Chinese LED Lights

[waldoz]

So Looking used older Chinese set up. The tank pictures don't look to bad. I am looking at this to get started, then up grade later. I don't have a tank set up yet but want to be able to grow what ever I want. What are your thoughts on this LED combo.. ?? Thanks for any input!! Oh yeah forgot to add he wants $100

total 42 3W LED, 6 UV leds, 18 RB, 16 cool white, 1 red, 1 green
- full spectrum for a good coral growth, easily keep sps with this light.
- removable 90deg optics for each bulb except UV bulbs
- used for less than 2 years on my reef tank
- dimension 20inch*10inch*5
- built in digital programmable timers for three channels
- two dimming knobs for different channels.
- come with transformer (120-220v), mounting brackets

[willj]

On the reef breeders, you think the greens are actually contributing after all?

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by willj

On the reef breeders, you think the greens are actually contributing after all?

In affecting visuals, yes. For coral, no.

Cyan seems to be a better fit for coral, but they do not carry cyan leds at the moment.

[reefaluva]

About to buy 2 reef breeder 120 value units. Should I customize there layout at all? Or is the standard layout of colors good to go? Also anybody know if you customize can you add moonlights? Thanks. GREAT THREAD! question might already have been answered but by page 20 my eyes hurt lol.

[Ron Reefman]

[QUOTE=waldoz;21133192]So Looking used older Chinese set up. The tank pictures don't look to bad. I am looking at this to get started, then up grade later. I don't have a tank set up yet but want to be able to grow what ever I want. What are your thoughts on this LED combo.. ?? Thanks for any input!! Oh yeah forgot to add he wants $100

total 42 3W LED, 6 UV leds, 18 RB, 16 cool white, 1 red, 1 green
- full spectrum for a good coral growth, easily keep sps with this light.
- removable 90deg optics for each bulb except UV bulbs
- used for less than 2 years on my reef tank
- dimension 20inch*10inch*5
- built in digital programmable timers for three channels
- two dimming knobs for different channels.
- come with transformer (120-220v), mounting brackets

It's an interesting looking unit. I wouldn't exactly call it a 'full spectrum' light, but it's better than most other leds that are 2 years old. And the single fan is a small concern as well, will it cool enough, how much noise does it make, if it dies how warm/hot will the unit get? I wouldn't go $100 on a light this old when I can get a new light with true full spectrum color, 55 3w bridgelux leds (probably better coverage and smaller box), 3 quiet fans and I know runs very, very cool and only pay $180. But that's just my opinion... good luck.

[don_chuwish]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

... I wouldn't go $100 on a light this old when I can get a new light with true full spectrum color, 55 3w bridgelux leds (probably better coverage and smaller box), 3 quiet fans and I know runs very, very cool and only pay $180. But that's just my opinion... good luck.

I'd have to agree, that thing looks a bit crude compared to current ones.

But how does one determine which current models have the quiet fans before purchasing? The unit I got used sounds like a server rack in a datacenter.

- D

[Tek]

The fans are not hard to replace since they are just regular ones used for computers.

[Dapg8gt]

The fans on my D120 are not too loud at all.. When both channels are on all fans are on and it's not too loud at all.

If you can get that other light for $75 I would do it.. Other than that save up $80 and get the value fixture JMO..

[don_chuwish]

Originally Posted by Tek

The fans are not hard to replace since they are just regular ones used for computers.

Yep, 80mm. Which I'm planning on replacing with 3 of these:
http://www.outletpc.com/xj6466-zalma...-case-fan.html

Which comes to another $20.89 with shipping. We'll see how quiet they are.

I've had the case open and poked around inside. The connectors don't look like the same ones used in PCs, so I'll probably be doing some wire work too. And there's a lot of stuff crowded around the fans so it'll be a challenging swap out.

Considering time & money it'd certainly be better to just get the quiet ones from the start. It really seems to depend on the supplier, but that can be hard to identify.

[Tek]

I have been in a couple datacenters and it sounds like a tornado inside.

Sellers (especially on ebay) with old stock have the louder fans which is what is in my lights purchased 3 months ago. It only had the blue and whites. I should have swapped the fans when I replaced 12 of the LEDs to make them broad spectrum. The fans can be replaced when they start to wear out.

My friends shipment from Evergrow last week came with the quiet fans and a dark mat grey paint on the case. The screws for the fans are no longer visible from the top of the case and the fans were whisper quiet.

[nikesb]

[D1105]

Ron...Any suggestions on how I can eliminate the shadow from the center bars? Should I remove the 90 optics on the edges? TIA



They are 8" above the water line on this picture...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ReeferSteve78]

Can I buy cyan LEDs and put them on the IT2080 fixtures and if so what watts and where?

[bhazard451]

EBay and wherever you want.

The leds sent by evergrow/reefbreeders are better though, as they have an ic chip in them to prevent an entire string dying if a led dies, since the are wired in series. Any other led won't, but they don't offer cyan yet.

I've added them to my lights with no issues.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[waldoz]

Originally Posted by Dapg8gt

If you can get that other light for $75 I would do it.. Other than that save up $80 and get the value fixture JMO..

I was thinking of low balling him but you guy are making me have second thoughts on used leds.

Originally Posted by waldoz

total 42 3W LED, 6 UV leds, 18 RB, 16 cool white, 1 red, 1 green
.

