Thoughts on removing LED lenses - MarsAqua

Reefpuck · 12/13/2017, 12:58 PM

I know the deal is remove some lenses...get a better spread but lose PAR. But with my blues at only 50% and whites at about 20%...I feel that these units could be much better overall at giving an even color spread throughout the tank...with the extra power they have that is not being used.

So my question is, does anyone who uses these (or similar unit) recommend any combination of lenses removed or experience doing so?

frankv702 · 12/13/2017, 02:17 PM

Whenever I've used them, I remove all of the lenses and swap out the red, green, & warm white diodes with cool white and royal blue diodes. The spread is a little bit better and you get much less of a disco effect. I've never measured PAR levels with them like that, but in my old tank, I grew a good mix of stuff with the lights. SPS, LPS, zoas, softies, and a large clam.

Reefpuck · 12/13/2017, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankv702

Whenever I've used them, I remove all of the lenses and swap out the red, green, & warm white diodes with cool white and royal blue diodes. The spread is a little bit better and you get much less of a disco effect. I've never measured PAR levels with them like that, but in my old tank, I grew a good mix of stuff with the lights. SPS, LPS, zoas, softies, and a large clam.

What brand diodes did you use? Did you have to crank the lights up a lot to make up for the lack of lenses?

frankv702 · 12/13/2017, 05:16 PM

I just used Ebay diodes. I had them connected to my apex and I had the blue channels go up to 85%and whites at 35%. I don’t think I’ve ever used them with the lenses so I don’t know what I’d start off with. When I first got into the hobby, they were the first lights I bought and I noticed the lenses were really narrow and they had a bad disco effect so that was the fist thing I did. I ran them a couple times since and always just modify them straight out of the box.

12/13/2017, 12:58 PM	#1
Reefpuck Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Georgetown, TX Posts: 1,122	Thoughts on removing LED lenses - MarsAqua I know the deal is remove some lenses...get a better spread but lose PAR. But with my blues at only 50% and whites at about 20%...I feel that these units could be much better overall at giving an even color spread throughout the tank...with the extra power they have that is not being used. So my question is, does anyone who uses these (or similar unit) recommend any combination of lenses removed or experience doing so? __________________ Josh Current Tank Info: 90g mixed reef w/ 55g sump/fuge.

12/13/2017, 02:17 PM	#2
frankv702 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 132	Whenever I've used them, I remove all of the lenses and swap out the red, green, & warm white diodes with cool white and royal blue diodes. The spread is a little bit better and you get much less of a disco effect. I've never measured PAR levels with them like that, but in my old tank, I grew a good mix of stuff with the lights. SPS, LPS, zoas, softies, and a large clam.

12/13/2017, 05:16 PM	#4
frankv702 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 132	I just used Ebay diodes. I had them connected to my apex and I had the blue channels go up to 85%and whites at 35%. I don’t think I’ve ever used them with the lenses so I don’t know what I’d start off with. When I first got into the hobby, they were the first lights I bought and I noticed the lenses were really narrow and they had a bad disco effect so that was the fist thing I did. I ran them a couple times since and always just modify them straight out of the box.