Ready to go to LED, is this enough?

kirkaz · 03/20/2011, 08:36 PM

I have a 240 gallon 8x2x2 tank. I guess you could call it an "aggressive reef", I have a bunch of mushrooms, but no high maint corals. Currently I have about 700 watts of PC and T5. I'm thinking of going with 4 of the 36-48 Inch Marineland Reef LED Light Fixture. I.E. this would be 168 total 1 watt LED's. I've gotten some help from my buddy MrTuskfish, but by his admission he is no lighting expert, but he is very happy with his.

Would 4 of these be at least as good or perhaps an upgrade on what I currently have? I certainly want to be more energy efficient for obvious reasons, but I'm also sick of spending close to $250 every 9 months or so on bulbs.

Thanks for any help or advice.....BTW I have a nice wooden hood on my tank, I felt these would be the best option to keep inside the hood.

njhadfield · 03/20/2011, 09:02 PM

I am affraid of making the switch myself beacuse of athe lighting parr would not be strong enough pass 15 inches down through the water. Also there are still gaps between each ficture that will have dead spots for lighting. Untill I see the pricing come down and pictures of large aquariums run on these light systems for awhile, I am not a convinced yet. I do like the color they produce in the tanks but nothing is like the water shimming effect that mh put out on a tank.

Crazy35111 · 03/20/2011, 09:05 PM

I would recommend HIGHLY to build your own at a fraction of the cost...There are some great builds on here with detailed instruction of how to do so.

kirkaz · 03/20/2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy35111

I would recommend HIGHLY to build your own at a fraction of the cost...There are some great builds on here with detailed instruction of how to do so.

Ok, good suggestion....Got any good links you like?

808Rob · 03/20/2011, 09:22 PM

ReefLED is good to look at DIY LEDs to get an idea of what you'll need. Also, I'd recommend getting dimmable drivers so you can control it with a light controller for looks and to control the amount of light you need if your afraid of burning your corals.

Acrotrdco · 03/21/2011, 01:12 AM

Yeah go DIY your own fixture cuz it'll be cheaper and you're only keeping softies.

ast · 03/21/2011, 10:32 PM

long list of LED makers here; scroll down
http://www.reeftank123.com/lighting/lighting.html

Crazy35111 · 03/22/2011, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkaz

Ok, good suggestion....Got any good links you like?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1587273
This is by far the easiest most useful link on the web...Great instructions and also many variations.

03/20/2011, 08:36 PM	#1
kirkaz Jade Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 1,760	Ready to go to LED, is this enough? I have a 240 gallon 8x2x2 tank. I guess you could call it an "aggressive reef", I have a bunch of mushrooms, but no high maint corals. Currently I have about 700 watts of PC and T5. I'm thinking of going with 4 of the 36-48 Inch Marineland Reef LED Light Fixture. I.E. this would be 168 total 1 watt LED's. I've gotten some help from my buddy MrTuskfish, but by his admission he is no lighting expert, but he is very happy with his. Would 4 of these be at least as good or perhaps an upgrade on what I currently have? I certainly want to be more energy efficient for obvious reasons, but I'm also sick of spending close to $250 every 9 months or so on bulbs. Thanks for any help or advice.....BTW I have a nice wooden hood on my tank, I felt these would be the best option to keep inside the hood. __________________ Current Tanks- 465 Gallon in wall FOWLR 450 Gallon in wall Mixed Reef Hobby experience-since 2001

03/20/2011, 09:02 PM	#2
njhadfield Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: redmond oregon Posts: 50	I am affraid of making the switch myself beacuse of athe lighting parr would not be strong enough pass 15 inches down through the water. Also there are still gaps between each ficture that will have dead spots for lighting. Untill I see the pricing come down and pictures of large aquariums run on these light systems for awhile, I am not a convinced yet. I do like the color they produce in the tanks but nothing is like the water shimming effect that mh put out on a tank. __________________ Nathan Hadfield Current Tank Info: 90 gallon tall reef tank

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03/20/2011, 09:05 PM	#3
Crazy35111 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 172	I would recommend HIGHLY to build your own at a fraction of the cost...There are some great builds on here with detailed instruction of how to do so.

03/20/2011, 09:22 PM	#5
808Rob Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 277	ReefLED is good to look at DIY LEDs to get an idea of what you'll need. Also, I'd recommend getting dimmable drivers so you can control it with a light controller for looks and to control the amount of light you need if your afraid of burning your corals.

03/21/2011, 01:12 AM	#6
Acrotrdco Moved On Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 708	Yeah go DIY your own fixture cuz it'll be cheaper and you're only keeping softies.

03/21/2011, 10:32 PM	#7
ast Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 57	long list of LED makers here; scroll down http://www.reeftank123.com/lighting/lighting.html