Bridgelux leds
- Thread starter turbo21
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I have a 29 Gallon, and I am really thinking of going LED. I have a 4T5 setup and, well, it is NOT that it doesn't do well. ALL my corals are doing fantastic. I just keep seeing the LED tanks in my LFS, especially the ACAN dom Tank and the colors OMG the Colors POP. and they grow incredibly.
What ratio should I get. I have a feeling my cost will be very SMALL as my tank is and I am guessing 20 leds will be fine?...
What ratio should I get. I have a feeling my cost will be very SMALL as my tank is and I am guessing 20 leds will be fine?...
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CaiN
Community Member
the only way to really compare the bridgelux and the cree is to put both at 700mA and put a par meter under it.
i used to have the brdigelux, the chinese drivers are crap, it's either dim or bright nothing inbetween like a linear gradual ramp.
i used to have the brdigelux, the chinese drivers are crap, it's either dim or bright nothing inbetween like a linear gradual ramp.
OP
OP
i know that my chineese drivers go from 40% to 100%. you just have the move the potentiometer knob in real small increments
bob
SOMEONE posted the same "comparison" on another forum. and the #s were never given, I will be getting these cause I have SEEN them in action and they are FANTASTIC. 120 mixed reef GROWING like crazy, so the PAR difference? It aint worth complaining about, they WORK and they cost LESS. What is there to discuss? GO look at a tank with them in it and THEN talk about PAR.
I think too many people put WAY too much stock in Crees. I have researched for days and after seeing all the posts Pics, AND AN ACTUAL TANK I am sold. Cree output has created MORE horror stories of burning/bleashin out more coral than THESE have madse stories about NOT ENOUGH like for coral. NO BRAINER!. Perhaps a meanwell if the driver is crappy. But only ONE person had anything to say about them.
Sorr if this upsets you "C___" but the other guy on the other forum asked for numbers and never got them and they ALL love these. I saw what they can do and WOW is all I got
I think too many people put WAY too much stock in Crees. I have researched for days and after seeing all the posts Pics, AND AN ACTUAL TANK I am sold. Cree output has created MORE horror stories of burning/bleashin out more coral than THESE have madse stories about NOT ENOUGH like for coral. NO BRAINER!. Perhaps a meanwell if the driver is crappy. But only ONE person had anything to say about them.
Sorr if this upsets you "C___" but the other guy on the other forum asked for numbers and never got them and they ALL love these. I saw what they can do and WOW is all I got
ronnie
Acro addict
I'll just say I think the PAR is there. I did a battery test on a royal blue cree and fedy (bridgelux), and the fedy LED had about 30 percent more PAR. But that wasn't a great test, as I just held the PAR meter about two-three inches from the LED.
I think perhaps the CREE LEDs use much better optics? I don't know, though. I will say that my fixture with no optics only puts out about 160 PAR at 31" (10.5" of water), and 550 PAR at the same height and water level with reflectors.
I think perhaps the CREE LEDs use much better optics? I don't know, though. I will say that my fixture with no optics only puts out about 160 PAR at 31" (10.5" of water), and 550 PAR at the same height and water level with reflectors.
OP
OP
i noticed a huge difference when i put the optics on my fixture. I dont have a par meter to backup my observation, but i wondered if i made a mistake buying the bridgelux because the whites only just didnt look that bright when i first put it over the tank. as soon as i snapped the optics on it was a night and day difference.
since we are on the comparison train. i will also tell you that the optics that came with leds pressure fit perfectly. i always here about people complaining how they have to add a dab of silicon or something to hold their optics on
bob
since we are on the comparison train. i will also tell you that the optics that came with leds pressure fit perfectly. i always here about people complaining how they have to add a dab of silicon or something to hold their optics on
bob
CaiN
Community Member
it doesnt upset me, why would it upset me?
it's not mine, i used to have one for testing purposes.
maybe you can save $ by sending me to $30 or a nice zoa frag and i send you the 50 LED's i used for testing. 30blues and 20 whites + 3 chinese drivers.
base on my testing, the par on the sand is below 100 on the bridgelux, with cress it is upto 200. i dont have pics to prove it, but i have the 50 LED's i took out.
EDIT: i got 40 optics too that came with the LED's.
it's not mine, i used to have one for testing purposes.
maybe you can save $ by sending me to $30 or a nice zoa frag and i send you the 50 LED's i used for testing. 30blues and 20 whites + 3 chinese drivers.
base on my testing, the par on the sand is below 100 on the bridgelux, with cress it is upto 200. i dont have pics to prove it, but i have the 50 LED's i took out.
EDIT: i got 40 optics too that came with the LED's.
Bridgelux LEDs obviously work, they are in the first reefkoi fixtures and the first reeffiltration fixtures and everyone loves those. BUT, I've read that the Cree put out more lux than the bridgelux and you need more to get the same results. That being said im tempted to pick some of these up and do a side by side comparison next to my DIY Cree fixture just to see the difference in color and growth. Also has anyone seen the post on the reefled forum comparing different Cree bins, I'd imagine it would be the same kind of deal with the bridgelux LEDs. How do you know what you aregetting are there bin numbers for the bridgelux?
