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Coral Vue Hydros

Cheap DIY lighting for a 37G reef


ashwin1224

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Im currently cycling my 37g. Its been 2 months and all my parameters are stable. I had an outbreak of bryopsis but flucanozole took care of it within 5 days. Right now I am using 60W of blue and 60W of 6500k LEDs to light my tank. The whites are 6000lumens in total, while i suspect the blue is about 1000-1200 lumens(coz these are cheap generic chinese floodlights). I wanted to get a marsaqua unit, but it costs $117 just to bring it here and then additional 40% in import taxes. I dont wish to spend so much more than the MRP on just procurement.

Ive made lots of DIY units for planted tanks and even the current light is a DIY unit. However, i misjudged the intensity of the blue.

The new plan is this:

50Wx3 450nm, 20l/W=~3000lumen

 

10Wx3 6500k, 100l/W= 3000lumen

 

10Wx2 620nm red, 40l/W= 800lumen

 

All with 60° Lens and 6" over the water level

 

I want to make this on the cheap since this tank is not gonna house anything particularly expensive or high demanding. 
Red is just for the purple color, since I cant seem to find true purple(410-420nm) LEDs. I am also wondering if I should add 3Wx4 UV 380-400nm LEDs as well to get that UV pop, but Im not sure if its worth the extra power consumption.

Does this seem like a good enough light source for easy corals like leathers, mushrooms, zoanthids etc.?

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