72" Reef Lighting options

[Epuerto]

in my opinion you should creat an array of sun reflecting mirrors in such a way that when reflected through a series of angles lights all the tanks in your HOUSE WOOOOHOOOO =P
dont always go by drsfosters and smiths they can be very overpriced, 45 bucks for koralia 750s but 24 bucks on big alls online, shop around

 

[Gti_Leo]

you can always ghetto rig up some taller legs or get a tank canopy that will raise the fixture enough to get your hands in there

 

[Epuerto]

I would def put good lamps in.

I have vaulted ceilings in my house so hanging isn't an option without getting crazy. lol I have the cant fit my hand in the tank problem with my current 48" lights so I guess i would have to learn to live with it.

Thanks very much X, I like getting your input, especially on lights.

same thing my tank is a corner with a verysmall opening, so no t5s, and the ceiling above it is at an angle ridiculus =P

 

[Gti_Leo]

24 bucks on big al's since when. they have a store 15 minutes from my house which i go to and i got my evolution 550 for $45 the 750s are $50 unless they had a sale

 

[Epuerto]

i got myn for 24 bucks =P from big als online
Koralia Evolution > 750

 

[Gti_Leo]

hmm then i guess they resently put them on sale. blaah i got jipped

 

[cmor1701d]

Go with LED's. No bulbs to change, no chiller needed, save on electricity, keep anything you want in the tank. I installed mine in my canopy using an actuator to raise and lower the canopy for feeding and maintenance.

I posted a build thread on it.

 

[carey]

Wouldn't LED's on a 72" tank be cost prohibited? I know the smaller setups are crazy expensive especially if you need full reef capable.

I won't be having a canopy and i can't hang a fixture so I'm limited to on tank setups.

Any thoughts Cmor?

Thanks for reading

 

[Gti_Leo]

i was lookign into LEDs from rapidLED to light up my 26g it would have cost around $400 to light up a 24"x15"x21" deep. 24 LEDs on two dimmable drivers with two heat sinks plus fans and a reostat to dim the lights. they have a unit that controls a sun rise and sun set which i sisn't include and is an extra $80

 

[cmor1701d]

Depends on how you define crazy expensive. The 3 units I put on my 125 were around $2200. I was comparing that to a used 72 inch Giesemann Moonlight Infiniti 3x250W HQI + 4x80W T5 @ $2800 or a new one at $3600, the LEDs were cheap.

If you read the threads I posted you'll find that my unit is now set up with 40 points of light change. I have a slow 2 hour ramp up from dawn to midday sun followed by a 2 hour ramp down to dusk. There is then a brief wink out before the moon phase kicks in. That goes from total darkness to full moon (10%).

Not everyone is willing to pay for that capability. There are cheap Chinese made units for less than half of that. There are other units with in-betwen pricing. I think it was the Maxspect that had a rail system so the units sit just above the tank.

Consider that LEDs should last about 10 years. How much will you pay for new bulbs in that period. There is no heat transferred to the tank like with MH. I have the equivalent of 400w of MH lighting for the cost of 120w. I also have the MH shimmer effect. Though the units have fans they are effectively noiseless.

 

[hackteck]

too rich for my blood

 

[Gti_Leo]

wow 2200 for how many LEDs

i think for a 125 you can get away with 72 LEDs and be able to house SPS on the sand

36 Ultra Premium LED DIY Kit with Dimmable Drivers

two of those kits shoudl work well, you'd just need to retro fit them into a canopy with fans and the heat sinks.

this controller also works weel
DDC-01 PWM Controller

 

[carey]

Wow I don't think Led's will be in my immediate future. thats way over budget for me LOL

 

[Brough5754]

I got mine from marineland and only paid 280 and they are reef compatible

 

[carey]

I'm looking for lights i can grow SPS with if I want. Not sure how well those lights would hold up

 

[Gti_Leo]

the marineland reef LEDs are not to bright i'm sure they are fine for LPS and mushrooms though

 

[mr_X]

the marineland LEDs are not reef compatable. not enough PAR. they are just for looks. you will never be able to grow sps or even LPS with them.

 

[mr_X]

btw, you could hang the lights on a rack. just build a candy-cane shaped apparatus that stands on the floor or is attached to the back of the stand and comes up the back of the tank and over the top. are you picturing what i'm talking about?

 

[carey]

btw, you could hang the lights on a rack. just build a candy-cane shaped apparatus that stands on the floor or is attached to the back of the stand and comes up the back of the tank and over the top. are you picturing what i'm talking about?

Yep I can picture it. Not sure I would know where to begin though. Im kinda handy but not that much lol
Just wish it all could be easy

 

[Gti_Leo]

you mean so the fixture can flip back? only problem i can see with that is how bright it would be right infront of your face