jedimasterben's planted tank light build

[jedimasterben]

I have a 6' tank I need to re-work, do you think a repeating patern of 3 that you are using would work ,

or do you have a better layout Idea for a 6' tank

High light or low light? What are the full dimensions? Do you already have it, if so can you take a pic of how you have it planted now?

[KnH]

Definitely low teck, root tabs

I just pulled out abunch of aponogeton bulbs in the back and getting ready to add some more water sprite or Vals in the back ground

 

Tank is 180g Bowfront 72 x 24 x 29

 

 

[Horerczy]

So what was the reasoning behind some of your led choices Ben? Like the royal blue.

[gus6464]

So what was the reasoning behind some of your led choices Ben? Like the royal blue.

 

To increase CCT as the Vero and V10 average out to ~4000K which is not very pleasant to look at in a planted tank. The lime could increase the CCT a bit but not enough to have ~6000-6500K which is what most tend to find pleasant.

 

97CRI Vero's are very red heavy so they can overpower most LEDs and royal blue helps quite a bit with that.

 

cyan - carotenoids

violet - chloro A

royal/cool blue - chloro B

Vero 3000K - chloro A

 

And then of course lime makes the tank look brighter.

 

His light is very high PUR which means he can run less PAR and have the same effect. His light will grow pantanal, ludwigia red, ar mini, and other heavy red pigment plants with ease without having to push more than 60 PAR which means considerably easier algae management.

[Horerczy]

I already know all that Gus. I wanted Bens reasoning behind the color choices.

 

I don't think the color would end up at 4000K with just the white though. More likely closer to 4400K just off of the 5000K vero having a higher luminous efficacy. Not that that is a significant difference or anything.

 

Still it's good information for anyone else reading along that was curious about the science.

[jedimasterben]

Definitely low teck, root tabs

I just pulled out abunch of aponogeton bulbs in the back and getting ready to add some more water sprite or Vals in the back ground

 

Tank is 180g Bowfront 72 x 24 x 29

 

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/ken75459/media/Fishbox/DSCF0261_zpsrog17mym.jpg

If you would, make a new thread about it and we'll discuss it

 

To increase CCT as the Vero and V10 average out to ~4000K which is not very pleasant to look at in a planted tank. The lime could increase the CCT a bit but not enough to have ~6000-6500K which is what most tend to find pleasant.

 

97CRI Vero's are very red heavy so they can overpower most LEDs and royal blue helps quite a bit with that.

 

cyan - carotenoids

violet - chloro A

royal/cool blue - chloro B

Vero 3000K - chloro A

 

And then of course lime makes the tank look brighter.

 

His light is very high PUR which means he can run less PAR and have the same effect. His light will grow pantanal, ludwigia red, ar mini, and other heavy red pigment plants with ease without having to push more than 60 PAR which means considerably easier algae management.

I have no clue what those plants are lol, but some sort of ludwigia (I think that is what someone ID'd it as) grows in the ditches here when it rains. Gets a gorgeous red color and doesn't really die back when the ditches drain. I'll probably put a little of that in this tank when it starts raining here again and growing. The best source is at my grandparents house and my grandpa keeps the ditches cut almost to the dirt

 

The 3000K Decor Veros aren't really all that bad looking. Too warm by themselves, of course, but with the cool white V10 it gives a pretty good color, but like you said, a little lower than most would want.

 

I already know all that Gus. I wanted Bens reasoning behind the color choices.

 

I don't think the color would end up at 4000K with just the white though. More likely closer to 4400K just off of the 5000K vero having a higher luminous efficacy. Not that that is a significant difference or anything.

 

Still it's good information for anyone else reading along that was curious about the science.

I like my planted tanks to be a little bit on the cooler side. I'd say that this light gets it right into the 6000-7000K range. On the previous page I estimated about 6000K but that's not correct, it's higher than that the more I look at it.

 

Blue and cyan were used to fill in the 'white gap' that all white LEDs have, and violet, well, because it's violet and white LEDs don't hit that (unless I would have used the Philips CrispWhite CoBs).

[gus6464]

You should test this light on a high tech setup. Curious to see the spectral power of this light.

 

On another note are you running 4 channels? If so, how you getting away with running only 2 LEDs on an LDD?

[jedimasterben]

You should test this light on a high tech setup. Curious to see the spectral power of this light.

 

On another note are you running 4 channels? If so, how you getting away with running only 2 LEDs on an LDD?

