Chinese LED Lights

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

When I got my EverGrow fixtures, back in Dec 2012, the "UV" was listed as 410nm-420nm. And Bridgelux had been having serious issues with UV leds turning black. They weren't burning out, they were burning the led cap lens. EG told me that Bridgelux had fixed the problem, but they couldn't 100% guarantee that I would get the new UV bulbs. So I ordered lots of extra leds with mine and haven't had to replace any so far.

Maybe Bridgelux shifted the 'UV' led spectrum from 410nm to 425nm? I don't know. But I'll ask.

I don't know what you mean by,"true UV 's are not very efficient..." If you mean they aren't very bright? That's because our eyes don't see at UV wave lengths. They look dim because they are making light the coral can use, but our eyes don't.

Ron, not to argue with you, just wanted to point something out:
Bridgelux DOES NOT make violet chips. They specialize in white led arrays that are high in power and efficiency, and also have a line of blues. Look up, "BXRA-40E4000" and you'll see what I mean.
Manufacturers claiming to use Bridgelux chips for colors other than blue and white are not actually using Bridgelux chips. The blues also tend to be quite rare.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by asid61

Ron, not to argue with you, just wanted to point something out:
Bridgelux DOES NOT make violet chips. They specialize in white led arrays that are high in power and efficiency, and also have a line of blues. Look up, "BXRA-40E4000" and you'll see what I mean.
Manufacturers claiming to use Bridgelux chips for colors other than blue and white are not actually using Bridgelux chips. The blues also tend to be quite rare.

When did I ever say Bridgelux made violet chips? And what exactly do you mean when you say "chip"? Are you saying Bridgelux doesn't sell a Bridgelux 410nm or 420nm led?

[Ron Reefman]

asid?

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

When did I ever say Bridgelux made violet chips? And what exactly do you mean when you say "chip"? Are you saying Bridgelux doesn't sell a Bridgelux 410nm or 420nm led?

You said in your post that Bridgelux was fixing problems with the violet chips. That implies they make violet leds.

They do not. Bridgelux has a line of blues, ranging from 445-460nm however.
You can find the datasheets at bridgelux.com.
Now, many leds are labeled under the name "bridgelux" and sold like that, even though they are, technically, not bridgelux. This matters because the Bridgelux company should not have their name on leds that are not theirs, and also because the efficiencies of a true Bridgelux vs. a clone can be vastly different.

When I say "chip", I mean led; specifically, the part that emits light.

[JMN68]

I have looked through the entire thread on these lights and decided to go with the reefbreeders. I am caught between purchasing their already set fixture or have them customize the fixtures for me.

Here are the dimension on my tank and the type of live stock. The tank is a Marineland 150 DD (36x36x27) and it will be a mix reef of SPS, LPS and fishes.

[offroadr]

What would be the best for a 72x18x28. Will be a FOWL first and grow into simple corals. Nothing exotic as I don't want the maintenance.

I would like them to be dimable.

Thanks

[JasonMHorn]

Originally Posted by offroadr

What would be the best for a 72x18x28. Will be a FOWL first and grow into simple corals. Nothing exotic as I don't want the maintenance.

I would like them to be dimable.

Thanks

Don't want the maintence?! What?!

[offroadr]

Originally Posted by JasonMHorn

Don't want the maintence?! What?!

Yes I don't want to get into exotic corals such as LPS. Dosing etc.

Just simple SPS, mushrooms, bubbles ,etc

I understand NORMAL maintenace of tanks

[asid61]

sps are harder than lps. Was that a typo?

[offroadr]

Originally Posted by asid61

sps are harder than lps. Was that a typo?

Eh ya, long day, anyway

Still looking for light recommendations

[asid61]

1 Reefbreeders Value fixture would be okay, but 2 would be safer.
Or, a single photon 32 could do it.

[Rarend99]

i would use two photon 16s, that way you have controlability too

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Rarend99

i would use two photon 16s, that way you have controlability too

More cost than a single Photon 32.

[Rarend99]

Originally Posted by asid61

More cost than a single Photon 32.

Yes but more coverage for a larger tank

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Rarend99

Yes but more coverage for a larger tank

Hmmmm, that's true. You're right; that would work better.
You could also use a Photon 48. That would only need the light to extend a foot on either side. 90* optics in any case would be optimal, so the height you hang it from the tank will be equal to the spread on either side.
So, 13-14" hang height would be good for a Photon 48. A pair of Photon 16s, hung 10" from the sides of the tank and 20" from each other, would need to be hung only 12" off the water.

[offroadr]

so 2 16s is good for a 72" tank?

[JasonMHorn]

Originally Posted by offroadr

Yes I don't want to get into exotic corals such as LPS. Dosing etc.

Just simple SPS, mushrooms, bubbles ,etc

I understand NORMAL maintenace of tanks

I'm lazy because I don't dose and mine are doing great.

[ssdawood]

Originally Posted by Nammy

I just bought (4 days old ) the IT2080 Controllable Full Spectrum LED (32" Light) and noticed if I lose power when it returns, the lights doesn't revert back to what I have programmed. Instead it will go back to default. Sucks because I have my lights setup between 10:30-23:30 so I can enjoy my aqaurium with lights on a higher setting in the evening.

This is the problem on only half houe increments. If the fixture looses power memory is lost. If you use one hour increments you will be fine. I think some problem with controller. All fixtures have it.

[asid61]

Originally Posted by offroadr

so 2 16s is good for a 72" tank?

Yup.

[Stomatopod1701]

The two 16s would work, but one 48 would give you more options in the future if you want to try more demanding corals.

[asid61]

Originally Posted by Stomatopod1701

The two 16s would work, but one 48 would give you more options in the future if you want to try more demanding corals.

