chinese led lights

[cap11885]

Originally Posted by cap11885

ok i have been following for awhile. i have decided to go with 3 of these over my 125g. its fully customizable. they have the same unit with 80 led instead of 55. but with all the talk from ppl saying they need to turn them down i will stick with the 55 led model and 90 deg optics. my question is this. i want my colors to pop but i dont want a blue tank. what spectrums should i be lookin at for my light? will 2:1 be too bright? and should i mix 14k and 10k and blue and royal blue? what ratio will give me the still white look with enough blue to bring out my colors? and what is the diff between blue and royal blue. i will be ordering and documenting my progres as soon as i figure my lighting ratio and should i get the green red and uv like others are doing?


http://www.aliexpress.com/product-gs...olesalers.html

im clueless when it comes to lighting spectrums????? anyone with my info is welcom to chime in. all i know is i want it to look white and not blue to the eye. but have enough blue to see the color. and i dont know the diff lets say betweek 20k 14k 10k. and the diff between royal blue and 460B

[Dapg8gt]

Just got my D120 today. First impression is this thing is solidly built. Got 1:1 w4 violets. Gotta say this thing is bright. Just held it up over the tank and moved my viper and with the settings even it is pretty white. But adjusting colors is pretty easy. Can't wait to hang this thing tomorrow. The colors are ridiculous with the blues and violets on. My roses look crazy. Some zoa frags I have in with them (Watermelons) look radioactive :-). My GBTA looks so good under these things the color is crazy it's like some neon lemonade w/purple/white splotches. God I wanna hang it now but the wife will be ****ed LOL. I'll post some before and after pics tomorrow.

[cap11885]

Originally Posted by Dapg8gt

Just got my D120 today. First impression is this thing is solidly built. Got 1:1 w4 violets. Gotta say this thing is bright. Just held it up over the tank and moved my viper and with the settings even it is pretty white. But adjusting colors is pretty easy. Can't wait to hang this thing tomorrow. The colors are ridiculous with the blues and violets on. My roses look crazy. Some zoa frags I have in with them (Watermelons) look radioactive :-). My GBTA looks so good under these things the color is crazy it's like some neon lemonade w/purple/white splotches. God I wanna hang it now but the wife will be ****ed LOL. I'll post some before and after pics tomorrow.

hmm. i have decided to go with (470nm)royal blues and based on this i will go with a aprox 1:1 with some violets. would any other colors benifit my setup? i think i will used both 10k and 14k in an alternating pattern. does anyone see a problem with royal blue maybe 5 violets and alternating 10&14k?

[cap11885]

how about 90deg optics im planning to hang them 10-14" depending on the brightness. will this be a good choice?

[cmantis]

470nm is cool blue royal blue is around 445nm.

[bhazard451]

The basic fixture in the 55x3w models that would look good is 30 blue, 21 white, 4 violet (420nm) or 28 blue, 23 white, 4 violet. Violets are beneficial for the look and growth.

The 2:1 blue:white ratio looks better with neutral whites. It looks a bit too blue it seems with Cool Whites (like 20k)

If you have a canopy, you don't need optics. 60 or 90 degree optics depending on the height of the fixture and how deep the water is.

Red, green, orange, cyan, just provide extra visual pop, but don't do much for coral growth. If anything, I am seeing cyano now with them, but my new tank setup is only 4 months old so I cant say the extra colors caused it yet.

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by Mr. Demeanor

Got my 3 D120's today. This is a 50/50 mix white and blue only with 90 degree optics over a 6' long 125 gallon. The color is plenty blue IMO.
I may need to add another due to the center brace. Getting a bit of a shadow. I also need to raise them though. Maybe would have been better off with no optics and keep them closer....????
I made a "rack" from aluminum L channel and riveted it together. I out a layer of duct tape on the inside of the rack to protect the paint finish. Had I known about the painted aluminum option, I would have gone that route for sure.
Anyway, here are the pics. Looks bluer in the pics than to the eye. This is full power. Will try the other camera later.

If you got the light from Evergrow, i believe it is painted aluminum.

[Mr. Demeanor]

Originally Posted by bhazard451

If you got the light from Evergrow, i believe it is painted aluminum.

Yes I purchased them from Everygrow but they are painted (hopefully powdercoated) steel. A magnet sticks to the housing very well.

If you going to put them in a hood, I would most definitely go with painted aluminum.

I use a corrosion product on my salt water fishing gear that I may wipe these housings down with for a little extra protection. You can see my tank is in an enclosure built into a wall. All the chrome plated hinges have rusted badly and they are further from the salt water than these light....

[biecacka]

bhazard do you think i need 60 or 90 degree optics. tank is 30 inches tall and lights will be about 6-8 above the tank?
also with the controller do you think i still need the dimmer for the moonlights, did you see the sample program simon sent me on the top of this page?
corey

[jwoyshnar]

Did anyone buy one with the built in controller? I was wondering how well it worked.

[mlott132]

Originally Posted by jwoyshnar

Did anyone buy one with the built in controller? I was wondering how well it worked.

On order now. I'll post pics and review when I get them.

Sent from my Thunderbolt via Tapatalk 2

[jwoyshnar]

Originally Posted by mlott132

On order now. I'll post pics and review when I get them.

