Torx DIY aquastyleonline Bridglux 72 LED Thread

[Zakk]

Yeah, zoas took off for me when I changed over the lights.  Doesn't seem to matter where they are in the tank either.  I know I'll never be going back to MH or T5 lighting. 

 

[TORX]

If you go full out LEDs, start out with them dimmed. I had them too high in the first place and things were getting choked out.

 

[copperkills]

Maybe i missed it, but what was the total damage $$$ for your setup.  I have about 500 bucks to play with to light my 65g.  I havnt the slightest clue how many leds I would need or what configuration.

 

[TORX]

No worries there copperkills. I bought a 72--LEDs--DIY-Dimmable-Kit. Price: $189.00 plus $30 shipping. About $30 for my DIY heatsink and a few hours work. I still have 20 LEDs left at the moment that I will be adding as it could be a little brighter yet I think.

My tank is 3' long by 12" wide. There are 10 per row of lights with 5 rows. The unit is about 2" above the waterline. Tank is 2' deep and hits the bottom without optics.

 

[copperkills]

I have done some searching and StarkLED sells a 120W fixture using Bridglux LED....20White 20Blue for $250....if I didnt want to build it myself, would that be worthwhile?  It doesnt indicate there are any UV bulbs....are they needed??

 

[TORX]

It really depends on what you want to do. Price wise, DIY will save you a few hundred as you would probably need at least 3 of those units or more.

The UV's are great. No idea what the benefits are, I only got them as I have been advised they are really important, they give the tank some amazing pop!

 

[copperkills]

Do you think your kit would suffice for a 65g? or would it be overkill.

 

[TORX]

I am no expert on the # of LEDs, but it definitely would not be over kill. Personally would say to at least get their 90 kit depending on your dimensions.

Found this on the net

"Really depends on which coral you want to grow. The rule of thumb is 36-48 LEDs will give you around the same light as a 400watt Metal Halide, 24-36 LEDs are around a 250 watt Metal Halide. Based on our testing we recommend 1 LED for every 12-15 square inches of surface area as a minimum (60 LEDs for a 24″x 30″ tank). If you have a deep tank or wider tank you may need more. We also recommend when replacing Metal Halides error on the side of more LEDs and slowly acclimate your corals to the new light."
Source: http://reefledlights.com/faqs/

 

[phi delt reefer]

Tyrone, check out nano reefs discussion on led asthetics from user dfason. This guy is doing lots with led color aesthetics and par and blending. For 500 you could build a serious rig. Probably do it for closer tp torx number and get ur RKL

 

[TORX]

I am repurposing these for the 3rd...4th... maybe 5th time? Not really sure anymore, but my polentiometer's are toast and rusted. There is not enough info on them to order randomly off the net. I have sent a message to aquastyleonline, but thought I would see if anyone here knows where to source the correct ones or what i would need to replace them.

 

[TORX]

Thank you for all the PM advice. I actually contacted Ray over at aquastyleonline as noted above, he is shipping me 3 replacements for $6 to cover shipping.