Switching to LED (2 Viewers)

[Andrew_B]

Hey all -

I've been looking at switching to LED for my 40g Breeder reef tank (36x18x16). Right now I'm using an Aquatic Life 36" 6 bulb t5HO with lunar LEDs and 24h programmable timer. Absolutely love this fixture, but the ~10.00 a month to run and 160.00 in bulbs every 9 months can really add up fast. Looking for an LED alternative. I already switched over my Freshwater tanks, but salt LED is a whole another game it seems!

Obviously DIY is an option, but I don't trust my soldering skills enough around water. I can already see an unintentional fishfry happen. Rapid makes the solderless, but man, those are pricy!

I have some SPS in the tank, so after my reading I've come to find out that I need roughly 36, well placed 3w LEDs with a fairly narrow optic (60 degrees), preferably dimmable.

After research, I've came up with these fixtures from Ebay. I know, I know.. Chinese made, lower quality leds that probably won't reach the par output of cree leds but I really can't find any major flaw about them! I would get 3 fixtures in total. Two of which would be 50/50 (12000k/Actinic alternating)and one would be solid Actinic (I prefer a bluer look to tank over white). I would get the 24" fixture, as they would be above the water level, so the 60 degree optic will allow light to spread and catch the corners, or I can even stagger the two 50/50 fixtures and inch or two to make up for it, but that's all small details! I only have live rock in the middle 25-26" of the tank, so the outsides are sandbed anyway. I would toss on some cheap violet purple actinic stunner strip to bring out some more red in my corals.

Aquarium Reef LED Light Bar 24" inch 3W LEDs 50 50 White Actinic Blue 2 Ft | eBay

In terms of specs:
Each Fixture is 24x 3w LEDS so 72w power total with 60 degree optics and dimmable. So a total of 216w for all 3 fixtures. Obviously lower quality, but they only need to penetrate 16" to reach the sand which shouldn't be an issue with these optics.

Now that I'm done blabbering away, anyone have any suggestions (fixture size/spectrum etc etc) or any ~300.00 LED alternatives they've had experience with?

Thanks everyone!
Andrew

 

[Ostentum]

Andrew look at the Reefbreeders Led's. I am working with the vendor on possibly doing a group buy with them. I think that IT2080 fixtures. I have seen some of these Chinese units in person, even opened a couple of them up and the workmanship is actually pretty good, even if you wanted to change out optics or leds, its pretty easy.

 

[Jamie9169]

We ordered a Reefbreeders Value LED and it came in today. I am very impressed with it already. It was well packaged and arrived with no issues. It is dimmable to zero and has different power and dimmers for white and blue. The color is really great and gives my wife's sixty gallon the shimmer she wanted. It seems to be built very well and the three cooling fans are near silent. You can not go wrong with this LED, especially for $179.00

 

[gabe_j]

You should come over to my place and check out my light.

 

[Reefkeeper]

I got 2 x 179usd reefbreeders over a 90 for about 3 weeks..... I also have some 120w dimmable Tao's for about 1 year.
Reefbreaders are Awesome, best lights for the price out there in my opinion. They will also customs fit some color LED's of your choice. But the standard 60 degree works well.

 

[Ostentum]

I have been pretty impressed with the quality of the value series. It is putting out 2500 at the surface, 850 par 12 inchs under the water and 400 at the sandbed with the light 6 inches off the water. Even at 50% on the full blue channel its at 200 par at the sandbed. They do have some punch and I am running 90degree optics. I Think i might end up buying a full set of the controllable 24" for the rest of the tank.

 

[SeanM]

Wow, that's some serious punch. Make sure you to light acclimate the new corals. What are the halides putting out?

 

[Ostentum]

Will have to graph it out when I get back home tonight. I will do bob halides and the two different LEDs I have

 

[madehtsobi]

Interested to find out as well since my MH bulbs are almost done and but don't wanna risk all my corals readjusting to different lighting.

 

[dayton]

I just bought the maxspect R420R for my 29 bio. I like it alot so far. Dimmable and priced well.