Ryan's 150g Marineland Deep Dimension!

[OldReefer]

If you boxed that big reflector with 3 foot 1.4" wide heatsinks, you could drive 60 XTE Royal Blue LEDs with 2 dimmable drivers at about. 750 MA. That plus an XM10K would give you an insane amount of PAR with a reasonable color balance you could control. You could control the LEDs using the variable speed ports on the Apex and still have the nice sunrise and sunset effects. You may never have to switch to the Radium. Just spend an extra $30 on a switchable 250/400 ballast, and you could downshift to a 250 plus LEDs if the heat and light prove to be too much.

 

I have been very critical of LEDs for SPS, but I bet they would rock as a MH supplement.

 

I may follow your lead. I miss my XMs.

Edited September 19, 2012 by OldReefer

[Ryan S]

Thanks Bill. The DIY LED square around the MH is definitely an option I will consider. It would be pretty sweet really.

 

Another option is surrounding the MH, on the inside of the canopy, with T5s. I could go with 24" T5s, 2 in the front, and 2 on each side, like this:

I wouldn't need any in the back, since it's not 1 of the 3 viewable sides right?

 

Another option would be 2 36" in the front, with the pairs of 24" on the sides; or 2 24" in the front, and pairs of 36" on the sides...Any reason NOT to get the 36" bulbs if they cost the same as 24" bulbs? More watt, more coverage?

[Gadgets]

Yup get the T5s for sure! Will supplement the radium 20K nicely. I'm doing the same for my new tank.

[Gadgets]

for T5 bulbs use either ATI B+ or Giesmann Actinic +. I will be using a combination of both for mine.

[MBVette]

darn Ryan, you have me concerned about going with the AI Vega's now over something else. Guess we will see how it works out.

[STEVE]

I cant wait to see what the t5 and MH's look like over Ryans tank.

[Ryan S]

darn Ryan, you have me concerned about going with the AI Vega's now over something else. Guess we will see how it works out.

I wouldn't worry about it. LEDs work great for many. Worst case, you can switch to T5s or MHs down the road. I may end up regretting this decision too, we'll see.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Ryan S

[Ryan S]

Instead of cutting a hole in the canopy, I could remove it entirely, add a mesh cover to the tank, and hang the MH like this:

 

Thoughts?

[ArtFully Acrylic (Adam B)]

IMHO...I'd say keep your canopy on there. The added "dimension" it adds to the tank is worth it.

[Chad]

^That's a look that I prefer to a large, heavy (in both actual weight and visual pull) canopy.

 

Hang from the ceiling for an even cleaner look.

[STEVE]

IMO....too much fall off around the edges. I would keep the canopy on.

 

 

[STEVE]

Your lighting the entire room.

[Ryan S]

Your lighting the entire room.

 

Yea, and it's right in the living room with the TV and everything. That would be a major problem.

 

Ok, back to cutting a hole in the canopy!

[STEVE]

My top is hinged, so I just took the top off of mine, and I had plenty of clearance.

 

 

[Ryan S]

My top is hinged, so I just took the top off of mine, and I had plenty of clearance.

Do you have a photo of your canopy?

[STEVE]

I can take one this evening for ya.

[KC3]

Tagging along. I was torn on t5 or halide on this build. I have a 36x36x20 and 2 6x24 sunpower w ReefBrite's.

 

36x36 is a tough foot print.

 

 

 

 

Kc3

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

I put t5's and Cree blue LEDs on for supplements with my 10k xms. The LEDs give more of a blue shine and the t5's actualy help the tank look more blue. I wish I had money to play with lighting more, adding some more blue LEDs would be nice.

[STEVE]

I just finished setting up my t5's this evening....well kinda temporily mounted, but,...I am really pleased with the POP that they bring out while also putting our a nice even spread of light. I did enhance it with a 48" Reef Brite strip too. Will try to post a pic.

[Ryan S]

Bob (YBeNormal) responded, so hopefully we can work something out and he can build me a new canopy to hold the 400w MH. Here is another possible canopy layout that I found online:

 

 

 

[STEVE]

That looks perfect, but I'm afraid of how hot it is going to get inside the canopy without a chiller. But it looks great. I would lower the t5's down to approx 10" off the water just to make sure you get that POP of color.

[Der ABT]

is that a 4 foot cube, looks huge...but nice looking set up, i would think you could also go LEDS all the way around with more rb then white and do well for actinic and color control...plus less heat and bulb cost....radium to grow led to color (though i like my radiums color)

[Ryan S]

is that a 4 foot cube, looks huge...but nice looking set up, i would think you could also go LEDS all the way around with more rb then white and do well for actinic and color control...plus less heat and bulb cost....radium to grow led to color (though i like my radiums color)

 

Do you think if I went with a 10k XM bulb - and surrounded it with actinic stunner strips - they would be enough to make the tank a LITTLE blue and POP SOME - versus being super xm 10k white?

 

That is a 4x4 tank, beautiful right? I definitely like it, but working inside of it would sort of suck ya know?

 

Steve - I would have Bob build some fans into my version of the canopy. Mike recommended 1 on each side and 2 on top blowing out. I am hoping that would be enough to prevent the chiller as well. I could also have him cut more... and that way, if I needed them, I could just add the fans in later. Say 2 on each side and 4 on the top? I haven't used computer fans in a canopy before, so I don't have a clue how many I might need?

Edited September 20, 2012 by Ryan S

[Ryan S]

I could get 4, 24" Ecoxotic Strunner Strips, 445nm Blue, and put them on all 4 sides of the MH...

 

Never having used them, or seen them in person, before I buy them, has any used them/have them now? I will PM Steve and Rob, I know they have both used them. I just want to make sure they are worth the cost. I would be using them instead of T5s. And I can always add them later, they are so small they'd be easy to mount.

[Incredible Corals]

I could get 4, 24" Ecoxotic Strunner Strips, 445nm Blue, and put them on all 4 sides of the MH...

 

Never having used them, or seen them in person, before I buy them, has any used them/have them now? I will PM Steve and Rob, I know they have both used them. I just want to make sure they are worth the cost. I would be using them instead of T5s. And I can always add them later, they are so small they'd be easy to mount.

 

I would go with Reef Brites for Blue LEDs. I loooovme mine.