Par 38 LED spotlights

[goodtimes]

I came across these Par 38 LED spotlights on Nanotuners. They look great and are priced well considering they are suppose to last 4 to 6 years and use hardly any electricity. I emailed them and it sounds like I can use a couple of them for primary lighting on a 24"x16"x12" tank. What do you think of them.

[KafudaFish]

I have looked at them too for a project that is in the back of my mind. They are in the process of changing the optics to give a wider coverage (fewer bulbs) and not have to hang the lights so high. If you could light your tank with a pair then you are talking the price of a 250 kit with only 42 watts of electricity.

Please post their answer.

[goodtimes]

This is the response I got from Nanotuners...

The PAR 38 lamp can handle any corals you want, but it really depends more on how many you run for a given system and how close to the water the light(s) is. You could use one or more as primary or supplemental lighting. It’s really up to you. Under standard operating conditions, the LEDs should last 4-6 years depending on how many hours the lamp is run. The warranty on the lamp is 6 months. Yes, the lamp provides the same shimmer as HQI lighting. The two primary configurations are 12k (3 white/2 blue) and 20k (3 blue/2 white). Yes, all five LEDs are in one lamp. It uses a standard e26 socket, which means that any fixture out there that you can screw a standard light bulb into will work.

So I am still not convinced 100%. I asked for some pics from them of tanks lit with these.

[goodtimes]

My biggest concern is coverage, I guess I can wait unitil the new ones are out. I wonder what the price difference might be.

[goodtimes]

Just want to bring this back to the top to try and get some input. I am really close to ordering but would like some input. I know on some other threads people were excited about japenese spotlights so I thought they may like these.

[kmu]

Im gonna follow this thread up close since those par38 lamps are made by Evilc66 who is known to be the LED guru on nano-reefs.

Gonna wait for the new optics mentioned and might order one...

[kc350twin]

It would be nice to have a scale that would show the coverage of a single lamp at a set height. I am looking closely at these as well. I have a 24x24x16 and I was thinking 4 of them about 10" above the water.

[Keiki Moana]

goodtimes: evil has a long thread at nanoreef on LEDS...its really good (but long)

[kmu]

Awsome... I will definitelly get at least one in the future...

[rick88]

so can these do more than suplement sps? i would love to run only LEDs but have yet to be convinced. it took my a while to trust the t5s to haha

[RaKe]

I think this is awesome, when I set up a nano, I will definitely be looking into these.

[gotfrogs]

I am considering using these on a track light to replace a dual 150w DE MH setup on a gallon rimless tank. How many of these would I need to more or less be equivalent to two 150 MHs?
I assume the LEDS would work with the HA120 track light head for sale here http://www.ledgrowlights.com/sales_retail.htm ?

[Tang Salad]

I just got one of these in the mail today. Thanks, EvilC. :)

This is the 20,000K Version (2W/3B). These pictures are to show the spread and intensity, not the color! (As others have noted before me, it's tricky to get cameras to capture the true colors of LEDs... it'll take some tweaking.) The actual color is a very crisp Blue-white.

This is a 24"x12"x16" deep 20g tank.
Here is the light 12" over the surface:
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/53/pc025314.jpg

Here it's 6" over the surface:
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8534/pc025321.jpg


The light is very bright, especially in the center. The shimmer is very strong and the color is great.

As it stands now, I'll probably redo my aquascaping to take more advantage of the spotlight effect.

[Hamerhed]

I have a 20g 24x12x16 tank also and like those lights but they seem very fucused in the pictures. Too focused really. IS that just from the effect of the camera or are they really that spotty?

What do you think about having 1 at either end of the tank but pointing at the opposite side? Would 2 be overkill on such a little tank?

[Tang Salad]

I have a 20g 24x12x16 tank also and like those lights but they seem very fucused in the pictures. Too focused really. IS that just from the effect of the camera or are they really that spotty?

What do you think about having 1 at either end of the tank but pointing at the opposite side? Would 2 be overkill on such a little tank?
In reality the transition from the brightest area to the dimmest is much more subtle. It's not quite as dramatic as the photos show, but it's still a spotlight. Don't forget though, it's designed, marketed and sold as a 'spotlight'. ;)

I think 2 on a 20g would be excellent.

[kmu]

Those pictures are awsome, Im definitelly gonna wait for the newer optics to come out for a wider coverage...

[Tang Salad]

I'd like to know, maybe EvilC can answer, but can the optics be easily switched out?

[kmu]

Tang salad,

How do you think the coverage would be on a 12" cube?

[gotfrogs]

I'd like to know, maybe EvilC can answer, but can the optics be easily switched out?

One of the reviews that I read said that they could be changed.

[Gremraf]

That is a very good looking light. I can see lots of applications, will have to keep it in mind for the future.

[Creetin]

Where can we purchase these?
So i want to light up say my tank at 6 ft by 3 ft how many would i need?
Thanks

[gotfrogs]

Where can we purchase these?
So i want to light up say my tank at 6 ft by 3 ft how many would i need?
Thanks
You can buy them here: http://www.nanocustoms.com/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=213

[Tang Salad]

Tang salad,

How do you think the coverage would be on a 12" cube?
It would be beautiful. In fact, I can't imagine a better light for a 12" cube. And I've played with plenty of lights in my time. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Hamerhed]

Tang Salad or Evilc66... How many degrees spread are the ones in those photos?

[Tang Salad]

Tang Salad or Evilc66... How many degrees spread are the ones in those photos?
I'm fairly certain these are 40°.

[uhuru]

I ordered 3 for my elos mini. 1 20K with 80* optics, 2 all blue with 40* optics as recommended by evil. I'm not sure if I will use all 3. Next I need to get a track lighting system.

[Stripe01]

How much do these bulbs weigh? I'm worried they could make a desk type lamp tip over.

[uhuru]

I ordered the lights on Friday, they already shipped today! And this was with the "special order" colors and optics which are supposed to extend processing time. I'm guessing they had them in stock. I might even be able to get these running this weekend!

[kc350twin]

Oh man I'm tagging along. I am itching for some new toys. Evil I have a 40 cube shallow mixed reef. 24x24x16 sps up top and acans and zoas lower. I was thinking of doing 4 20k's. How high off the water would you recommend in this shallow of a tank. Also what is a good par number to have on the sand/lower light areas?
Also what spread optic?

[Reefer08]

I hope the prices on these drop soon. 2 of these would be awesome for supplementing my 400w MH.

[uhuru]

I got them on sale, I'm pretty sure the sale price is still valid even though it was supposed to expire after thanksgiving weekend.

[Hamerhed]

Uhuru.... lets see some pics as soon as you are able I'm anxious to see the spread on the 80 degree light and how close you can put it to the water surface and still get decent coverage

[Hamerhed]

hey are these lights good for BTAs and quadracolors?

[kmu]

I ordered 3 for my elos mini. 1 20K with 80* optics, 2 all blue with 40* optics as recommended by evil. I'm not sure if I will use all 3. Next I need to get a track lighting system.

Will be waiting for your pics and review...

[uhuru]

Yes, I will be documenting the set up. Here is a pic of my tank with temporary T5's. I am hoping to achieve a more dramatic, deep water look with these spotlights.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/icientyouth/IMG_9579.jpg

[kc350twin]

Can anyone post some examples of cool light fixtures to house these lights?

Can it be track lighting like this?

http://images.arcadianlighting.com/primary/0062/WAC-188.jpg

[kc350twin]

I was thinking if making my track as wide or wider than the tank and then pointing them in diagonally like many spot set ups I've seen. Would this work better than having them point straight down or it does not matter as long as you have the correct optics and height? If that makes sense.

[JACOXVIII]

hi i have a 155 bow front and would like to do away with the 3 250 reeflux i have

what would it take to light my tank

thanks jake

[butts182]

[violation]



Since your boss knows better, your stay is going to be very short if you keep shilling this business

[kmu]

*edit*

[JoshPremierAuto]

I'm very interested in LED's. Does anyone make a whole lighting fixture for a 72" tank? Has anyone switched from MH or T5 to LED's without losing growth?

[wrestle1952]

I would caution those of you that have larger reefs specifically for SPS. I have 500 watts of MH over a 40 gallon breeder (I know overkill) and looking for a lighting alternative. The beautiful picture of the tank above is basically non-photosynthetic corals so any current LED lighting is sufficient. I saw a nano tank at my LFS with built in LED lighting equivalent to a 150 watt MH. It was awesome to say the least. It won't be long before a retrofit system is available suitable for larger tanks. There is a seller on Ebay that has a unit starting at $238.00 that is equal to a 175 watt MH system. I am trying to be patient since I have a SPS dominated tank. I am enjoying the growth and color of my corals and don't want to compromise them for something that might work at this point.

