My 55 gallon reef build.

[Gregcoyote]

I light a 30" deep 300 gallon reef tank with 450 (yes, 450) 1 watt LEDs, mixed white and blue. The PAR output is almost the equivalent of sunlight. All my corals including hard are growing very well and I have eliminated a big power bill and a lot of heat build up.

There is a big difference in the LED arrays for just lighting the fish tank, or growing corals. Takes as many as 20 times the number of LEDs to provide enough PAR for coral growth. I have seen panels with 150 1 watt LEDs mounted with fans for $200 on EBay that work fine for coral. I use three of these to light my entire system, with another one on a algae scrubber mounted in the basement.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I was thinking about making a lighting fixture, was it kinda easy?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Not too bad, soldering and heat sinks. Making sure you don't electrocute yourself or the reef is a good idea.
I would suggest the units available for sale already built are a better option, as when you add up the cost of all the diodes, it is about a draw.

 

[needmorecowbell]

Oh. Thanks do you know much about Diy t5s?

 

[Gregcoyote]

No, I really dont know anything about them.
See pictures posted in gallery, "300 gallon LED tank"
Will be posting many more soon.

 

[needmorecowbell]

K thanks!

 

[Redfox1]

No, I really dont know anything about them.
See pictures posted in gallery, "300 gallon LED tank"
Will be posting many more soon.

I just recently acquired a 220 gallon tank that is 30" deep. I originally wanted LEDs but I have been getting mixed messages from different sources as to if they will do the job or not.

You are using (a lot) of LEDs and sounds like with success with corals. Do you have any clams and if not, is the light right to support clams.

Thank you

 

[mr_X]

you can't switch out 250 watt halides for 150s without rewiring. the lamps are different lengths.
150 watt halides will not be enough for a 30" deep tank.
i would use a 8 individually reflected T5 HO lamps per 3 feet, or at least 3 x 250 watt halides with quality reflectors and quality bulbs and ballasts. there is a difference. you definitely get what you pay for.

as for LEDs, there are many to choose from and some are good, some are not. if you aren't going to DIY it, they are going to cost you well over a thousand dollars to light your tank. possibly 2 thousand.
the ones you see selling for a hundred bucks aren't fit for your refugium.

 

[Redfox1]

What ever way I go I know it's going to cost me. I was hoping to avoid a chiller as well as higher hydro bill. Price you got to pay if you want to play. I have no problem paying for quality. I believe it's better and maybe even cheaper in the long run.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Ibrahim]

Hey Mr. X,

I'm well aware that a 150w bulb would not be enough for a 30" tank. At first I thought he was talking about a 55 gallon since the name of this thread is My 55 gallon Reef Build. And I know I needed to re-wire

 

[Ibrahim]

But I'm planning on going back to 250w bulbs because I'm upgrading to a 90 gallon

 

[kurtyboh]

Hey Mr. X,

I'm well aware that a 150w bulb would not be enough for a 30" tank. At first I thought he was talking about a 55 gallon since the name of this thread is My 55 gallon Reef Build. And I know I needed to re-wire

You may be aware of the rewire but it was not mentioned in your post, so the op or anyone searching for answers is mislead. It's an added cost to a cheap system that will need to be replaced. Simply doesntake sense to spend extra money to make something to be replaced in the future for a safer fixture.

 

[Ibrahim]

Yeah, I guess you are right sorry for the Mix-up

 

[Gregcoyote]

It's pretty simple, you either have the right number, power output and color of LEDs or you don't. 150 - 1 watt LEDs mixed white and blue give the equivalent of a 500 watt metal halide. But with 10th the heat and 1/4th the power requirement. Will also burn for about 50,000 hours.


Yes, they make fixtures that cost thousands...I bought the $200 panels of 150 LEDs each for $200 per panel off of ebay, posted the link earlier. Been running a year with no issues. Don't have clams, but have both soft and hard corals growing fine,

 

[needmorecowbell]

Thats pretty cool. Definitely cheaper than a lot of fixtures and better in the long run.

 

[Gregcoyote]

You can pay a lot more...maybe they are junk, but they have worked very well for me. Fans are a bit loud, but a person could replace them with quieter computer fans.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I am really contemplating doing a diy fixture now. I just don't know where to begin.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Check this out;
http://aquariums.seaspraydesigns.biz/diy-projects/diy-high-power-led-aquarium-lighting-part-i/

 

[needmorecowbell]

Thanks a lot

 

[Gregcoyote]

The world needs more cow bell...just be careful as electricity and saltwater are a lethal combination.