Need Ideas for LED supplemental lighting

MrsBugmaster · #1 08-24-2010, 08:37 PM

I have a 34 gal Solana with "disco ball" 150watt HQI light. I am wanting to add LED's for supplemental lights. I want to be able to have more of a dusk to dawn effect and also be able to run the HQI light for less time. Say maybe 6 to 7 hrs instead of 10 to 12 hr a day. Has anyone done this before? What lights should I get and how do I mount them so it still looks nice and not ghetto. I do have a Current 2 bulb 18inch t5 fixture I could gut and maybe retro fit with led's. I am using it now for supplemental lighting with only one blue bulb left in it that is well over a year old. Can't find the replacement bulbs for it here so I could use it if needed. Any one have any ideas or suggestions? I also have a Reef Keeper Lite controller that I think has dimmimg capability(not sure on that) so maybe a LED that is dimmable. I have RBTA, GBTA, two frogspawn and one plate coral in tank for corals. This is pretty much all for corals that will be going in this tank. Any and all ideas are welcomed.

mike31154 · #2 08-25-2010, 04:00 PM

Although my lighting set up would be considered in the ghetto category, I do have at least one suggestion that you could look into. LED tubes to replace standard fluorescent tubes are slowly beginning to appear on the market, so that might be a possibility for your 18 inch T5 fixture. All you'd need to do is change out the current fluorescent tubes with LED replacement tubes, no need to gut the fixture. I had a couple of links ready, but if you search the net for LED/T5 fluorescent replacements, you'll have plenty of sites to browse. The only problem is finding the right colour temperature for marine aquarium use. In your case, for supplemental use only, might not be too difficult to source something appropriate. Not sure there are many 'dimmable' options in this tube replacement form factor yet though and be ready for a bit of a price shock for anything decent.

I've certainly been keeping my eye on the development of LED lighting technology for aquarium use, but find the progress slow and much too costly at the moment. Seems like the best solutions so far for high powered LED lighting is the DIY scene. There seems to be no happey medium, either super elaborate and way over priced or too cheap and low powered to consider for our use. Even the LED products available for home use seem to be progressing inordinately slow. I'm getting more and more frustrated at the continued marketing focus on CFL bulbs with the mercury and gas content making them a pain to dispose of in an ecologically safe manner.

Anyhow, take a look at the tube replacement option for now, other than that, play the waiting game like me. I really should DIY myself a nice LED fixture since I have the electrical background, but still find even the individual components like the CREE LEDs quite costly if you're looking to build something for a 4 foot or larger tank.

Myka · #3 08-25-2010, 05:23 PM

If you're ok with using the Current T5 as a shell, why not just use it as is? Imo, T5s will produce a nicer color than LEDs anyway. I'm skeptical too, I'm not sold on the LEDs yet.

Slick Fork · #4 08-25-2010, 05:57 PM

Depends on the colour he's after. I saw a reefbrite complete blue strip in action a few weeks ago and I've never seen a t5 provide that actinic pop. I'm definitely sold on the LED technology, it's the price I'm having a hard time with.

I'd check out the reefbrite strips, I'm considering retrofitting two of them into a 4 bulb tek light. They are probably the most "affordable" of the decent quality stuff out there right now, but I use that term loosely as they're still pretty spendy.

donlite · #5 08-25-2010, 06:14 PM

If you have more time than money you can check out this site http://www.luxeonstar.com/. Make sure you use at least 1 watt leds and make sure you have a blend of blue and white to give you the color you need. Of the shelf led lighting is very expensive but if you have the money there is some very good products out there

Myka · #6 08-25-2010, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slick Fork

Depends on the colour he's after. I saw a reefbrite complete blue strip in action a few weeks ago and I've never seen a t5 provide that actinic pop. I'm definitely sold on the LED technology, it's the price I'm having a hard time with.

I agree the color is getting much better, but I'm still not sold on them being primary lighting. Supplemental is all about color, so I guess the LEDs would be ok for that. The prices are still ridiculous considering LEDs are cheap to make. Maybe they have to make up for all the research they have put into producing a reef spectrum...? I just figured instead of gutting a useful T5 fixture, why not use it?

Slick Fork · #7 08-25-2010, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

I agree the color is getting much better, but I'm still not sold on them being primary lighting. Supplemental is all about color, so I guess the LEDs would be ok for that. The prices are still ridiculous considering LEDs are cheap to make. Maybe they have to make up for all the research they have put into producing a reef spectrum...? I just figured instead of gutting a useful T5 fixture, why not use it?

I never thought the Current fixtures were all that great, I can't recall if they even have individual reflectors or not, if they don't then certainly their usefulness becomes questionable. At 18" appropriate bulbs might be hard to source. If the OP is running a MH over a 34 gallon then heat may be an issue as well. If he/she can get the colour he's after with LED's then they would certainly be one less thing throwing heat into the tank. I'm not big on the power-savings aspect, for the upfront cost of an LED fixture you can buy a whole lotta electricity. Anyways, we're getting off topic...

What are the dimensions of the tank? That might help people come up with some ideas for you!