Pngaudio, just a heads up, 20 crees over a 29 gallon wouldn't be enough light so I'm guessing 20 bridgelux won't do it either.
Pngaudio, just a heads up, 20 crees over a 29 gallon wouldn't be enough light so I'm guessing 20 bridgelux won't do it either.
CaiN
Community Member
if you want to do a head to head comparison (like i did)
i ahve 50 bridgelux LED and 3 chisnes drivers for cheap. look up my previous post.
reefkoi used more LED's to achieve the result they wanted.
i did a 48 bridgelux vs 48 crees, the par is not close either.
they were all of the same distance, left to right front to back, even base on visual inspection, bridgelux is duller and darker.
now the only way to prove what i said is true is to do a comparison yourself. unfortunately i didnt take any pictures when iw as doing the experiment. i have done my research and experiment, if you want to prove me wrong, do one urself too.
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ronnie
Acro addict
I ran the numbers - and if Cree is 1.5 times brighter/better/more lux than bridgelux, it would take 9.2 years to realize a payback of the cost difference. And that is with me using more bridgelux.
That takes into account electricity and the cost of tue LEDs.
Good enough for me.
That takes into account electricity and the cost of tue LEDs.
Good enough for me.
ronnie
Acro addict
So are you here to discuss? Or are you trying to sell them? :wink:
ronnie
Acro addict
How about posting the numbers you got as well? I'd love to see the difference PAR wise at different levels since you took the time to do the comparison.
It would be hard for me to do a comparison, as I have 78 LEDs running on a 2ft U Channel build. Not many Cree users put that many LEDs together (for obvious reasons). I'm sort of wishing I'd gone with way less. The PAR is way too much for my tank, even with the fixture 20" above the tank. I may have to raise it a bit more, actually.
I would pull the reflectors, but the light spill into the room is pretty wide.
CaiN
Community Member
hopefully by then you still have corals left.I ran the numbers - and if Cree is 1.5 times brighter/better/more lux than bridgelux, it would take 9.2 years to realize a payback of the cost difference. And that is with me using more bridgelux.
That takes into account electricity and the cost of tue LEDs.
Good enough for me.
mine shriveled in the 2 weeks i had them on my tank.
take it as you will.
for what, so people will shoot it down?
i've done my experiment, if people wants to do bridgelux, by all means please do, it's ur money not mine.
in my case, for those who listens and hasnt made up their mind base on cost,
bridgelux is not the way to go,
take it form me, i had to spent 2x to get the par i wanted, i spent $$$$ on bridgelux and spent again to get the right LED.
go tolareef, you'll also find a user their complaining about his corals shriveling and dying.
at the end of the day, it's ur money, ur tank, do as u please.
ronnie
Acro addict
You might check out the 8'x4'x2' SPS reef on RC that is using the exact same LEDs I'm running. It is in the Tampa Bay Group Forum.
FWIW, I've had some test frags under the LED for three days. Color is great so far! I'll let you know in 11 days if they've shriveled up....
And I (along with everyone else I'm sure) would prefer you not trying to sell stuff in discussion forums - it is poor etiquette at best.
And numbers help us get a baseline on the LEDs. Perhaps you have a bad batch of bridgelux? My PAR is up there - enough to cook anything I want, but it is on a shallow tank, so that helps a bit. But I know they can grow SPS, so they can grow anything.
FWIW, I've had some test frags under the LED for three days. Color is great so far! I'll let you know in 11 days if they've shriveled up....
And I (along with everyone else I'm sure) would prefer you not trying to sell stuff in discussion forums - it is poor etiquette at best.
And numbers help us get a baseline on the LEDs. Perhaps you have a bad batch of bridgelux? My PAR is up there - enough to cook anything I want, but it is on a shallow tank, so that helps a bit. But I know they can grow SPS, so they can grow anything.
I just order the 36 Bridgelux LED kit from AquaStyle for lighting my 40 breeder tank that has mostly lower light LPS, softies. This is going to be my test tank before I consider the same for my 120 gal SPS tank, for which I would use the 90 LED kit.
The 36 LED kit was $126 delivered - LED's, drivers, lens, materials for construction. For that kind of money, I can afford to treat it as an experiment. I have the Chinese Reef Filtration LED unit and think it's great, so I am thinking the Chinese components will be fine.
The 36 LED kit was $126 delivered - LED's, drivers, lens, materials for construction. For that kind of money, I can afford to treat it as an experiment. I have the Chinese Reef Filtration LED unit and think it's great, so I am thinking the Chinese components will be fine.
ronnie
Acro addict
Good luck milkman - they have some great prices. I've heard the ballasts they use aren't that great, but replacing them with meanwells down the road wouldn't incur too much cost, so it is still a good deal, IMO.
I got MAD Aromur of the Gods Zooas. want some? I have radioactive Dragon eyes too I think. Just have not fragged those yet. I am learning to frag zooas, and so far did good. I'll take your offer. I take it just LEDS, not the heatsinks pots and drivers? lol
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