters. Then today it dawned on me that maybe about 2 weeks ago I changed my schedule to try and mimic gilguy's and even though it stays on for the same total hours it stays at its peak a few hours longer. I think I burned my sps I lowered all the pieces I could mad lowered the intensity of the lights. Hopefully they all don't bleach out. Fingers crossed. So I guess what I'm basically trying to say is don't be quick to under estimate these lights.

 

[djmicl]

Yeah I have been increasing slowly. 2 percent per week. Channel 1 and 3 up to 80. Channel 2 so far only up to 68 percent.

 

[Gillguy]

I just found out how intense these lights really are. My sps have been crashing so I've been going crazy trying to figure out what's wrong with my parameters. Then today it dawned on me that maybe about 2 weeks ago I changed my schedule to try and mimic gilguy's and even though it stays on for the same total hours it stays at its peak a few hours longer. I think I burned my sps I lowered all the pieces I could mad lowered the intensity of the lights. Hopefully they all don't bleach out. Fingers crossed. So I guess what I'm basically trying to say is don't be quick to under estimate these lights.

You have to be patient. The one thing corals are most sensative to is light. You must do a gradual increase. Glad to see everyone is getting their lights.

 

[volsfan199]

Gillguy, are you satisfied with the layout you have?

Would you change anything if you could go back?

I want to order, but I am nervous about not being satisfied with the layout. I told Kevin I definitely wanted a bluer look, and he sent me a layout that was popular, and I am hoping it will be blue enough for me.


This is the layout he sent me:

 

[Gillguy]

Gillguy, are you satisfied with the layout you have?

Would you change anything if you could go back?

I want to order, but I am nervous about not being satisfied with the layout. I told Kevin I definitely wanted a bluer look, and he sent me a layout that was popular, and I am hoping it will be blue enough for me.


This is the layout he sent me:

Volsfan, that's my custom layout that many have used and Ledzeal is recommending. I personally like it but if you want a bluer look you need to replace the reds with blue. If you want it even bluer then replace the the greens too. I have the reds because I like the pop it gives my corals and fish but I do wish sometimes I had a bluer look. I might in the future order some blue leds and replace the reds to see the look I get. Replacing leds is fairly simple. Right now though everything is great.

 

[volsfan199]

Will the green and red make the red and green coral pop? If I don't include them, will they just look plain under all the blue?

How much do the blue led run if I decide to just try the green and red now?

 

[Silfer]

I used that layout minus the reds, I used royal blues instead. My unit was just posted and is estimated delivery next Wednesday.

I also bought 4 spare reds and 4 spare royal blue incase I want to include reds or remove green and put royal blues instead. The 8 spare LED's cost me $8

How do you actually replace an LED anyway? Never had to do so before.

 

[Gillguy]

I used that layout minus the reds, I used royal blues instead. My unit was just posted and is estimated delivery next Wednesday.

I also bought 4 spare reds and 4 spare royal blue incase I want to include reds or remove green and put royal blues instead. The 8 spare LED's cost me $8

How do you actually replace an LED anyway? Never had to do so before.

Silfer, when you get the unit you will see screws on the side panels. Remove the screws to one side only and then slide the plexiglass cover out. This will expose the optic lenses. You just need to pull off the lenses of the leds you want to change and that exposes the led. To remove the led from the board you will need a soldering iron that's at least 50 watts. Solder off the led and solder in the new one. Here is a youtube video of a soldering iron. I you go to any electronic store they will have them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYcPxOY3zH8

 

[conix67]

Will the green and red make the red and green coral pop? If I don't include them, will they just look plain under all the blue?

How much do the blue led run if I decide to just try the green and red now?

You don't need red lights to make red corals pop. Actually, the coral color pop is usually not as a result of red light reflecting, most of it is caused by "florescence" which typically converts lower wavelengths to higher (ie. absorbs blue light and emits red/orange). You'll see this when corals are illuminated with just blue lights only.

In short, you want lights in reef tank for

1. coral health (growth)
2. florescence color
3. reflective color

and this balance is not easy to achieve. It is said that what typical corals require, both for #1 and #2, are concentrated in blue spectrum (400nm to 500nm).

 

[volsfan199]

Is there an easy way to get them to hang inside a canopy?

 

[Gillguy]

You don't need red lights to make red corals pop. Actually, the coral color pop is usually not as a result of red light reflecting, most of it is caused by "florescence" which typically converts lower wavelengths to higher (ie. absorbs blue light and emits red/orange). You'll see this when corals are illuminated with just blue lights only.

In short, you want lights in reef tank for

1. coral health (growth)
2. florescence color
3. reflective color

and this balance is not easy to achieve. It is said that what typical corals require, both for #1 and #2, are concentrated in blue spectrum (400nm to 500nm).

Conix, all corals will pop and Florence under blue Leds but I disagree when it comes to red/orange corals and fish. My red, orange Montis and anthias and flame angel colors are so much better with red Leds. I agree they are not needed but they do make a big difference in pop.

 

[conix67]

Conix, all corals will pop and Florence under blue Leds but I disagree when it comes to red/orange corals and fish. My red, orange Montis and anthias and flame angel colors are so much better with red Leds. I agree they are not needed but they do make a big difference in pop.

I agree that red colors are enhanced with strong red spectrum. I've met group of people who dislike LED systems because of the "disco" effect - meaning some so called "full spectrum" fixtures having variety of color LEDs with spot light effect (through lens) that fails to spread the light throughout the tank, causing colors generated by LEDs, even on rocks and substrate.

I have not received the fixture yet, so I can't tell how effective 120deg lens is in spreading the light around the tank, but I can't imagine it spreading the light evenly across 120deg and having just one red LEDs per module will limit its coverage.

Besides, there should be enough red spectrum in the white LEDs to show red colors properly, and I was afraid further enhancing the red spectrum may encourage algae growth. As you know, red is what's used to grow plants.

In the end, it still comes down to the personal preferences and consider both benefits and disadvantages (at least the known ones).

 

[Gillguy]

I agree that red colors are enhanced with strong red spectrum. I've met group of people who dislike LED systems because of the "disco" effect - meaning some so called "full spectrum" fixtures having variety of color LEDs with spot light effect (through lens) that fails to spread the light throughout the tank, causing colors generated by LEDs, even on rocks and substrate.

I have not received the fixture yet, so I can't tell how effective 120deg lens is in spreading the light around the tank, but I can't imagine it spreading the light evenly across 120deg and having just one red LEDs per module will limit its coverage.

Besides, there should be enough red spectrum in the white LEDs to show red colors properly, and I was afraid further enhancing the red spectrum may encourage algae growth. As you know, red is what's used to grow plants.

In the end, it still comes down to the personal preferences and consider both benefits and disadvantages (at least the known ones).

I agree with you that too many reds will promote algae but that's why you limit it to one per cluster. It's also true that the corals get enough of the red from the white leds but with the wide lenses and powered at no more than half of the other channels you should not get a spot like effect. I've said all along that they are only for spectrum preference and not for growth. On mine the red really stands out if the channel with the reds is close to the same power as the others. Of course to avoid it all you could just not get any reds and like I have mentioned before that's something I'm also considering. But I do like the look.