[kc350twin]

I think everyone is cautious at this point. I will not purchase these until I have a PAR meter first. I think a meter is a must anymore. If you serious about reefing anyway.

[Stripe01]

I just hooked up my par38, it has the 60 degree optics.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010450.jpg

[kc350twin]

How do you like it? It looks a little dark on the right. Is it just the pic like most are claiming? It doesn't photo well from what others have said. Plus I'm on my phone so it's not easy to see.

[Stripe01]

It wasn't centered in that photo, it seems to get good coverage on the sides. I wish I could test the par though, to make sure that the corals on the sides are actually enough light. It looks so much better in person.

[Stripe01]

Here's a photo of it running with my 18w single satellite fixture.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010453.jpg

[Hamerhed]

It looks good to me. How high off the water do you have it?

[Stripe01]

About 8 inches.

[connecticut cichlids]

They are definately nice lights. I wonder if the new 60 or 80 degree optics would be enough to light a 2x2x2 cube?

[uhuru]

The main light has arrived! I thought all 3 had shipped but I guess my 2 all blue spotlights are still being made. So I have the 80* 20K now, I will still try to set this one up this weekend. Will be nice to see how it is by itself anyways.

[kc350twin]

Does anyone know what the equivalent of 4 20k Par38's in a MH?

This is my biggest hang up when it comes to LED's. The industry right now seems to base all new lighting systems to Metal Halides.

[Stripe01]

Here's a shot of the whole setup, you can really see how bright the light is.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010454.jpg

[kc350twin]

I see three kinds of track light and was wondering what I'm supposed to use. Obviously not the "low voltage" but there is "Line Level" and "Linear". What's the diference?
Lowes had the linear and the plug that attaches did not have a ground does that matter?

Kc3

[kc350twin]

Is that 400 par on the sand at 18"?

Would the 40 degree have enough to cover the 24x24x16? If your measuring them at 30" above the sand that would put these lights above the tank rim about 12-14"s.

Most likely I will just have to buy a par meter and one to test.
Any chance on a loaner unit to test? I will pay a loaner fee as well.



Sorry for all the questions but there is few with experience with these.

[kc350twin]

Here's a shot of the whole setup, you can really see how bright the light is.

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010454.jpg

Stripe is that pic with the CF off?

[kmu]

How many par 38 lamps are needed to cover a 12"x12" area? or a 12" cube?

THX in advance

[gotfrogs]

http://www.gotfrogs.com/images/LED/38PAR_LED_1sm.jpg
http://www.gotfrogs.com/images/LED/38PAR_LED_2sm.jpg
http://www.gotfrogs.com/images/LED/38PAR_LED_3sm.jpg
I got one in the mail today. I am not sure what I think about it yet. I do know that I don't like the track light setup that I got from Lowe's. The actual socket assembly is too big and ugly for my rimless tank.

[uhuru]

I got one mounted on the Lowes track light too. The 20K is very blue. Still waiting for 2 more! The track light is kinda cheapy but you get what you pay for. I don't mind it too much, but my lights are mounted pretty far from my tank so it doesn't really take away from the rimless elos. Directly over a nice rimless tank then yeah I can see it looking kinda bulky.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/icientyouth/DSC02780.jpg

[kc350twin]

gotfrogs- what is your color and optics?

[gotfrogs]

I got the one with only two blue LEDs and stock 40 deg optics. I also bought a set of 60 optics that I will use if i decide to use the light. The 40 deg optics really do produce a spot light effect.

[kc350twin]

Evil66 I'll pm you. I think it too many posts between here and Nano reef. I was going to do 4 40 degree 20k's. I may be confusing you a bit with all my questions. :)

Plus I just saw the optics are changable and that helps with my decision.
I would like to mount them high off the water. I currently have my 250w MH 12" above the water.

[connecticut cichlids]

Just placed my order for a 20k bulb... :)

[Stripe01]

Here's a current FTS of mine.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010503.jpg
My pokerstar monti and birdsnest are doing great so far.

[connecticut cichlids]

That looks real nice... That's the 20k bulb right?

[Stripe01]

That looks real nice... That's the 20k bulb right?

Yes, it's the 20k. It took me awhile to get use to it, but now I'm really happy with the purchase.

[homeboyreefer]

would love more info on these, as to what kind of coverage at what heights per degrees of optics

[kmu]

would love more info on these, as to what kind of coverage at what heights per degrees of optics

This info is what we need to choose the right optics...

[homeboyreefer]

ok so i spoke to someone at nanotuners, and he said that with 40 degree optics 30" off the ground one would get a 12" radius of light, so with that said i'm assuming that

60 degree optics @ 30" would result in a 18" radius

80 degree optics @ 30" would result in a 24" radius

does this sound correct? obviously par would decrease in relation to the increase in spread

[Drag Racer]

Just ordered my 12k 80 degree tonight. Hope its not to bulky to build a nice holder for it. Wife doesnt like the idea of a off the wall or hang from the cieling fixture. Man its hard to make them happy.

[CalmSeasQuest]

I rec'd my 12K 80 degree today for a sump/frag tank test - First impressions, it's seems much bluer than 12K, gives off more heat than I expected (much more than the 26W CF it replaced but still WAY less than MH.) and it's lighter than expected. I rigged my into a cheap home depot clamp on work light after ditching the shield.

It's going to work great for my use (very close up) but puts out less visible light than I expected (not sure what PAR would be, or how corals will respond yet.)

All in all, I really like it, just don't expect the light output to "feel" like a MH.

[Drag Racer]

I rec'd my 12K 80 degree today for a sump/frag tank test - First impressions, it's seems much bluer than 12K, gives off more heat than I expected (much more than the 26W CF it replaced but still WAY less than MH.) and it's lighter than expected. I rigged my into a cheap home depot clamp on work light after ditching the shield.

It's going to work great for my use (very close up) but puts out less visible light than I expected (not sure what PAR would be, or how corals will respond yet.)

All in all, I really like it, just don't expect the light output to "feel" like a MH.


You have a pic of it you can post? Would like to see the coverage of the 80 degree. And the color of the 12k. Everyone that posted pics is of the 20k and is too blue for my taste

[connecticut cichlids]

The 20k definatly gives the tank water that " windex " look....which I love!

[homeboyreefer]

calm are you using the 80 to light sps frags or lps softies, i was also thinking of using one of these on a 12" high tank for sps frags with the 80 degree optics really really close to the water around 4 inches above water line, i'm wondering what your impressions of the 80 deg optics light intensity and spread about 16 to 18 inches high

[CalmSeasQuest]

calm are you using the 80 to light sps frags or lps softies, i was also thinking of using one of these on a 12" high tank for sps frags with the 80 degree optics really really close to the water around 4 inches above water line, i'm wondering what your impressions of the 80 deg optics light intensity and spread about 16 to 18 inches high

I'm using it to create a small frag tank in the center section of a sump. Sorry the photos are not very clear. They are not post processed and appear much bluer than than in person. The PAR38 12K appears much bluer (with a hint of purple) than the 150W 14K Phoenix used in the DT.

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy141/tconwell/DSC_0109.jpg

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy141/tconwell/DSC_0087.jpg
The PAR38 does not look as bright as it does in the photos. The lamp is about 6" above the water and 9" above the frags. Using the 80 degree optics, the full intensity light is only about 8" in diameter - after which it drops off sharply.

I have a mixed reef and am testing this usage with various types of corals - It will be some time before I know how successful it will be (especially with SPS.) that said, so far I like the bulb for this application - I don't have any PAR readings, so I'm just guessing but I don't think I would use it as primary lighting an anything other than a very small nano or frag tank.

[Stripe01]

I've had great growth so far on my superman monti and birdsnest, I realize that they are easy sps but it shows promise.

I do not find the 20k too blue at all, especially when compared to t-5 and 20k halide bulbs.

[Stripe01]

Just ordered my 12k 80 degree tonight. Hope its not to bulky to build a nice holder for it. Wife doesnt like the idea of a off the wall or hang from the cieling fixture. Man its hard to make them happy.

Use the ikea or office depot clamp on fixtures.

[Drag Racer]

Calm what size tank is that you have and what light fixture is on it?

[CalmSeasQuest]

Calm what size tank is that you have and what light fixture is on it?

CadLight 39G Pro - 39 gallon DT +12 gallon sump. The current light fixture is the stock CadLight 150W MH running a 14K Phoenix, 2x T5s and moonlight LEDS .

