LED setup advise

[sheac12]

I have decided to move to LEDs for my system and I am looking for some advise on the choice of colors and number of LEDs. After reading the "discussions" on LEDs on reefcentral have come to the following conclusion, you need variety and you need to be able to swap out leds easily. My design is a little different due to the layout of the tanks hood. I have a center brace on the hood that stops me from using 3 equal sized fixtures. My design uses 108 LEDs 96 "normal" and 12 UV LEDs. The design uses two 6"x20" and two 6"x9" heat sinks. I have included the layout and number of leds below.

 

 

 

 

Please provide me with feed back!

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2012 by sheac12

[zygote2k]

After using LED's for nearly 5 years now, I have come to the conclusion that only blue and white are needed to grow ANY coral and those 2 colors give the most accurate color as well.

People have been overthinking LED's. If you keep it simple and easy, it will work just fine.

[sheac12]

Thanks for the input Rob. Any suggestion on the mix of Cool White and Warm/Neutral White? What about a general mix of blue to white leds? I am looking for a 12-15K look.

 

Thanks!

Colin

[hlem]

Thanks for the input Rob. Any suggestion on the mix of Cool White and Warm/Neutral White? What about a general mix of blue to white leds? I am looking for a 12-15K look.

 

Thanks!

Colin

 

I have 2B to 1W and it seems like a 14k color.

[sheac12]

I have 2B to 1W and it seems like a 14k color.

 

Are you using all Royal blues or a mix of Royal and Blue?

 

Thanks!

Colin

[Ryan S]

After using LED's for nearly 5 years now, I have come to the conclusion that only blue and white are needed to grow ANY coral and those 2 colors give the most accurate color as well.

People have been overthinking LED's. If you keep it simple and easy, it will work just fine.

 

the sun's spectrum is not just blue and white, and it grows the best corals in the world. nothing wrong with trying to have a natural and complete spectrum.

[Der ABT]

the sun's spectrum is not just blue and white, and it grows the best corals in the world. nothing wrong with trying to have a natural and complete spectrum.

 

you forgot to add with Halides....

[hlem]

Are you using all Royal blues or a mix of Royal and Blue?

 

Thanks!

Colin

 

both. 2RB to 1B.

[icecool2]

I've been running LEDs for years too and I have to agree that a lot of attention is being given to some crazy color combinations. I can say from experience that 1:1 royal blue/neutral white looks pretty good. I have added T12 actinics to supplement and I love it.

[sheac12]

ice2cool why are you running t12? why not supplement with the UV leds?

 

 

"you forgot to add with Halides.... "

 

have them now, want to try something else.

Edited September 13, 2012 by sheac12

[icecool2]

First and foremost, they didn't exist when I built my fixture 5.5 years ago

 

I personally have not seen a fixture with the UV LEDs installed, so I can't really comment on them. I can say that I like the iridescence I get from the purple punch of the actinics.