Novices need LED lighting questions answered.

Time 8:00 9:00 11:00 14:00 18:00 22:00
Channel "A" 0 30 45 60 45 0
Channel "B" 1 55 65 85 65 0
Date 1/29/16


For my Maxspect's these numbers seem to be working well. They seem to be giving me some good color. I will leave them there for a another 6-8 weeks, unless things prompt a change. If I get much over say 65% on Channel "A" I start to lose color.


sorry the numbers won't line up copied out of excel.

Hi, I know this was an older comment but I have a Maxpect Razor lighting as well. Is 12 hours on to much for your fish/corals? I know I have mine from 12-9 so roughly a 9-hour cycle because the 12-hour cycle seemed to be too much for my tank, however, the lights were ramping higher than what you have listed. Any advice would be appreciated! :)
 
Hi, I know this was an older comment but I have a Maxpect Razor lighting as well. Is 12 hours on to much for your fish/corals? I know I have mine from 12-9 so roughly a 9-hour cycle because the 12-hour cycle seemed to be too much for my tank, however, the lights were ramping higher than what you have listed. Any advice would be appreciated! :)

Most photosynthetic corals need 5 to 7 hours of enough good light so the zooxanthellae (algae inside the coral polyps) can do photosynthesis. It takes roughly an hour of good light to kick start the process and then the 4 to 6 hours will be spent actually doing photosynthesis. More than the 6 to 7 hours does little for the coral as the zooxanthellae will shut down the photosynthetic process despite good strong light. This is a genetic preset that zooxanthellae have be doing for tens of thousands of years where they get 5 to 7 hours of strong light from the sun at depth on the reef. So more than 6 to 8 hours of strong light in your tank isn't going to change that genetic predisposition to shut down.

On the other hand, there is no good evidence that 10 to 16 hours of strong light does any harm. But 6 to 8 hours of dark down time for zooxanthellae is useful.

If you are not damaging your corals by bleaching, then the higher settings you are using are likely OK for your corals in your tank. And every fixture, tank and coral has a different level that is acceptable.
 
Most photosynthetic corals need 5 to 7 hours of enough good light so the zooxanthellae (algae inside the coral polyps) can do photosynthesis. It takes roughly an hour of good light to kick start the process and then the 4 to 6 hours will be spent actually doing photosynthesis. More than the 6 to 7 hours does little for the coral as the zooxanthellae will shut down the photosynthetic process despite good strong light. This is a genetic preset that zooxanthellae have be doing for tens of thousands of years where they get 5 to 7 hours of strong light from the sun at depth on the reef. So more than 6 to 8 hours of strong light in your tank isn't going to change that genetic predisposition to shut down.

On the other hand, there is no good evidence that 10 to 16 hours of strong light does any harm. But 6 to 8 hours of dark down time for zooxanthellae is useful.

If you are not damaging your corals by bleaching, then the higher settings you are using are likely OK for your corals in your tank. And every fixture, tank and coral has a different level that is acceptable.

I did bleach one of my torch corals and I cannot keep toadstool mushrooms in my tank because they "melt". I can only account that to my lighting being too strong but I don't know how to set them up optimally as a lot is subjective. :) It's a 75-gallon tank with a 15-gallon sump and my water parameters are good 10-15 gallon water change weekly using rodi. I posted a thread a few days which included my last week's water parameters with this issue and the consensus is my lighting but I don't want to adjust it incorrectly.
 
The fixture has 100 leds that are rated to be driven at 3 watts each, thus 300. They, drive theirs at about 1.9 watts, thus the 190 watts. BTW most other manufacturers drive theirs at 2.2 watts. Why MarsAqua uses the lower power driver is a mystery to me.

As for why? Driving LEDs tends to be a balancing act between luminosity, current and heat. More current = more heat, more heat usually means the LED isn't as bright (and tends to fail sooner), but more current through the LED tends to make it brighter (and hotter and fail sooner). My initial thought would be to get a slightly higher MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure), but who knows maybe it could have been from a lower thermal requirement could mean saving costs on the heat sink and wires. Or maybe so they can pack in a few more LEDs overall on the power supply, or maybe the power supply they used wasn't quite to to snuff and they had to back things off a little, or...... Who knows.
 
I really don't see led longevity being an issue. I have 2 fixtures that have been running solid for 6+ years with no issues ate 2.2 watts per led. And that is what every other black box led fixture runs at 2.2 watts/led rather than 1.8 watts for MarsAqua. And they don't run more leds either, theirs is like every other 16" black box with 55 leds.

That's why I said it's a mystery to me... and I guess it is to you as well.
 
