Biocube 29 Standard Hood - how many LED blue vs. white?

Tin Man · 03/03/2015, 10:25 AM

I have a used coralife biocube 29g that came with the following lights:

1 PC Actinic
1 PC Daylight
2 Blue LED strips
3 Empty LED slots

Current inhabitants - LR, LS, 4 fish, CUC, would like to add corals, so thinking I would like to fill 3 empty LED slots. I would rather not mod the hood.

1. The PC Actinic is off now due to noise from fans. May replace fans or unplug fans or not even use the PC Actinic. Thoughts?

2. How to fill 3 empty LED slots - blues, whites, mix/what mix?

3. What corals would be okay with these light choices?

Thanks in advance.

chefbill · 03/03/2015, 10:35 AM

The fans are easily replacable. Run the Actinics, improves the look. The LEDs do zip for growth, just visual appeal. I use all blue.

Zoas and palys grow very fast. Mushrooms split rapidly, in fact, just sold the last mushroom out of my tank last night, finally. I have a yuma that doubled in size, but hasn't split. I had a devil's hand that looked like a SPS frag when I got it, 8 months later it was 7 inches across and 8 high. Rics always detatch and get lost in my tank, only softy that hasn't taken off in the tank.

I have frogspawns and hammers putting out heads, but a torch was going gangbusters for 6 months, then dies from brown jelly in 3 days. Duncans grow like weeds, as do candy canes. Cyphastrea and favias have noticeable growth. Lobos on the bed have amazing color, but I've not had them long enough to notice any growth, other than amount of 'puffyness'. Acans don't do well, nor have plates, but all other LPS have done well.

Ponape and green polyp birdsnest are doing great, green slimer has put out 2 nubs/stalks in 3 weeks, monti caps and a monti setosa growing well. ORA mint pavona and a cactus coral sending out plates constantly. These are the only SPS I've tried to keep, but all have done well.

And amazingly, the stock lights are great for NPS, I have a chili coral that looks amazing, bright red with starck white polyps. My sun coral isn't looking great, but to be honest, I probably need to target feed it more.

Tin Man · 03/04/2015, 11:02 AM

So, the blue LEDs do nothing for the corals?

Maybe I will skip them for now and just turn on the Actinic PC.

03/03/2015, 10:25 AM	#1
Tin Man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 112	Biocube 29 Standard Hood - how many LED blue vs. white? I have a used coralife biocube 29g that came with the following lights: 1 PC Actinic 1 PC Daylight 2 Blue LED strips 3 Empty LED slots Current inhabitants - LR, LS, 4 fish, CUC, would like to add corals, so thinking I would like to fill 3 empty LED slots. I would rather not mod the hood. 1. The PC Actinic is off now due to noise from fans. May replace fans or unplug fans or not even use the PC Actinic. Thoughts? 2. How to fill 3 empty LED slots - blues, whites, mix/what mix? 3. What corals would be okay with these light choices? Thanks in advance. __________________ 29g Biocube, LR, LS, Tunze ATO, Tunze 9004, Intank Media Basket, Jebao WP-10, 1 fish, LPS 125g 6' Acrylic, 850gph external pump, power heads, skimmer, GFO Reactor, LEDs, fuge

03/04/2015, 11:02 AM	#3
Tin Man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 112	So, the blue LEDs do nothing for the corals? Maybe I will skip them for now and just turn on the Actinic PC. __________________ 29g Biocube, LR, LS, Tunze ATO, Tunze 9004, Intank Media Basket, Jebao WP-10, 1 fish, LPS 125g 6' Acrylic, 850gph external pump, power heads, skimmer, GFO Reactor, LEDs, fuge

03/03/2015, 10:35 AM	#2
chefbill Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 530	The fans are easily replacable. Run the Actinics, improves the look. The LEDs do zip for growth, just visual appeal. I use all blue. Zoas and palys grow very fast. Mushrooms split rapidly, in fact, just sold the last mushroom out of my tank last night, finally. I have a yuma that doubled in size, but hasn't split. I had a devil's hand that looked like a SPS frag when I got it, 8 months later it was 7 inches across and 8 high. Rics always detatch and get lost in my tank, only softy that hasn't taken off in the tank. I have frogspawns and hammers putting out heads, but a torch was going gangbusters for 6 months, then dies from brown jelly in 3 days. Duncans grow like weeds, as do candy canes. Cyphastrea and favias have noticeable growth. Lobos on the bed have amazing color, but I've not had them long enough to notice any growth, other than amount of 'puffyness'. Acans don't do well, nor have plates, but all other LPS have done well. Ponape and green polyp birdsnest are doing great, green slimer has put out 2 nubs/stalks in 3 weeks, monti caps and a monti setosa growing well. ORA mint pavona and a cactus coral sending out plates constantly. These are the only SPS I've tried to keep, but all have done well. And amazingly, the stock lights are great for NPS, I have a chili coral that looks amazing, bright red with starck white polyps. My sun coral isn't looking great, but to be honest, I probably need to target feed it more.