mattv Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Looking great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks Matt. Might pick your brain later on the controller functions if thats ok. Got the lights hung last night. They are pretty much awesome. I did the initial test with all channels on 100%. The color result is defiantly too white. I cracked open the drivers for the cool whites and dialed down the amperage slowly and I'm getting a really nice 15k-16k right now.(clap) Going through the differnt modes, the all royal blue mode is amazing, all of the corals are like a black light poster. The other channel with just blues and red and greens and has a super nice actinic color to it. Colors are blending perfectly so far. I don't have any optics installed yet so this will be a good opportunity this week to add and mess around with them. Here's a few iPhone pics. All channels on post dial down Blues only, reminds me of my college dorm room Cool whites no more halide ballasts, t5!(rock2).. Looking very empty under the tank. All this wiring will be nicely loomed later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Looks great! I'm sure it's even more amazing in person. I'd keep the whites turned down quite a bit while everything adjusts to avoid bleaching. Are you going to hook up to an RK or controller to dim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 thanks, ive got the whites turned down and so far today i am just running the blue/green/red string this morning at 50%.I was originally planning to use my reefkeeper to control this but ive heard mixed reviews. I am using the rapid led controller (which has pre programmed sunrise and sunset ramps) which i need to explore some more now that everything is set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbird Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 You have great color balance with your build, very nice Any plans for the newly found space under the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 8, 2012 Author Share Posted September 8, 2012 You have great color balance with your build, very nice Any plans for the newly found space under the tank. I don't know about under the tank. I have it plumbed to the basement so everything is super quiet around the display tank, I love it. The ballasts opened up even more real estate down there. The plan was to get all the wires cleaned up and make my supplies, food ect a bit more organized but I guess I could get more creative. Side note, pretty warm today. I ran the daylight program for 8 hours at 50% intensity and when I got home my tank was chillin at 79 degrees. Thank you LEDs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 All the corals are doing great under the light so far. Only hitch is I found a red bug so I'm treating with interceptor as I write this. (flame) I made one change to the lighting. On my old schedule I had a 454 T5 that would stay on from 7 am to 9pm so the tank was partially lit when the haides were off. It was so dark in there this morning I felt bad for the fish so I took the two strings of LEDs that were blues with red and greens and wired those to the non dimmable 700ma drivers (they included free with my order). They now follow my same t5 schedule using my reefkeeper to control. And the strings fade in and out with the rapid led controller......if that makes any sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 So far i have been running no optics and building intensity. Well today i grabbed the baggies of lenses and started to snap on and off different combos of colors. I didn't think the optics would make that much of a visual difference. I was under the impression that it would spot light a bit more and increase par but the overall increase of light output is ridiculous. (clap) I started with just the blues and ran them side by side with and without and it was one side was cranked up to 200%! I am running 60 degree lenses on all the blues now and 80 degree on several of the whites on each side and it looks so much better. All of a sudden all the polyps are swaying fully extended. Im going to take some side by side comparison pics, hopefully they turn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new2saltwater Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 im really excited to see some growth pics. Ive been contemplating putting some of these over my future 240g build. Keep us posted, looks great by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 So far i have been running no optics and building intensity. Well today i grabbed the baggies of lenses and started to snap on and off different combos of colors. I didn't think the optics would make that much of a visual difference. I was under the impression that it would spot light a bit more and increase par but the overall increase of light output is ridiculous. (clap) I started with just the blues and ran them side by side with and without and it was one side was cranked up to 200%! I am running 60 degree lenses on all the blues now and 80 degree on several of the whites on each side and it looks so much better. All of a sudden all the polyps are swaying fully extended. Im going to take some side by side comparison pics' date=' hopefully they turn out.[/quote'] Awesome! Now feel free to build one for my 40 breeder haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 Awesome! Now feel free to build one for my 40 breeder haha You buy it, I'll build it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 im really excited to see some growth pics. Ive been contemplating putting some of these over my future 240g build. Keep us posted' date=' looks great by the way.[/quote'] The intensity won't be at its final point for another week or to so during acclimation so I'm stating the growth clock when they are. I'll try to do monthly pics to show progress. If you havnt see mattv's thread on his LEDs he has some nice growth shots. Good luck with the 240. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 Things are going well in the tank, I'm happy with my new open rock work and i have added about 8 or 9 frags (including 2 different really nice deep water acros) that ive been growing in the frag tank to the display tank to fill in. Just ordered a 12 UV led kit tonight. Looking forward to seeing how this will effect the lighting. Anyone else running UV? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Must..... Post...... Pics!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 I just put a couple on, i am not a good camera guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Annnnd gotta love iPhones not loading the pics until after I reply lol. Time for a new phone! Looks awesome! I'll have to come see it soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 lol, I just edited more post after i read your comment. Although that is always a good excuse to get the iphone 5...... Or just wait 3 weeks till the 5s comes out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 lol' date=' I just edited more post after i read your comment. Although that is always a good excuse to get the iphone 5...... Or just wait 3 weeks till the 5s comes out[/quote'] Haha isn't that the truth! I think I'm jumping off the iPhone train and getting the new razr or whatever comes out soon. First time in like 4 years I won't have a Jesus phone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold B Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Not to crash your thread but i'm really leaning towards a DIY LED set-up. Question is my tank is 70"l by 36" by 24" How would I go about it one HUGE square pendant or multiple smaller pendants, I'd want them equal to 400w MH's, as most seem to be more or less equal to 250w MH's Just wondering if someone could give me some direction. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 Not to crash your thread but i'm really leaning towards a DIY LED set-up. Question is my tank is 70"l by 36" by 24" How would I go about it one HUGE square pendant or multiple smaller pendants, I'd want them equal to 400w MH's, as most seem to be more or less equal to 250w MH's Just wondering if someone could give me some direction. Thanks Might be easier to break it up into separate panels. I'm not even sure the make them that big. Are you going to have a canopy or covering over the tank? If your looking for 400watt mh you can always add extra panels of white LEDs with optics that can be programmed to come on for a couple hours a day and make a "high noon". I'm hoping other will chime in too though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramy Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 I believe that the diffrence would be in the total number of leds you use over the system more leds more light you would need to pack em in like sardines which would mean that the heat sink would need some active cooling fans.=) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Harold-4 panels (heatsink.usa.com) 10x30 each having 72 leds would be PERFECT I have 2 10x30 72 LEDs and 2-8.5x24 each with 60, I wish the 2- 8.5x24 were 10x30, my footprint is 72*48*27 Suggest open a new thread to elborate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 UV kit came today. I got the pre tapped heatsink so this should be a breeze to put together. Wow I'm up to 84 LEDs, not including Reefkeeper moonlight. Hope this isn't overkill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toby Flenderson Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 This kit was much easier, it came with stick on thermal pads enstead of glue or grease. It was also drilled and tapped. I've got 6 unused slots so I could get crazy and add some cyan or other colors to mess with. Important tip, don't try to tin your LEDs when the are attached to the heatsink, they don't heat up and it doesn't work. I had to take them all off. Kind of a pain.(flame) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattv Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Nice job James! Your tank should be crazy bright! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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