All temporary though, a 2 unit Aqua Illumination is being delivered next week :)

[homeboyreefer]

nice tank calm, so it doesnt look like even the 80 degree optics offer much in terms of spread when lowered down, i figure i'm going to order the 80 with 20k and see if that will light up my sps frags but if not i guess it can always be a zoa,lps frag farm.

on a side note, i cant wait to see how the AI leds work for you as i've really wanted those lights but just don't have the ching for them to light up my cube, must be nice!!!:)

[rick88]

why is there no straight answer on sps are we avoiding the word "NO" or waiting for someone to prove the lights capabilities. (im refering to most all sps not just monti's and birdsnest's)

[williah]

I'm curious, has anyone who purchased this light run PAR readings at varying depths, say 6", 12", 24", 36"?

[CalmSeasQuest]

I'm curious, has anyone who purchased this light run PAR readings at varying depths, say 6", 12", 24", 36"?

Evil posted PAR charts on another forum, I'm not sure if RC allows me to post a link. Using the 80 degree optics, at 14" PAR was 150-200

Perhaps Evil will post all the PAR data here? :)

I'm keeping lots of SPS under mine - but it's only been up for a couple weeks AND the lamp is only 9" above the frags providing a very small coverage area (about 10" diameter) It's too soon to make a definitive determination but so far so good.

If it works 1/2 as good as the AI LEDS (used on the DT in the pic below) I'll be very happy. :D

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy141/tconwell/20090112.jpg

[chasekwe]

Could you give the exact dimensions of the light? How long is the fixture, what is the diameter at the largest point?

[CalmSeasQuest]

Could you give the exact dimensions of the light? How long is the fixture, what is the diameter at the largest point?

About 5" deep and 5" max diameter - Much like an outdoor flood light.

[mirkus]

To estimate the spread of 80 degree lens just google a triangle calculator and input your distance and angle. With that said, I have two 80 degrees on my tank and it covers 30 x22 inches okay. The lights are 10 to 11 inches off the water.

[beeker]

post pics of your PAR38 setups please :] i need to see some more convincing images, lol

[Cozen89]

you can see some shots of my par38 bulb over my 20 gallon long here. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1777124

It is 20K with an 80degree spread. The light fall off on the sides of the tank aren't as bad as the pic shows. It does drop off a bit, but that's perfect for me as I plan on keeping yumas in the shaded sides.

[homeboyreefer]

why is there no straight answer on sps are we avoiding the word "NO" or waiting for someone to prove the lights capabilities. (im refering to most all sps not just monti's and birdsnest's)


plus one i really want to light a frag tank with these but just so little official info, i guess it is made by a small company so they don't have the resources to do any tests or want to. we'll have to wait until maybe grimreefer do some par and spread tests ?

[fewskillz]

I ordered one this morning. If I don't like it it's going over my 3 gallon Pico or getting sold.

If I like it, I'm ordering 5 more and lighting my 180! I'll probably have to get a t5 strip light or something for coverage, but I'm going to try the spotlights by themselves first.

[wayne in norway]

Do you have a LUX : PAR conversion factor? Always curious.....

Do you have any data on the amount of depreciation of light output with time. I believe the CREE's you use fare a lot better than other LED's?

[Cozen89]

Your tank looks good Evil. Thanks for posting those par charts. I'm not too familiar with the par required for different types of coral. What amount of PAR would you say is sufficient for LPS, and also for softies such as ricordeas?

[Psionicdragon]

ok, i think i am dumb...i can read a tax return, but can't read and understand the charts....

so how much par do i get on a 30-40 inch distance ?

how many of these units do i need to run for a 60x18x24 mix reef tank?

[Haksar]

How high is the light from the tank.Any idea what wattage are you getting with this light.
Is it equal to 250W or 400W MH.

[Haksar]

Thanks Evil,so your lights are at least 30-40 inch above water level or more I presume
I just bought a 2 x 279 W ( 240 W - 80 x 3 W 14k white and 39 W 460 nm blue) for my 150x50x50cms DT with mainly SPS reef.I have set it at 15 inches above water level.Do you think I shoudl raise it further up considering your set up.Its been one week since I got this lights.So far all my corals are happy and no bleaching yet.I don't have a PAR meter so no idea how much PAR my tank is getting.

[karsco]

Evil, just a quick question. I am looking at this light to light an area of my sump for a frag grow (mainly SPS & Acans) out area. I only need to light about a 10" x 12" area, the water depth is about 10", and I can mount the light probably about a 12"-18" above the water line. Would this light work well in this application?

[Stripe01]

Here's an updated shot of my 5g ADA, I just have two sps at the moment which are both birdsnest and they are growing good.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010581.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii162/audio101/P1010582.jpg

[Cozen89]

Depends on the corals, but most softies can tollerate around 100 PAR. Some are a little more picky than other, but with the falloff in PAR as you move away from directly underneath the lamp, there is always a spot that will work for them. Lps are the same way, but most can tollerate higher PAR when acclimated. I have frogspawn in about a 200 PAR area of the tank, and it does fine.

Thanks for your response. By tollerate 100 par, I'm guessing you mean they like less. I'm going to concentrate on yumas and ricordeas. Maybe some zoas. I have an 80degree lamp about 20 inches off the sand bed. So according to your chart I'm looking at around 100par on the sand bed and 200 par on top of my rock-200 directly under the lamp, and around 30-80 par off to the sides. So I think I'm good right?

[skippyreef]

WOuld these spots work to light specific areas of a 24" tank lit primarily with MH????

[Aquabacs]

A few pics of mine
http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r332/Aquabacs/ARTISAN%2050%20G/IMG_4920.jpg
http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r332/Aquabacs/ARTISAN%2050%20G/IMG_4927.jpg
http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r332/Aquabacs/ARTISAN%2050%20G/IMG_4936-1.jpg

Mike

[karsco]

Mike where did you get the clamp on fixture for your bulbs? Looks good by the way...

Scott

[Aquabacs]

Thanks Scott. My build is on my homepage. The fixtures are available through RC sponsor AquaTouch.

Mike

[Cozen89]

here's a pic of my tank with my par38 bulb. It's an 80 degree spread placed @ 10 inches off the surface of the water. I'm aiming to place high light requirement corals in the middle, and yumas/shrooms on the much dimmer sides.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davenip/4318342814/" title="IMG_1445 by _dpn_, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4318342814_8e2cb64a5b_b.jpg" width="1024" height="681" alt="IMG_1445" /></a>

[je_unc]

I apologize if this is somewhat of a hijack, but I think it'll be an interesting case study for evil... I have a 90g tech tank (4ft) and am currently running an outer orbit 2x250w hqi metal halide and 4x54w t5ho's. I need to order replacement bulbs (2 metal halides and 4 t5's) which will cost me about $330 for quality bulbs that I can count on for a year. Instead of ordering new bulbs, I am considering lighting the entire tank with evil's par38s.

It's a deep tank - about 22" when you factor sand, but I don't keep anything very deep that needs a ton of light... The tank is 4ft long and about 17" wide. How many par38s would I need to light it sufficiently? How would the amount of light available to corals compare to my current setup?

Evil uses 5 par38s on his 40 breeder. My tank has the about the same footprint, but it's just 9 inches deeper. So if I don't keep anything that needs a ton of light on the bottom of the tank, 5 par38s should do the trick - right?

Think about the cost difference. Even without selling the outer orbit, if I have to replace bulbs in the next two years - that's $660.

I could buy 5 par38s for $500 and probably get the track lighting done for about $100. That doesn't even begin to include energy costs.

What do you guys (and evil) think? I know par38s were designed with nano tanks in mind. Am I crazy for trying to light a 90g with them?

[Sold4JC]

I have been tossing around lighting my 90 gallon tank with Par38s too. I think the ability to focus light in a certain area of the tank is a big plus. I think the beams of light in the tank would look very natural like rays of sun light penetrating the water. I was wondering what optics would be best to light a bigger tank and if you should use a mixture of bulb colors. If anyone has used these on a larger tank please let us know. I would love to see pictures and hear feedback from a person with a tank 75 gallons and up.

[je_unc]

I apologize if this is somewhat of a hijack, but I think it'll be an interesting case study for evil... I have a 90g tech tank (4ft) and am currently running an outer orbit 2x250w hqi metal halide and 4x54w t5ho's. I need to order replacement bulbs (2 metal halides and 4 t5's) which will cost me about $330 for quality bulbs that I can count on for a year. Instead of ordering new bulbs, I am considering lighting the entire tank with evil's par38s.

It's a deep tank - about 22" when you factor sand, but I don't keep anything very deep that needs a ton of light... The tank is 4ft long and about 17" wide. How many par38s would I need to light it sufficiently? How would the amount of light available to corals compare to my current setup?

Evil uses 5 par38s on his 40 breeder. My tank has the about the same footprint, but it's just 9 inches deeper. So if I don't keep anything that needs a ton of light on the bottom of the tank, 5 par38s should do the trick - right?