Full spectrum, what's it missing?

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by D1105

Ron...Any suggestions on how I can eliminate the shadow from the center bars? Should I remove the 90 optics on the edges?
They are 8" above the water line on this picture...

You may have to experiment some, or maybe somebody who has experience with this issue can help more. I'd consider removing the lenses off the end 2 or 3 rows on the ends near the braces. Maybe even get some 120 degree lenses from Reef Breeders or EverGrow. This is a fairly easy job and completely reversible if it doesn't solve the problem.

Also, if your tank is less that 24" deep, you might try raising and lowering the lights to see if that has any effect. I wish I could be more help, but it not an issue I have really had to deal with. I have a center brace, but my lights are in a canopy so I could spread them extra wide and then tip them up in the middle and they ended up shining under the brace just fine. But that 'tipped' look probably isn't good if the lights are in full view.

Originally Posted by waldoz

I was thinking of low balling him but you guy are making me have second thoughts on used leds.

Full spectrum, what's it missing?

This is just my personally opinion, but with only 42 leds, I reallt wouldn't want 6 of them to be UV. I only have 4 in my 99 led fixture. I have no way to test this theory, but my guess is your PAR may be lower than it should be with that many UV's. The corals use some (again, in my opinion) but I'd rather have 2 shades of blue, more than just cool white, maybe 1 more red (could go either way) and I wouldn't have the green but it probably doesn't hurt.

Have you tested the light for PAR? That would be step one. I'd want PAR of at least 200 at 18" unless you are using this in a shallow tank. My D120 is 225-250 at 22-24". Also, what brand of leds are they? Did the seller build it or is it made by a company? If it's a company, which one? Avoid TaoTronics. If you are just looking for an inexpensive light that works in your situation, this light could be just what you need and it's reasonably priced. But if you are looking for a really good, solid light, I'd get a new D120 for the extra $80... personally, over a display tank, I'd go for the IT2040. My D120's are in a spare bedroom, that is now my reef room, hanging over a 55g QT and a 24g FT.

[SNAKEMANVET]

Hey Ron, I was curious about what you said about staying away from tao tronics, are they really bad to use.I just bought a 120 watt dimmable for my 28 jbj to try and see if I would get any growth from my corals.For my 75 reef I am saveing up for a rb it2080.

[Fish_Hobby]

Wow...great amount of information here....spent the last 2 days reading.

Thanks everyone.

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by D1105

Ron...Any suggestions on how I can eliminate the shadow from the center bars? Should I remove the 90 optics on the edges?

You would have to raise the light higher to widen the spread, or try removing the optics

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by SNAKEMANVET

Hey Ron, I was curious about what you said about staying away from tao tronics, are they really bad to use.I just bought a 120 watt dimmable for my 28 jbj to try and see if I would get any growth from my corals.For my 75 reef I am saveing up for a rb it2080.

When I first started looking into leds for my tanks, I shopped some on Ebay and Amazon. Amazon has buyer feedback and TaoTronics had as many bad feedback comments as good ones, that's a bad sign. It was stuff like loud fans and lights not working, and wort of all, no communications to direct customer complaints (something EverGrow has been super with). Now to be fair, that was 3-4 months ago and they may have improved since then, hey, even EG has improved their products in that same time frame. But EG has been good at customer service for as long as I've been paying attention (like I said, 2-3 months).

BTW, I don't pay close attention to coral growth as most of my colonies are pretty big. But over the past 6 weeks that I have had 2 of the EG/RB IT2080's over my 180g DT all my colonies have continued to show growth (the different colored edges and white tips), just as they did under 1050w of MH. And 2 small frags of branching sps corals have been hung by monofilament about 3-4" below the water surface and they have been growing like crazy in just 6 weeks (doubled in size). I only wish I had documented it in pictures.

[snowcarver75]

Originally Posted by bhazard451

EBay and wherever you want.

The leds sent by evergrow/reefbreeders are better though, as they have an ic chip in them to prevent an entire string dying if a led dies, since the are wired in series. Any other led won't, but they don't offer cyan yet.

I've added them to my lights with no issues.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

I thought all series circuits had this intrinsic property...my DIY with cheap meanwell chip had a burned out LED and the rest of the string wasn't affected.

[bhazard451]

Originally Posted by snowcarver75

I thought all series circuits had this intrinsic property...my DIY with cheap meanwell chip had a burned out LED and the rest of the string wasn't affected.

I think of Christmas lights. With a bad bulb, the circuit is broken in a series connection, and they all go out. Maybe its different with LEDs.

[SNAKEMANVET]

Thanks Ron,the fans are loud on my unit.I will most likely get a 16'' dimmable from RB after the IT2080. I appreciate the input

[Andyf30]

Is there any way that I can make a hanging device for this tank without using something like a pipe bender or a hack saw? I need something to hang with, but I'm a teenager, and not really that handy nor is my dad lol

[monkiboy]

Originally Posted by Andyf30

Is there any way that I can make a hanging device for this tank without using something like a pipe bender or a hack saw? I need something to hang with, but I'm a teenager, and not really that handy nor is my dad lol

yeah, just use a hanging kit with or without the included hanging kit and hang from your ceiling.

or if you're especially crude and really aren't handy, just grab a plant hanger hook and take some chain link from HD and hang that way.