Just ordered a Current USA Orbit Marine LED fixture. Thoughts on the lamp?

[kzooreefer]

I had bought a Fluval Marine and Reef LED in an emergency at Petco when my T5' fixture burned out this past winter and it bleached my favia, I think that has 0.1 watt LEDs. I took a chance on this because I wanted to really try out LEDs and this came with a controller and the price was just too good and I trust Current products. I couldn't be happier and my favia has healed and looks better than it did under the T5's so its a win win for me.

 

[Red Eyed Reefer]

Currently I am using a Lumentek Pro 240 LED setup built by Reef Radiance over my 65g. It uses 80 3w Bridgelux LEDs. Before that over my 65g I was using 2x150w Metal Halides with 2x39w T5HO for supplementation. Before that I was using 18 3w crees in a setup a built and installed in the hood of a 14g Biocube.



I think what you are asking is how would the PAR value of two systems using equal total watts but different wattage LEDs differ. Lets use the example of a 12 watt system. One using 48 .25w LEDs and one using four 3w LEDs. The fixture using 48 .25w LEDs will have a larger more uniformed coverage area but will lack intensity compared to the system using 3w LEDs. The fixture using four 3w LEDs will inherently cover less area uniformly because there are fewer points of light. However, each point of light will have a higher level of intensity. Intensity comes from wattage and is what is needed to penetrate the water and provide higher levels of PAR at depth.

Imagine if you are trying to light a wall 100 yards away. Put 100 small flashlights next to each other, turn them on, and point them at the wall. Now take one large spotlight, turn it on, then point it at the wall.

Thank you for the dumb down, but it was not needed :beachbum:

Ahh, so you do understand the logic behind why higher wattage LED's are better for PAR values, but that it, in fact, has to do with intensity and light concentration, which is a result of the higher wattage (intensity specific - concentration comes from the delivery method).

Now what about the use of properly angled, multiple lower wattage LED's placed in a proper reflector housing with a projector lense?

One way to make LEDs penetrate water better is through use of optics to focus the intensity, but that is another topic entirely and not* pertinent to this discussion.

Oh, I see you agree.. It comes down to the light delivery method, not the wattage sticker on the box

 

[solarwrx]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2360376

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

[Chimp]

 

[BrianD]

You are both very lucky that Sugar Magnolia got to this first. I would have removed both of you from the community.

 

[BrianD]

Red eyed reefer, that goes for you as well.