Chinese LED Lights

[mixedreefjunky]

ridetheducati, exactly what I asked. Water chemistry is important, but calcium mag etc.., is not as important as lighting. Those contribute to growth more which is what I was asking about. I have had many SPS mini colonies be successful for many years without ever dosing nor testing cal or mag (granted my growth is not as fast as yours). And I have seen many tanks be successful with sps and lps without ever dosing or testing for cal, mag as well. The reason I asked about your growth is because I currently have MH's and am switching to a full spectrum LED fixture and was wondering if my growth was going to jump this much? Since you have a cal reactor my growth probably won't be as quick as yours.
So I was asking if that growth was with just your LED's for food, or with supplements? But I answered my question.

[QPWithCheeseQP]

Originally Posted by Coral Head

PAR is PAR regardless of the source. I have read that a PAR meter may indicate 10% less than actual PAR on LEDs.

Just power them down until you get the desired levels.

I think I need to raise them up more to get a more even light spread, cause the sides of the tank were like 100. 10% less is kinda scary haha these leds are stupid strong. Do you think that more blue and less white/full spectrum? Maybe run the blues at 65% and the whites at 15% or 20% I want the coral as happy looking as possible even if I have to sacrafice growth rate.

[Coral Head]

Originally Posted by QPWithCheeseQP

I think I need to raise them up more to get a more even light spread, cause the sides of the tank were like 100. 10% less is kinda scary haha these leds are stupid strong. Do you think that more blue and less white/full spectrum? Maybe run the blues at 65% and the whites at 15% or 20% I want the coral as happy looking as possible even if I have to sacrafice growth rate.

Every tank is different. I am running my 6 hr photoperiod at 75% blue/40% white/full spectrum.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by vic8361

thanks,
I just tried it and I have to run the blue channel at 100% and my white channel at 7 to 10% to get the color I like, if I run it this way I'll lose a lot of par. I'm going to swap out even more whites to royal blues. I guess I just like my tank on the blue side.
Vic

Originally Posted by Coral Head

PAR is PAR regardless of the source. I have read that a PAR meter may indicate 10% less than actual PAR on LEDs.

Yes, PAR is PAR regardless of the source, i.e. led, MH, t5 the sun. But PAR from a blue spectrum led isn't the same to the coral as the PAR from a white led. Yes, they may have the same PAR value, but your coral, and more importantly, it's zooxanthellae only use blue in the 410nm to 480nm spectrum range and some mid 600nm spectrum red. So about 50% or more of the PAR from a white led is in color spectrum that your corals don't use.

That's why, IMHO,you should adjust your 2 channel led by setting the blue channel to give you roughly 70-80% of the PAR you want and then dial up the white channel to get the overall color or look you want in the tank. Adding more white than that is less useful to the coral than adding more blue first and then bumpping up the white as little as possible.

[88rxna]

I have been trying to find out settings for a pair of ocean revive S026's on A 90 gallon. I have 2 units showing up friday and i am asking what i should start off at so i dont fry my corals. I have a 6 bulb aquaticlife T5 unit now. With some research i have found they put off 120ish PAR on the sand bed.

[Coral Head]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Yes, PAR is PAR regardless of the source, i.e. led, MH, t5 the sun. But PAR from a blue spectrum led isn't the same to the coral as the PAR from a white led. Yes, they may have the same PAR value, but your coral, and more importantly, it's zooxanthellae only use blue in the 410nm to 480nm spectrum range and some mid 600nm spectrum red. So about 50% or more of the PAR from a white led is in color spectrum that your corals don't use.

That's why, IMHO,you should adjust your 2 channel led by setting the blue channel to give you roughly 70-80% of the PAR you want and then dial up the white channel to get the overall color or look you want in the tank. Adding more white than that is less useful to the coral than adding more blue first and then bumpping up the white as little as possible.

Looks like I need to pull out the PAR meter and do some recalibration.

[OceanRevive]

Originally Posted by 88rxna

I have been trying to find out settings for a pair of ocean revive S026's on A 90 gallon. I have 2 units showing up friday and i am asking what i should start off at so i dont fry my corals. I have a 6 bulb aquaticlife T5 unit now. With some research i have found they put off 120ish PAR on the sand bed.

What brand of fixture is that?

OK, at 24" in my tank and with the light 8" off the water I got these readings:

%white...%blue....PAR
100.........100......220
50...........100......180
50............50......125
25............75......135
25............50......100

I hope that helps?

Stan at OceanRevive

[88rxna]

Oh, thanks stan! Sorry i have been bugging everyone on this question. Still have a whole week before my lights arrive but i am trying to be prepared!

[mknightryder]

Originally Posted by Coral Head

Thank you for your comments. They are very helpful. Are you using 90 degree or 120 lenses?

Sorry for the delay. I have 90 degree lenses.

[89Delta]

Any thoughts on the Malibu S150. Each LED "pod" is 6 individually controlled leds for 4 channels. Get the controller too and you get weather and stuff.

[evolutionZ]

get directly from LedZeal (malibu S series), its much much cheaper.

[89Delta]

I'm just keeping an eye out until after the holidays for our 40B build. Right now we've got a Seaclear 26 with 1 120w Unit. The Malibu S Series Unit comes with wifi built in though...or am I reading that wrong and it's just RF, The IT2080 doesnt. Right now i'm still leaning towards it.

[shluffer]

I'm finally ready to take the plunge, but I'm having trouble deciding what to get. it seems that there are three major brands to choose from:1) Led Zeal, 2)OceanRevive, 3)ReefBreeders. Can anyone give me advice as to how to choose between the three? I'm leaning towards ReefBreeders because they are local.

