SB reefbright led layout

[Flippers4pups]

Yes, the 395nm are tricky. I had issues with them browning out. I've since ran some experiments. My findings arent complete yet but I've made some interesting progression in successfully keeping 395nm without issues.

I too used the SB layout but since I like using lenses, I found the disco to be a little more pronounced to my liking. Also I felt it was lacking in a overall wide spectrum. This is my new layout.



At this point, I feel like there is too much white and that may change later on. However, coral growth is exploding and algae growth at a minimum.

I've found that to be the case in mine, but I too have excellent growth. Leaving them alone on that point.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Yes I heard about the 395 burning out quick. Prob less than a year.

Thanks for your layout. I don't have any lenses on mine because of disco effect and the better blending and spread.

I don't see any green on yours. Any resins why or why not?

Did you had to adjust intensity after the swap? I am currently running mine at 35 W and 65 B

Green or the 510-520nm range doesn't play a huge role for a lot of photosynthesis. If you look at the spectral ranges of green, its a mixture of red, orange, yellow, and blue but at different percentages. The overall purpose is to cancel out blues and give the tank a more white appearance. There is a spectrum calculator that will figure this out for you. I wish I wasn't at work right now or I would share the graph with you. The 4-490nm diodes with a couple 6,500k provide the right percentage of greens with reds.

Actually, Par didn't change much after the whole switch. I did up the percentage of blues and whites running a slightly higher par with even a higher pur comparably. So i'm at 20% white and 85% blue.

I've found that to be the case in mine, but I too have excellent growth. Leaving them alone on that point.

Oddly enough the diodes have a secondary layer on top of the diode. I "decapped" one of them and not th other. With some beefed up thermal paste and a couple computer motherboard chipset heatsinks added, I'm seeing less browing. I dont want to say anything yet though. As far as the SB layout goes, i dont think that layout should be changed. Its very adequate for our purpose.

My new layout was Orphek Atlantik inspired without the 850nm IR diodes. As well as bordem and trying to fix some algae issues going on in my tank. If you are comfortable with switching diodes out at any given time, i suggest trying it. It wouldnt hurt.

 

[reeferfoxx]

@Flippers4pups btw its comforting seeing you participate in this. I've missed you! ;Happy

 

[Nicolas Sabrun]

Green or the 510-520nm range doesn't play a huge role for a lot of photosynthesis. If you look at the spectral ranges of green, its a mixture of red, orange, yellow, and blue but at different percentages. The overall purpose is to cancel out blues and give the tank a more white appearance. There is a spectrum calculator that will figure this out for you. I wish I wasn't at work right now or I would share the graph with you. The 4-490nm diodes with a couple 6,500k provide the right percentage of greens with reds.

Actually, Par didn't change much after the whole switch. I did up the percentage of blues and whites running a slightly higher par with even a higher pur comparably. So i'm at 20% white and 85% blue.


Oddly enough the diodes have a secondary layer on top of the diode. I "decapped" one of them and not th other. With some beefed up thermal paste and a couple computer motherboard chipset heatsinks added, I'm seeing less browing. I dont want to say anything yet though. As far as the SB layout goes, i dont think that layout should be changed. Its very adequate for our purpose.

My new layout was Orphek Atlantik inspired without the 850nm IR diodes. As well as bordem and trying to fix some algae issues going on in my tank. If you are comfortable with switching diodes out at any given time, i suggest trying it. It wouldnt hurt.

Thank you for all your info. I would definitely like to take a look at the calculator.

No offense to mars aqua are they are great starting point and are easy enough to upgrade. So far, I upgraded the fans and mods them to be ramping with my RK controller with a single ALC.

It just time to work on the spectrum as it could benefit my slow growth. I am planning on only doing one them (middle of tank) to experiment. I like the SB layout as it seems to be less yellow than the MA. Honestly, 7.5k should not be used on mixed reef in my own opinion. I will take a look at the Orphek.

What do you mean by algae issue? Is it from the new spectrum? Or else.

 

[reeferfoxx]

For this layout, this is the graph.


The graph is slightly off due to being so outdated. BUT it gives a generalization of what your light is producing. Outdated because you have to utilize 1 watt chips as opposed to 3 watt chips. So, in perspective my score should be 100 rather than 97.

The calculator can be found here. http://spectra.1023world.net/
What you do is goto the LED section(on the right hand side) and find your kelvin or nm ranges and do a plus or minus. You'll total 55 diodes.

As far as algae goes, hair algae and cyano were running rampant. Not all of it was color spectrum but most of it. Though I was running the SB layout, I too wasn't using the 395nm chips and was using more 6500k chips versus 12,000k. Which was my bad because of not ordering enough. I do like the 6500k at a limited level to add more reds and yellows. I think when you start playing with the calculator, you'll understand more.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've found that to be the case in mine, but I too have excellent growth. Leaving them alone on that point.

Glad to see ya man.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Glad to see ya man.

Thanks @saltyfilmfolks, feeling better. Just taking it as easy as I can. Glad to be back.

 

[8251reefer]

I have the 165W Mars Aqua fixture coupled with 2 blue plus T-5’s and the color and pop is pretty good but it could be better. I’m just curious why folks are removing/replacing diodes instead of purchasing the sbreeflights drop in? It seems like it will be about the same price after buying all the diodes, thermal paste, new 90/120 degree optics. Not to mention the time and effort it takes to remove/replace that many diodes. Doesn’t it end up being about the same price for the new spectrum? I was a qualified Microminiature repair technician in the navy so I’m not worried about the soldering part just on the fence about doing it myself and wasn’t sure it if is really worth it to buy the plug/play from sbreeflights or DIY the diodes...