Hello all, I'm planning on keeping mushrooms and other softies in a 29g tank. The tank is lighted by a single Mars Aqua unit that puts out 160watts. The tank is 18" deep and the light is 12" above the water. How bright should I adjust the light? I originally had the whites on 100% and the Blues on 75% and the mushrooms, sympodium, and frogspawn were doing good for a while, but my mushrooms have started to "throw up" their guts and the frogspawns tentacles don't come out more than a millimeter now, and the sympodium does not open. Any help? I'm running the lights at 50% for whites and 25% for blues now but nothing is improving in the week I've toned down the lighting, any help please?


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First I'd suggest you reverse your power settings. More blue and less white. A 2:1 ratio is good, like 60% blue and 30% white. I run my frag tank light at 90% blue and 10% white and the corals do just fine. They do better with blue light than they do with white. If you want, I'd be willing to explain why, but it has been written about in this forum more than a couple of times.

How long are your lights on?

But there is a very serious possibility that light is not your problem. That are your water parameters?
temperature?
salinity?
ammonia?
nitrates?
pH?
alk?
 
Lights are on 12 hours a day. 8am-8pm. Temp is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Salinity is a tad north of 32. SG is 1.024. Ammonia reads 0ppm, nitrates are at 0ppm, pH is 8.0, alk is 7dKH


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This is just my attempt to run a basic list of the common black box led fixtures available as of this date.

The range of more inexpensive or economical "˜black box' fixtures runs from very basic $100 units to $350 units with lot of features (even better looking cases than the basic black box). The name "˜black box' refers to the fact that the case is just a rectangular box and not exactly aesthetically pleasing. That's OK inside a canopy, but some may not care for the look so much when it's just sitting on the tank. Most are either steel or aluminum (better) and painted or powder coated (better).

To be sure, I have missed or left out some brands here. This isn't an effort to review every brand, just to give some basic understanding of the features available and some basic costs. Two features I didn't cover are how many power cords each fixture uses, some have 1 and some have 2. Or the fact that basic fixtures have manual only controls, but those with more features may have remote controls, or wifi, or apps.

MarsAqua ($100): The case is the very definition of a black box. It is the least expensive and has the fewest features, 2 channels of leds, one blue & violet and the other all white with a couple of red and green tossed in. It has 2 manual dimmer knobs and no timers. As with all the true black box fixtures, it uses Bridgelux or Epistar leds. They work just fine and they cost less than Cree leds. Each channel also has a manual dimmer to control the intensity of the light. They also drive their leds at a 15% to 20% lower power level than all the others. So it doesn't produce as intense a light as the others do, but it's adequate for 24" deep tanks. It comes with a hanging kit but no legs or rear bracket mount. SB Reef Lights ($140) has a very similar version with legs and run at higher power levels equal to all the other brands other than MarsAqua.

Reef Breeders SuperLux and SB Reef Light ($200) are better fixtures that are almost the same but have built-in timers and digital dimmers with a remote control and both have adjustable legs. There are Viparspectra and Galaxyhydro brands (various sizes and prices) that are just like these Reef Breeders SuperLux fixture, but they don't have legs.

A better looking version of the 3 above is the OceanRevive T237B ($200). I own one of these. It's well made with an aluminum case, good fans and heat sinks. Like the RB SuperLux above, it has built-in timers and digital dimmers and adjustable legs. But instead of the standard black box case, it has a more modern looking case that is thinner and the upper surface is curved at the front and back edges so the top curves down to meet with the bottom surface. The spread of leds in this fixture is better as well.

If you like the idea of having a sunrise/sunset/moonlight controller and a standard black box case (with rounded corners), look at the Euphotica led ($265). Or the SB Reef Light version in a standard 30" long black box with legs ($400). They look to be very similar to the EverGrow made Reef Breeders Photon original design (not to be confused with the Photon V2 which is a much nicer fixture).

Probably the least expensive Chinese made fixture that comes in a much better looking case is the Reef Breeders Photon V2 ($340) and the EverGrow version (common outside the US). This is what I have over my display tanks now. It's only 1" thick, very streamline and modern looking and has adjustable legs. It also has lots of extra features that cost more, but the light for the tank is about the same (actually, a little better) than all the true black box fixtures as it uses 3 and 5 watt leds by Cree and OSRAM. It has the sunrise/sunset controller, but it also is the least expensive fixture to have 6 channels of led control (a channel for each color of led) that can ramp up & down separate from each other. This gives great control of the exact color in the aquarium, if that's important to you? Just to be clear, your corals are happy with lots of blue, half as much white and maybe a dash of red.
 
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I really don't see led longevity being an issue. I have 2 fixtures that have been running solid for 6+ years with no issues ate 2.2 watts per led. And that is what every other black box led fixture runs at 2.2 watts/led rather than 1.8 watts for MarsAqua. And they don't run more leds either, theirs is like every other 16" black box with 55 leds.

That's why I said it's a mystery to me... and I guess it is to you as well.



