Led lighting decisions

[heathd.hd]

Alrighty need to make a decision one light purchase for my 150g tall. So 36w 24d 36tall. I like led for a bunch of reasons. I'm researching 3 brands. Debating onbuying. Two of the maxspect 120w R420r LED Lighting System. Or a LUMENTEK PRO 240 - Reef Radiance. Or OR-IT2080 LED Aquarium Light_Aquarium LED_OCEANREVIVE LED. The second and 3rd options are very similar and going to be half the price of the maxspect. But the maxspect has cree leds and the others have bridgelux. The maxspect seems to be way more engineered with heat sinks and better looking design. But it doesn't have color leds in it. Does that even matter? Are reds and orange\yellows necessary? So yah there's what's rattling around in between my ears. Who's got opinions? Go!

 

[Reefing Madness]

I wouldn't lean to heavily on having colors in the unit, they do give off some light, but its not really needed, as like the reds disperse once it hits the water surrface anyways. I 've got 2 units with reds and greens, doesn't make much of a difference, not a whole lot of usable lighting there.

 

[Pete polyp]

I wouldn't lean to heavily on having colors in the unit, they do give off some light, but its not really needed, as like the reds disperse once it hits the water surrface anyways. I 've got 2 units with reds and greens, doesn't make much of a difference, not a whole lot of usable lighting there.

+1

I have read that the warm white will have some red and green making the red or green only LED pretty useless. They will also have a pretty good amount of blue mixed in that would be absorbed with photosynthesis

Here's some graphs

White led spectrum

Red led spectrum (630nm)

 

[Reefing Madness]

True, the units that some nowadays utilize cool white and warm whites. Makes sense.
Thanks

 

[heathd.hd]

Sweet. Makes sense. Makes my decision easier. Cree leds it is. Lol. Now to get my wallet out.

 

[heathd.hd]

But is it worth doubling the amount of money just for the newer style design in leds?

 

[Pete polyp]

The cheaper ones can possibly be customized to what you want. If the company you're buying from won't the company who makes them will.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Not me, Im cheap, I go with the no name LED units.

 

[heathd.hd]

Lol RM Idk man the maxspect look purty cool. Well I got tell morning to make my decision. Maybe there will be some more posts with experience in here.

 

[mike007]

Check out the Orphek Atlantis leds.

 

[Pete polyp]

Not me, Im cheap, I go with the no name LED units.

+1
I save money where I can so I can buy more frags :D

 

[heathd.hd]

Check out the Orphek Atlantis leds.

Hmmmmmm I'll have to say wifi control with my android so great. Lol.

 

[REEF RADIANCE]

Hi guys,

I wanted to address the question of colored LEDs in lighting. In truth they don't add much with respect to PAR or PUR. In fact our Coral Pro model - designed for frag or grow out tanks has no green or red or yellow. Just white and blue and violet. However - and this is a very important factor - a light that has blue and white LEDs will look very much like a bottle of Windex. Yep. We human see these colors - red and green and yellow - especially green - and they make the tank look more natural to US.

When I am designing a light - a new model - an update on an existing model - or a custom build - it is always a compromise between as much of the right Kelvin white LEDs and Blue and Violet LEDs - all which grow coral - and the red and green and yellow LEDs. The first group grow coral and the second group make the tank look good to the human eye.

I once took one of our first generation blue/white LED lights and took picture of my tank in one specific spot and then put in the model we just replaced it with - that had the three colors mentioned above - and took a picture of the same tank and same spot and compared the pictures - and that picture told the whole story.

The blue/white only looked bleak and unnatural.

The model with a few red and green and yellow looked great.

You need some colored LEDs to make your tank look normal and natural to you.

Hope this helps.

Rick Schott
Founder
Reef Radiance

 

[heathd.hd]

Thanks Rick. Appreciate your input. Also I've read great things on your customer service in reviews!

 

[heathd.hd]

Which really means alot!

 

[Dalmatia]

Hi guys,

I wanted to address the question of colored LEDs in lighting. In truth they don't add much with respect to PAR or PUR. In fact our Coral Pro model - designed for frag or grow out tanks has no green or red or yellow. Just white and blue and violet. However - and this is a very important factor - a light that has blue and white LEDs will look very much like a bottle of Windex. Yep. We human see these colors - red and green and yellow - especially green - and they make the tank look more natural to US.

When I am designing a light - a new model - an update on an existing model - or a custom build - it is always a compromise between as much of the right Kelvin white LEDs and Blue and Violet LEDs - all which grow coral - and the red and green and yellow LEDs. The first group grow coral and the second group make the tank look good to the human eye.

I once took one of our first generation blue/white LED lights and took picture of my tank in one specific spot and then put in the model we just replaced it with - that had the three colors mentioned above - and took a picture of the same tank and same spot and compared the pictures - and that picture told the whole story.

The blue/white only looked bleak and unnatural.

The model with a few red and green and yellow looked great.

You need some colored LEDs to make your tank look normal and natural to you.

Hope this helps.

Rick Schott
Founder
Reef Radiance

I love it :)
In general plant physiology, the term Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) refers to the radiation in the range of wavelengths between 400 nm and 720 nm. This is the energy that is absorbed by the assimilation pigments in blue-green algae, green algae and higher order plants. The wavelengths for the lower limit (400 nm) and an upper limit (720 nm) are not entirely rigid. Photosynthetic reactions have, for example, been established in some algae at wavelengths shorter than 400 nm. In general, the lower limit depends on the structure and the thickness of the leaf as well as on the chlorophyll content. Some research projects have shown 700 nm as the upper wavelength

- 400 nm to 510 nm: strong light absorption by chlorophyll, high morphogenetic effect
- 510 nm to 610 nm: weak light absorption by chlorophyll, no morphogenetic effect
- 610 nm to 720 nm: strong light absorption by chlorophyll, high morphogenetic and ontogenetic effect

This response function can be considered as a mean spectral response function. A number of different investigations have shown that the spectral absorption spectra of various plant types can be very different. These differences can also occur, in a single plant, e.g. in leaves of different ages or with different thicknesses, chlorophyll content, etc.. It should also be noted that the spectral response function for photosynthesis is defined with avoidance of mutual cell shading, experimenting with a young, thin leaf or with a thin layer of algae suspension.

The spectral distribution of the response function for photosynthesis might give the impression that visible radiation in the green range centered around 550 nm contributes very little to the photosynthetic process, and therefore is of minor importance. Just the contrary has been demonstrated by experiment. It is precisely this green radiation that yields the greatest productivity and efficiency in densely populated arrangements of plants or in thick suspensions of micro-organisms. This discovery is important for investigations into the yields of plants in the lower layers of wooded areas or of greenhouse stocks, or in deep water (e.g. in sea plants).

 

[Dalmatia]

Full spectrum is the way to go

 

[heathd.hd]

So yah I'm a welder and smash things for a living! Engrish pls. Lol. This is what I got though. The colored lights will look better and do good things to take?

 

[heathd.hd]

Tank

 

[Dalmatia]

So yah I'm a welder and smash things for a living! Engrish pls. Lol. This is what I got though. The colored lights will look better and do good things to take?

That's pretty much it :)