Looking for some more blue..

[Fizz71]

I have a 8ft x 2ft x 2ft (240g) tank viewable from both long sides (and 1 end). I have 3 Radium 250W 20k bulbs on lumen bright pendants suspended pretty far above the tank and I'm really happy with the light in terms of coral colors and growth but I'd really like to add more blue for that color pop like you see under pure actinic lighting.

Since everything needs to be suspended I'm looking for some opinions and options on some actinic supplement lighting or bright "moon lighting". I recognize that it will just be for looks..and I'll probably run them early and longer than the MHs--but I really miss the days when I ran VHO and had all blues on for a few hours before and after the daylight bulbs.

So what's good out there that I can suspend and won't get in the way of 3 large hanging pendants?! They are a good 17" wide each so I have very little room in front and in back so I'd need to put something in between with a large spread.

TIA

 

[rtparty]

Ecoxotic panorama pro modules or the panorama actinic fixtures.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Fizz71]

Here's the dilemma:

..I don't really have the space to put long sticks of light lengthwise because of the big reflector pendants. So I was hoping some folks had some experience with some of the pendant style lights I could sneak in between, but I don't want to break the bank either since we're talking supplementary lighting.

If not I'd probably need to run short four 18" lights width wise, but then I don't know how well they'll throw to the sides.

If have an RKL too so I was possibly looking at their moonlight module, but I wasn't sure how well their Nocturnal Blue lights threw. It says:
Nocturnal Blue LED Output: 240mcd per LED
Nocturnal Blue Wavelength: 465nm-470nm
..but that means nothing to me. I can run 6 of them on one module for a total of 12 lights for about $120...but over 8 feet? Hmmmm...

 

[yogoshio]

You can get these cut to length and put them in between the pendants:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aquarium-Re...666?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f19c26422

Same LEDs as ecoxotic stunners but without the casing.

 

[Fizz71]

Hmmmmmmmm....I wonder if I could rim the halides with those?

Thanks.

 

[blackgate]

I second ecoxotic led, just get some stunner strips. They have them in some incredible colors and the strips range from 12" to 48" in length. When you combine them with the reflectors, they can really pack a punch!

 

[yogoshio]

Fizz, email the maker. He works out of his garage in Texas. A friend of mine bought some stuff from him and it looks great. He's really easy to work with too.

 

[Mmiller40gt]

Are these even noticeable when running halides?

 

[rtparty]

Are these even noticeable when running halides?

The pro modules, yes. The stunners, no.

 

[Mmiller40gt]

The pro modules, yes. The stunners, no.

Link please?

 

[rtparty]

Link please?

Link to what? The lights? Go to ecoxotic.com and everything can be found there.

 

[Fizz71]

I'm not too concerned if the strips get drowned out by the MHs since I'm running 20Ks so I'm really just looking for something cheap to have before and after the halides are on that really make the colors pop...it used to be my favorite time to look at the tank when I ran VHO. If I get even a LITTLE out of them when the MHs are on all the better.

I think these strips are going to work. With as thin as they appear to be I can probably run 6ft. of it right along the edge of the tank and it won't be in the way of the MHs or the future hood design...I may not even have to suspend them and just sit them right on the tank inside some hollowed out 1/2" PVC or something so I can turn them in a bit. It's only $88 for 2x6ft strips vs $127 for 1x4ft. on ecoxotic. I don't mind a little DIY.

I'll try to post something here again if I do this and get some shots of it.

Thanks folks.

 

[Dexters Reef]

I run the blue Ecoxotic 36" stunner LED fixture over my 48" tank (leftover light from prior tank), and sit it right on my mesh lid about 4" under my halides. Its thin, doesnt block the halide light, and can still be seen with the halides on. When the halides are off, its an EXCELLENT moonlight / accent light and makes the corals POP.

 

[Fizz71]

Just to follow this up, I ordered 2x8ft strips of the 490nm from the ebayer yogoshio linked to up there. I didn't order through ebay though since he doesn't list 8ft strips there. Wound up with one about 8'5" and the other 8'2". I stuck them to the inside of a plastic surface mount electrical conduit. It's about an inch wide, and since it comes with both sides 5' long each I flipped it around so BOTH sides are concave. It gave the strips a rigid surface and when placed at the edge of my tank it won't be in the path of the MH lights.

I should note my tank is acrylic and the top is braced all the way around so the lights are all sitting on acrylic.

As expected the lights get drowned out by my 20K MHs but with those lights off the colors are fantastic! Very happy with it. The photos were taken through dirty acrylic without a tripod so they aren't my best work. ...but you can see the pop of colors from even a normally boring Orange Cap.

Thanks to everybody for the help. Paid $88 for the lights, power supply and splitter, Another $14 for the conduit at Home Depot. Best $100 upgrade I've ever done on my tank...well..$102.

--Fizz