Can I add a controller later to either reefbreeders value ficture or the Oceanrevive?

[Reefer54]

for the record....My custom Chinese lights are fantastic. Growsunlight is the ebay seller name. Andy is the man....he fully custom made me two pendants at a great price. My pendants are almost exact replicas of the radions in spectrum, but i tweaked them to better produce a full spectrum with green, orange, and red lights. I dont have programmable, but they are dimmable. But at less than 200 bux a piece, it doesnt matter.

For the proof. My system has only been wet for 2.5 months. I have growth on sps, lps, and palys.....they arent growing super fast, but just as fast as my MH setup. Colors were shocked from shipping and light acclimation, as i dont acclimate very slow based on the sellers system from which they came. I usually just pick a spot and go with it.

Hanging 6" above my water, and the water depth being 14", I have par readings from 400 at the top of the water to around 100 at the sandbed....I think i have a low par of 88 where the lights are shaded by the crossbrace and a return inlet. I have high par of 412 right underneath them at the surface.

So, Let it be said, I have been waiting for results, and chinese lights are every bit as good as MH for my needs and the looks, and of course, the corals.

[Editour2]

tagging along

[Editour2]

Anyone know of a company that could manufacture a long single row of 3 watt LEDs with just supplemental colors, such as violet (420nm) red (660nm) cyan (500nm) and maybe neutral white? .....I already have 3 x 180 watt Cree fixtures but they only have cool white, blue and royal blue and I would like to supplement them with a broader spectrum. I would like dimming capabilities for each color group if possible.....programable for time and intensity would be perfect.....

[89Delta]

For a single strip of LEDs your looking at exoxotic strips otherwise its diy.

[Editour2]

Originally Posted by 89Delta

For a single strip of LEDs your looking at exoxotic strips otherwise its diy.

believe it or not there ARE some companies who make these (besides exotic)....I ordered one (an IP65) but the PAR levels were horrible and I got my money back....(paid through paypal)...I'm looking for a reputable company that I can send custom specs to.

[Gillguy]

Originally Posted by evolutionZ

get directly from LedZeal (malibu S series), its much much cheaper.

I agree!!! Mine Ledzeal unit works great and corals love the light.

[Gillguy]

Originally Posted by 89Delta

Any thoughts on the Malibu S150. Each LED "pod" is 6 individually controlled leds for 4 channels. Get the controller too and you get weather and stuff.

Ledzeal light is a great fixture. I mentioned it in this thread earlier but did not get much response but here is a thread I started in our local RC forum.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2338097

[89Delta]

Originally Posted by Gillguy

Ledzeal light is a great fixture. I mentioned it in this thread earlier but did not get much response but here is a thread I started in our local RC forum.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2338097

Very Nice Gillguy. Got a ? for the LED guru's though especially for the malibu series units.....would it be ok to get 4 UV's instead of the 2? I've heard you can get more color "pop" from the corals. I've got a mixed tank with mainly zoas/paly's and SPS.

The 120W unit I have now I got from a friend who did a group buy and just got the 2.5:1 (B/W) of mainly 460-470nm I believe and 10,000k.

3ct Blue Moon light
15ct white
37ct blue

Everything is doing well....I just wish one of these units did an actual moonphase though for coral spawning. I could care less for clouds/lightning.

[Gillguy]

Originally Posted by 89Delta

Very Nice Gillguy. Got a ? for the LED guru's though especially for the malibu series units.....would it be ok to get 4 UV's instead of the 2? I've heard you can get more color "pop" from the corals. I've got a mixed tank with mainly zoas/paly's and SPS.

The 120W unit I have now I got from a friend who did a group buy and just got the 2.5:1 (B/W) of mainly 460-470nm I believe and 10,000k.

3ct Blue Moon light
15ct white
37ct blue

Everything is doing well....I just wish one of these units did an actual moonphase though for coral spawning. I could care less for clouds/lightning.

Yes 4 UV's will be fine

[Devaji108]

pretty sure I am gonna get the Malibu S200 from ledZeal for my soon to be 40br...
I think they changed there factory layout form what little i understand anyway. .. they come standard now with:
5-5K whites
8 RB 450-465nm
4 UV 410nm
2 blues 465-470nm
2 greens 510-530 nm
1 orange 590nm
1 deep red 660nm
1 red 620-630 nm
this is per "pod" and will repeat 3 time for the S200.

what do y' all think of this layout for an LPS softie gorg. tank?
I wonder about the orange and reds?

[rownsurf]

I've been reading through this thread and many others over the last few weeks as I try to pick an LED fixture(s) for my newly set up 150tall mixed reef, currently running T5. I did a spreadhsheet comparison of 11 fixtures from ReefBreeder, ReefRadiance, and OceanRevive, comparing cost, blue:white ratio (with higher ratio of blue getting more points), controllable and warranty, with the first two factors weighted higher. Happy to share if anyone's interested.

For my needs it ranked the RB Value fixture (x2) highest, followed by OR D120, RB Photon32, OR Arctic 26, and RD Photon48. I don't need the controller necessarily, but the Photon 32 would only be $50 more. MY concern is the Photon32 would not provide enough light on my tank. Any thoughts here? If I went with one of non-controlled units is there any recommendation on the RB Value vs OR Arctic? Any companies I'm overlooking completely that I should consider amongst the "value price" LEDs?

Thanks for any help!

[acabgd]

You should probably check out Ledzeal as well. Also, why do you compare Blue/White ratio when with most of fixtures you can get the spectrum you want?