Think about the cost difference. Even without selling the outer orbit, if I have to replace bulbs in the next two years - that's $660.

I could buy 5 par38s for $500 and probably get the track lighting done for about $100. That doesn't even begin to include energy costs.

What do you guys (and evil) think? I know par38s were designed with nano tanks in mind. Am I crazy for trying to light a 90g with them?

So I blew it on the dimensions of a 40 breeder - it's a 3ft tank - mine is a 4ft tank. So my tank is 9 inches deeper and a foot longer...

[Masoch]

Evil,

Do you have plans for anything with lousy colour, but high PAR? I run a turf scrubber (8" x 8") with a couple 24 watt compact flos. Lots PAR when new, but the PAR drops quickly @ 3 months. If I could get a decent LED solution together, I'd switch in a heartbeat since I don't like the number of bulbs I have to throw out.

[je_unc]

It can certainly be done. To start off, I'd use at least 6 or 7 with 40 degree optics. You should be able to hit 250W MH PAR levels throughout the height of the tank, but with a more narrow focus. 6 or 7 lamps should keep coverage reasonable, but PAR will still rise and fall as you transistion from one lamp to the next. What is great here is that if you need more light in a certain area, it's not hard to add one, especially if you use track lighting to mount everything. I would think that you would have to add one or two more over time as you figure out where you need more light.

When you say "250W MH PAR levels" - do you mean as if I had a single 250W over the tank or the equivalent of 250W MH PAR equally distributed?

[je_unc]

I'm going to go for it. 6 of evil's lamps over a 90g 4ft tank. Now the question is - what color temps and how many of each. Evil, I noticed that you mixed 12k and 20k bulbs over your 40b with an all blue in the center. Would you do it the same way if you had it to do over again? Do you think the all blue bulb adds anything? I know you said 40 degree optics, but would I want an all blue or two with a wider spread? Those are a lot of questions, but I really appreciate your insight.

[Mustang Boy]

he mentioned throughout the height of the tank which leads me to believe that you will get that PAR reading across the entire top of the tank with a slight PAR dropoff between bulbs

now i have not used these bulbs but i have seen a bunch of people on another nano reef site that love them and i am planning on getting these bulbs in the future for future tanks because i love everything im reading about the new LED lighting that is hitting the market

[ransomed4ever]

I was wondering if there is a differnce in PAR numbers between 12K and 20K like in metal halides, or if LEDs didn't vary based on kelvin temp?

[beeker]

PAR for 12k is the same as 20k the Cree leds in White and Blue put out the same PAR evilc66 told me that even if you went with an all blue PAR 38 bulb you would still get PAR the same as the 12k the spectrum is the only difference all the LEDs are 3 watt

I'm setting up a 200g DD tank and most lilkely will be using these spot lights to light it, of course it will be trial and error as everything is, but these lights look like the best option

he has the lights 33 inches of the sand on his 40br so on the 200g DD that puts the lights about 6 inches off the water, IMO that would be enough for PAR at the bottom to keep softies and lps and at about 5-10 inches off the bottom i should be able to keep sps perfectly fine

[Mustang Boy]

Correct. It's not as even of PAR coverage as with a DIY LED setup, but that could be a good thing. It can give you a little more variety on where to place corals that you normally wouldn't be able to do with other light options. One thing to keep in mind is that while the coverage on the sand will be pretty good, the cone shape of the light output will make the upper portions of the tank not evenly illuminated. Again, you can take advantage of that fact with lamp, rock and coral placement.


i think that effect would make for a really nice reef tank since you wont have the levels of corals ei. bottom being all softies then working up to LPS then SPS. With this kind of lighting you could have everything from softies to SPS throughout most of a tank which would make for a very nice tank

[Mustang Boy]

i have seen something like that done with a MH before it looked pretty neat. he had a rock structure near the MH and it tapered off to just open sand where there was a macro area where there was less light.

[sjfishguy]

Here is a pretty cool tool someone one a local board came across
http://www.trashboard.de/wp-content/uploads/illumination.swf

[Psionicdragon]

The 40 degree optics give you the most PAR at the greatest depth. If you look a the third chart, you can see that you get ~15-130 PAR at 30", depending on how far off center you are from the lamp.

For a tank of your size, I would say you would need at least 6 lamps mounted about 30-34" off the sand to get a good mix of light levels for a good mixed reef.



So from reading so far, the par doesn't really variate from 12k to 20k. so for SPS, what color combination should I go for and should I still go for 40 optics on all 6? Also, should a small fan be blown against the heatsink?

[Psionicdragon]

I got one mounted on the Lowes track light too. The 20K is very blue. Still waiting for 2 more! The track light is kinda cheapy but you get what you pay for. I don't mind it too much, but my lights are mounted pretty far from my tank so it doesn't really take away from the rimless elos. Directly over a nice rimless tank then yeah I can see it looking kinda bulky.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/icientyouth/DSC02780.jpg

Do you have the model number for that track and how much it cost? Is it a pluggable one or one that has to be wired to the house lights?

[Psionicdragon]

Odd, I couldn't find those fixtures at lowes or HD.

[lovetoreef]

any luck with coming up with a new version with some form of red to bring out the reds in our corals??

[Psionicdragon]

should do a rainbow LED bulb :P jk might be interesting though.

Waiting for Nanotuners to get more of the 20k in stock and need to find the fixture before I can buy anything :P

Would a thin acrylic sheet covering the opening of the tank affect the light?

[lovetoreef]

You know, I have been waiting on the LEDs I need for my test lamp. Gonna have to bug some people tomorrow about that. I have tried one setup already and it's very close. Red LEDs are certainly not the way to go.

great i will hold out to order another bulb until these news are ready - thanks for the update ... where do you guys typically announce when these are ready?

[JTL]

Evil,
I have a 44x24x22.5 and would like to put the Par 38 lamps over it. There is a couple of inches of sand and I can set the lights at any level above the tank (I have no ceiling constraints). I am just getting started so all I have is various SPS coral frags and a few fish. I plan on adding some LPS later on. I was thinking about 5 lamps, maybe two 12k and two 20k or maybe three 12K and two 20K. What do you think, anyone can chime in if they want.

[lovetoreef]

i would probably think closer to 7 lamps to completely cover the setup ... you can use several of the 80 degree lens, but, may consider the 60 degree to highlight certain areas..

[lovetoreef]

You know, I have been waiting on the LEDs I need for my test lamp. Gonna have to bug some people tomorrow about that. I have tried one setup already and it's very close. Red LEDs are certainly not the way to go.

any progress on the new bulbs?

[balistikb]

I am interested in learning more. What should I expect to get for a 96L x 24w x 30H tank?

[kmu]

I just placed an order for a 12"x12"x12" cube and want to use a single 20k bulb, should I go with 40, 60 or 80 degree optics?

Evil66: are there new bulbs commming out? should I wait?

THX in advance

[fishoutawater]

I'm building a 16" cube display, would the 60 deg optics be my best bet as well? I really don't want to light the glass so don't need light spread to the edges. The tank will most likely be a LPS tank with a few zoa's or paly's mixed in.

[rick88]

evilc66....what would i need to light a 25x18x18 for sps? i would like to mix your 20ks and a 2x red 3x royal blue and maybe an all blue, just curious of how many it would take to survive all sps

[OldNemo]

Evil

I am setting up a 40 breeder SPS BB tank with canopy and have 4 T5 set up but want to add one or two of the Par38 bulbs. Here is the canopy.

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab118/HairyGary01/Reef%20Photos/DSCN1912.jpg

http://i855.photobucket.com/albums/ab118/HairyGary01/Reef%20Photos/DSCN1858.jpg

I would like to stick one in each back corner.

Thoughts on bulbs???

The rock structure will be one maybe two bonsai type columns.

Thanks!!!

[kmu]

I got a 48x18x18 reeftank with an ATI sunpower 6x48" bulbs and thinking of doing something different and replacing the ATI for a bank of par38s maybe 5 or 6 of them.

something like 20k(60)-12k(60)-Blue(80)-12k(60)-20k(60)

what do you guys think?

[OldNemo]

Looks tight in there. What are you looking to get from adding the lamps?



Possibly a little more PAR but mainly shimmer. I am also looking at some LED strips.

About what size are the lamps?

Thanks

[JTL]

Evil, what are wide angle supplementals?

[JTL]

Ok, I think I get it.

[zygote2k]

Here's a picture of my 60 cube with 3 PAR 38's 8" above the water. My SPS look better than ever and the shimmer effect is like nothing else except the real ocean.http://www.wamas.org/forums/uploads/1267284151/med_gallery_2631654_582_536847.jpg
http://www.wamas.org/forums/uploads/1267284151/med_gallery_2631654_582_729906.jpg

I really like the spotlight look as opposed to the unnatural effect of making a box full of light.

