PAR 38 LED bulbs

[zygote2k]

This is what I used 3) PAR 38's to light up-
A 60 cube w/ trizonal filtration.

[beeker]

what optics and what is the hieght of the tank? are those the 12ks or 20ks?

[Squidhead9]

Nice

Where did you get the lights?

[beeker]

nanocustoms sells them as well as nanotuners :]

nice looking tank just wondering about the color of bulb you chose and the hieght of your tank

[sjmantis]

I just got a set of those, how did you mount them

[zygote2k]

Tank is 24" tall. 40 degree optics, 20k bulbs. I made the fixture from lamp parts and 1/4" ABS

[beeker]

just wondering does it look that dim in person?

picture itself looks kindof dim is that just the camera?

[lovetoreef]

if you could post some more pictures of the mounting - thanks.

[zygote2k]

I made the mount from 1/4" ABS on a CNC machine. This is the current version 1. V2 is going to be radically different with 360 degree pivoting lamps.

[lovetoreef]

very nice - could you shoot a picture of the socket you used?

[zygote2k]

My thoughts about replacing a 400w mh with 3) PAR38's is that I really need to add a 4th bulb. The shimmering effect is much stronger than halides though. The overall look is different too. We are all used to seeing a brightly lit aquarium with light spilling out of the sides and top with very little shadows.
The LED's target illuminate smaller areas in the center of the tank. It looks like you're looking through black shadows to see a brightly lit area. It reminds me of diving at about 15 feet. The fish look more realistic and the actinic "pop" is present but without the harshness of actinic light.

Not having to change bulbs in 10 years- priceless. Well, not actually priceless. It would have cost me at least $300 for 10 years worth of 400w halide bulbs.

[beeker]

Does it look that dim in person or is the whole tank lit with the PAR38's?

Do you get a good amount of light at the bottom on the sandbed? like enough to keep Zoa's or Lps?

[zygote2k]

My point and shoot makes it seem a lot dimmer than it really is. Since there is no light around the edges, it makes the tank seem dim. In the center where the lights shine, it is extremely bright. There are enough shimmering lights around the fringes to find their way towards the bottom and light it well enough for softies.
The sockets are regular Home Depot ceramic sockets.

[beeker]

thanks for all the info man

I'm trying to gauge how well these would work over my 200g DD tank which is 27 inches tall, i would be going with the 12k PAR38's with 40 optics but would have 6 bulbs over each side of the 200g DD total of 12, so i'm trying to gauge how lit/dim the tank would look before i take the plunge

think you could take a few more pics and adjust the white balance to see if you can get rid of the dim look?

[ddcengineering]

I have been looking at LED lighting systems, some such as Sunbright LED have been having problems with keeping the intensity and brightness after only a few months,
for example the Sunbright LED system some people have seen a drop of 50% or more in their lighting intensity after 3 months, and some bulbs just burnt out.
have you seen or heard of this happening with these bulbs?

[Mustang Boy]

Originally Posted by ddcengineering

I have been looking at LED lighting systems, some such as Sunbright LED have been having problems with keeping the intensity and brightness after only a few months,
for example the Sunbright LED system some people have seen a drop of 50% or more in their lighting intensity after 3 months, and some bulbs just burnt out.
have you seen or heard of this happening with these bulbs?

evilc66 who has replied a few times to this thread is the mastermind behind these bulbs and i know for a fact he would only use the best of the best for any product he advertises. i also know he has been using these over a couple of his own personal tanks for awhile. the only problem i see ever happening with these bulbs is maybe a rare manufacturer defect but as of now i have never seen any kind of problem with these bulbs and i dont expect to see any. they use cree LEDs which have a great track record so far.

[ddcengineering]

Awsome! i will have to look into those aswell, i was going to jump on these Sunbright LED's but after i heard of how they can fail, or loose their power i almost lost hope in LED.
How awsome are LED's if they provide the LUMS and PAR we need for our aquariums, while not using very much energy, and have the ability to contol their brightness its every mans dream.

[solos2]

Just wonder, are you only using these PAR 38 LED on the tank or is it used as supplement light?

[ddcengineering]

solos2, i see that you are using led lighting on your profile pic, what type of set up is that?

[zygote2k]

I'm using just the PAR 38's for my light source.

[amheck]

Tagging along for pics of v2 of the mount. These PAR38 lamps look interesting, but I didn't particularly care for the track lighting that some were using to mount the lamps. I would personally prefer a more traditional enclosure, but I don't know if that's even possible with the size of the lamps.

[Zman42]

evil66, how many of these would you reccomend on a 90 gal tank? I just switched over from 8 t5s to a 2x250 watt mh system. But I'm really thinking about these.

Thanks

Kris

[maddog2002]

evil66, If run par38 inside canopy, What would be min height ? My canopy is 10" tall, is this possible to installing par38 inside it?

[maddog2002]

Tank is 24" Height, Mix Reef, SPS will keep in top(not more than 17" deep). Tank length is 72" and width is 18". I would like run as hybrid Mode mixed with 2*60" ovedrived T5HO. If possible, how many par38 bulbs do I need inside 10" height Canopy?
Thanks so much for the help!

[beeker]

SO does the original thread starter have anymore pics of this setup?

I'd still like to see some more visual candy :]]