Sent from my Thunderbolt via Tapatalk 2

Thanks, i look forward to it

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by jwoyshnar

Did anyone buy one with the built in controller? I was wondering how well it worked.

I ordered one to test out. The controller is nice to have, IF it works reliably. If it doesn't or fails at some point, be prepared to possibly have to open your fixture and send the broken controller board back to them, and reinstall a new one. Otherwise, shipping the entire unit back for repair would cost at least $59 or much more. Manual dimmers would have less of a chance of going bad.

Still, if it works without issue, then its a nice feature for the price. Its the risk you take from buying overseas instead of in the US.

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by biecacka

bhazard do you think i need 60 or 90 degree optics. tank is 30 inches tall and lights will be about 6-8 above the tank?
also with the controller do you think i still need the dimmer for the moonlights, did you see the sample program simon sent me on the top of this page?
corey

Go with 60. 2 channels on that fixture means 1 dims all the lights, the other dims the moonlights. You wouldn't be able to individually change intensity of blues and whites. Your color combo is fine.

[jwoyshnar]

Originally Posted by bhazard451

I ordered one to test out. The controller is nice to have, IF it works reliably. If it doesn't or fails at some point, be prepared to possibly have to open your fixture and send the broken controller board back to them, and reinstall a new one. Otherwise, shipping the entire unit back for repair would cost at least $59 or much more. Manual dimmers would have less of a chance of going bad.

Still, if it works without issue, then its a nice feature for the price. Its the risk you take from buying overseas instead of in the US.

does it ramp up gradually? How far does it dim down before it goes out? How about when it turns on?

[moshi1ry]

How big thread with lots of good info! So just to be clear this seems to good to be true. I can get a LED light thats quality made. Would only need 2 of them i think for a 90 gallon? And all the savings that go with LED. Why not order these?!? Basically 500$ initial startup cost instead of the 1500+ i would have to put in for a radion ai sol etc? I am a college student so this route seems to be the way to go especially if your on a tight budget like me!

[Rickerpaul]

Originally Posted by Snausy

Now to get the perfect color combo...

I have a 300 gallon FOWLR so I'm not concerned about coral growth. I don't want a "windex" tank. Vox had a really nice look to his tank, I'd like to achieve that somehow.

A couple questions. How much red/green/violet is too much? Is 4 of each in a 55 pc fixture ok?

I'm thinking something like this:


As you can see the red/green is on a seperate dimmer and I can adjust but would I be better off with just 2 of each color instead of 4?

I'm doing both coolwhite and neutralwhite.

bhazard I know you are busy here but you've actually seen these and your thoughts are always appreciated.

I know what fixture, it's all about the colors now. PROGRESS!

What's the company you buy from?Gehl Lamps?

[Fish_Freek]

Mlott132, what lights did you end up going with and what optics? Was this for a standard 75 gal? I assume you got two units.

[mlott132]

Originally Posted by Fish_Freek

Mlott132, what lights did you end up going with and what optics? Was this for a standard 75 gal? I assume you got two units.

This is what I ordered. I got two for my standard 75g.

black aluminum case
60 degree optics
spectrum ratio = blue460nm:white14000k:red630nm:green515nm: orange610nm:violet400nm=34:15:1:2:2:1
moonlights on separate dimmer

http://www.aliexpress.com/product-gs...olesalers.html

[Fish_Freek]

How high do you plan to hang them above your tank? I was planning to reuse my canopy, but may just opt to just hang it from a bracket instead and go with 90 degree optics. I'm kinda concerned about saltwater possably getting on the units inside a canopy only 7" off the water.

[mlott132]

Originally Posted by Fish_Freek

How high do you plan to hang them above your tank? I was planning to reuse my canopy, but may just opt to just hang it from a bracket instead and go with 90 degree optics. I'm kinda concerned about saltwater possably getting on the units inside a canopy only 7" off the water.

Not sure yet was going to figure that out when I get them. I am thinking they will end up being between 8 to 10 inches above water.

Sent from my Thunderbolt via Tapatalk 2

[Dobbs1101]

Here are pics as promised. Tank is a Finnix M30g all in one. Enjoy!

Full Tank with Light


Full Tank Shot


D120w light B:W 30:25


Blastos nice and happy

[bluesox_68blues]

Hey Dobbs looks great! What ratio b/w did you go with and any optics? Thanks

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by moshi1ry

How big thread with lots of good info! So just to be clear this seems to good to be true. I can get a LED light thats quality made. Would only need 2 of them i think for a 90 gallon? And all the savings that go with LED. Why not order these?!? Basically 500$ initial startup cost instead of the 1500+ i would have to put in for a radion ai sol etc? I am a college student so this route seems to be the way to go especially if your on a tight budget like me!

Somewhat. The leds themselves aren't the best quality bins that can be found. US made, DIY, and commercial fixtures are made with higher quality leds, drivers, heatsinks (depending on the light).

However, these can be customized any way you want, and the price is great for those on a tight budget. Surprisingly good quality too, not Aquatraders/Odyssea level at all. I've seen excellent polyp extension and some growth over the few months using them.

The risk you take is if anything breaks, you may have to ship a unit back to China for repair if you cannot do it yourself. It would cost a fortune.

[bhazard451]

Tank looks great Dobbs, looks similar to mine. What skimmer are you using? Tunze?