Steves LED questions.

[legacy2mj]

I plan on ordering the Steves LED retro fit upgrade this week.... I have seen some videos on youtube of the 29 coralife biocube with the 14K JMB special which I think is what I want to go with.... But they also offer the 12K JMB special which is nearly the same with a 2(+ or -)a Lime green and royal blue difference.
I saw the user running the 14K was running at 55%... So would it be beneficial to get the 14K or would I be fine with the 12K?
OR, is it completely my preference with having more blue or not?
Just looking for somebody with any experience with this set up and what they think is the best way to go for a biocube.
My 29 coralife biocube is about a year old, and I would like to start growing some SPS corals.
ANY ADVISE IS AWSOME!
Thanks guys

 

[hart24601]

Pretty much right there. I had a steves kit and the channels were dimmable, I highly recommend it if you are looking at a kit that isn't. I don't know if they offer non-dimmable kits or not. Color temp is pretty much a personal preference, but with most LEDs you can turn the whites up and blues down for lower K or crank the blues up for higher K. I would personally go with the 14K JMB special. Cool they have that now. Lime LEDs seem pretty sweet for our viewing. Too bad there are no violets.

 

[legacy2mj]

I certainly want the dimmable driver, I plan on ordering it with one. My main concern was the light combination to go with. As of right now I'm planning on the 14K JMB special. Since its a nano cube I'm no too concerned with maximum coral growth and want to focus more on aesthetics.

 

[hart24601]

I think that is a good choice. Be sure to put some pictures.

 

[glb]

I have the Steve's LEDs 12g lights and they come with dimmer switches, which I used for a while. I finally installed the Typhon driver so I could program the lights even more precisely. The blues and whites come on at different times and fade in and out. It's really cool! If you buy the driver, I'd definitely buy the case along with it. The driver alone has too many wires and metal parts to not be covered imo. I'd also buy the presoldered cable so the installation is a breeze. The case and cable add about $100 but are so worth it. I have extreme SPS luxeon lights and I'm very happy with them.

 

[legacy2mj]

I have the Steve's LEDs 12g lights and they come with dimmer switches, which I used for a while. I finally installed the Typhon driver so I could program the lights even more precisely. The blues and whites come on at different times and fade in and out. It's really cool! If you buy the driver, I'd definitely buy the case along with it. The driver alone has too many wires and metal parts to not be covered imo. I'd also buy the presoldered cable so the installation is a breeze. The case and cable add about $100 but are so worth it. I have extreme SPS luxeon lights and I'm very happy with them.

I intend on spending the extra $100 for the items you listed above. Im pretty excited about the upgrade. Iv delt with the stock biocube lighting for a year and hate the fact I have to breeze right on by the SPS tank when coral shopping. I also just want to up the aesthetics of the tank. Do I need to wait a little while before I start experimenting with any SPS? My parameters are solid and I would say my tank is pretty well established. So I dont see any issues with the chemistry of the tank. I dont know, just looking for a expert opinion.

 

[glb]

I intend on spending the extra $100 for the items you listed above. Im pretty excited about the upgrade. Iv delt with the stock biocube lighting for a year and hate the fact I have to breeze right on by the SPS tank when coral shopping. I also just want to up the aesthetics of the tank. Do I need to wait a little while before I start experimenting with any SPS? My parameters are solid and I would say my tank is pretty well established. So I dont see any issues with the chemistry of the tank. I dont know, just looking for a expert opinion.

You won't be disappointed! Be aware though that you'll need to run the new lights low at first because they're much more intense than the ones you have now. Also remember that they're right above the water in a nano, while they are usually mounted above any other kind of tanks. Keep that in mind when you're reading other people's posts about lighting. As far as me being an expert, I appreciate the compliment but I've never kept SPS! Only LPS and soft corals for me so far. The nano reef forum has people on it with far more experience growing SPS. Good luck!