chinese led lights

[Arringar]

Got my LEDs today from ledgroupbuy. 4 reds @ 660nm, 4 greens @ 495nm, 4 violets at 420nm.

I decided to start with a handful and then once I could be certain it would work as intended I planned to replace quite a few more.

First challenge...get the new LEDs off the stars. To make a long story short, mistakes were made, LEDs were harmed, others will be blamed.

After breaking the optics on the first one I realized there was no chance of cutting it off or prying it off. After the optics popped off the led wouldn't light anymore so I decided to use it as a guinea pig for another method of removing the led from the star. I clamped onto both sides with pliers and warped the star backwards from the edges until it was sufficiently mutilated to assuage my frustration and gave the led a little tug and it slid right off. Awesome! Tried again with an intact led; perfect!

The two that I damaged in all were seemingly just a broken optic lens but the led would not work at all afterwards. No idea what happened to cause them to fail completely. I really should have had the good sense to order spares but I was a bit overconfident.

Removing the old LEDs was a breeze and the bridgelux units I ordered were a perfect match. Due to the damaged units I only completed half of the replacements to keep the light output symmetrical until I get some replacements for the dead ones. Everything is working really well and there is a definite improvement in colors in my corals with just the 6 that I installed. The most dramatic change was the violet LEDs I put in the blue channel, things really pop with just the blues on. I can't wait to get the other two in place and add some royal blues, it's going to be a huge improvement.

White channel only:

All on:

 

[marco_1962]

The Radeon does not have a very good ratio of leds. If anything, mimic the Maxspect Razor and add a few reds and maybe green (i prefer cyan). 380nm actinic seems more harmful than useful. Stick with 420nm.

You also have entirely too much cool blue, and are just adding more blue on top of it by using cool whites. You need to stay around 1:1 or 3:2 blue to white with cool whites, or it will be entirely too blue.

Ok thanks, let's go with the Razor template with al little bit blue (i wish a 18k look...)

Brand Color Temp/nm Qti
Bridgelux Cool White 8k 10
Bridgelux warm white 3k 8
Bridgelux Cool white 10K 4
Bridgelux Violet 420 6
Bridgelux Blue 470 6
Bridgelux Royal Blue 450 18
Brdgelux Royal Blue 450 3

Maybe right now?

Thanks.

Marco

 

[cmantis]

There is a way to get them off the star I saw a video of someone doing it on the stove. Now I just need to remember where I saw it.

 

[Arringar]

I would honestly rather peel them off the way I did than subject them to that much heat to remove them.

 

[bruce 1]

How do I post a layout from ever-grow on here? I tried to save it to photo bucket but it would not save.

 

[Mr Neon]

Bhazard...on the new unit you have, I believe you said it came with 90 degree optics?

I have a 60 gallon 22 deep 36 wide, has the D120 that has no optics on it, supposedly 90 degree lens from what Sam told me when I ordered it. It covers great with no loss in the ends of the tank about 8" above the tank.

I am ordering the newer unit soon and was curious if I should stay with just the lens like the D120 or go with an optic lens like the new unit you have. I'm a little confused becasue of the led lens vs the optic lens Evergrow offers.

 

[ali1]

Based off the first couple pics, it look like your old cree fixture had more punch to them than the chinese leds. it just looks far brighter and eye-popping than the chinese fixture... unless the brightness was not turned up on the chinese fixture.

My new lights arrived from:

Shenzhen Gehl Lamps Co.,Ltd
Rep:1 Ada Dong
ada.dong@gehl-led.com
Rep 2: Brian Sun
brian.sun@gehl-led.com

Link to the LED
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/613321553/Two_Switches_Dimmable_LED_Aquarium_Light.html

Specs:
Dimmer 1:24 450-460nm + 4 Violets
Dimmer 2:23 15000K + 4 UV
Extra power:2pcs moonlights

Whats in the box:
http://imageshack.us/f/210/1002865ko.jpg/

My old Cree DIY FTS:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/85101289@N08/7788738572/" title="FTs-Creen by djmatteo2, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/7788738572_707af0c157.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="FTs-Creen"></a>

New chinese LED FTS:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/85101289@N08/7788695946/" title="FTSa by djmatteo2, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8423/7788695946_0d75770150.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="FTSa"></a>

Random:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/85101289@N08/7788738220/" title="R1 by djmatteo2, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8303/7788738220_3cfaf4993c.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="R1"></a>

Random2:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/85101289@N08/7788737868/" title="r2 by djmatteo2, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8421/7788737868_b43ef05447.jpg" width="500" height="374" alt="r2"></a>

Comments/Review:
Customer service from both of my reps was fantastic, they answered all my questions promptly and tolerated me even though I changed my mind every day. A+ for both of these guys (Ada vacationed near end of discussion, Brian took over)

Product review:
Well packaged, exact spectrum I ordered. Shipped and arrived earlier than ETA even as a custom/new item they designed for me. All units arrived in perfect working condition.

