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LED Aesthetics: What do you really think of your color?


Machupicchu

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To clarify the 420s TV that I currently use are the 500 mA ones from nanotuners back in the day. I was one of the first people to get them. I am not even runing them at 500 mA :(

 

I recently got new 700 mA 420s from aquastyleonline and they seem to be much brighter.

 

Sorry Milad I needed the wider optics on the 420s / TVs so had to go with someone else.

 

I think the current batch of 700 mA 420s or TVs floating around will do just fine for now.

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I think i need more power in a smaller package if i'm going to be making lights using cpu heatsinks. It's nice not worrying about cooling them down though.

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Mouser sells a few different 420's 410's and a few under that. The trade off is the amount of cash you have to fork out for something like it. Try deep red mixed with RB, it is nice and purplish.

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Try deep red mixed with RB, it is nice and purplish.

 

deep red + RB = pretty close to fiji purple. which is one of the missing pieces when trying to match a T5 setup.

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Hey everyone.

 

I have to break down my 10g soon and will be moving everything into a new 40b. Currently I have a diy fixtures over the 10 gallon. 6cw and 6rb. Of course I haven't been happy with it. The 40b will have some sps in it but won't be sps dominant. Either way I need to go ahead and figure out cost. I was wondering what kind of configuration I should go with? Hopefully you guys can help me figure out something that looks great because I really want to keep supporting the use of LEDs and not switch to t5s. What do y'all suggest I use?

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Hey everyone.

 

I have to break down my 10g soon and will be moving everything into a new 40b. Currently I have a diy fixtures over the 10 gallon. 6cw and 6rb. Of course I haven't been happy with it. The 40b will have some sps in it but won't be sps dominant. Either way I need to go ahead and figure out cost. I was wondering what kind of configuration I should go with? Hopefully you guys can help me figure out something that looks great because I really want to keep supporting the use of LEDs and not switch to t5s. What do y'all suggest I use?

 

I'm going with a 48 kit from Rapid LED for my 65 ( 36x18x24). I was told a 36 would work also, so there's an idea for ya. I emailed Rapid and was able to change the standard 24:24 RB / CW to a 32:16 RB / NW no prob, no extra and whatever combination of optics i desired. For me, it's gonna be a good base to build from.

 

good luck on your build

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Milad LEDGroupBuy.com
Hey everyone.

 

I have to break down my 10g soon and will be moving everything into a new 40b. Currently I have a diy fixtures over the 10 gallon. 6cw and 6rb. Of course I haven't been happy with it. The 40b will have some sps in it but won't be sps dominant. Either way I need to go ahead and figure out cost. I was wondering what kind of configuration I should go with? Hopefully you guys can help me figure out something that looks great because I really want to keep supporting the use of LEDs and not switch to t5s. What do y'all suggest I use?

 

Basic rule of thumb is 15 Square inches of surface space per CREE XP series LED for SPS. So you are looking at 42 LEDs total. And since the tank is only 16 inches tall, you really dont need optics if you are keeping it within 4 inches of the water, so that saves you some $$.

 

The 2 Royal Blue to 1 Neutral White combo is the way to go right now and if you want to get some really intense colors out of your corals, checkout the Exotic lineup

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^^do you have a picture of a tank with the exotic lineup leds ?

 

I would be interested in seeing the 660nm Reds + 495 Turquoise + 455nm Royal Blue mixing

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Basic rule of thumb is 15 Square inches of surface space per CREE XP series LED for SPS. So you are looking at 42 LEDs total. And since the tank is only 16 inches tall, you really dont need optics if you are keeping it within 4 inches of the water, so that saves you some $$.

 

The 2 Royal Blue to 1 Neutral White combo is the way to go right now and if you want to get some really intense colors out of your corals, checkout the Exotic lineup

 

 

are u getting any of those exotic leds in 120 degrees anytime soon, 60 degrees is not very useful

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I have yet to see any LED setup that can compete or even come close with the colors obtained via a T5 setup.

 

- You cannot judge the universal look of a tank based on pictures on the internet. We can look at specific relationships between colors and corals, but a general over-all look cannot be properly rendered due to the high dynamic contrast and color spikes with artificial reef lighting. Our electronic capture devices and corresponding software live in a 5500k universe. The light we're throwing into our reef tanks isn't 5500k and it isn't linear and it isn't within a 9stop range. When somebody says "my picture looks just like my tank" I typically skip the post.

 

- If broad spectrum range is the solution to the problem, high end SPS tanks running tubes would be using high CRI, 5000k bulbs. Consequently I've never seen a reef tank running high CRI fluorescent tubes.

 

- I don't understand the whining about 400-420nm actinic when if you want to suppliment this light just use a frikken tube and be done with it. Fluorescents are really good at producing 420 nm and UVA light and while the sellers in this forum want to convince you otherwise there's no difference in the photons emitted by a tube -vs- and LED, except that tubes can make a lot more 420nm actinic and do it a lot cheaper.

 

- If I wanted to make my tank look like it was lit with T5 I'd just stick a chunk of milk plexi over the LED's and like magic it would be indistinguishable from a T5 lit tank. Not all, but most reefers prefer high contrast lighting, a nice ripple effect, and something akin to the high end SPS show tank lit with with 250halides they saw at the reef store.

