steveoutlaw May 13, 2011 Share May 13, 2011 (edited) Ok, I have 36 Cree LEDs (equal white and blue) in a 1' x 1' layout (they are all about 1" apart). I would like to supplement the LEDs and help get light to the sides of the corals facing the tank glass. I was thinking about adding 4x24w T5s (1 blue plus and 1 actinic on each side of the LEDs). They would be retrofit into an open false canopy so I wouldn't have any heat issues. Thoughts? BTW - The tank is a 36x36 cube. Edited May 13, 2011 by steveoutlaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 May 13, 2011 Share May 13, 2011 Can you split the heat sink and move it to the edges and tip the two piece in. Are you using lenses? Maybe removing those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trott May 13, 2011 Share May 13, 2011 Yes, try removing to outside lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw May 13, 2011 Author Share May 13, 2011 I can't split the heat sink. The problem is, the LEDs are too close together so it's light from the center and shining out. Because of this the sides of the corals facing the outside of the tank dont' get any light. I like the LEDs, I just would like to have light hitting all sides of the corals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad May 13, 2011 Share May 13, 2011 Can you raise the fixture (and increase the current if reduced)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 13, 2011 Share May 13, 2011 just add wider optics like 80 degree. I work on a tank that has 2 of chucellis fixtures on it and the same problem exists. this is what happens when you place emitters too close together. The other alternative is to get a 100w Cannon pendant and be done with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw May 14, 2011 Author Share May 14, 2011 The cannon will give me the same problem. I either need to get a bigger heatsink and spread out the LEDs or add 4-6 24w T5s to get light to the outside of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmoody May 14, 2011 Share May 14, 2011 Can you maybe trade yours for a fixture with LEDs that are more spaced out? Your's is sweet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 14, 2011 Share May 14, 2011 The cannon will give me the same problem. I either need to get a bigger heatsink and spread out the LEDs or add 4-6 24w T5s to get light to the outside of the tank. The cannon most certainly won't give you the same problem. I have corals all over the whole tank and they're lit just fine at the edges too. There's not a single dark spot anywhere in my tank unless it's under a rock. The 50w Cannon will illuminate at least 24" diameter and the 100w will do 36"+. Going back to t-5's when you have led is like hitching a mule to the bumper of your car in case you break down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw May 14, 2011 Author Share May 14, 2011 (edited) Ok Rob......I know you are very opinionated, but I have seen a 100w canon and it WILL MOST CERTAINLY give me the same problem. This doesn't have anything to do with optics or the power of the light. The only issue here is that fact that LEDs, when they are radiating from a central point, will NOT get light to the areas of the corals I'm looking for. And BTW, don't be so cocky about LEDs vs. different types of light. I have yet to see a tank with all LEDs that will match one with multiple types of light for growth OR color. Edited May 14, 2011 by steveoutlaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k May 15, 2011 Share May 15, 2011 Ok Rob......I know you are very opinionated, but I have seen a 100w canon and it WILL MOST CERTAINLY give me the same problem. This doesn't have anything to do with optics or the power of the light. The only issue here is that fact that LEDs, when they are radiating from a central point, will NOT get light to the areas of the corals I'm looking for. And BTW, don't be so cocky about LEDs vs. different types of light. I have yet to see a tank with all LEDs that will match one with multiple types of light for growth OR color. Steve- A pendant light puts out light in the same way whether or not it's LED or MH. It's a centrally focussed point of light that projects light downwards. Maybe you should come look at any of the tanks that I put LED on and tell me that they aren't growing corals as good or better than conventional lighting. Come over to the house and see how a 50w Cannon lights my entire tank with zero shadowing on the sides of corals. It has a 110 degree glass lense that provides more than adequate coverage. The DIY that you have has very tight optics- my guess is 40 or 60 degree. If you approach your problem with the idea that your light is just another pendant, then all you have to do is put wider optics on it and it will solve the problem. I'm sorry that you think I'm opinionated about LEDs, but the truth is that I probably have more experience with them than anyone else here. I've installed just about every type on the market with the exception of AI and Vertex and all of them share the same issue- optics determine the coverage needed. You can also bypass the optics issue if you have a large amount of LEDs in a small area. Color isn't really an issue anymore because as long as you have the right ratio of white to blue and the right optics, then the light tends to blend more evenly than with the tight arrays found on DIY installs. FWIW, I've had the most success in replicating the MH/T5 combos with multiple PAR 38's and to replicate a halide pendant, I use the 50w or 100w Cannons. Before you use T5's, why don't you just try to use wider optics and see if that works? If you like, I can even let you borrow a 50w 453nm Cannon and then you can see just what I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds May 15, 2011 Share May 15, 2011 better yet, get rid of your skimmer. those things are a waste of money....oh wait, rob changed his mind on that too, so maybe in about 5 years he might think T5 are pretty good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw May 15, 2011 Author Share May 15, 2011 Rob - Not saying that being opinionated about the LEDs is a bad thing. I love the LEDs and certainly don't want to get rid of them. What I am saying is that the pendant, be it LED or MH, will not light my tank like I want. I also don't think that adding the wider optics will solve the problem because the tank is 3' x 3'. That's why I'm thinking that I either need to spread the LEDs out with a 2' x 2' heatsink, or add the T5s to supplement and ensure that the corals on the outer edge of the tank get light to the outside of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 May 16, 2011 Share May 16, 2011 I have some 17 x 1 material inch limited spacing that do you think moving a few LEDs out would help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Grenier May 16, 2011 Share May 16, 2011 (edited) I'll just throw-in that I put a strip of 12 3w blue LEDs about 3" apart near the front, (tilted inwards a little, using 80degree optics), of my W-42"/D-24"/H-22" tank and I'm amazed with the color and coverage. I just used aluminum square hollow rods from home-depot. Edited May 16, 2011 by Larry Grenier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw May 17, 2011 Author Share May 17, 2011 Larry- I may just do the same type thing........put 3 strips on the front and two sides and see how it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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