2800K LED

[Byron]

Hi Guys,

I was thinking of using this (see attached link) 2800K LED. Yes I know it's not Cree but it is Bridge Lux they have a good rep also. I have built one of there other kit's and it is great! Corals love the light.
My screen is 13.5"x7' so I was thinking of 8 per side. Anyway would love to know if there was a reason it wouldn't work.

http://www.aquastyleonline.com/produ...-3W-2800K.html

Gee SM, I found a couple of old threads from your early days. I can't believe what you have gone through at RC. I take my reef keeping very seriously but come on these guys need to get a life! Keep up the good work!! And thank you for doing what you have done!!

Cheers Ben

[Ace25]

They sell 660nm red LEDs for the same price as the 2800k, and also 420nm LEDs which is not common (yet). With the selection they have you can build a nice LED light for a scrubber. I would go with 1x 420nm, 1x royal blue, 1x 2800k (mostly to cover to lower 600nm range), and 5x 660nm per side.

[Byron]

HI Ace25,

Thanks for the advice, I was only looking at the 2800k, still a bit to learn re light spectrum!

Cheers Ben

[jwoyshnar]

They will work but to be more effective listen to aces advice. Red 660's and warm whites together work very well together. Better than just using warm white. Blue is added for algae growth. Good advice from Ace, before you jump into leds, learn more before you do one cause you will end up redoing it.

[Byron]

LED's ordered I have gone with Ace's advise, I will do a build thread when they arrive. Thanks for all your advise!

Cheers Ben

[Ace25]

Looking forward to seeing your progress and results. I haven't tried that exact combo of LEDs yet, but that is the combo I would go with myself for the next LED scrubber I make, so I have a lot of faith that it will work fantastic.

Side note: I am finding 420nm light is being SUPER beneficial on my display tank. I installed LEDs a couple years ago (before 3w 420nm LEDs were invented), kept my 4x T5HO 420nm Actinic bulbs in the canopy, never turned them on once I installed LEDs. Some reason a few weeks ago I got a bug in me to turn the timer back on and WOW, in just over a week my corals have colored up brighter than I have ever seen, every color on them is so vivid (not talking that nice Actinic glow, they look great even with the actinics turned off). I am not 100% sure on how it will effect algae, I certainly don't see any algae growing in the display since turning them on, but 420nm is a great spectrum for photosynthesis (as is 455nm/Royal Blue) so I do think it will work good on an ATS as well.

[Byron]

Thanks Ace, that's good to know. I built a 24 LED kit from Aquastyle as a trail (mainly to see if I could solder) the kit came with 12 white & 12 royal blue and have been very happy with it. Once I build the scrubber lights, I'm going to turn my attention to the DT lighting. The tank is a 8' Reef tank with T5 compacts and natural sunlight. Power in Australia has risen by 30% in the last year so I turned off the MH and did a Anthony Clafo and cut holes in the roof.

[Ace25]

A friend of mine did the same thing a few years ago, put sky lights over his 240G tank. He owns a furniture store and his tank is in the store. Worked great but the color was terrible, which was to be expected. He even added 10x 5' T5HO actinics to balance out the yellow of the sunlight, but during mid day even 10x T5HOs couldn't balance the yellow color from the sun. He stuck with it for about 3 years but then the SolaTubes corroded from the humid salt environment (even though the tubes were sealed, they are not sealed that well). Just last month he finally had enough and built a 192 LED light for the tank. His corals went from mostly brown to fantastic coloring in just a couple weeks. He is so happy now because his tank has never looked so good.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1561945

[Byron]

Hey Ace,
Great thread, thanks! I have 6 sky lights above my tank. I have never found the light to be to yellow. The tank gets direct sunlight for about 2hrs a day (in summer). There are no solar tubes and it really is supplemental lighting only. When I fist cut the sky lights it was in spring, we have wild pythons (harmless snakes) in the roof that now sun bake over my tank. Only attached this for general interest.
Cheers Ben

[kerry]

Harmless ONLY if they do not wrap around you is the key words LOL.