Novices need LED lighting questions answered.

[rfurst]

Ron, It is a good point that you bring up.... that build quality can't simply be differentiated by country of origin. This is helpful for newcommers since it is very common for the larger community to treat all Chinese / Black Box /ebay fixtures the same and I have probably been giulty of that myself at some point.

It does seem that the Chinese-made export market is pretty confusing given the number of brands that seemingly use the same basic fixture. I suppose what would really be helpful for all of us is if someone (probably someone smarter than me) could map out the Chinese made fixtures to show the brand relationships between them all. That is, if Evergrow is a manufacturer that many others use and rebrand, it might be helpful to have that list of brands that are all pretty much identical. If a brand, say Reefbreeders, starts with an Evergrow and modifies it in some way to differentiate it from others, it would be helpful to know what changes they made.

 

[Sully72]

This is great information. Thank you!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Well, I'm not an expert at the Chinese market either. But I know a bit about how some of it works. Even some of the big builders like EverGrow don't 'make' a lot of the components that go into their fixtures. For example, they go to a different supplier to have the cases stamped out. If you have a unique case and don't allow the company making them sell the same case to other companies building fixtures, it means they do smaller runs and the costs go up. If you allow the case to be used by others, like the original case (commonly called Chinese bricks or black boxes) that almost every inexpensive to cheap builder used when led fixtures first started showing up in the US, the cost of the case goes way down. The same can be said about heat sinks, drivers, controllers, dimmers, timers, remote controls, hanging kits and even fixture legs.

Because of that, some components that make fixtures look the same, i.e. MarsAqua, the original EverGrow basic fixture, ToaTronics and many others may all look the same. But if you want a quality product you use quality heat sinks, quality fans, quality stainless steel, etc. If you want a cheap fixture you get the lower quality parts for less and your fixture costs less. Low cost very often drives volume sales and lowers costs and end user prices even more.

But the market is maturing and some builders can make inexpensive fixtures with unique cases and other unique supplies and do a big enough volume to demand lower costs (like WalMart does). Therefore they sell better fixtures at what are still reasonable prices. Especially if you can design something that is more upscale like the new EverGrow and ReefBreeders fixtures with Cree and Osram leds and 6 channel controllers. Or even the more basic fixtures like OceanRevive who added a simple timer and have a unique case design. They had them made with aluminum and powder coated them while everybody else was using steel (rust) and still painting them (less durable). EverGrow still did the assembly, but others like EG and RB couldn't copy them because the parts were made just for OR products and EG was willing to work with them.

But some companies are still in the 'build it cheap and sell them at rock bottom prices' to attract the low end of the market and grow their business. It's the least expensive way to gain a name and a bigger share of the market for a start up company. And after all, a lot of us like to save buck when we can.

 

[Sk8r]

Someone said we had a dead link on the chart: here's another, re corals and depth. Eu would be euphyllias, po would be pocillipora, st stylophora,etc --- I think! http://www.aquaticlog.com/radion

 

[SFish]

So I've been wondering if the Hydra 52 HD is a better option then the Radion (not looking at the pro version). Don't know much about LEDs but I've been thinking about going with the Radion or the Hydra. Not sure what advantage having two extra pucks would give you. Also the cooling fan facing up vs down.

 

[Stagrindin757]

Wow

Wow

Nice

 

[Stagrindin757]

Wow

Wow

Noce

 

[p7willm]

One thing about LEDs I have not seen discussed is shimmer. If the LEDs are spread out evenly you get a flat light with no shimmer. To me it looks like a picture of a reef (saw this somewhere else, probably marketing, but is true for me)

On a real reef there is general light from all over the sky along with a strong bit from that spot in the sky. The general light gets into all the shadows and lets you see but the light from the point is bent as it goes through the always rough surface and you get those lovely, to me, moving lines of brightness. Even worse, to my eye, is a fixture with the occasional colored led that gives several overlapping shimmers in different colors.

I have a little EVO tank with LEDs spread out through the fixture and it gives a flat even illumination. The corals live and the fish swim but when you look at it something is wrong.

I also have a bigger tank with Kessil and it shimmers.

After spendig thousands on all the equipment and life the extra cost to make it move is really worth it. For me.

 

[drakedeming]

I am currently researching lighting for a 10 gallon standard nano that will have some corals(sofites and LPS, maybe SPS in the future). All I am finding are clip on light solutions. I need to have a hood/top on the tank due to cats and would like to be able to mount an LED inside of the hood.

Any ideas on where to look? DIY solutions for this?

Thanks.

 

[theatrus]

I am currently researching lighting for a 10 gallon standard nano that will have some corals(sofites and LPS, maybe SPS in the future). All I am finding are clip on light solutions. I need to have a hood/top on the tank due to cats and would like to be able to mount an LED inside of the hood.

Any ideas on where to look? DIY solutions for this?

Thanks.

There are a few outfits that sell retrofits for biocubes and the like, you might start there. Its likely mostly DIY.

 

[drakedeming]

There are a few outfits that sell retrofits for biocubes and the like, you might start there. Its likely mostly DIY.

The more I am ready the more I am seeing I should go without a lid anyways.

Thanks though, I'll check it out and read.

 

[xgjgyj]

Good thread to start as there is a learning curve with led's that alot of people dont know about. They are not just a plug and play setup like t5's, pc's, and mh's were.

 

[John2755]

I just got the kessil a360w and I love it. If you're wanting ease of use go with kessil. A spectral controller will be in my near future without a doubt

 

[ComforablyNumb]

Hard to beat the Kessils, no doubt.

Pic of birdsnest when I first got it:


Same one 7 months later:



SPS frag when I first got it:


Same frag (plus two others) 7 months later under just Kessils:


And there is nothing like the Kessil shimmer!


Cheers.

 

[karyze]

Thanks for starting this! Comes at a perfect time for me, as I'm about to get my 75g box of air back wet again and full of reef. I need to refurbish the hood, and had MH + actinics, but am considering LEDs. Looking forward to learning more from others' experience.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Thanks for starting this! Comes at a perfect time for me, as I'm about to get my 75g box of air back wet again and full of reef. I need to refurbish the hood, and had MH + actinics, but am considering LEDs. Looking forward to learning more from others' experience.

If I were setting up a new 75g reef, I'd be looking at a couple of OceanRevive, ReefBreeders or EverGrow fixtures. Two of the smaller fixtures like the OR T247 or a couple of basic RB fixtures will work fine. The upgrade I like (because I like sunrise/sunset and I'd like color control) in the RB Photon 32 V-2 or 48 V-2. The 32" will cover your 48" tank. The 48" fixture doesn't have any additional leds and at 48" wide, the end leds will just be lighting up whatever is out the sides of your tank (wasting light).

 

[Crimson11]

I am planning to do a 150cm diy led light controlled by an arduino most probably as I use arduino to control the water level, leakage, timer for t5's etc.

As soon as I become more proficient about the par/pur I will start the project, so its a very useful thread for me.

 

[othyehe]

I have an oak canopy with a glass top. It does stay dry. Affects the light a bit, but thus far seems ok.

 

[jam.jo]

Galaxy hydro lights

Galaxy hydro lights

Has anyone tried the Galaxy hydro lights yet? I have them, I used a par meter to adjust them to about 400 par at the top of my tank, but my red planet acro is not doing very well. It has turned brownish and pale, but not white. Any tips?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Has anyone tried the Galaxy hydro lights yet? I have them, I used a par meter to adjust them to about 400 par at the top of my tank, but my red planet acro is not doing very well. It has turned brownish and pale, but not white. Any tips?

How deep is the Red Planet? Do you know the PAR at it's depth?