LED lighting?

[snowdrop7]

Upgrading to a new 50g tank which came with 2 hoods and also have heard a lot about LED lighting as a better option. Anyone tried that?
And... probably a dumb question but I absolutely cannot figure out how to install a check valve on my tubing... Tubing came with it but it does not seem to fit... THANKS

 

[thincat]

You may have to soften the tubing by heating it up in hot water, then work(push) the check valve into it.

 

[mgamer20o0]

fw or sw tank?

 

[cmor1701d]

I recently swtiched from MH to LED. I couldn't be happier. I got the PacificSun BT EX units (1 master/ 2 slaves) for my 6' tank. The LEDs are fully controllable. Right now I am running them at 62% power, but as I add more corals and they get acclimated I will ramp it up. At that point I will set the 40 waypoints for sunset rising to a noon sun and dropping down to sunset. At peak these will produce the equivalent of 400w MH without the heat.

Since adding the LEDs I no longer need a fan to cool the tank. The tank stays at a consistent 79 degrees and I am using much less top off water, not to mention the cost saving on electricity and not having to buy new bulbs every year.

I just read that LEDs do not produce light in the yellow-green spectrum that cyanobacteria (red slime) loves, so LEDs can eliminate that problem too!

I'll be posting a full thread on my installation soon.

 

[Bige]

I have a 100% led tank and love it. I use to have a fan to cool tank but I took it down. My tank was at 81 today and it was 95 outside. I dont know about the cyano because I have had a cyano problem since I got my new lights. I bought a new wave maker and so far so good. I could control the sun up sun set dimming but have not set that up yet. I will eventually. Mine were DIY and are very bright. Great investment and no need for chiller.

 

[cmor1701d]

Which LEDs did you use? Do you know the color spectrum?

 

[Bige]

Edison cool white and royal blue per "bin info". As for spectrum that is a good question. I just emailed the manufacturer to find out.

 

[Bige]

This is from the manufacturer. not sure what it means. I have 18 white leds and 12 blue led.

40% blue – 60% white ~ 12000K
50% blue – 50% white ~ 14000K
60% blue – 40$ white ~ 20000K

So im assuming its 20000k.

 

[BigJim]

That's the color spectrum information. You've got the 12000K setup. 18 white / 30 total = 60% white.

 

[cmor1701d]

+1 BigJim.

 

[Bige]

So is that a spectrum cyano cant grow?

 

[cmor1701d]

Well, it's hard to tell from what they gave you. They should also have given you a chart of the spectrum in nanometers (nm). If the blues are at 420 - 460nm and and the whites are at some combination that peaks around 500 you should be fine. It's the green - yellow part that I've heard cyano loves. But, from a paper I just found it's actually the Yellow-Red spectrum.

Photosynthetic Action Spectra and Adaptation to Spectral Light​

Distribution in a Benthic Cyanobacterial Mat
"The highest activity occurred between 550 and 650 nm, with maxima at 580 and 650 nm."