 

[Flippers4pups]

The replacement diodes cost me less than $20 for three light fixtures. ( I still have diodes left over!) I kept my lesses off. SB Boards would have cost me for three units around $200.

 

[ronl]

For this layout, this is the graph.


The graph is slightly off due to being so outdated. BUT it gives a generalization of what your light is producing. Outdated because you have to utilize 1 watt chips as opposed to 3 watt chips. So, in perspective my score should be 100 rather than 97.

The calculator can be found here. http://spectra.1023world.net/
What you do is goto the LED section(on the right hand side) and find your kelvin or nm ranges and do a plus or minus. You'll total 55 diodes.

That spectrum chart is pretty cool. But how do you enter the cooler whites? I only see 3K, 4K, and 8K as options. No 10K and 20K.

Thanks, Ron

 

[8251reefer]

The replacement diodes cost me less than $20 for three light fixtures. ( I still have diodes left over!) I kept my lesses off. SB Boards would have cost me for three units around $200.

How do you like running with no lenses? i heard their is a signifigant PAR drop. Are you guys replacing all of the LED’s or just the ones on the white channel?

 

[reeferfoxx]

That spectrum chart is pretty cool. But how do you enter the cooler whites? I only see 3K, 4K, and 8K as options. No 10K and 20K.

Thanks, Ron

8k is close enough to 10k. In regard to epistar, they might just be the same. 20k is a little controversial. I've read it doesnt provied much spectrum for organisms due to it's spectral ranges or the colors its made up of. Meaning its made up of primarily blue with some yellow and green. I used them for the white channel to give a cooler appearance.

 

[Livinlocal]

Does anybody have a link to purchase these Diodes? I would like to order some and try swapping them out on a old box I have

 

[reeferfoxx]

You can find all the diodes you need here from this US seller on Ebay.

 

[Flippers4pups]

How do you like running with no lenses? i heard their is a signifigant PAR drop. Are you guys replacing all of the LED’s or just the ones on the white channel?

White channel. Par is around 350 at water level with units at 12". Running at 70 blue, 30 white.

Most hard corals will do very well at 200-250 par.

 

[LanM]

Nice thread, I have a 3 channel galaxyhydro/roleadro wifi unit (yellow fans) in the box that I'd like to mod and keep as a backup.

About the 390/low uv spectrum, I thought the problem with those was that they trashed the optics quick, which could be solved by going with a higher end lens. Is that the brown out you guys are talking about, or is it the actual led?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have the 165W Mars Aqua fixture coupled with 2 blue plus T-5’s and the color and pop is pretty good but it could be better. I’m just curious why folks are removing/replacing diodes instead of purchasing the sbreeflights drop in? It seems like it will be about the same price after buying all the diodes, thermal paste, new 90/120 degree optics. Not to mention the time and effort it takes to remove/replace that many diodes. Doesn’t it end up being about the same price for the new spectrum? I was a qualified Microminiature repair technician in the navy so I’m not worried about the soldering part just on the fence about doing it myself and wasn’t sure it if is really worth it to buy the plug/play from sbreeflights or DIY the diodes...

Some folks like to solder.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Nice thread, I have a 3 channel galaxyhydro/roleadro wifi unit (yellow fans) in the box that I'd like to mod and keep as a backup.

About the 390/low uv spectrum, I thought the problem with those was that they trashed the optics quick, which could be solved by going with a higher end lens. Is that the brown out you guys are talking about, or is it the actual led?

Each epistar led comes with a secondary optic. That is why you can run these without a lens. You can literally pop it off.

This shows the browning of a 390-395nm uv diode.

Decided to replace the two 390nm(UV) chips with 450nm(blue). They were due for a change out but didn't want to risk bleaching. Here are some macro shots.
6-8 months of use...

This shows a decapped chip without the secondary optic. This primary optic is tacky to the touch and therefore shouldn't be touch.

 

[Nicolas Sabrun]

I have the 165W Mars Aqua fixture coupled with 2 blue plus T-5’s and the color and pop is pretty good but it could be better. I’m just curious why folks are removing/replacing diodes instead of purchasing the sbreeflights drop in? It seems like it will be about the same price after buying all the diodes, thermal paste, new 90/120 degree optics. Not to mention the time and effort it takes to remove/replace that many diodes. Doesn’t it end up being about the same price for the new spectrum? I was a qualified Microminiature repair technician in the navy so I’m not worried about the soldering part just on the fence about doing it myself and wasn’t sure it if is really worth it to buy the plug/play from sbreeflights or DIY the diodes...

I get your point. If I had only one black box, I would buy the SB board without hesitations. But for 3 black boxes, that s about $ 210 + shipping. You can buy a lot of diodes with that kind of cash. Plus you get to fine tune the spectrum to your tank. One spectrum doesn't necessarily work on all tank. Imo.

 

[Nicolas Sabrun]

White channel. Par is around 350 at water level with units at 12". Running at 70 blue, 30 white.

Most hard corals will do very well at 200-250 par.

What did you use for par meter? Is that with all lenses off?