Does Evergrow have a fixture like this? SAme color spectrum? I want moonlight but do NOT want to have to manually dim the fixture to get moonlights. This one has separate power to the moonlights so I can use my RKE+ to control that. So lights are two switches, 1 white/ 1 blue, then one more for moon.
All help is appreciated as my current PC are overheating my tank bad. 83-88!!!:angryfire: Thanks, Ty

 

[scubawarm]

Rookie ? : Setting up an establish 120

Rookie ? : Setting up an establish 120

OK, so I am buying an used and very establish 120 tank, but want to move to LEDs and want the neat features.

All this debate seems so confusing to me. Can someone just tell me.

What do I need to give Evergreen to get the new lights with the best layout for eventual SPS corals. I've got some color blindness... so more interested what MOST people would like. LOL.

Also for the 48" long tank would two of the new fixtures be enough?

Thanks much.

 

[ali1]

If I wanted to mimic the below the picture, would I use more ww? I really like this setting because it looks like natural sunlight, but colors are not popping in this tank.

 

[Slayer311]

2 fixtures should be fine on a 48" tank, however there is no "best" color combination, its like asking 100 people to agree that one color is their favorite. Just not going to happen, we have begun to come to the conclusion that just mixing Royal Blues and cool whites is not enough color spectrum for the corals to exhibit their best coloration. So we have begun mixing in neutral whites, warm whites, Ultra Violets and maybe some reds/greens. The mix bhazard just ordered appears to be working well, may be a good start.

 

[bhazard451]

After breaking the optics on the first one I realized there was no chance of cutting it off or prying it off.

Yikes! Just de-solder them next time. It takes two seconds and it wont warp or damage the led.

 

[bhazard451]

If I wanted to mimic the below the picture, would I use more ww? I really like this setting because it looks like natural sunlight, but colors are not popping in this tank.

If you want a nice sunlight mixture like that, try to mimic the layout I used. Add in 2 or 3 reds as well, and you will get a really nice high noon 12-14k look at 100% with popping color.

 

[scubawarm]

2 fixtures should be fine on a 48" tank, however there is no "best" color combination, its like asking 100 people to agree that one color is their favorite. Just not going to happen, we have begun to come to the conclusion that just mixing Royal Blues and cool whites is not enough color spectrum for the corals to exhibit their best coloration. So we have begun mixing in neutral whites, warm whites, Ultra Violets and maybe some reds/greens. The mix bhazard just ordered appears to be working well, may be a good start.

But, I guess that is what I'm asking... I'm having trouble even figuring out in this thread that this "good start" is... Keeping personal taste of pretty colors out of the discussion... what is the current take on the "best" full color spectrum that will the corals happy?

 

[Slayer311]

Short answer, LEDs are still in their infancy in reefs, there is no "best" full color spectrum, we are doing nothing more than experimenting still.

 

[WillM]

Scuba, I think this is the "good start" that was referred to (I would add that the 65K and 35K refer to 6500K and 3500K respectively, not 65000K or 35000K):

I think the ratio came out near perfect myself. There may be a little too many whites by 2 or 3 leds, but it allows a nice high noon yet still 14k look at 100%. If you manually adjust the blues and whites, you can hit 10k/20k by lowering one of the channels.

I'll be adding in reds and cyans to test soon to see if they are needed for better visual appearance. Evergrow doesn't use Cyan so I had to get them elsewhere.

In some ways, this light and ratio looks better than my DIY Cree, and in other ways the DIY Cree looks better. I like them both.

 

[scubawarm]

Perfect. thanks Will!

 

[1mbrews8]

i am talking to sunny and gave her the above layout (bhazard451's) but for a d120, there are no moonlights (3 yellow ones), so she suggested i guess to just keep them the 450 on the correct switch. should i switch to red or something or just go with that?

 

[livingseas]

i am talking to sunny and gave her the above layout (bhazard451's) but for a d120, there are no moonlights (3 yellow ones), so she suggested i guess to just keep them the 450 on the correct switch. should i switch to red or something or just go with that?

They will be on the blue channel.. so 450 makes sense. I personally think some red should go on the white channel. Its all personal preference.

 

[bhazard451]

Bhazard...on the new unit you have, I believe you said it came with 90 degree optics?

I have a 60 gallon 22 deep 36 wide, has the D120 that has no optics on it, supposedly 90 degree lens from what Sam told me when I ordered it. It covers great with no loss in the ends of the tank about 8" above the tank.

I am ordering the newer unit soon and was curious if I should stay with just the lens like the D120 or go with an optic lens like the new unit you have. I'm a little confused becasue of the led lens vs the optic lens Evergrow offers.

90 led angle and 90 degree optics should be the same thing. I believe the 90 degree optics will still focus better and provide better PAR. You can always remove them too so its good to get them anyway.

 

[marco_1962]

Ok thanks, let's go with the Razor template with al little bit blue (i wish a 18k look...)

Brand Color Temp/nm Qti
Bridgelux Cool White 8k 10
Bridgelux warm white 3k 8
Bridgelux Cool white 10K 4
Bridgelux Violet 420 6
Bridgelux Blue 470 6
Bridgelux Royal Blue 450 18
Brdgelux Royal Blue 450 3

Maybe right now?

Thanks.

Marco

Bhazard, sorry, can you give me an hand?