Aqurium Lighting Black Box with Currrent Loop.

diver22

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Hi guys, I have a unique question at least I think.

I have a single Current Loop LED Lamp 72" long to cover my 72 " tank, my tank is 29" deep and this light is not strong enough.

Can I add two or three black boxes using the whites only to enhance the Current Lamp to gain additional PAR ? Or what are my options I just want don't want to trash the current light they are not even a year old.

To add to it, I honestly relly want to keep a colony of hammers coral at the bottom...

Please any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.
 
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Cool tangs

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Vipraspectra is pretty good light! They are cheap nothing fancy. There spread is bad though, so you need to mount them high. Im goimg to grab another 2 once my corals grow out more for better spread. There recomendation charts are wrong haha.

Are you growing/keeping corals?

Do you have a par meter?

As far as i am aware corals will survive under white lights, and blue spectrums is more benificial to corals. A mix is best.

Dont be fooled if you plan ahead you can reef on a budget if thats what you trying to achieve.

T5s is another option and there is another brand i have seen that is good, but hard to gind stock. I think its aqua knight and keloray
 
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diver22

diver22

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Vipraspectra is pretty good light! They are cheap nothing fancy. There spread is bad though, so you need to mount them high. Im goimg to grab another 2 once my corals grow out more for better spread. There recomendation charts are wrong haha.

Are you growing/keeping corals?

Do you have a par meter?

As far as i am aware corals will survive under white lights, and blue spectrums is more benificial to corals. A mix is best.

Dont be fooled if you plan ahead you can reef on a budget if thats what you trying to achieve.
Unfortunately I do not have a PAR metter, I'm going y Current Manufacture Specs for the lamps. I have the Middle one Orbit Marine IC LED, which they say at 24" it will get 35-20 PAR and I have a 29" so for fish is most likely fine is why I would like to augment it with another lamp...

I would like to keep LPS around the bottom, and maybe at top put some Birds Nest to fill in, but most will be Softies and LPS.
 

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Cool tangs

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I think thats readings from the surface of the water working its way down. If your scape is high enough maybe. I would be looking into some stronger lights for sure.

It may cost more to get a few smaller lights to fit. You could just get 2 vipras or kelorays, etc and be done. Then you can keep all types of corals.

Also get yourself a seneye reef, its not perfect but it will give you readings. You will need a laptop to make it easier to read from your tank.

Each coral is different. I have some hammers that love 200+ par and extend out way more when i cank my lights up. You could get away with some cyphastrea or leptastrea. Both lovely encrusting coral species that do well under low light! For now.

Also spectrum really makes colours in the corals pop! Blue ligjts only looks amazing!
 
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diver22

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I think thats readings from the surface of the water working its way down. If your scape is high enough maybe. I would be looking into some stronger lights for sure.

It may cost more to get a few smaller lights to fit. You could just get 2 vipras or kelorays, etc and be done. Then you can keep all types of corals.

Also get yourself a seneye reef, its not perfect but it will give you readings. You will need a laptop to make it easier to read from your tank.

Each coral is different. I have some hammers that love 200+ par and extend out way more when i cank my lights up. You could get away with some cyphastrea or leptastrea. Both lovely encrusting coral species that do well under low light! For now.

Also spectrum really makes colours in the corals pop! Blue ligjts only looks amazing!
Great Info, much appreciated,

Is one of the reasons I like the Light Spectrum of the Current fixture, I think it has great blues, reds etc... So what your saying is that if i add 2 vipras or kelorays it will replace the Current fixture on a 29" deep tank ? or can I just add the 2 fixtures with the Current ?

Sorry man I'm just frustrated with all this lighting thing, I think the first mistake was getting such a deep tank. lol....
 

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My tank is odd dimensions, 4ft by 2.5ft and 2ft deep. I currently run 100% blue and 2% whites. I get about 250-400 par from mid to top and about 100 par at the sand. Im not ready to show my tank but if it helps a fellow reefer by all means!

20210627_181305.jpg
 
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diver22

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My tank is odd dimensions, 4ft by 2.5ft and 2ft deep. I currently run 100% blue and 2% whites. I get about 250-400 par from mid to top and about 100 par at the sand. Im not ready to show my tank but if it helps a fellow reefer by all means!

20210627_181305.jpg

Very nice! yes helps me tons... which lights are you running and how high of the water line ?
And don't you need whites for the coral ?
 

Gtinnel

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I have 2 of the 300watt viparspectras on my 72" 125g and other than they don't have much control other than on/off and intensity for each channel, they are a good choice for a cheap light IMO.
I don't see any reason why you can't just add them to your current lights and just adjust the intensity of each channel until you reach the color you prefer. I seriously doubt that you would still need the Current leds but it doesn't hurt to keep them.
 

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diver22

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I have 2 of the 300watt viparspectras on my 72" 125g and other than they don't have much control other than on/off and intensity for each channel, they are a good choice for a cheap light IMO.
I don't see any reason why you can't just add them to your current lights and just adjust the intensity of each channel until you reach the color you prefer. I seriously doubt that you would still need the Current leds but it doesn't hurt to keep them.
Thank you so much... Definitely helps me... How deep is your tank ?
 

Cool tangs

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If you can get the 300w even better!

And sorry thats 16inchs above water
 
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diver22

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They have gone up a little in price. This is the aus link of the lights i have.


Corals do best under like 400-460nm wich is the more blue spectrum from my research and I can say my corals seem happy.

Ah great info, I thought coral was all about thw white... lol... I'm a dam rookie.... and thanks for the link... going to check them out
 
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diver22

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Hey guys I found this one...



Is this what your saying 2 of these ?
 

Cool tangs

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2 channels you can adjust both intensities and set a timer. It has a basic controller and remote. It also has a battery to store settings if power goes out.

Each channel is mixed

Channel one:
Violet/Indigo(420nm),
Royal Blue(450nm),
Blue(470nm)
Channel two:
Green(520nm),
Red(660nm),
Neutral White(6500K),
Cool White(12000K)
 

Gtinnel

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Thank you so much... Definitely helps me... How deep is your tank ?
My tank is a standard 125 which is 21" tall. My 2 300 watt viparapectras are hanging about 12" above the tank, and I only keep them at around 50% blue and 25% white. I've only had corals for a little over a year but at my current settings I can grow everything from zoas to acropora.

Since my tank is rimmed and has the two black braces on the top I actually wish I would've gone with 3 165 watt fixtures instead of 2 300 watt. With the lights at that height I don't see any shading from the braces on the corals, but if a fish is swimming at the top I can see it go through dark places as it swims under a brace.
 
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diver22

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2 channels you can adjust both intensities and set a timer. It has a basic controller and remote. It also has a battery to store settings if power goes out.

Each channel is mixed

Channel one:
Violet/Indigo(420nm),
Royal Blue(450nm),
Blue(470nm)
Channel two:
Green(520nm),
Red(660nm),
Neutral White(6500K),
Cool White(12000K)
Thank you so much... going to research on them looks good and price not bad... Compared to brand names...
 

Cool tangs

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2 of those could work with your size tank!

I made DIY stands if your a into DIY
 

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