I think a pair of 16s would be more than enough light for the most demanding of SPS, provided you use 90* optics. You wouldn't have maximas on the sandbed, but halfway up the tank would be good.

[unitedbga]

Ron I was wondering if you replaced out most of your whites in your fixtures. I remember you were looking into it. Also how was the growth when you were running your fixture with the blues cranked to 90% and the whites at only 10%?

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by unitedbga

Ron I was wondering if you replaced out most of your whites in your fixtures. I remember you were looking into it. Also how was the growth when you were running your fixture with the blues cranked to 90% and the whites at only 10%?

I'm not sure I ever said quite the things you are crediting me with. But maybe I did, so lets clear the air.

I did intend to swap out 'some' of my whites for blue, I never intended to do 'most' of them. However, I haven't changed a single led in my IT2080's over my 180g DT. Call me lazy or a procrastinator and you'd by more right than wrong. I had been running my lights at 90% blue and 40-50% white for 7 months (I just changed my light schedule). I wanted to remove 'some' whites and add blues so I could get closer to running both channels at even power settings and have the look I wanted. Even at 90%:40% I was a bit more white than I liked. But at that level I also have 200-225 PAR at the sand with sps & lps both growing down there. So the lazy me decided I could live with it. And over the last 8 months my coral growth has been just as good as it was under 1250W of MH, t5 and a few leds. And my June and July electric bills were $40 or more lower than June and July of 2012! Less power to lights, the chiller runs WAY less and my home A/C runs less as well.

I never ran my lights at 90%:10%, even as part of sunrise or sunset. When the white channel was as low as 0-20%, the blue channel would be at 60% or lower.

About 7-10 days ago I changed my light program from a 4 hour sunrise, 5 hour midday (the 90%:40%) and 5 hour sunset to one that has a 7 hour sunrise that gets to 100% on both channels for an hour and then an 8 hour sunset. Dawn has a 2 hour blue only and dusk has a 3 hour blue only (at low power levels). I've had a single bleaching event on a montipora confusa coral that is high on the rocks and under the glass center brace. The flats of the coral have bleached but the 'pillars' which get less light because the are vertical, still look to be doing fine. So I'm risking that it will acclimate and recover. We'll see. I consider it an experiment.

At this point I don't see me changing any individual leds out as I'm hoping the new OceanRevive system, due out soon with a controller system, will be as good as I hope for. If it is I would like to try it out. From the little I know about it, I see some advantages that I would really like to try and incorporate into my system. One being an attempt to reduce the high contrast look, i.e. bright light on top of rocks and ledges with very dark shadows under them. It's kind of an inherent led problem that I think I can overcome with their new light. Again, we'll see. And if I can, trust me, you'll see it here on RC!

[unitedbga]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

I'm not sure I ever said quite the things you are crediting me with. But maybe I did, so lets clear the air.

I did intend to swap out 'some' of my whites for blue, I never intended to do 'most' of them. However, I haven't changed a single led in my IT2080's over my 180g DT. Call me lazy or a procrastinator and you'd by more right than wrong. I had been running my lights at 90% blue and 40-50% white for 7 months (I just changed my light schedule). I wanted to remove 'some' whites and add blues so I could get closer to running both channels at even power settings and have the look I wanted. Even at 90%:40% I was a bit more white than I liked. But at that level I also have 200-225 PAR at the sand with sps & lps both growing down there. So the lazy me decided I could live with it. And over the last 8 months my coral growth has been just as good as it was under 1250W of MH, t5 and a few leds. And my June and July electric bills were $40 or more lower than June and July of 2012! Less power to lights, the chiller runs WAY less and my home A/C runs less as well.

I never ran my lights at 90%:10%, even as part of sunrise or sunset. When the white channel was as low as 0-20%, the blue channel would be at 60% or lower.

About 7-10 days ago I changed my light program from a 4 hour sunrise, 5 hour midday (the 90%:40%) and 5 hour sunset to one that has a 7 hour sunrise that gets to 100% on both channels for an hour and then an 8 hour sunset. Dawn has a 2 hour blue only and dusk has a 3 hour blue only (at low power levels). I've had a single bleaching event on a montipora confusa coral that is high on the rocks and under the glass center brace. The flats of the coral have bleached but the 'pillars' which get less light because the are vertical, still look to be doing fine. So I'm risking that it will acclimate and recover. We'll see. I consider it an experiment.

At this point I don't see me changing any individual leds out as I'm hoping the new OceanRevive system, due out soon with a controller system, will be as good as I hope for. If it is I would like to try it out. From the little I know about it, I see some advantages that I would really like to try and incorporate into my system. One being an attempt to reduce the high contrast look, i.e. bright light on top of rocks and ledges with very dark shadows under them. It's kind of an inherent led problem that I think I can overcome with their new light. Again, we'll see. And if I can, trust me, you'll see it here on RC!

Thanks for clearing things up. On one side of my tank I'm trying an experiment. On the right side I have the LED's that I modded from before.
On the left side I have it setup as follows.

6 405nm
8 420nm
18 450nm
8 460nm
4 480nm
1 500nm
1 630nm
2 660nm
1 20k
2 10k
3 6.5k
2 3.5k

All the violets and blues and 6.5knm whites are split on the two channels. Then I have the 500nm green and 10k nm whites on one channel and the 630nm/660nm reds and 3.5k nm whites on the other channel.
It allows me to adjust the green/red hue like on a tv. It looks similar to running blue at 100 percent and white at 10 but it has a slight purple tint.

What do you think about this?

[asid61]

I would replace all whites with neutral whites. You have 18 RB, so swapping out the whites won't be bad for color temperature.