• Welcome back Guest!

    MARSH is a private reefing group. Comments and suggestions are encouraged, but please keep them positive and constructive. Negative threads, posts, or attacks will be removed from view and reviewed by the staff. Continually disruptive, argumentative, or flagrant rule breakers may be suspended or banned.

Let's Talk Lights... (1 Viewer)

Users who are viewing this thread

aggiejames

Guest
Joined
Mar 18, 2016
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
Location
Humble / Atascocita
So I borrowed the PAR meter from MARSH and Chris (thank you to MARSH for this benefit btw!) and finally got a chance to check my lights. The results were less than stellar and certainly not what I had hoped for. I need MARSH help for a solution. I like the clean look of the Kessil. I am considering if I need to add another 360w or head a different direction and add some T5s. Is there a way to add high output lights that don't take a full hood over the aquarium?

My current setup:
Innovative Marine Nuvo 38 gallon
Kessil A360w with gooseneck 6" off surface and controlled by Apex

Photo Period:
8 - Noon Ramp up from full blue to 80% white and 80% intensity
Noon - 4 pm 80% white and 80% intensity
4 - 8 pm Ramp down from 80% white and 80% intensity to full blue and 20% intensity (basically the lowest for Kessil)
8 - 10 pm 20% intensity and full blue

Results:
Directly under the water I get about 200 PAR. The sand bed measurements are really really low, less than 50 PAR in all areas under blues or whites at 100% intensity. Near the top it's pretty miserable near the edges as well. I struggle to find more than 3-4 places with 100+ PAR in my tank and those would require a complete rework of the rocks.
 

FarmerTy

Silver Sponsor
Joined
May 4, 2015
Messages
2,206
Reaction score
353
Location
Austin, TX
That's not too unexpected for Kessils... They aren't known as par monsters. What about an Radion XR15?
 

Clownfish Chris

Moved On
Joined
Nov 15, 2014
Messages
1,915
Reaction score
4
Location
Spring 77373
You saw my set up. If the premium on the Radions is not an option, do a search for Chinese Black Box LED. Mine are Mars Aqua and come with some customer support. Others may not have the support but there are several of us who can help if there are issues.
 
OP
OP
A

aggiejames

Guest
Joined
Mar 18, 2016
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
Location
Humble / Atascocita
You saw my set up. If the premium on the Radions is not an option, do a search for Chinese Black Box LED. Mine are Mars Aqua and come with some customer support. Others may not have the support but there are several of us who can help if there are issues.

How would I run those with the Kessil? Hang them above the Kessil and just have the Kessil shade a small area of it's output or woul I remove the Kessil altogether?

Is there a way to mount those without hanging them from the ceiling? I don't have a hood and I would like something that attaches to the tank to mount them.
 

Paul Buie

Guest
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
210
Reaction score
0
Location
Galleria area
T5's and LED supplement work very well.

T5's and LED's are always a good choice. I'm using 3 hydra 26 HDs and two 250 watt MH with 20k radiums on a 48 inch wide by 27" deep tank. PAR is 950, 6 inches below the water line and 250 - 300 on the sand bed. I only run the LEDs at about 40 percent. Growth has been really good.
 

Wingnut

Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2016
Messages
208
Reaction score
6
Location
Conroe
Ya I run my LED's at 60% for 11 hours including sunrise and sunset and my T5's 8 hours a day never ran MH's I am sure they work great , heat for them where always my concern are I would run T5's and MH's.
 

Paul Buie

Guest
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
210
Reaction score
0
Location
Galleria area
Ya I run my LED's at 60% for 11 hours including sunrise and sunset and my T5's 8 hours a day never ran MH's I am sure they work great , heat for them where always my concern are I would run T5's and MH's.

yea- I have to run a chiller. MH will cook them without it. I think T5 and LED is where everyone will end up. Great color for making colors pop to view, much less heat, and T5 will grow well. I just can't give up MH. Lol. LED alone can be a good choice eventually, but until then, I just use them for show. i haven't really kept up with anything recent though. They were raving over LEDs at RC before I got banned quite awhile ago, but I bet they are changing their tune. Lol
 

TX_Punisher

Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
666
Reaction score
514
Location
South Houston
I keep going back and forth on which to run on a 6 ft rimless tank. Mixed reef. Have been leaning toward 3-4 hydra hd 52s. But in the back of my mind an 8 bulb ati sun power is proven and much cheaper.

Thiughts?
 

Andrewr2488

Guest
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
I personally prefer to stick with proven lighting methods, I just picked up a 150w halide with PC from a fellow Marsh member this past weekend. I am going to change the PC for T5 and get a new ballast and phoenix 14k bulb. I was running a Galaxy Hydro LED until I got the MH, It seemed bright but the corals didn't seem really happy with it and I couldn't get as blue of a look as I'd hoped to get so I decided to go back to more traditional lighting. The Marsh member I bought the MH from had a Radion over his tank and honestly it looked amazing! I can't speak for par numbers but I was very impressed with the color and natural look that the light was able to produce! I guess in the LED world you get what you pay for, Just a little bit too expensive of an area for me to play in, and I prefer MH/T5 combo as well but would love to get a Radion to try out some day.
 
Top