LCDRDATA June 24, 2011 Share June 24, 2011 Do any area LFS carry PAR 38 LED lights (especially the 21W ecoxotic, nanocustoms, etc.)? I'm seriously considering this for a new tank but reading about the MH-like shimmer is a concern as MH lights trigger my wife's migraines. So before deciding I really need to be able to let her "see them in action" to find out if they'd work for us. The closer to Springfield the better. I'd rather not have to try to contact each LFS individually. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 June 24, 2011 Share June 24, 2011 I have an all white par38 (CREE LEDs) that I decided not to use. If you want to borrow that you can and if you like it I can sell it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnybv June 24, 2011 Share June 24, 2011 Do any area LFS carry PAR 38 LED lights (especially the 21W ecoxotic, nanocustoms, etc.)? I'm seriously considering this for a new tank but reading about the MH-like shimmer is a concern as MH lights trigger my wife's migraines. So before deciding I really need to be able to let her "see them in action" to find out if they'd work for us. The closer to Springfield the better. I'd rather not have to try to contact each LFS individually. Thanks! WE have the ecoxotic 50 w cannons and the stunnder strips in action. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA June 27, 2011 Author Share June 27, 2011 (edited) WE have the ecoxotic 50 w cannons and the stunnder strips in action. john Well, we were able to get out to BRK on Saturday and it looks like my wife will be OK with LED lighting -- although we won't really know for sure until it's set up and running for awhile at home. Now "all" I have to decide is between the Ecoxotic 21W, Nanotuner (Evil's) 21W, RapidLED 17W, Orphek PR25, Ecoxotic Panarama 12W modules, and others not listed ... oh, yes, and what color combination, since I'll probably need 2-3 depending on the one selected. Not to mention the the group buy thefishman65 is starting up (of course, I'd probably need to have him build it for me - and I'm seriously considering his offer above, although I'd probably still need to add something else). So, in order to make my 30-gallon cube and occupants happy, I'm open to any suggestions/experience/recommendations. This applies both on fixtures themselves and vendors. I know these above (and others) are all available online, but I'm willing to spend a little more to support my LFS, especially a WAMAS sponsor. If you know who carries which of these -- especially if they have a good return policy (just in case) -- that would be great. Thanks again. Edited June 27, 2011 by LCDRDATA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amuze June 27, 2011 Share June 27, 2011 Are you just looking for good lighting? If so what size tank is it? I have a nice T5 fixture available if you don't want to chance it with the LED's. I know my LED's put off as much shimmer as my MH's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA June 28, 2011 Author Share June 28, 2011 Are you just looking for good lighting? If so what size tank is it? I have a nice T5 fixture available if you don't want to chance it with the LED's. I know my LED's put off as much shimmer as my MH's. My cube is basically 20" (+/- 1") on a side; from the research I've done for T5s I'd need at least a 4-bulb (18") fixture. A unit with 24" bulbs would be hanging past the sides. My guess is that I probably wouldn't get significantly more useful light out of it and would probably have to come up with something to deal with the "light pollution." I was also hoping to save a little money by spending more up front now and less in replacement costs later, since I'm already replacing 4x48" T5s every 9-12 months for my main tank (8x48" T5), and there isn't much economy of scale in bulb size (i.e., 18" bulbs are only a couple dollars less than 48" bulbs). All that being said, if your unit uses 18" (or possibly 24") T5s and is a 4 or 6-bulb fixture, please let me know what you're asking for it in case the LEDs don't work out. And I don't want to sound down on T5s - the fixture on my main tank is great, and everything in the tank grows well. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 June 28, 2011 Share June 28, 2011 Just so you can compare. If I can get good group buy prices I am guessing that parts will run $150-$175 for a 24 LED fixture (what is in the tank?). Add $100 for labor for wiring it all up and testing. If I have to build a hood/pendant/etc it will run a little more. 24 LEDs will be about the same output as 250 watts of MH or 72 watts of T5 from my reading. Some would recommend going as high as 36 LEDs. I can go less or more either way I build with dimmable drivers so you can adjust it as needed. Just a note that if it is the shimmer that is the problem and it does not work out it maybe possible to add some LED and shine them at a reflector and then diffuse the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA June 29, 2011 Author Share June 29, 2011 Just so you can compare. If I can get good group buy prices I am guessing that parts will run $150-$175 for a 24 LED fixture (what is in the tank?). Add $100 for labor for wiring it all up and testing. If I have to build a hood/pendant/etc it will run a little more. 24 LEDs will be about the same output as 250 watts of MH or 72 watts of T5 from my reading. Some would recommend going as high as 36 LEDs. I can go less or more either way I build with dimmable drivers so you can adjust it as needed. Just a note that if it is the shimmer that is the problem and it does not work out it maybe possible to add some LED and shine them at a reflector and then diffuse the light. Thanks for the comparison information. "What's in the tank" right now is a trio of small chromis, an 8" snowflake moray, and an increasing amount of nuisance algae from a combination of cycle and less-than-great lighting. Eventually I'm planning a reef setup with encrusting/shelving SPS (monti, chalice, etc), maybe some acros/millis, probably some LPS and softies, and possibly an anemone (RBTA/LTA). In researching my options I came across this article that goes into extensive detail on all kinds of lighting. Per the information there, 24 top-quality LEDs should give me enough light to keep about anything, although not necessarily down to the bottom of the tank. If I did a custom build I might go 30, especially if they're dimmable. I'm also not entirely sure what overall color temperature I'm looking for, although I think probably 12-14000K. Color aside, to do the same job with T5s would take 60W at a minimum, and probably more like 90. As to the shimmer, I wonder if an old fashioned frosted/crystal acrylic lens (as on commercial fluorescent fixtures) wouldn't take care of the "problem" - I think I read it comes from the point-source nature of LEDs, so theoretically if you make them no longer a point source that should do it. The downside is how to figure your light loss and heat gain to compensate. Bottom line, it sounds like (and you can correct me if I'm wrong) the up-front cost of a custom setup would be on the order of 15-30% more than a "plug and play" solution from among the options I've been seeing, but the latter would most likely be significantly less customizable and/or flexible. If you don't mind my asking, how is the response so far on the group buy, and what are you looking at for a cutoff date? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 June 29, 2011 Share June 29, 2011 I thought DIY was usually cheaper and I thought my prices were comparable, but I have not really followed prices so I will take your word for pricing. I am guessing I will order in about a month to 6 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA July 3, 2011 Author Share July 3, 2011 I thought DIY was usually cheaper and I thought my prices were comparable, but I have not really followed prices so I will take your word for pricing. I am guessing I will order in about a month to 6 weeks. Just a clarification on the pricing - after doing some additional looking it appears that I've been mainly looking at lower-end LEDs, so as I alluded to the "plug & play" price advantage is likely an apples-to-oranges comparison. I also came across a number of "DIY" kits; this one in particular looks like it might have promise. Do you have any experience with these, and/or know who does? 36W (50/50?) with 60-degree optics and a dimmable driver would seem just about perfect for my new cube -- although I still might ask you to (help?) build it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 July 6, 2011 Share July 6, 2011 Rapid LEDs has good kits. The only issue with that one is that you can not control the blues and white differently. So the color mix can't be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA July 14, 2011 Author Share July 14, 2011 (edited) After much research (and a justifiable ulimatum from my wife ) I've settled on the 10W PAR30 lamps from BoostLED. This is one last ping for any interest in a group buy (I have a thread for these in the group buy forum) as I'm going to put through the order in a couple of hours. Any interest or questions let me know. Thanks all! Edited July 14, 2011 by LCDRDATA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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