View Full Version : Energy efficient SPS coral lighting
fishfreak2009
09-18-2010, 3:37 PM
What is the best lighting for SPS corals? I really want to grow some in my tank, but I also don't want to have to add a chiller or have a $600 lighting bill. I currently have 4 96watt compact flourescents on the tank which I know isn't nearly enough. What should I replace them with? I am looking at the LED fixtures, but I can't find any info on them, and the ones I can find seem to get bad ratings and cost quite a bit. My budget is anything less than $350. I should also add that the tank is 30 inches deep.
What light do you guys suggest?
What size tank? Your not going to find a good SPS LED light for less than $400 for almost any size tank. The BEST lighting IMO is the sun.. solar tubes, but that isn't an option for everyone, and I see your in MI so tubes may not work out well for you being that far north even if you could install them. Beyond that, it depends on the size of your tank to know which lighting would be the best. With tank info (dimensions) we can narrow it down to LED/T5HO/or MH for which one is the most cost effective.
fishfreak2009
09-18-2010, 6:56 PM
the tank is 5 foot by 24 inches by 30 inches tall). Me and my dad are going to build a new canopy for the tank, so light height doesn't matter. Just looking for something under $400 that would light my tank enought to the bottom to grow corals like Heliofungia actinifrons. I'm believe that T5's won't penetrate deep enough for bottom dwelling corals (correct me if I'm wrong). I would liked to grow a mixture of corals (LPS, SPS, and some Softies) as well as a Bubble Tipped Anemone. I'm thinking I'll probably have to go with metal halides, but I'd really rather not. If they are the only option I guess I could live with them.
It's just that I went to the Midwest Marine Conference a few months ago and every tank there was using an LED lighting system, and they had them all over on display saying you could even grow things like clams under them!
Unfortunately I think MH is going to give you the best bang for the $. You can do 2 400w and have good light for just about anything. If you went T5s, you would need 8-10 5' bulbs on that size tank, and the cost of bulb replacements can really drive up the cost. No way your going to find a decent LED fixture for a 5' tank for under $1000 right now. Try and find a used setup online somewhere, craigslist, ebay, local reef club, reefcentral... lots of people getting out of the hobby and you can get some steals right now... really a buyers market.
fishfreak2009
09-18-2010, 8:14 PM
I'll try and see if I can find some used lights, as they're probably all I can afford (after all I'm only 16 and I have no job). I'll probably end up with metal halides as well. Just need to convince the parents that they'll be cheaper because I can take the 2 CF strip lights off the salt tank and use them on some of my freshwater tanks (those still have old Normal Output lamps.
fishfreak2009
09-18-2010, 9:00 PM
I'm going to see if I can find a used light like this one. Apparently my parents want nothing to do with a metal halides. So I guess I just wouldn't keep any corals in the bottom 10 inches of the tank. Would this kind of light work for Acropora in the top 10 inches or so, with some frogspawn and soft corals in the next 10 inches of water (the middle)?
I would get the 48 inch fixture.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13822+22132&pcatid=22132
greech
09-18-2010, 11:10 PM
Yep, that will do just fine. Some better bulbs will help even more but use the ones you get with it until it's time to replace them. You will be able to grow just about anything you want with that light. 10" is really not that deep.
In regards to the OP's question, I am not a lighting expert by any means but I think MH's will probably be the cheapest to get going but LEDs are going to be more efficient down the line from an energy savings and bulb replacement perspective. Good LEDs will grow SPS very well. Have you looked into any of the PAR 38 bulbs?
fishfreak2009
09-19-2010, 7:42 PM
I think that I'll just be staying with the lights I have for a while :cry: . My dad said that we can build a stand for around $150 (my mom wants fancy trim, etc.) I only have $70 right now, and it's all going toward the stand/canopy. I guess new corals are just going to have to wait a while. Since we found out my stand is rotting (the company who set the tank up used hoses that were too short and they snapped, causing the stand to get soaked, as well as giving me a cheap particle board stand when I ordered a solid oak one...) the new stand is currently top priority, because I really don't want 187 gallons of saltwater, 250 lbs of LR, and the tank itself to come crashing to the floor! :eek:
Definitely a good idea to make sure your stand is solid first. A lighting upgrade is easy enough to do down the road, and you may find you'll have more money to spend at that time.
