screamincamaro
New member
I'm looking for led lighting suggestions for a 300dd. I've had my eye on radion pros. Suggestions?
Looking for led lighting suggestions for a 300dd
- Thread starter screamincamaro
- Start date
Drae
RAIDER NATION!
The initial setup cost just kills it for me with most led's. You'd need 6 radion pros for a 300DD tank and thats like $5,000. You could light that tank with an ATI 8x80 powermodule hybrid with 4x75 watt led clusters and get better growth, color, and par for $2,500 and have plenty of cash left for an apex, bubble king skimmer, and an mp60! Just examples and my opinion.
Before I went with my 265, I was seriously considering the 300DD and was looking at using three or four ReefBreeders photon 24 units (approx. $400 per). The only tricky thing would be synching the units, which must be done unit by unit - sort of a pain. On the other hand, you would be getting a really nice setup for $1,200 - $1,600. I ended up with a pair of Photon 32s on my 265 and have been quite happy with them.
ridetheducati
20 and Over Club
$800 total setup costs.
Love my Ecoxotic 100W cannons. They dont have all the fancy color control options of other units, but they have the punch and spread of a 400W halide, dont require any kind of cooling fans, are recommended to be placed high above that water giving you lots of room to work without rigging up some light lowering/raising contraption, are very efficient and made by a company that is here to stay.
2 or 3 12k whites and 2 blues would work nice a 300DD
http://www.ecoxotic.com/100-watt-elliptical-cannon-led.html
2 or 3 12k whites and 2 blues would work nice a 300DD
http://www.ecoxotic.com/100-watt-elliptical-cannon-led.html
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screamincamaro
New member
ridetheducati nice looking build. Custom build was the other option I was contemplating. Do you have info or a link for your light build? Anything you would of done differently?
I can't see dropping $5k for radion pros if it is going to take 5 of them.
I can't see dropping $5k for radion pros if it is going to take 5 of them.
ridetheducati
20 and Over Club
Reefbreeders.com did all the work, I just gave them $800.
Any more pictures? Is it a custom build u got them to do, or did u purchase them like that.
jlafou1
New member
I'm building a 300DD myself but I don't see how you need 5 or 6 Radion Pros. I plan to use 3 at most if I use them and run 4 48" T5s across the front and back.
ridetheducati
20 and Over Club
Custom layout. I made further changes to the layout as well. My white channel includes 3500k, 6500k, and 8000k LEDs.
Three will work for a fish tank, but for a serious SPS tank PAR will be very weak in many areas.
I have six D120 units over my tank. Twelve inches above the water line.
I'm currently running three Maxspect R420r (RAZORs), 160W, 16K over mine, perpendicular to the front. Aquarium is set up as a walk-around reef with access to all four sides and the reef running diagonally across the aquarium. Using a Kessil A350W to "spot" a T. maxima on the sandbed. Putting in a second A350W to "spot" the other side for a few more clams on the sandbed. Had some initial problems with a bit of SPS bleaching, but decreased the RAZORs' intensity a bit and it appears to have cleared up/SPS have colored back up.
ridetheducati
20 and Over Club
Does the PAR drop off dramatically between the units? 18" between units?
Afraid I don't have a PAR meter to measure. At the level of the reef (approximately the bottom half of the aquarium), I have excellent coverage. There is some (rather dramatic) drop off between the R420rs near the surface (visible when the system was initially set up and during any "detritus storms"; I could probably do the geometry with the optics (90') and the mounting height above the surface (about 8") to provide the drop off below the surface in between these units. Think bisected equilateral triangle, etc. Unfortunately I've misplaced my protractor...about 30-40 years ago, I'm afraid.
I've also nudged the outlying two fixtures inward a few inches (don't really need more light spread on the glass), but that shouldn't affect this too drastically. This placement allowed me to optimally use the output of these fixtures on the reef.
The Maxspect homepage provides a decent plot of the PAR measurements, although I'm not sure they do this particular fixture justice.
I've also nudged the outlying two fixtures inward a few inches (don't really need more light spread on the glass), but that shouldn't affect this too drastically. This placement allowed me to optimally use the output of these fixtures on the reef.
