Light height

[Bioguy7]

Hi, I have a Current USA LED light with this chart specification. For a (future) reef tank with soft and hard corals, at what height should I hang this from the surface of the water. The tank is 125G and has a depth of 22 inches.
Thanks.

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[Bpb]

Whether you're using a single or multiple strip modules, you will want to mount those directly to the tank rim. Zero height above the tank. They're not designed to be suspended. Suspending lights has 3 purposes:

Improve spread
Reduce intensity
Reduce heat (in MH and T5HO)

The current strips don't have enough intensity at full power to allow you to raise them up. You'll have a basically unusable light level in the tank anywhere but close to the very surface of the water for low light stuff.

You'll have to sacrifice spread/coverage if using a single unit over a tank that size, limiting your placement of coral to directly under the light source very high up. If you use multiple units it will improve the spread and coverage.

Heat isn't a factor with these.


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[mcgyvr]

^^Yes..
All Current USA lights should be AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE..
They have mounting legs for sitting directly on the trim/rim of the tank.. Use them..

 

[billdogg]

^^^What they said^^^

If that par level chart is correct, even mounted at the water level it will be barely suitable for many stony corals, especially Acropora sp.

 

[Bioguy7]

Thanks all. My plan is to have a very focused area of corals and leave most space for few fish. My preference is "beauty in emptiness". I will use rock to elevate the corals i.e. no corals on the floor of the tank. So on that chart, what is the cutoff below which no corals would grow?

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[Bpb]

10-12" is going to be your absolute cutoff. But that mind you is the lowest of low light stuff. In reefing speak. 80-100 par is about as low as most people would grow anything in and allow it to actually thrive.


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[Bioguy7]

Dang! I am disappointed. Dont remember why I bought this one, I think someone strongly recommended this on the forum and I bought it about a year ago. My 125G setup got stalled as I moved to a new house. Now I am resuming it. Maybe I should buy another one with strong but focused PAR depth. Any recommendations? Budget is 3-400 USD (am in Canada).

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[mcgyvr]

For a 125G tank with a 3-400 budget you are looking at Black Box LEDS from Amazon/Ebay...
ViparSpectra, Mars Aqua,etc...

Search 165W (~$80-150,each) Reef LED or 300W (~$200 each) reef led on those sites and you shall find them..

Assuming a 48" long tank 2 of the 165W would be fine.. 1 of the 300W could be ok but the 2 would be better with the dimensions you have