[zygote2k]

almost forgot this one.http://www.wamas.org/forums/uploads/1267755959/gallery_2631654_582_179561.jpg

[JTL]

zygote, are those 12k or 20k. Looks very nice.

[zygote2k]

20k's

[Haksar]

almost forgot this one.http://www.wamas.org/forums/uploads/1267755959/gallery_2631654_582_179561.jpg

Nice set up zygote2k.How long have you set up this light and what is the growth on the SPS.Do you have any before and after pics.The PAR 38 has how many LED and what is the wattage.

I have a 01 PAR 38 with 8 1 W LED usinng it in my refugium now to grow cheatos.So far I am having excellant growth.Thinking of adding some frags there.

[zygote2k]

This set-up has only been running for a month. I experienced zero color loss after switching from 400w mh. SPS are growing as usual.

[Haksar]

This set-up has only been running for a month. I experienced zero color loss after switching from 400w mh. SPS are growing as usual.

Thanks.What is the wattage.

[rtparty]

Evil,

What color temp are you going to call this one? Is it gonna replace the current 20k bulb?

I am putting together an order and still trying to figure out what I want. This new bulb might be what I am looking for. Will it help bring out other colors that the original 20k lacked?

[JTL]

I am also waiting for the shipment to come in to place an order. I was originally thinking about 3-12k and 2-20, but now I am wondering if they will blend together or be spots of blue and spots of white. Evil, what are the LED's that come in the bulbs before you change them out. I think it said 6500 on the lamp base. I like a crisp white with tint of blue for all round use, but it would be nice I guess to be able to use the 20K for moon lights.

[Mustang Boy]

you wont be able to use the 20Ks as moonlights they are too bright it would be like leaving your display lights on 24/7

[zygote2k]

I'd just like to say that these are the best lights that I've ever used to light a reef tank. Endless possibilities with the different optics and spotlight capabilities. No more 'box full of light' look!

[JTL]

Thank you for all of the information. Cannot wait to see them in action.

[kmu]

I'd just like to say that these are the best lights that I've ever used to light a reef tank. Endless possibilities with the different optics and spotlight capabilities. No more 'box full of light' look!

cool,

can you please post full tank/lights picture? just wantedto see how you are mounting the par 38's

[JTL]

Wow. Thanks bud :) Good to hear people enjoying them.

Evil, It really helps when you have first hand experience and post PAR's, not to mention all of the questions that you answer. Thanks.

On the subject of questions, do these look like they would work for a fixture?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200433498353

[ohclereef01]

I really wish there was a video of accurate light production in the tank. Some of the pics are just not doing the product justice it seems. Maybe someone at ReefStock will have an HD cam to really put on a show for us.

.. ok my question.. I have an odd size tank 33L 48x13x12. Whats the recommendation? 4x 60 degree? Currently I have an IC660 T5 4 bulb setup waiting to be put on the tank.. was looking at LED for 'shimmer' now I'm looking at a full fledged LED solution and scrapping the current PC(in use) T5(build stage) :)

[JTL]

IIRC Evil had some pics and PAR values in one of the threads.

[Psionicdragon]

Evil, It really helps when you have first hand experience and post PAR's, not to mention all of the questions that you answer. Thanks.

On the subject of questions, do these look like they would work for a fixture?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200433498353

Wouldn't that cover up the heat sink? I was told that it is best to find something more open to allow air to pass through the heat sinks.

[Konolua]

So I think I missed it, sorry, but are these PAR38's your MAIN tank lights? You say these replace 400w MH? What kind of ballasts run them? Are they hotter/cooler than halides? Cost less?

I can not believe how cool your tank looks with these!!!

[evilc66]

Looks like some of my discussions on this thread stepped over into "commercial" territory, so I've been getting in trouble and all my posts have been pulled from the thread. So, doesn't look like I'll be talking about these much. I'm not taking a stab at the RC Mod staff, just playing by the rules from this point.

[zygote2k]

I'll be building a light system on a 215 using 9) PAR38's with 40 degree optics. There will be 3 clusters of 3) bulbs spotlighting 3 seperate columns.

Yes- I replaced my 400 mh with 3 of these on my 60 cube.

[plancton]

I got a PM from Evil and he says that the PAR38 bulb with 40degree lenses give about the same PAR as a 250MH in a 12" ratio. That sounds so good. He also told me they have useful life of 50 000 hours.

Does that mean 50 000 until they burn out and don´t light again, or 50 000 hours of useful light for corals?. If so, then turning them on for only 8 hours a day would yield in 16 years of use till replacement?, that sounds like the best investment I could have done.

I´m so excited I just ordered two with 60 degree lenses for my 40gal, I will also be using 2x 24watt t5 with independent parabolic reflectors, so I would probably get more light than before when I had 5x24 watt t5.

I´ll post my results when I get them.

[reefdude135]

I checked with evil at the Captive Reefs lighting sub-forum and he states that LEDs do have a drop off over time... did not clarify whether it was functioning light or until usable drop off occurs.

[plancton]

Can somebody clarify that? he told me 50 000 hours of useful life, don't know if that's functioning light or unit usable drop off.

[evilc66]

[violation]

[Crackerballer]

So does anyone have a large set of these over a large tank? I'm talking 12-15 Lamps over a 4 or 5 foot tank.

I am wanting to do a 60x30x24 rimless, but want to make these look sexy using some super sleek mounting and track lighting. I need to see how people have done it.

[plancton]

Evil, how many PAR38 and with what type of lenses would you use to substitute the same intensity and lighting area of 1x lumenmax elite reflector with 250watt hqi? and at what height would you set them up?, I got my lumenmax elite splashield at 18" from the water

[beeker]

give me 3-4 weeks and i should have 8 bulbs over half of my 200g DD tank dimensions are 48*36*27 i'm going with all 12ks to start and 40 degree optics, i will have pics the second i get them up and running i'm just hoping i don't have to wait a long time for the bulbs as i know they are on back order often and demand for them right now is pretty high

this tank will be lit by 16 PAR38's in total, 8 over each side of the tank

and i mainly keep sps so this should be a good test of their abilities

[maddog2002]

What is size of this Par 38 LED spotlight?

[evilc66]

[violation]

[JTL]

give me 3-4 weeks and i should have 8 bulbs over half of my 200g DD tank dimensions are 48*36*27 i'm going with all 12ks to start and 40 degree optics, i will have pics the second i get them up and running i'm just hoping i don't have to wait a long time for the bulbs as i know they are on back order often and demand for them right now is pretty high

this tank will be lit by 16 PAR38's in total, 8 over each side of the tank

and i mainly keep sps so this should be a good test of their abilities

Wow! That is a lot of light. I ordered 5 with 60 degree optics for my 44x24x21. I was told by both Evil and Nick at Nanotuners that would be enough. If you line 8 bulbs up they will almost touch each other down the length of the tank. Can't wait to see the effect. Are you going to use track light fixtures?

[Stripe01]

Is anyone else who is running these, noticing that their zoas/palys are losing color? I've been watching most of the bright colors fade and dull up over the past couple months. Are the leds just too bright or do they just not maintain colors of some corals very well?

[spleen93]

My zoas are actually intensifying their colors under my 20K PAR38s. of course, they're on the bottom of the tank though.

[beeker]

yeah this will all be on track lighting hung from my cieling

there will be 4 4 foot long pieces of track

each track will have 4 sockets on it, with 4 PAR38's on each track (total 16 bulbs)

the bulbs will be in rows of 4 from side to side and front to back, this IMO will give me all the flexability and coverage i need and want, the sockets on the track setup are moveable 360 degrees and the sockets themselves can be moved up and down as well as the track to get the desired hieght

i'm shooting to have these lights no higher than 5 inches off the surface of the water for the most PAR

I got the track setup this weekend and am placing my order for PAR38's this week, if it doesen't take more than 2 weeks to get the bulbs i'll have pics of the entire setup soon

then i will be trying to get my hands on a PAR meter so we can finally end the MH/T5 Vs Led debate, lol

i will have sps corals placed in the lowest parts of the light in my tank as well as frags in the higher light sections to give people the best idea of what these lights are capable of

[spleen93]

I"m worried that it's going to be too spotlight-y with 40 degree optics and only 5 inches off the water. Though with 16 bulbs, you may still be able to blend the lights together ...

