A lot of led fixture question

[whs6704]

Hi everyone
U guys r funny
I light my 250 reef with just two 6in candles. And wow the sps just love them there growing like crazy
And there very cheap

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Back to a very interesting subject here...
What materials could we use over the plastic frame to avoid such damage?
Anyone?
Grandis.

A lightly frosted glass diffuser on the light. A brushed reflector rather than mirrored reflector in the fixture. And bigger distance from the fixture and the tank. And also a fan.

 

[Daltrey]

Hi everyone
U guys r funny
I light my 250 reef with just two 6in candles. And wow the sps just love them there growing like crazy
And there very cheap

Lol, Can we please try and stay on topic. For the value they are really hard to beat. Mine only had 30,000 miles when I bought it and I just turned over 77,000. Hasn't missed a beat. New tires and oil changes and runs like new.

Speaking of oil changes. I change mine every 7500 miles. Some people do theirs at 5000 and some wait until 10000. I use a synthetic oil so I feel 7500 is a safe bet.

Now which oil is the best? That's an easy one, Mobile 1 all the way. Ive tried at least 30 name brand oils and Mobil 1 by far comes out on top.

 

[A. grandis]

A lightly frosted glass diffuser on the light. A brushed reflector rather than mirrored reflector in the fixture. And bigger distance from the fixture and the tank. And also a fan.

I was referring to anything that we could put on the plastic to protect it from happening...
Perhaps an aluminum cover?
Thanks.
Grandis.

 

[oreo54]

I was referring to anything that we could put on the plastic to protect it from happening...
Perhaps an aluminum cover?
Thanks.
Grandis.

Same thing they use to protect film in projectors from halogens.. Heat absorbing glass...

Sadly can't use it over the entire top.. Reflects too much.

Or maybe this..
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/home-window-solutions-us/?ef_id=Vj1tJgAABGVcQFlR:20180131052913:s

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I was referring to anything that we could put on the plastic to protect it from happening...
Perhaps an aluminum cover?
Thanks.
Grandis.

I would fix the cause rather than the symptom.

If it’s meting the tank , IMO , it’s an indication the tool is being used improperly or is a poor tool in the first place. The same would be said for most of the issues I see with leds.
Most would say to use two Kessil 360 pucks as they produce enough par , but that is two spotlights , I would use four 160’s or four 360 and just dim them.

The same could be said for MH as well , depending on the fixtures , 2 250 pendants or four 150 pendants.
Myself , I would choose the latter.
Better coverage for one , and better more even dispersal of IR so it's less concentrated in one spot and melts things.

 

[xabo]

I would fix the cause rather than the symptom.

If it’s meting the tank , IMO , it’s an indication the tool is being used improperly or is a poor tool in the first place. The same would be said for most of the issues I see with leds.
Most would say to use two Kessil 360 pucks as they produce enough par , but that is two spotlights , I would use four 160’s or four 360 and just dim them.

The same could be said for MH as well , depending on the fixtures , 2 250 pendants or four 150 pendants.
Myself , I would choose the latter.
Better coverage for one , and better more even dispersal of IR so it's less concentrated in one spot and melts things.

Which "tool" are you speaking of? The light or the frame?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Which "tool" are you speaking of? The light or the frame?

The light.

 

[oreo54]

The tool..

http://zeiss-campus.magnet.fsu.edu/print/lightsources/metalhalide-print.html

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The tool..

http://zeiss-campus.magnet.fsu.edu/print/lightsources/metalhalide-print.html

God I love arc lamps.

These are the ones I use professionally.
18,000w and 12,000w respectively.

I was too young to work with the manual carbon arc lamps. They were phased out in late 70s and early 80s.

 

[A. grandis]

Wow, nice bulb!
That must be a huge tank!!! ;Wideyed
Grandis.

 

[oreo54]

Found one on sale for you..
https://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/l...ide-linear-double-ended/hmi-18000w-dxs-osram/


12000W a lot cheaper.. Rated 150 hours.. LOL..

https://www.kennedywebster.com/q12m...2000-watt-120-volt-halogen-single-ended-lamp/
420,000 lumens

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Wow, nice bulb!
That must be a huge tank!!! ;Wideyed
Grandis.

Found one on sale for you..
https://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/l...ide-linear-double-ended/hmi-18000w-dxs-osram/


12000W a lot cheaper.. Rated 150 hours.. LOL..

https://www.kennedywebster.com/q12m...2000-watt-120-volt-halogen-single-ended-lamp/
420,000 lumens

Yea it’s pretty big tank.

