Important decision!!

[Anthony.Luciano]

Hey everyone. I am picking up a 450 gallon tank this saturday and I have a very important decision to make. The tanks canopy has over 900 watts of VHO lights built into it but I am an LED guy. I Have a fixture that would replace that perfectly. Now I have never had a full blown sps reef. I always had mixed but this tank I want to be mixed but mostly sps like all over the rocks and for lps just acan and small stuff like that. The LEDs are just cool white and royal blue LEDs and the decision is to keep the VHO or swap for the LEDs. This is basically a color and growth question. I'm not THAT concerned with growth I just like the purples being purple and the reds being red and that kind of stuff. So which do you guys think I should put over this tank.

 

[Rploaded]

LEDs will allow you more control, but the up front costs will be more....

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

I have LEDs already and iI love them. I made DIY ones and I spent thousands. I have just been hearing that sps don't get great color under LEDs so I want to know everyones opinion. should I keep the VHOs in the canopy or swap it out with the LEDs.

LEDs will allow you more control, but the up front costs will be more....

 

[Finland]

Will just VHO's have enough light penetration down to lower levels of the tank for sps? I would probably consider LED pendants with vho supplement.

 

[dunk373]

vho and led perfect combo until leds advance more

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

I was actually just thinking the same thing. I originally thought it was more light but I just checked and it is actually 880 watts of VHO. My LEDs are amazing they can grow SPS at the bottom of the 36" tank with no problem I'm just recently hearing that LEDs make color on sps very dull but adding neutral whites helps bring out the reddish tone in them so I think I might add a strip of those with 60 degree optics down the center to hopefully help a little bit.

Will just VHO's have enough light penetration down to lower levels of the tank for sps? I would probably consider LED pendants with vho supplement.

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

Finland and dunk373, Thats actually a pretty good idea. Right now the vho's are across the whole width of the tank and my LEDs are only 12" wide so i think I will take out the middle two vhos and slip my LEDs in there and that way running down the center is LEDs and the edges have vhos SOUNDS PERFECT:celeb1:

 

[gbru316]

Currently, DIY LED reefers are using royal blue and neutral white (4500k), and also adding cyan, deep red, cool blue and violet.

Royal blue and white alone will not give the greatest color, hence the addition of other colors.

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

I have two more channels on my dimmers. do you think neutral white and cyan are good to add down the center. I could add them in between each existing led pattern but it's really gonna be a pain so I was thinking adding another row right down the center with wider optics to spread the light more. Currently I have cool white and royal blue. Do you think cyan and neutral white is a good choice for my last 2 channels on the dimmer?

Currently, DIY LED reefers are using royal blue and neutral white (4500k), and also adding cyan, deep red, cool blue and violet.

Royal blue and white alone will not give the greatest color, hence the addition of other colors.

 

[dunk373]

i use royal blue and vho 880wats with 33 leds and its great it is actually too much 280 par at the sand. i will try the violets eventually you have a lot more room than i do id leave all the vhos

 

[Anthony.Luciano]

I have to take at least 4 of the vho's down to fit the led's down the center. Theres 240 led's on the fixture but I plan to add 96 more which will be half cyan and half neutral white down the center.

i use royal blue and vho 880wats with 33 leds and its great it is actually too much 280 par at the sand. i will try the violets eventually you have a lot more room than i do id leave all the vhos

 

[Donkeykong]

I think you have the right idea, leds with vho supplement. Then as you get the new led colors put in and get the spectrum worked out you can slowly start pulling the vho's.