LED Lighting Suggestions (5-10 gal Cube)

[jgentri]

I'm setting up a dedicated SPS desk tank. It will house a single centerpiece of an as-of-yet undetermined SPS frag. I did some searching on the forum and some looking through the internet based stores, but I'm having some trouble determining what to buy based upon the wattage listings, since LED wattage doesn't do the light level justice.

I haven't bought the tank yet, but it will be a 5-10 gal cube pico. I'd like to retrofit some LEDs into a desk lamp to keep the wires to a minimum and eliminate any heat concerns. Can someone point me in a good direction as far as amount of LEDs and what color combinations will produce a nice blue look (e.g. 12-14K MH) and decent PAR? Since I don't know exactly what type of SPS (I'm hoping to source something unusual here in Tokyo) assume a light-demanding specimen.

From the reading I've done thus far, it seems like not all LED brands are created equal. Kessil apparently has a good name, but didn't seem to have any retrofit options. Since I don't know the exact dimensions of the gutted desk lamp I want to use, smaller is better for the most flexibility. Thanks for the help.

 

[neoh]

Have a look: http://www.boostled.com/product_p/par30.htm

 

[jgentri]

That's a cool idea. Don't know how I'd be able to incorporate it into a single light fixture though...

 

[biglurr54]

rapid LED par 38 bulb. Hang it in a pendent light. Check out my 7 gallon mini bow. I got the light for $100 and the pendent was $20. Its dimmable and is growing lps, sps, mushrooms and coraline like crazy. I have a piece of sps that has trippled in size in two months. I wish i bought a smaller piece because its going to have to be cut. The UV light in the RapidLED bulb makes the colors pop like the extremely expensive lights.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2222299

 

[Reefed419]

It all depends on how handy u are. Tank will probably be around 12x12x12" said size being 7.5 gal. I personally would try to use a 5x5 heatsink, with 4 RB, 2 4000k, 2 CB, and 3 True Violet. You do not want to do UV lights. UV is bad for the corals. True Violet, or hyper violet are a much better choice. I would look into a handy DIY light controller and run them on 4-meanwell LDD drivers. That way you can tune them to your exact specifications you like. You could always build a nice floating canopy to house the heatsink. You would ultimately want to put a 120mm fan on top, but a 50-60mm fan would work too.
Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.

 

[ipKonfig]

You could try one of the Rapid LED full spectrum PAR38 bulbs. I have one hanging over my 3 gallone pico. It will produce more than enough light to grow anything you want.

 

[cody6766]

An AI nano is a nice, sleek option. It's a little expensive and is not full spectrum, but I've seen some nice tanks with one overhead.

 

[Dre59]

I think if you build your own and make it dimmable.. You will be much happier IMO.. A PAR30 or 38 should work also..

 

[Jon B]

Get a par30 or par38 bulb, and put it in a clamp-on fixture.

 

[Mathew26]

I used 9 GU10 bulbs i got from ebay and fabricated a custom fixture for about $65 all together and grew everything from sps to mushrooms with great success. Only downside is you cant adjust the colors like you can with a more expensive fixture.