And no , don’t worry about the price.
Lol

 

[jda]

Fans have always kept my tank lids cool. One of my friends used to wipe 303 Aerospace on his plastic. The problem is cheap plastic or too much spill. The corals really benefit from the UVA, so I would not try and limit it too much - the glass in the fixture will take care of the harmful UV. The heat is not the problem if you manage it, but this is true with almost every problem on the planet.

Lets don't forget that in an integrating sphere with a 40K spectrometer, the 20K Radium and 14K Phoenix put out the same ratio of radiated watts (within 1%) as a Gen 3 Radion did and 40% more than a Kessil in the 350 to 850nm range (we took out the IR over 850nm). I wish that we could have measured T5s, but they did not fit. The only way that one is more efficient than another is to only measure part of the spectrum with an inadequate tool. Again, why sweat the details... they don't matter at all if they don't tell the story that you want.

Has anybody here even had their hands on a 1000W aquarium MH bulb? They are not that big, but they are impressive.

 

[A. grandis]

Yea it’s pretty big tank.

And no , don’t worry about the price.
Lol

Hehe... That's a nice job that you've got!
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

Fans have always kept my tank lids cool. One of my friends used to wipe 303 Aerospace on his plastic. The problem is cheap plastic or too much spill. The corals really benefit from the UVA, so I would not try and limit it too much - the glass in the fixture will take care of the harmful UV. The heat is not the problem if you manage it, but this is true with almost every problem on the planet.

Lets don't forget that in an integrating sphere with a 40K spectrometer, the 20K Radium and 14K Phoenix put out the same ratio of radiated watts (within 1%) as a Gen 3 Radion did and 40% more than a Kessil in the 350 to 850nm range (we took out the IR over 850nm). I wish that we could have measured T5s, but they did not fit. The only way that one is more efficient than another is to only measure part of the spectrum with an inadequate tool. Again, why sweat the details... they don't matter at all if they don't tell the story that you want.

Has anybody here even had their hands on a 1000W aquarium MH bulb? They are not that big, but they are impressive.

I was thinking of removing the central part of the plastic brace from the 75gal. and replacing it by a 6" wide glass. I would also put a 2" wide glass on each side of the top when having halides next time, with the total of 3 glasses. Thickness would be the same as the tank which is 1/4".
Afte 1o years running my T5s over the tank I checked this morning and saw no cracks.
I'm sure 2 250W radiums will emit much more UV than 6 54W T5s though.
Yes, the fans are great and I'll run some too. Thanks for the tips!

Grandis.

 

[oreo54]

Lets don't forget that in an integrating sphere with a 40K spectrometer, the 20K Radium and 14K Phoenix put out the same ratio of radiated watts (within 1%) as a Gen 3 Radion did and 40% more than a Kessil in the 350 to 850nm range (we took out the IR over 850nm).

Do you have the raw data? Curious as to how much is in the 400-700nm range and how much is in each IR, UV part for the MH's..

Integrating sphere doesn't tell the whole story either.. It's not the sand bed...

You can have the best numbers in the world and not use it properly..

At least you reminded me why I tell people not to worry about saving energy..

 

[oreo54]

Red area is the PAR range. Most LED's will have little or nothing beyond the red lines
Blue is "extended" PAR range..

Curious as to the % energy in those defined ranges..well IR to 850..sadly chart only goes to 800
Ignoring the morphological and pigment changes for the moment.. and still just considering any growth enhancements past 725

In case you are misunderstanding me .. this is an honest request since you did raise a good, and overlooked point..

 

[A. grandis]

Font please?
What do you mean by "exended par range"?
Grandis.

 

[rockskimmerflow]

@jda I always appreciate your integrating sphere data. Would love for you to get an opportunity with a larger sphere to test T5HO fixtures.

I guess the crux of the issue when comparing the effectiveness of conventional (Halide & Fluorescent) vs. modern LED is whether or not the far red and genuine UV spectral outputs really make a significant difference in long term coral health. In my general observations I would say wholeheartedly, YES. But I can't really point to any direct studies that have examined a set of consensus indicators for coral health on specific corals maintained under varying lighting technologies. I suspect a test of these metrics would be so complicated and rife with confounding variables that it is nearly impossible to definitively execute. As a result, I don't see this debate being put to bed anytime soon, or ever really.

I guess the best advice I could offer to anyone selecting new lighting is to do your research, know your aquarium goals, and make a selection that best fits your individual budget and application.

I do suspect in terms of raw electromagnetic flux per watt input that T5HO will be right up there with the halides and LEDs. And IMO in terms of form factor, diffusion, spectrum, and spread - there's no beating a solid T5HO fixture for lighting our normal rectangular aquarium habitats. If it came down to aesthetics though, and efficiency was irrelevant, it's Halide with true actinic T5HO supplement every day of the week.