Amphiprion
09-20-2010, 11:05 AM
When you get the opportunity, I second Ace's recommendations. With good reflectors, that will afford you plenty of light for most things. Higher wattage will either meet or come below bulb replacement costs in terms of actual amount, so you'll be looking at similar overall operating costs. Depending on the lamps, the intensity may not be comparable, as the 400w lamps have the potential to be much brighter than a T5 setup. Granted, this will come at the cost of more and higher concentrated heat in addition to the energy. That's not to say that T5s with that depth aren't doable, but they won't afford you the same advantages.
redfishblewfish
09-20-2010, 5:53 PM
Evolution LED's are $299 per unit. I believe it is stated that each unit is equivalent to 400 watt MH. So two of these should work out just fine on a five foot tank. Initial cost is obviously high, but I believe you’d have payback in electrical bills and no bulb replacement. We just had a local fish store replace 4000 watts of MH on their big tank with 700 watts of Evolution LEDs…do the math…big electrical savings.
Looks like a crappy LED fixture if you ask me... and reefbuilders. ;)
http://reefbuilders.com/2010/08/25/evolution-led-delivers-great-par-and-color-with-caveats/
Short answer, no, they are not equivalent to a 400w MH. LOL @ this picture!!!
http://reefbuilders.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/evolution-led/evolution-led-reefkoi-8.jpg
Here is my PAR reading 14" below the bulb, just above the water, with a single 250w XM 10k bulb... lets see, 172PAR vs 804PAR.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2473/3673337517_de8a27cb28_z.jpg?zz=1
redfishblewfish
09-22-2010, 1:16 PM
Ace, first let me state that I am not sold on the quality issue with these LED units. I’m going to wait and see how a LFS does, considering they switched ALL their lights over to these units.
I do have a problem with whatever number Reefbuilders is showing on that meter. Here are two pictures measuring PAR at the surface and about a foot down in the above mentioned LFS. Not even close to what Reefbuilders is showing???
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp271/psh54/LEDPARReadingsSurface.jpg
http://i419.photobucket.com/albums/pp271/psh54/LEDPARReadings1foot.jpg
redfishblewfish
09-22-2010, 1:27 PM
Oops, I goofed.
I was originally told the above LED fixtures were the same as Evolution LEDs….made in the same factory. However, I just found out they are slightly different. I believe Evolution’s come with 109, 1 watt LEDs. The ones above come with 55, 2 watt LEDs either in a 30 blue / 25 white OR 25 blue / 30 white configuration.
Sweet! Thanks for updating and posting those new PAR numbers... those are much better numbers, although a completely different fixture. I would be happy with those numbers that your showing.
As for the build quality though... no way.. open slots on the side of an LED fixture like both fixtures have just seems like a very bad idea in a aquarium environment.. if you want to grow some plants in a closet, I bet those are awesome and will last a long time... but in a SW aquarium, I question how long they will last, but time will give us that answer.
DoctaQ
09-22-2010, 1:42 PM
the slots on the side are going to be pressurized when the lights are on but it doesnt help when the lights are off though, one way to get into high light territory for less money is to cover less of the tank, spotlight corals, either with led or even mh (think hid headlights)
How exactly would one "pressurize" something that is open? From what I have seen, the fans on top blow upwards and suck cold air in through the side slots in order to cool the fixture... problem is.. it is sucking in humid salt air through those slots which is going to get salt inside the fixture. Even if the flow was reversed, fans blowing down, you will still have the same problem with humid salt air.
redfishblewfish
09-22-2010, 7:20 PM
As for the build quality though... no way..
Ace, that is why I am going to sit back and wait to see what happens at this LFS. This store has switched out EVERY light in the store with these new Chinese-Evolution-like LED units. And, by the way, this store owner is an acro-maniac, with other sps corals. I don’t think he sells any softies. I’m just going to wait and see what happens over the next six months to a year. But again, for a couple hundred bucks a pop, they (could) pay for themselves rather quickly in what otherwise is bulb replacement and electrical costs. I know I’m watching and intrigued.
DoctaQ
09-23-2010, 11:31 AM
from similar units ive seen the air comes out of the side.
i think part of it is that leds should be protected by a glass top since heat wont be an issue, my fixture is fully open just protected by a glass top, plus aluminum is less prone to corrosion than other metals
Ace25
09-23-2010, 12:18 PM
I think the drivers/electronics should be placed as far away from the tank as possible, like a MH setup, not be placed in the same box as the LEDs and be exposed to salt air. From what I have seen of the evolution type LED fixtures, they just have 2 cords for the 2 types of color LEDs, which means the drivers and any controller are inside the fixture with the LEDs.
DoctaQ
09-23-2010, 2:27 PM
that is true, its a waste of cooling when you put the less sensitive power supplies and drivers next to the more sensitive leds, the only reason they would need active cooling is poor efficiency, although i am guilty of it sometimes myself, for instance an AIO hood i fitted up had all the parts inside, it was all for asthetics though.good leds can really be run hotter than most people run them at with thier monster heatsinks and active cooling (guilty again)