DYI high output moving LED for frag tank

[Gregcoyote]

Okay...the clams and most of the frags I got on EBay are doing fine. Almost all the SPS frags came in bleached. They were packed well and the supplier Reef Pets claimed they were okay when shipped. His pictures I posted above were obviously shot under actinic lights, so the colors are all pumped up. I think they will recover as they still show polyp extension but here is an example of cheap isn't always good. These frags were very new and had had little time to adjust before they were shipped out. Next time, I will spend a few more dollars for bigger frags that have had time to adjust to the fragging process.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Have had exceptional growth with the moving light.

Last shot is the same purple acro as in the first shot 3 months earlier. It has about doubled in size.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Time lapse iPhone video of my frag tank with a clam. The LED spotlight crosses every 20 minutes and illuminates any area for about 5 minutes out of every twenty. PAR without the spot is 400, when the spot hits it peaks at 1200.

 

[Zippo1313]

How is it working for u

 

[Gregcoyote]

Seems to be working great. The SPS corals are growing nice and rounded.

 

[Bige]

Well done. There use to be a coral/fish shop in Houston in the 80's that did this with mh. My lfs has one on their frag tank with LEDs. I wish I could do one on a dt. Might try my next build.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Thanks!

 

[Gregcoyote]

iPhone shots of some of the frags.

Picture doesn't really show the bright purple with blue tips the acro has. I want to grow this guy to about three times this size and then will do some fraging.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Haven't updated in a while.
You can see the amount of growth my purple acro has undergone since the last posting just about 4 months ago. It is growing very densely, as a result of the lighting and I believe the powerful moving light has also kept the coral compact. This has worked splendidly so far and has require no maintenance on the lighting system. I'm specifically using the purple acro as my test subject as I never had luck growing them before.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Well done. There use to be a coral/fish shop in Houston in the 80's that did this with mh. My lfs has one on their frag tank with LEDs. I wish I could do one on a dt. Might try my next build.

I got the idea from a excellent LFS in Phoenix. Anyone that reefs there knows what I'm talking about.