The Reef Central Corner Club Thread

[mkj]

corner LED option help.

corner LED option help.

I have a 50 gallon quarter circle corner and I'm in process of choosing which LED option to go/start with. Originally I was doing a bunch of 3 watt on C channels but was thinking maybe I should change to 3-ups or even the Lumia 5.2s.
I already have 3 LPF60 48v for the original plan. I can still use these PS for either the singles or 3-ups but with the Lumia 5.2s I would change to LDDs and separate PS. Going with the 3-ups or singles would be much cheaper but I'm not sure I would be happy with result. I was starting with just RB/w and adding other colors later but maybe I should bite the bullet and do full spectrum now with the lumia 5.2s.
3 Lumia's with needed items would be around $600, minus the 3 LPF60s if I can manage to sell them.
The singles or 3-ups would be around $250 to complete sense I already have the PS/drivers.
What would you do? Attached are the 3 options above my tank, cheers

1st is Lumia's, 2nd is 3-ups, 3rd is singles

 

[RickyRicardo]

Is there an overflow? (No point lighting that) and how are you planning to aquascape it? For example, in my corner I created the aquascape in the middle and am only lighting the live rock and a sand area wher I have a Clam. This creates a focal point.

 

[mkj]

thanks Ricky for reply, yes there is an overflow but its on the right side about 6" from back. If it wasn't for that I prob would only use 2 lumia (much cheaper).

One lumia would probably be similar to your suggestion of focal point but then shadowing not just in corners but of lower corals would be problem because of single light source. having three would bring light from multiple.

I could use only one Lumia in middle and supplement sides with 3-ups, that could work. Now you got me thinking again, dam you Ricky, LOL

Maybe something like this instead?

 

[RickyRicardo]

Pardon the acclimate and the reflexion of the window, am moving two shrimps in.

But this should give you a sense how I placed my three Kessils.

The left and right one are dead center over the aquascape, the middle one is a little bit forward which prevents too much shadows.

I would fill it up and play with the lighting if I were you. Once the water is in, with diffraction, the lighting completely changes.

 

[myram]

Weekend bump to the top.

 

[invertinoob]

myram, did you ever receive your wp25's?

 

[mcozad829]

I have read a lot of this thread and figured I'd join the club. This is my 70 Gallon marine land flat back corner tank. When I moved I didn't have a corner for it to go into so I built shelves on both sides that make it flat against a wall. But I still have to deal with the inconveniences of a corner tank.

Using an eschopps rs-200 reef sump, BRS gfo & carbon reactor, coralife 220 needle wheel skimmer, 6 powerbeads for about 65X hour circulation, a no name 700GPH return pump, and 2-36-48 inch Current USA marine orbit LEDs

Excuse the bareness I only recently turned it into a reef so there are currently only 4 corals.

 

[myram]

myram, did you ever receive your wp25's?

Hopefully shipping this week from Fish Street...........maybe by next weekend.

 

[myram]

They are in transit now, who knows when I'll see them............maybe today or tomorrow would be nice.

 

[myram]

Pumps arrived last weekend, and I've been playing with placement all week.
I'm still searching for the right placement, and I'm starting to think that 2 - WP25's are too much flow for a 54 corner.

 

[RickyRicardo]

You can dial down the intensity

 

[myram]

But not when using W3 or Else mode.

Right now I'm using S mode at 50%, basically the same as I was doing with the Smartwave and Koralia 850's.

 

[invertinoob]

Yeah 2 of them is pretty intense for sure. i Run mine at s1 else.

 

[myram]

If I could dial down Else mode I would use that, but I don't think I can with the new Twins Controller.

 

[invertinoob]

I don't have the twin controller so I would not be much help with that. I was only able to use w1 mode when I still had the substrate, but I recently went bare bottom which gave me some wiggle room to crank them up. I also found that if you place them lower in the tank, like half way down, and point them up you can utilize the power a bit more. Have you been able to rock the boat with those things yet?

 

[myram]

Yeah, I'm going to play with placement. Right now they are about 6" down, pointed at each other. Good flow, but I can't really use any of the random modes.

I've been reading about GYRE flow in reefs, and how well it works. Our corner tanks make this an easy option, but with my setup I always get a dead spot right in the middle of my rocks.....it's like a little lagoon.

 

[myram]

I moved them down and aimed them at the surface, but I didn't like the flow and I didn't like seeing that much wire in the tank.
I haven't tried them in the back near the overflow pointed forward yet.

I'm back to each of them 5" down and 5" back from the front, pointed at each other. C mode at 50% on a 2 minute interval.

 

[invertinoob]

I really don't know much about the twin controller. I recently moved both of mine back by the overflow blowing forward on else mode and like the flow. But if i did not have a glass lip it would be blowing water out of the tank.

 

[myram]

LOL............I hear that.

I can have water splashing out of the tank on W3 or Else mode.........need to find a couple of WP10's and give them a try.

 

[invertinoob]

I was thinking about getting a wp-10 for my 20L. They have some good prices on eBay I think. if you get the wp-10's, you should try them out with the individual controller that way you could also mess around with the wp-25's. Sorry to hear that your getting way too much flow.