 

- I've looked at dozens of private reef tanks the past 18months and every store SPS tank within several hundred miles. I've not seen a tube lit tank look nearly as good as mine or quality halides, and more of them we're so bland it was no wonder the owner was typically talking about getting out of reefing. It's not the color or spectrum with tubes that's unique, but the diffuse and non collimated nature of light coming from long fluorescent tubes that distinguishes it from halides and LED's. There's a reason offices are lit with fluorescent lights in bare fixtures and not with 400watt bare halides.

 

- The SPS tank linked above looks like it's populated with fake, plastic corals you can buy at a pet store. Nice growth, but I can't tell they are even alive, IMHO. Tank looks like it's lit with a shop-light.

 

- The really good looking and consequently rare tube lit tanks I've seen in my lifetime we're all a combination of the right scaping, and depth to width ratio along with really low slung lights. Consequently I'd challenge you to show show me a squarish, shallow frag tank that looks good lit with tubes -vs LED regardless of spectrum.

 

You guys can bicker about the spectrum differences between LED and tubes, but I insist that any preference for tubes is 99% based on the non collimated and diffuse nature of tubes and this was resolved in halide -vs- T5 debates long ago.

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As this will be my first diy led light, will this color combo be too white? I will have 2 over a 40 breeder.

 

Suggestions or comments?

 

led.jpg

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This ^ is exactly why I plan to keep a couple T5's in my LED setup. Who knows...maybe I'll keep all four?

The only reason I don't is because I'm not sure if I want to have any bulb replacement costs. I've been trying to figure out if I want to add a single fiji purple to my tank.

 

 

Zeadon, I'm with you. I'd love some 120 degree deep reds and TVs.

 

Blasterman. If what you're saying is true about the milk plexi, why not use milk plexy over the majority of the tank, but cut a hole around a few isolated cool white LEDs to get a single color shimmer with even distribution? Just an idea.

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As this will be my first diy led light, will this color combo be too white? I will have 2 over a 40 breeder.

 

Suggestions or comments?

 

led.jpg

 

I'd be curious how different colors on the same string works out.

I'm still working on my layout and have no personal experience to back up any statement...

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- I don't understand the whining about 400-420nm actinic when if you want to suppliment this light just use a frikken tube and be done with it. Fluorescents are really good at producing 420 nm and UVA light and while the sellers in this forum want to convince you otherwise there's no difference in the photons emitted by a tube -vs- and LED, except that tubes can make a lot more 420nm actinic and do it a lot cheaper.

 

You guys can bicker about the spectrum differences between LED and tubes, but I insist that any preference for tubes is 99% based on the non collimated and diffuse nature of tubes and this was resolved in halide -vs- T5 debates long ago.

 

^

"I also still seeing a lot of negativity against experimenting with different LEDs on the forums……let folks try them out….you don’t know everything…and they may find the magic combination. "

 

Let me waste my money.....and see what I come up with....most of your post over the past 4 months have been pretty negative towards anything that you are not doing.....starting to make me think I am posting on RC.

:P

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As this will be my first diy led light, will this color combo be too white? I will have 2 over a 40 breeder.

 

Suggestions or comments?

 

led.jpg

 

I am under the impression that when using the turquoise, deep red and royal blue combo that you want them in a close cluster in order to produce the white light.

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While we're on the topic of shimmer... I kept my Radions at 12" above my 90 gallon for acclimation purposes, where I thought the shimmer effect looked *exactly* like that of a MH. No color banding that I noticed at all.

 

I have since lowered it to 9" (within the 8"-10" manufacturers recommendation) and now I've got the disco-ball effect. It looks almost exactly like ReHype's full tank shot looks. Not that bad- but enough to bug me.

 

I don't want to raise the fixture back up as it looks great where it is- Any higher and it makes my HOB fuge look goofy.

 

I know Dave isn't going to give up his trade secret magic diffusion material... But does anyone have suggestions for some less-than-noticeable material I could attach to my Radion's lenses- without killing PAR and the whole shimmer effect?

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Rehypes tank in person should have nearly zero disco effect. This photos make it come out for some odd reason. If you would like to test the material I can cut it into circles for you.

 

here's hypes video I shot before shipping...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanoboxreef/6.../in/photostream

 

Who needs 420's? Here are tanks WITHOUT 420's. Just my magical mix.

6676676239_130cdd6c4a.jpg

6676671643_799be7e551.jpg

6654395059_322fb3a0b8.jpg

 

Oh and I already have DR with 120 lens. Let me know if you guys need them. I have tons!

 

-D

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I'd be happy to be your Radion guinea-pig. With the fixtures being marketed as "modular" I assume I can get to the glass lenses and remove them pretty easily.

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So here is what I came up with for the 40 breeder.

IMG_20120111_175711.jpg

 

RB-24

NW-8

CW-4

TV-8

TQ-2

R-2

 

drivers would be 4 meanwells I'm guessing.

Wired like this:

12RB-DRIVER 1

8NW AND 4CW-DRIVER 2

8TV AND 4RB-DRIVER 3

2RED, 2TQ, AND 8RB-DRIVER 4

 

I'm concerned about finding 2single tv's because I only see pack of 6. And also the color combination on driver 4. Do what do y'all think?

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