I have a nice Concoa dual-stage CO2 regulator, in-line diffusers for running on a canister filter, but only a 20oz paintball canister to run it from, and I don't really have that good of a place for the canister filter to go. My wife still wants me to move this little tank out of the living room, but there really isn't much other place to put it without building another stand and taking up a couple more square feet in my computer room, which is already hot and humid enough with my reef in it lol.

 

I don't even know if I would want to take this thing to high-tech. More maintenance (dosing, pruning, etc), and with a munchkin on the way, what time I have now will be mostly eliminated come September.

 

Yes, four channels.

 

CH1 - 2x V10 5000K (parallel)

CH2 - 2x Vero 10 3000K decor (parallel), 2x LEDgroupbuy 405nm violet

CH3 - 2x Rebel ES royal blue, 2x Rebel blue, 2x Rebel cyan

CH4 - 4x Rebel ES lime

 

The LDD can drop 48v input to 2v output. Doesn't do it efficiently, of course, I think down to like 72% at that point, but it can do in a pinch

[Psychosis]

Nah, two tanks is the limit. With a mini me coming in September I don't know if even one is going to be under the limit

My mini me is due in may, don't stop the rock.

[sumer]

Fantastic build.

Absolutely loved the while color. Makes me wanna paint my heatsink.

I am sure this unit is capable of growing a LOT more than that if you wanna put more in the tank. But yeah, that'd be more work and you already have your reef to care for.

[jedimasterben]

Fantastic build.

Absolutely loved the while color. Makes me wanna paint my heatsink.

I am sure this unit is capable of growing a LOT more than that if you wanna put more in the tank. But yeah, that'd be more work and you already have your reef to care for.

Oh lord yes, this thing could crank out some PAR even in the gimped state that it is in. If I were to step up to 700mA drivers I'd almost double the output, and to 1A drivers would be around 2.5x the light.

 

 

 

New pics. Added a carpet of Staurogyne repens and some sort of stem plants. It has been raining here lately, and the ditches are beginning to hold water, so soon I'll have more of a local species of Ludwigia than I'll know what to do with lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I mention this tank is also the cats' water bowl? They downright refuse to drink out of anything else.

[Mirya]

Cat's love that hint of fish pee in their drinking water.

[jedimasterben]

A bit of growth across the board, especially in whatever those green stem plants I have on the back and sides.

[Horerczy]

Vera nize

[Reefkid88]

Tanks filling in good man. I'm surprised with all the planted tank guys,this thread isn't at like 20+ pages already lol.

[gulfsurfer101]

Meh-goostah, bro-B-wan Kinobe!

[Horerczy]

So if you could do the LEDs again would you still have the cyan with the blue and royal blue or would you put it with the lime

[jedimasterben]

Thanks guys!

So if you could do the LEDs again would you still have the cyan with the blue and royal blue or would you put it with the lime

I keep them all at the same power level (except for lime), so it doesn't really matter.

[Horerczy]

Thanks guys!

 

I keep them all at the same power level (except for lime), so it doesn't really matter.

Good to know

[jedimasterben]

Good to know

Didn't even know you had a planted tank

[Horerczy]

I don't. But I want one for these guys.

 

[gulfsurfer101]

Mini puffers are awesome! I once acclimated a green spot puffer to full marine. He lived with a dogface and Hawaiian stars and stripes puffer for over two years in a big a$$ tank together with no issues.

[markalot]

You dose Co2 or use any CO2 supplement. Wife is gonna kill me but I have the 40 stand still, and the tank ...

[jedimasterben]

You dose Co2 or use any CO2 supplement. Wife is gonna kill me but I have the 40 stand still, and the tank ...

Nope, no CO2 or ferts. I have a nice CO2 regulator, a stupidly expensive metering valve (thanks hypostatic!), and a small CO2 canister, but I don't have the rest of the parts to fit it all together and at this time I also don't have the knowledge of what parts I need to do so

 

 

 

dooooo itttttt

[markalot]

Nope, no CO2 or ferts. I have a nice CO2 regulator, a stupidly expensive metering valve (thanks hypostatic!), and a small CO2 canister, but I don't have the rest of the parts to fit it all together and at this time I also don't have the knowledge of what parts I need to do so

 

 

 

dooooo itttttt

 

Yea, and it's damn easy to do, but I'm not sure I feel like dealing with the algae which I could grow extremely well.