LED to grow hard corals in biocube
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votek
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Eastamherstbias
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Get 2 evil par38 bulbs with 60 degree optics will run you $200.00.
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Eastamherstbias
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I do agree that you should do it right from the beginning. Don't cheap out on flow or light. I learned that years ago.
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You aren't going to be able to find a good enough system for under $100. If you make it yourself, expect to pay about $5-7 per LED. In a 14 gallon biocube, you'll want about 12 LEDs to provide significant coverage. Add on to that the power supplies and drivers, plus a heatsink and some mounting system, that gets you up to around >$150 and you still have to be able to make it yourself...
zooman72
New member
It really depends on what type of corals you would like to keep. You mention "hard" corals, but are you wanting LPS or SPS corals? I have a single BoostLED PAR30 with 60 degree optics over a 15XH (13"x13"x20" deep) and the corals I have in it are doing great under only 10W of LED light, but they are relatively undemanding corals with regards to light - xenia, zooanthids, toadstool leathers, mushrooms, open brain and trumpet coral. The bulb only cost $65 plus shipping and I am quite pleased with it, but I am also not trying to grow any light-demanding corals like most SPS species.
You could aquascape the 14g correctly (center rock stack...) to allow you to try a PAR38 LED bulb with either 40 or 60 degree optics, and you could probably keep certain corals that demand more light, especially closer to the bulb. RapidLED makes a nice PAR38 for around $100, but the tightest lenses for it are only 60 degrees, so you would have to mount the bulb closer to the tank to gain enough par, and the light spread would be good over a 12"x 12" area.
Read up on the various PAR38 LED bulbs and the tanks they are being used on - you will find lots of info. Ecoxotic Panorama LED modules could also be an option, but they are $100 each, and you would probably need 2-3. You could also spend more for an AI Sol nano or other really nice fixture, but don't let the sticker shock get to you - these LED fixtures have a long lifespan, and you will recoup the cost by not buying new bulbs and in saving energy!
You could aquascape the 14g correctly (center rock stack...) to allow you to try a PAR38 LED bulb with either 40 or 60 degree optics, and you could probably keep certain corals that demand more light, especially closer to the bulb. RapidLED makes a nice PAR38 for around $100, but the tightest lenses for it are only 60 degrees, so you would have to mount the bulb closer to the tank to gain enough par, and the light spread would be good over a 12"x 12" area.
Read up on the various PAR38 LED bulbs and the tanks they are being used on - you will find lots of info. Ecoxotic Panorama LED modules could also be an option, but they are $100 each, and you would probably need 2-3. You could also spend more for an AI Sol nano or other really nice fixture, but don't let the sticker shock get to you - these LED fixtures have a long lifespan, and you will recoup the cost by not buying new bulbs and in saving energy!
Eastamherstbias
New member
I agree with zooman!
http://gallery.me.com/austinscaccia
120 Gallon Mixed Reef 2x250 MH
Frag tanks 40g & 10g 3-evil par38s
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http://gallery.me.com/austinscaccia
120 Gallon Mixed Reef 2x250 MH
Frag tanks 40g & 10g 3-evil par38s
Sent from my Austin's iPad using Tapatalk