[beeker]

well just talked to nanotuners today and demand for the bulbs is insane right now and their supplier can't seem to keep up, i'm hoping to have my bulbs in 2 weeks but who knows if that will happen, i'll update as i find out more info

I'm thinking that i don't need to light 100% of my tank and i want a dramatic look/effect and the spotlighting affect should add this to my tank, the lights will be focused on the rockwork for the most part with the spill off from the lights hitting the bottom floor of the tank instead of the walls

i'll have to see what it looks like in person before i make a judgement but i'm thinking it should work out perfectly for what i'm going for

[JTL]

Beeker,
The nice thing is you can always add 60 degree optics to get some spread, albeit with some loss of Par. I still can't imagine what 16 of these lamps will look like. It should be nice, but man that is some serious light. I am going to use 2 circuit tracks so that I can have 2 lighting options on each track.

I am also disappointed that Evil was cut off from giving what I thought was nothing more than good advice, unfortunately he is not the first one.

[JTL]

A few pics of mine
http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r332/Aquabacs/ARTISAN%2050%20G/IMG_4920.jpg
http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r332/Aquabacs/ARTISAN%2050%20G/IMG_4927.jpg
http://i352.photobucket.com/albums/r332/Aquabacs/ARTISAN%2050%20G/IMG_4936-1.jpg

Mike

Are the top pics 12K? Do you see a lot of difference between the 12K and the 20K? I want a hint of blue but not a lot of blue.

[beeker]

hah, maybe i am insane but it was either 2 250w MH's with T5's or all Led's, lol

I went leds so with my insanity i easily feel 16 with 40 degree optics will get the job done, haha, i was originally going to go with 12 but i hate half assing things and have learned to do things right the first time since my main tank was kindof pieced together here and there i really wanted the 200g to be done right from the start leaving me with less of a headache to deal with after it's all said and done

i'm going with 40 degree optics becuase i mainly keep sps coral, thus i need the most PAR i can get granted i'll still be testing these lights to see how low i can grow sps in this 27inch tall tank, so i will be placing sps at the very bottom of this tank just to see what these led bulbs can do

i will also be getting a PAR meter from a local reefer after i have the setup running a week or two and then i'll have pics posting numbers as well

my bulbs were sent out yesterday i hope to recieve them by monday since they are comming from cali and i'm in ohio

i will have shots of my setup the second i recieve the bulbs and get them plugged in

the first shots of my tank will be of the right side being lit only (with 8 bulbs), since i will have to buy another 8 bulbs for the left side of the tank and don't have funds for that at the moment

[JTL]

hah, maybe i am insane but it was either 2 250w MH's with T5's or all Led's, lol

I went leds so with my insanity i easily feel 16 with 40 degree optics will get the job done, haha, i was originally going to go with 12 but i hate half assing things and have learned to do things right the first time since my main tank was kindof pieced together here and there i really wanted the 200g to be done right from the start leaving me with less of a headache to deal with after it's all said and done

i'm going with 40 degree optics becuase i mainly keep sps coral, thus i need the most PAR i can get granted i'll still be testing these lights to see how low i can grow sps in this 27inch tall tank, so i will be placing sps at the very bottom of this tank just to see what these led bulbs can do

i will also be getting a PAR meter from a local reefer after i have the setup running a week or two and then i'll have pics posting numbers as well

my bulbs were sent out yesterday i hope to recieve them by monday since they are comming from cali and i'm in ohio

i will have shots of my setup the second i recieve the bulbs and get them plugged in

the first shots of my tank will be of the right side being lit only (with 8 bulbs), since i will have to buy another 8 bulbs for the left side of the tank and don't have funds for that at the moment


I think it will be really nice. Did you go 12K or 20K or a combination of both?

[kmu]

For those of you guys with par38 leds do they run warm or hot to the touch? do they direct/radiate the heat into the tank?

I got a 6x54 ATI sunpower T5 fixture and while it doesnt add too much heat into the tank with the active cooling it does it to the ambient like a small radiant 324 watt heater.

Would 6 of this par38 units generate alot less heat into the tank and ambient VS the ATI?

I know we are comparing only 120 watts of LEDs Vs 324 watts of T5s

[reefEng10]

Yes definitely less radiated head. I can't speak to whether they get hot to the touch ( I imagine they do a bit ) but LED is much more efficient than t5 so less of the electrical energy is lost as heat. So not only would there be less heat even if you had 324W of LED, you're talking about 126W ... less wattage AND more efficient double whammy in terms of reducing radiated heat as far as I understand.

For those of you guys with par38 leds do they run warm or hot to the touch? do they direct/radiate the heat into the tank?

I got a 6x54 ATI sunpower T5 fixture and while it doesnt add too much heat into the tank with the active cooling it does it to the ambient like a small radiant 324 watt heater.

Would 6 of this par38 units generate alot less heat into the tank and ambient VS the ATI?

I know we are comparing only 120 watts of LEDs Vs 324 watts of T5s

[beeker]

I'll be using 8 12k's with 40 degree optics to start, i might eventually go with some 20k's mixxed in but at this moment i'm going to try out the 12k's only, i might do a blend of 12 and 20k's if the 12k's don't look blue enough to me after i see them running

[JTL]

I would like to here from someone who has both a 12k and a 20k and get their impression of the difference. Pictures of each of them would be great. I need to complete my order so it can ship but I am undecided on the temps. So far I have 4-12k and 2-20K but I can still change the order since I am waiting for the optics. I want a crisp white with a hint of blue, but not windex blue. Can anyone help?

[biecacka]

i have a 220 that is 30 inches tall. wanting to replace MH for a better color selection thought about t5's then came across this thread. its a softy tank with a few lps in it. could these bulbs work for me?

[JTL]

I think between Beeker doing a 200 and myself doing a 110 you should have a pretty good idea very soon. I am going with a lot less light than he is but my demands are less. Stay tuned.

[spleen93]

My PAR38 bulbs are cool to the touch.

[spleen93]

I should rephrase that - the rim of the bulbs is cool to touch. The heat fins are warm.

[GaryR1984]

I'm in the process of a 2x2 Cube that will use 4 of these lights, 2x12k and 2x20k. It's frag setup.

[alcove]

why cant you get the all blue anymore?

[beeker]

i think if you e-mail nanocustoms or nanotuners you can have them mod a PAR38 bulb anyway you like it, the option may not be on the list, just e-mail them and see if they can make an all blue one for you

not sure how long the modification would take them to do but hopefully not more than 2-3 days

I'm going mainly with sps, so i will need all 16 bulbs i'm going with, i placed my order this past monday and if i get the bulbs this comming monday(next week) i should have pics up by wensday next week so stay tunned,

i won't have any corals under the PAR38's except a frag of duncan that has been my marker coral in my 200g since the start to see if the system was stable and able to keep coral alive, so far so good

[alcove]

i did contact them and they were saying that they cant make the all blues right now but they were making them in royal blue red and purple wonder why they stopped?

[beeker]

i know when i ordered my 8 PAR38's and called they said they were having a lot of demand for the bulbs and that their supplier was having a hard time keeping up, maybe thats the reason they took the violet/blue/red out of the mix for now

[Stripe01]

The all blues are still an option on their website.

[Rickyrooz1]

Following along

[beeker]

this is the 2nd round of pics of my setup, these were taken with my cell phone camera, i'll have better quality pics up tomorrow

i somehow misplaced the S hooks so i couldn't get the 4th track up last night, lol

i raised the lights to about 5 inches above the water, the spread is better now and the spot effect isn't as great, i'm going to be leaving them here until i see how the sps frag on the bottom of the tank does over the next week this will be my gauge to wether the lights have a high enough PAR at the bottom of the tank

here's some new shots

this is with 6 bulbs over the right side and 2 over the left


http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6207/37548227.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/i/37548227.jpg/)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9508/67672840.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/i/67672840.jpg/)


http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6499/92836218.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/92836218.jpg/)

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2697/10116456.jpg (http://img682.imageshack.us/i/10116456.jpg/)

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5839/61357801.jpg (http://img687.imageshack.us/i/61357801.jpg/)

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8230/34207214.jpg (http://img709.imageshack.us/i/34207214.jpg/)

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7853/43691733.jpg (http://img694.imageshack.us/i/43691733.jpg/)

[bebereef]

Thanks' it's always a plaisure to see results (pics).

[kmu]

this is the 2nd round of pics of my setup, these were taken with my cell phone camera, i'll have better quality pics up tomorrow

i somehow misplaced the S hooks so i couldn't get the 4th track up last night, lol

i raised the lights to about 5 inches above the water, the spread is better now and the spot effect isn't as great, i'm going to be leaving them here until i see how the sps frag on the bottom of the tank does over the next week this will be my gauge to wether the lights have a high enough PAR at the bottom of the tank

here's some new shots

this is with 6 bulbs over the right side and 2 over the left


http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6207/37548227.jpg (http://img10.imageshack.us/i/37548227.jpg/)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9508/67672840.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/i/67672840.jpg/)


http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6499/92836218.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/i/92836218.jpg/)

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/2697/10116456.jpg (http://img682.imageshack.us/i/10116456.jpg/)

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5839/61357801.jpg (http://img687.imageshack.us/i/61357801.jpg/)

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/8230/34207214.jpg (http://img709.imageshack.us/i/34207214.jpg/)

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/7853/43691733.jpg (http://img694.imageshack.us/i/43691733.jpg/)


Very nice!!!

