Need LED Fixture Recommendation(s)

[OUsnakebyte]

Hi all -

 

I'm looking to replace the lighting on our tridacna clam tank here at the zoo, and I've historically only dabbled in metal halide and T5s - haven't joined the LED revolution yet, but I'm looking to...

 

Anyway, the T5 fixtures on this exhibit are starting to decline, and I'd like to switch to LEDs.  This is not a standard, lighting-over-the-top tank.  The light enters from three sides (front, left and right) of the exhibit and needs enough PAR to keep tridacnids happy.  The tank is 36" x 48" but, again, light enters from three sides - so, each fixture really only needs to penetrate about 1.5 to 2 feet - not the whole distance (make sense?).

 

Here are my size constraints:

 

Left and right sides - 46" (L) x 8" (W) x 2 3/4" (H)

 

Front - 34" (L) x 8" (W) x 2 3/4" (H)

 

I've been looking, and it seems I can buy one fixture for each side OR I can buy 2-3 fixtures for each side and stack them together.  I think I'd prefer just one fixture for each side, but that seems to start to break the bank.  In addition, I don't think I have enough sockets for possibly 9 plugs...  I'm trying to be cautious during these limited budget times.

 

Also, I have NO NEED for fancy dimmers or day/night cycles.  I simply need to light an exhibit with a visually-pleasing mixture of white and blue lighting.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Cheers

Mike

[roni]

Mike,

 

Not an LED guy but a friend of mine who's doing a large build with the need for deeper light penetration is going with the ecoxotic cannons on his build.  May want to to shoot him a message about his thoughts.  

 

His build thread is here:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2292029

 

regards,

Roni

[OUsnakebyte]

Thanks, but I don't have the room for the light cannons.  It's a very tight space between the sides of the tank and the cabinet.

 

Cheers

Mike

[YHSublime]

Is DIY an option? You mentioned bang for your buck, and you could build to your exact specifications and size limitations for relatively cheap.

[OUsnakebyte]

DEFINITELY an option.  And with the limited space to work with, probably a better option. 

 

I just have no experience with LEDs, so I don't know where to start even with a brand of DIY.

[YHSublime]

DEFINITELY an option.  And with the limited space to work with, probably a better option. 

 

I just have no experience with LEDs, so I don't know where to start even with a brand of DIY.

 

I've not got a lot of experience with them myself. There are a lot of members that will be able to chime in with more information than myself. This thread reminds me that I'm getting ready to order one of these DIY lights from Aqua Style

 

It is a pretty straight forward setup, and you just need to have the ability to soder. Like I said, I'm sure others with much more experience will chime in, the information above is what seemed like a good starting point for me, maybe it will give you a better idea of what might work for you!

[Matt LeBaron]

If you want an easy DIY option check out Rapidled.com, you can opt for their solderless LED's with a predrilled heat sink; it's a cheaper alternative that is very easy to put together.

 

I have a quick build thread from when I put my kit together here: http://wamas.org/forums/topic/56428-rapid-led-75g90g-led-kit-build/?hl=rapidled

 

I couldn't be happier with the results either, it's funny I took a look at the tank picture I posted in that thread and my green acro on the rock on the left side of the tank that is barely poking up over the rock there is now so big that it's about to break the waters surface, so the lights work well.

[OldReefer]

Tridacnas seem to adapt to LEDs very easily, but I would make sure you get some broad spectrum to make sure you show off the colors well.    It will only cost a few dollars more to make the fixtures manually dimmable and that will allow you to dial in the color you like.  

 

I would suggest you look at Rapid LED or LED Group buy and consider a mix of Neutral White and Royal Blue.   The other choice of course is a couple of the Chinese Lights.   A couple of D120s could put a bunch of broad spectrum PAR in that tank for less than the cost of a DIY build.   

 

I would just go really strong on the PAR.    People fry LPS easily under LEDs and sometimes bleach SPS, but I have blasted clams with 800+ PAR of LEDs with no acclimation and they just sit there and love it. 

[OUsnakebyte]

Thanks for the input all.  I've contacted Rapid LED, and I am working with them to get something to suit our needs.

 

Cheers

Mike

[davelin315]

Mike, ecoxotic has a 90 day trial for zoos/aquariums. Let me know if you want the contact person's info.