The Maxspect homepage provides a decent plot of the PAR measurements, although I'm not sure they do this particular fixture justice.
Bilk
New member
Don't want to hijack the thread, but maybe the OP is interested in the info as well. How high do you have them mounted and what are you running them at?
I have two 12k above a 200g, supplemented by (4) 54w T5s. The cannons are mounted 12" above the surface and ramping to 55% and I think they should be raised about 6" or so higher, but I'm not modifying the light rack until the two Buildyourown 4 foot actinics arrive. I may eliminate the T5s depending upon the results I see. The BYO less are the new high output actinic, but are being modified to include some UV and violet less. This was done at the suggestion/request from Nick one of the owners. He said some people had tested this combination and were getting really nice results.
I guess I need to get a light meter
screamincamaro
New member
Yes I'm definitely interested in hearing what is working for people with large tanks. As much as I'd love to pick up some of the high end fixtures I'm just struggling with the return on investment. I definitely appreciate everyones input on options.
Mine is still dry and it's for a freshwater tank, but I've been very pleased with install and light spread and intensity through the set-up and testing phase.
Mine are mounted 18" above where the water line will be. I have 3x of the 12k's lighting up an 8' long tank. I also did a double row of 12k/magenta stunners along the front of the tank aimed towards the back wall to throw some more spectrum in there
I mounted them to extra heavy duty aluminum ceiling curtain tack and a bolt. Ceiling curtain track is cheap and easy to find from local supply houses.
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/hardw...0-extra-heavy-duty-curtain-track-12-feet.html
If I had a 300DD I would run 2 pairs of the lights with 1x 12k and 1x blue offset to either side of center and paired up like below. That would light up 6'x3' rectangle perfectly, and like you said, dimmed down to 50-60% would only pull 2-3amps total.
Mine are mounted 18" above where the water line will be. I have 3x of the 12k's lighting up an 8' long tank. I also did a double row of 12k/magenta stunners along the front of the tank aimed towards the back wall to throw some more spectrum in there
I mounted them to extra heavy duty aluminum ceiling curtain tack and a bolt. Ceiling curtain track is cheap and easy to find from local supply houses.
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/hardw...0-extra-heavy-duty-curtain-track-12-feet.html
If I had a 300DD I would run 2 pairs of the lights with 1x 12k and 1x blue offset to either side of center and paired up like below. That would light up 6'x3' rectangle perfectly, and like you said, dimmed down to 50-60% would only pull 2-3amps total.
Bilk
New member
Ok thanks. By the way, these fixtures throw off a good amount of heat from the heat sink. Not sure what your tank requirements are, but that hood probably needs some fans to exhaust the heat and or humidity.Mine is still dry and it's for a freshwater tank, but I've been very pleased with install and light spread and intensity through the set-up and testing phase.
Mine are mounted 18" above where the water line will be. I have 3x of the 12k's lighting up an 8' long tank. I also did a double row of 12k/magenta stunners along the front of the tank aimed towards the back wall to throw some more spectrum in there
I mounted them to extra heavy duty aluminum ceiling curtain tack and a bolt. Ceiling curtain track is cheap and easy to find from local supply houses.
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/hardw...0-extra-heavy-duty-curtain-track-12-feet.html
If I had a 300DD I would run 2 pairs of the lights with 1x 12k and 1x blue offset to either side of center and paired up like below. That would light up 6'x3' rectangle perfectly, and like you said, dimmed down to 50-60% would only pull 2-3amps total.
Edit:
Compliments on the really beautiful handiwork. Very neat and clean
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jlafou1
New member
If I had a 300DD I would run 2 pairs of the lights with 1x 12k and 1x blue offset to either side of center and paired up like below. That would light up 6'x3' rectangle perfectly, and like you said, dimmed down to 50-60% would only pull 2-3amps total.
Is this a stock photo or a photo from someone's build thread? If its from a build thread I would be interested in seeing it. Thanks for the input also, I'm building a 300DD and am asking myself the same questions as the OP.
robert s b.
Active member
I am running 3 Kessil A360W's and a 60" ATI 4x80 Powermodules on my 300G DD. Have them about 12 inches above the water line, and the Kessils Ramped up to 75% at the moment. Plenty of light and so far so good. Corals are loving it!