Do you have 40 optics on it?

You have the LEDs 5" from the water surface, how far up is the actual light rail?



THX and congratulations...

[beeker]

yeah they all are using 40 optics, there are 8 12k bulbs running in the pic they are the only lights on in the pic and on the tank right now

the bulbs are at about 32-33 inches from the bottom of the tank (where the duncan is)

the actual rails are maybe another 10 inches above the bulbs, the track rail hangs about 5-8 inches from my stucko cieling giving me plenty of room to raise and lower the setup for increase spread or PAR

[zygote2k]

Here's video of mine on my home made light fixture. please excuse my vid skills.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU4rAZmkQvI

[beeker]

looks good man, did you use 40 or 60 optics?

here are a few new ones i took last night

I think my clams still think it's too much light, but they were both 10 inches under my 150w MH and are now 33 inches away from the 12k PAR38's with 40 optics

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5921/cross016.jpg (http://img717.imageshack.us/i/cross016.jpg/)

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/1198/cross012.jpg (http://img405.imageshack.us/i/cross012.jpg/)

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5958/cross022.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/cross022.jpg/)

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/1737/cross023.jpg (http://img33.imageshack.us/i/cross023.jpg/)

[zygote2k]

Beeker- where did you get the light fixtures? Specifically the sockets and rail?
How much?
I used 40 degrees.
I'm building another light system on a 210 that will use 5) 12k's w/ 40 degree and 4) 20k's w/ 40 degree. I'd like to use a system similiar to yours, but I need to know where to find the hardware.

[beeker]

lowes, the whole setup cost around 300-350

12 dollars a socket, 10 dollars for the end cord that powers the track, and 25 dollars for a 4 foot piece of track(they already have these made in 4 foot at lowes)

just check out their lighting department, this track setup was easy as hell to setup, you don't have to wire the socket into the track, they basically just push into the track and you turn them into it and they lock in then just plug the end cord into the track and plug it into the wall and you're done

[zygote2k]

can you give me an exact model number? I went to my local Lowes and they said they didn't carry line voltage track lighting or the pendants. This one only carries low voltage. If you have the model number, I can order it.

Thanks.

[beeker]

i'll see if i can find em give me a second

[beeker]

Portfolio 48" Black Aluminum Track Section
Item #: 169664 | Model #: 14905-001

48" Black Aluminum Track Section

48" Linear track section
Black finish
Aluminium construction grounded system
Easy to install


Portfolio Universal Matte Black Track Head - Archer
Item #: 197724 | Model #: 17308-000

Universal Matte Black Track Head - Archer

Matte Black Finish
Adjustable to Desired Positions
Can be used with PAR 20, PAR 30 or PAR 38 Bulbs
Linear Track Light Head

Portfolio 3"L Power Connector with Plug and Cord
Item #: 232976 | Model #: 105026-002

3"L Power Connector with Plug and Cord

Black finish
10 foot cord
Includes plug and cord
Linear track component

here's a link
http://www.lowes.com/pl_Track+Lighting+_4294925665_4294937087_?No=60&rpp=60


hope that helps

[JTL]

As an alternative to Lowes direct-lighting.com has a huge selection and great prices. I was impressed. I also went with 2-circuit tracks to give me a little more flexibility.

[bglegs]

Is anyone running these led's on a 6' tank.If so how many and how are hanging them.

[KRASHPD]

Does Evilc66's spotlights use the Cree XR-G's or the previous generation XR-E?

[JTL]

Don't know, but given his reputation it is probably the latest gen.

[imisky]

Does Evilc66's spotlights use the Cree XR-G's or the previous generation XR-E?

From my understanding the PAR38s are running the XR-Es

[KRASHPD]

I read that the XP-G is 46% brighter and 64% more efficient then the XR-E on Reef Builders. Also, that the LEDs will last longer. So, is a LED fixture that uses the newer XP-G worth substantially more then the Par38's or for most hobbiest, will the difference be minimal?

[beeker]

I'll just add after seeing how bright these PAR38's are in person and watching the reaction of my clams that were 10 inches away from a 150w MH and are now 33 inches away from the PAR38's the clams still look like their getting too much light in my 200g

I wouldn't want a more powerful led than what is in the light cause IMO that isn't going to help anything but the height you can mount the light from the tank

I'm still gauging coral color and growth with these, i was hoping to get a PAR meter this past weekend but the person i talked to never got back to me, so i don't have any numbers at the moment

To me these lights are perfect, upgrading to a more effecient led would be better than upgrading to a brighter led IMO, lol

[GSMguy]

I'll just add after seeing how bright these PAR38's are in person and watching the reaction of my clams that were 10 inches away from a 150w MH and are now 33 inches away from the PAR38's the clams still look like their getting too much light in my 200g

I wouldn't want a more powerful led than what is in the light cause IMO that isn't going to help anything but the height you can mount the light from the tank

I'm still gauging coral color and growth with these, i was hoping to get a PAR meter this past weekend but the person i talked to never got back to me, so i don't have any numbers at the moment

To me these lights are perfect, upgrading to a more effecient led would be better than upgrading to a brighter led IMO, lol

The XP-G is more efficient, thats why its 46% brighter at the same wattage.

It would be nice if they kept the current PAR-38 with the XP-E and lowered the price a bit while offering the new XP-G at a higher price.

[beeker]

I've heard that they aren't offering anything but XR-Es on this lamp because of the lack of optics choices for the XP LEDs

XP-Es offer no cost, power, or performance change. When the optic choices change so will the lamps is what i've heard

[JTL]

Beeker, I am going to set mine up this week-end. Hope you get the Par meter so I can get an idea of what I have at 33" from the sand. I still may need to order the optics to get an even spread. Not sure how much Par I would lose doing that. I wish you had a set of 60 degree lens to test. Maybe you could raise one of the tracks incrementally to get an idea at various heights.

[glassbox-design]

Beeker, I am going to set mine up this week-end. Hope you get the Par meter so I can get an idea of what I have at 33" from the sand. I still may need to order the optics to get an even spread. Not sure how much Par I would lose doing that. I wish you had a set of 60 degree lens to test. Maybe you could raise one of the tracks incrementally to get an idea at various heights.

We completed a full PAR and spread analysis on the 12K model with 40 degree optics. Here are measurements 24" from the socket of the lamp. Readings taken every 1/2" through open air with a LiCor PAR meter. HTH.

Images with commercial avatars are not permitted.

[JTL]

Kind of an abstract to me, but it looks like the Par rating over 2" is from zero to 250. Is that correct? All I want to do is cover a 24x48x20 tank with the lights 33" (bottom of the lamp) off the sand. Pretty much softies and lps. Evil is not around much to comment on his lights.

[KRASHPD]

Just read your article GBD and it was very informative. Thanks for that.

[rhoptowit]

i wish the test was done in some water.

[plancton]

I just got mines 1x12000k and 1x 20 000k both in 60degree optics, the quality is very good and sleek, check the size:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32004.jpg

First impressions: it didn´t seem as bright as what I was told, but then I placed them on my LPS tank and sure they´re brighter than T5, in fact they overshadowed the T5s:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32023.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32024.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32022.jpg

I couldn´t place them as high as I wanted to, so the spread is quite narrow for my taste, they´re about 6" from the water:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32025.jpg

12 000k only:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32030.jpg

20 000k only:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32031.jpg

both:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32028.jpg

and from the other side they look like this, very central, but I have t5s on the sides and that´s the LPS tank so I´m ok:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32029.jpg

both PAR38 and T5s:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32032.jpg

[plancton]

and the other side, the PAR38 clearly overshadows the T5s:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/febrero32033.jpg

I´m pleased with the coloration, however I wish I would have waited for the 5x royal blue, as the 20 000k is not blue enough to give an actinic effect.


Side note: I also tried the 20 000k on my main SPS tank, trying to recreate a spotlight effect seen in a Japanese reef by user Anagombe:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y131/avillax/anagombe.jpg

However it didn´t work, it didn´t give a spotlight shadowy deeper water blue look. Perhaps the intensity of HQI with lumen max elite reflectors was to much. The ray effect from the PAR38 got lost, and it could only be apreciated on the corals that were hit by it and thus looked more colorful.
My guess is that perhaps using many PAR38 specially full 5x royal blue LEDS on one spot, and avoid using HQI could recreate the same effect as in Anagombe´s reef.