I have been running 3 hydra 56. I have the same issue. Lights will shut off because of heat (or something) I'm only at 50% or less on ALL my channels


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I have been running 3 hydra 56. I have the same issue. Lights will shut off because of heat (or something) I'm only at 50% or less on ALL my channels

I'm not that familiar with AI fixtures. Does yours have fans? Do the run... ever? If you have fans, and they run, you shouldn't have heat issues. Have you ever vacuumed or blown out the inside of the fixture through the vent holes? It's unlikely, but it could be clogged with dust?

IMHO, if you are having a heat issue with your leds, you need to have a conversation with AI... or is it Eco Tech now? I'd give their customer service a call ASAP.
 
Can anyone give me some advice on what type of LED light I would need to get so that I can successfully keep an RBTA in my aquarium? I was looking at 21LEDUSA's 30" 50/50 Reefbar but I'm not sure if that would be sufficient or not as I keep reading that RBTA's prefer more actinic lighting? Aquarium specs: 34 gallon column with dimensions of 30" x 18" x 16".
 
j.falk, almost any led, t5 or MH lighting system should be enough to keep a RBTA in an 16" deep tank, even a Current Orbit 0.5 watt fixture... well, it would be iffy.

I believe the 21leduse Reefbar Pro uses 3 watt leds and it should make more than enough PAR for a RBTA. The question then is, how many will you need to cover the 18" front to back dimension of your tank. My best guess would be two. I'm considering buying 2 of these to add on to my Reef Breeders Photon V2 fixture. Not because I need the extra PAR, but more for ascetic purposes, adding white to the front and blue to the back of the tank.

However, if you are asking about the standard/basic Reefbar strip, it uses much weaker leds (I think 0.3 or 0.5 watts) and I have serious doubts that it will produce enough PAR.

I don't think any of the 16" black box fixtures, or even the 16" high end fixtures will cover your 30" length. But I think a few make 24" fixtures which should work. I know Reef Breeders has a Photon V2 that is 24", but it has a lot of extra features that drive up the price and you may not want them. However, two of the 16" fixtures set over the tank perpendicular to the length of the tank would be WAY more than enough light. The MarsAqua is less than $100 each.

Good luck.
 
Thanks Ron - I appreciate the advice. I was indeed referring to the Reefbar Pro. I forgot to clarify that in my original post. I'm looking for something that will put off enough light to meet the requirements to care for the RBTA but also something that doesn't generate a lot of heat since the aquarium will be located in my small home office room. I'd been considering the MarsAqua lights for quite awhile now until I read up on the Reefbars and how they don't use/need fans...so I'm assuming they run cooler than other LED fixtures.
 
Thanks Ron - I appreciate the advice. I was indeed referring to the Reefbar Pro. I forgot to clarify that in my original post. I'm looking for something that will put off enough light to meet the requirements to care for the RBTA but also something that doesn't generate a lot of heat since the aquarium will be located in my small home office room. I'd been considering the MarsAqua lights for quite awhile now until I read up on the Reefbars and how they don't use/need fans...so I'm assuming they run cooler than other LED fixtures.

Many led fixtures (especially newer ones) have fans, but only need or use them when the fixture is run close to full power. My Reef Breeders Photon V2 has 88 leds and half are 3 watts and the other half are 5 watts and I run my white channel at 40% and two blue channels at 90% and the 4 fans never turn on. If I switch to the 'SUNNY' mode which is 100% on all 6 channels the fans kick on after a few minutes.

The back side of the Reefbar Pro led strip is really a heat sink and it does get warm but not hot.
 
Many led fixtures (especially newer ones) have fans, but only need or use them when the fixture is run close to full power. My Reef Breeders Photon V2 has 88 leds and half are 3 watts and the other half are 5 watts and I run my white channel at 40% and two blue channels at 90% and the 4 fans never turn on. If I switch to the 'SUNNY' mode which is 100% on all 6 channels the fans kick on after a few minutes.

The back side of the Reefbar Pro led strip is really a heat sink and it does get warm but not hot.

Ah okay. That makes sense. I thought the fans were there because all of them ran hot no matter what percentage they were set at. Thank you for clarifying that. It really helps me understand how these lights work now. Much appreciated!
 
I have a new fixture from ReeFi-Lab and a beta test fixture from another company that both have fans that you can control the temperature the fans turn on at low speed, and an upper temp that the fans will run at full speed. One fixture the single fan barely runs and the other fixture the fans have never turned on as temps never even get close to the minimum.
 
If I'm building a 5' long by 2' wide 2' tall tank, most of these "black box" fixtures like the Mars Aqua suggest a 2'x2' footprint. Would I need 2 or 3 fixtures to ensure adequate lighting (assuming I eventually get a few corals)?
 
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