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I rarely do the "learning-lesson" thing, but i figured I'd share a failure with you...
So back in may, i purchased 4x 32" panels for my 7ft long 265 gallon reef tank.
I just spent 3500 on the marineland tank and stand. 1500 on my chiller. Another $1000 on rock and sand. $600 for this dolphin pump, $500 for the fuge, add plumbing, all new test kits, and everything else... and i dropped a chunk on getting my tank up and rolling.
The only piece i really didnt want to drop a ton of cash on are lights. especially when i see US companies rebranding chinese LEDs and upcharging 50-100%. (i wont mention them)
I didnt want crap either. So after searching for reviews, looking on youtube, and everything else. I thought the most bang for my buck were some DSUNY turing series lights with a programmable controller.
For a mere $900 shipped, i received my babies and chucked them in my canopy. They use the 3w bridgelux lights and are spaced a little further than what I'd like with 45 diodes per 32" panel. I set them up lengthwise 2x2.
the programmable controller panel was cool and seemed to work out just fine. lightning was cheesey. clouds just dimmed the lights 20%.
k...but they ramp blues, whites, and actinics during however i wanted. I didnt need a controller like my 220 MH/T5 setup with an all or nothing approach.
For the first 30 days everything seemed fine. no issues.
60 day mark i noticed that when a programmed point was hit, sometimes all the lights would go 100% until the next programmed marker. I would come home to some toasty corals. This happened 3x the 2nd month in.
on the 3rd month 2 channels from panel 4 died. only the blues and actinics worked.
i contacted DSUNY and they offered to replace the panel for 1/2 off. at $120.
Thinking this might be a fluke panel, i coughed it up and replaced the panel.
30 days later panel 2 went 100% on and doesnt respond to the controller. all or nothing.
again... contacted DSUNY. offered a newer panel at $125. at this point this is becoming a joke. also i was fighting a dino outbreak so i just let the panel go 8 hours on. then off on a timer.
fast forward another 60 days. Panel 4 that was replaced completely died. no all on, no nothing. just dead.
30 days later. panel 1 starts flickering white channels. (yup... on it's way out)
lets keep going til now....
panel 1 now has 2 burned out channels
panel 2 is still 100% all or nothing
panel 3 works as intended
panel 4 is toast
which lends me to advise you of this.
these are worse than a chinese black box. and a heftier premium for them.
some other interesting notes about these lights....
Each panel has a 90w driver.... not even a 120 like the old style black boxes.
The heats sinks are not enough without a fan. (They have none)
Overall I give these lights a 4/5 stars for terribleness.
So back in may, i purchased 4x 32" panels for my 7ft long 265 gallon reef tank.
I just spent 3500 on the marineland tank and stand. 1500 on my chiller. Another $1000 on rock and sand. $600 for this dolphin pump, $500 for the fuge, add plumbing, all new test kits, and everything else... and i dropped a chunk on getting my tank up and rolling.
The only piece i really didnt want to drop a ton of cash on are lights. especially when i see US companies rebranding chinese LEDs and upcharging 50-100%. (i wont mention them)
I didnt want crap either. So after searching for reviews, looking on youtube, and everything else. I thought the most bang for my buck were some DSUNY turing series lights with a programmable controller.
For a mere $900 shipped, i received my babies and chucked them in my canopy. They use the 3w bridgelux lights and are spaced a little further than what I'd like with 45 diodes per 32" panel. I set them up lengthwise 2x2.
the programmable controller panel was cool and seemed to work out just fine. lightning was cheesey. clouds just dimmed the lights 20%.
k...but they ramp blues, whites, and actinics during however i wanted. I didnt need a controller like my 220 MH/T5 setup with an all or nothing approach.
For the first 30 days everything seemed fine. no issues.
60 day mark i noticed that when a programmed point was hit, sometimes all the lights would go 100% until the next programmed marker. I would come home to some toasty corals. This happened 3x the 2nd month in.
on the 3rd month 2 channels from panel 4 died. only the blues and actinics worked.
i contacted DSUNY and they offered to replace the panel for 1/2 off. at $120.
Thinking this might be a fluke panel, i coughed it up and replaced the panel.
30 days later panel 2 went 100% on and doesnt respond to the controller. all or nothing.
again... contacted DSUNY. offered a newer panel at $125. at this point this is becoming a joke. also i was fighting a dino outbreak so i just let the panel go 8 hours on. then off on a timer.
fast forward another 60 days. Panel 4 that was replaced completely died. no all on, no nothing. just dead.
30 days later. panel 1 starts flickering white channels. (yup... on it's way out)
lets keep going til now....
panel 1 now has 2 burned out channels
panel 2 is still 100% all or nothing
panel 3 works as intended
panel 4 is toast
which lends me to advise you of this.
these are worse than a chinese black box. and a heftier premium for them.
some other interesting notes about these lights....
Each panel has a 90w driver.... not even a 120 like the old style black boxes.
The heats sinks are not enough without a fan. (They have none)
Overall I give these lights a 4/5 stars for terribleness.
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