[KRASHPD]

Nice pics and he spotlights do look like hey are quality made. I was considering going with 60 optics as well to help the light spread. My biggest concern is that since they are not dimmable, the only way to reduce the intensity is to raise the light. My tank is only 18 inches deep and I really don't want the lights to be 3 feet above the tank just to keep the corals from burning. I can't wait to see how everyone coral do over time with these LEDs.

[beeker]

if your tank is only 18 inches tall go with the 60 optics

thanks for posting the PAR plot but i don't understand it at all when i look at it, for me to understand what kind of PAR i'm getting i need a tank with numbers posted on the front of the tank with the sensor shown under the light at all angles, Charts and graphs aren't visual enough for me, lol

with my lights 6 inches off the water and 33 inches from the bottom each PAR38 with 40 optics covers a 1 foot by 1 foot area with 60 optics i'd cover more area but have less PAR

[KRASHPD]

Thanks Beeker. I think since your cover a 12" X 12" from the difference, I think I'm ordering mine with the 80 optics. With a shallow tank I think the par should still be pretty decent.

[GSMguy]

KrashPD i am planning on using them to light my whole 67G shallow and am planning 3 20k with 80 optics and 3 with 60 degree as well. the 80s will go in the center to light the whole tank and the 60 will highlight spots. my water is only 13" deep and i only have 3 corals so it should be plenty.

[zygote2k]

Here's a basic sketch of the new light system using 9) 40 degree bulbs.
5) 12k and 4) 20k. These will be mounted inside the canopy with track lighting fixtures. The rockwork will resemble the form of a person holding their arms out, with one hand slightly higher than the other. The central column and the "hands" will be illuminated by 3 bulbs each. Each hand or atoll will be comprised of shelf like rock and each connecting arm will be pvc reinforced branch rock. It will appear as if the atolls are floating.
This will be fitted to an Oceanic 210 and should give the fish room to swim and allow for coral growth.

[GSMguy]

9 for a 210, so you think I will be ok with 6 or 8 on a 67g?

Anyone order from nanocustoms lately? are they still backordered? what about the Japanese ones from Premium aqauatics, anybody get theirs yet?

[NaClH2Opgh]

9 for a 210, so you think I will be ok with 6 or 8 on a 67g?

Anyone order from nanocustoms lately? are they still backordered? what about the Japanese ones from Premium aqauatics, anybody get theirs yet?

The Japanese ones have 2 more 3 watt led's in them and cost $80 more. I would rather just buy two of these.

[wolf reef]

the jap lights also have a choice in colors vs 12 and 20 k only which nanocustoms has droped back down to for whatever reason, and volx are 21watt vs 15 watt they can say 21 all they want but 5, 3 watt leds still equals 15 watts in my book

[beeker]

Yeah but how good are the leds in the japan light? how many hours can the run at the temp they are running the leds in the light at?

There's not enough info on the japanese lights to sway me away from the PAR38's i've looked into both but haven't found any information pertaining to life/electronics or led brand in those japanese lights

[sjmantis]

Thanks Beeker. I think since your cover a 12" X 12" from the difference, I think I'm ordering mine with the 80 optics. With a shallow tank I think the par should still be pretty decent.

Ive had 3 w/80 optics over my 20 long for the past two months and its been working great

[JTL]

They are over-driving Evil's lights to get the 21W. I believe Evil is an EE but even if he isn't his reputation for understanding led's is matched by only a few. I know he looked at a lot of different lamps before he settled on this particular one. A lot had to do with the driver and the heat sink. I would go with his design over anything else at this point. I also believe he will customize for a few $$ more.

[beeker]

Some pics cause pics are worth 1000's words, lol


http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross001.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross002.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross003.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross006.jpg

Red planet and purple acro (been there for 4 day so far)
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross009.jpg

My Beautiful elegance coral seems to be loving the LED's it's been in the tank since saturday

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross012.jpg


http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross014.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross015.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross018.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross020.jpg

[JTL]

Put mine up today and they look very nice. I did order 2 more lamps, six one a 24x44 tank isn't quite enough. I did a mix of 12K and 20K.

[marinerfr]

pics??

[KRASHPD]

Outstanding Pics Beeker. Looks like everything loves the light so far.

[alcove]

looks good, how blue are the 20ks? seems hard to capture the true color of led bulbs

[beeker]

Those pics are of the 12k PAR38's with 40 optics

The 20k PAR38's would have a little more blue to them, but the 12k's look great honestly, it's a nice crisp white, less blue than a pheonix 14k but not far off colorwise

Eventually i'll be adding 2 all blues to the right side to give the tank more depth and some more flourescents to the corals

[JTL]

I will get some pics up as soon as I have time but let me say this. The depth and shadowing that these lamps provide is amazing. I started out with 3-12k and 3-20k, I ordered two more 12k. The 50/50 mix is a little too blue for my taste, but by no means bad, I could have lived with it but I wanted to add more lamps for coverage. I have mine about 30" off the sand and there appears to be plenty of light on the bottom. If I had gone with 60 degree optics or if I raised the tracks I could probably have gotten by with 6 lamps with some loss of PAR. The color is actually more purple than Windex blue. I think it looks very natural. Beeker's pics are very accurate color representations however I am not sure that the spot light effect is quite as obvious as it is in the pictures. It is really difficult to capture the effects of any tank lighting and LED's are no exception. Maybe he could take a coupe of FTS. All things considered I think this is a wonderful way to light a tank and guess what you can change the appearance by just moving the lamps. I am very new to corals so I can't speak to how they will react longer term but so far my limited number seem to like it.

[beeker]

Some FTS's, the spots are more noticable in the pictures than they are in person

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross039.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross040.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross041.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross042.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross043.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross044.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross045.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross046.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross047.jpg

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac338/Never044/Cross048.jpg

[BennyFrank]

Looks great Beeker! How accurate is the color representation in the pics of the 12K's would you say? More blue/white in real life?

[beeker]

actually they look just like that in person, that color is almost 100% accurate, the pic is a little brighter than what it looks like in person, but the color is accurate, it's a nice crisp white with a hint of blue, looks like a Radium blend to me, i might eventually add 2 all blue bulbs to the right side with 60 or 80 optics to give more depth to the tank as well as more flourescents to the corals

the sps in the pics are all holding there color nicely after being in the tank the last 2 weeks, hopefully they stay that way i'll take some more pics this comming weekend so far everything is loving the Led's my LPS have honestly never looked better

[JTL]

This is a work in progress but here is a pic of mine.

[agsansoo]

JTL, what are the dimensions of your tank ?

[JTL]

Tank is 44x24x24 and it needs two more lamps to get the coverage I want without using 60 degree optics. The lights are about 30" off the sand.

[agsansoo]

Nice ... I ordered my first PAR38 bulb the other day for my new frag tank. I should receive it today. :) If this looks as good as I hope it does, I will replace my MH lights on my DT with these spotlights.

JTL, which optics did you get ? (mine is 80 deg. 20K)

[JTL]

I used the standard 40 degree optics which is why I need to add two more lamps to get the proper coverage and keep the PAR.

[maddog2002]

JTL, you are using 12k or 20K bulbs? I like the color.

[JTL]

I am using a 50/50 mix of 12k and 20k. The pics are brighter and whiter than the real thing. I am thinking about adding two 12k to whiten it up a little, although I am not really sure it will make really make a difference. My wife loves the color the way it is and the corals really "pop" so maybe I should just stay with the 50/50.

[mozymo]

What made ya'll choose LED spotlights over a module like Aqua Illumination?

I am starting up a 120g mixed reef (48x24x24) and am trying to decide between 8-10 LED spots on tracks or a 3 module AI system.

thanks

[JTL]

For me it was the combination of flexibility, price, quality and I wanted a contemporary look.

[agsansoo]

Here's mine:

PAR38 20K LED Spotlight with 80 deg. optics.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/agsansoo/Frag-Tank/DSC04477.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/agsansoo/Frag-Tank/DSC04480.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/agsansoo/Frag-Tank/DSC04488.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t257/agsansoo/Frag-Tank/DSC04486.jpg

[alcove]

just ordered one 4xrb 1xw pics up when i get it!

[GSMguy]

Alcove is that a custom order or is that the way the 20k is configured?
how much extra for custom if it was custom?

[agsansoo]

beeker, have you measured the par on your tank yet ?

[alcove]

custom, 20k is 3bx2w i wanted a more deepwater look. they will let youy know prices for custom stuff if you call them, it is just more wait time to get it they quoted me 2-3 days extra.

[beeker]

i should be getting my hands on a PAR meter this saturday the guy i've been trying to get it from has been busy the last 2 weeks, i should have pics up by monday if that happens this weekend