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View Full Version : 20 Gallon Reef - What LED?


Psychotrshman
02/09/2013, 04:55 PM
Good afternoon everyone,
I recently upgraded my five gallon invert tank to a twenty gallon reef tank. I found out last night that my LED light that came with it will not work for growing coral. With it being a smaller tank, the guy at my LFS suggested an LED light as opposed to a T5 or MH, but I have no idea where to start with finding the right one. I found kits on rapidled that are within reason, but how do I pick the colors? Do I need the UV ones?

I want to keep various polyps, candy cane and frogspawn. I found this one on eBay this afternoon and it says it is reef capable, but is it really? How can I tell? I know that's alot of questions, but I'm trying to figure out lighting so I can establish a budget. Haha. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!
:headwalls:
Here's the eBay one:

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=270985923959&index=5&nav=SEARCH&nid=23033303917

Wmich2008
02/09/2013, 06:01 PM
I would pass on the ones you linked. How about 2 ecoxotic panorama pros or something similar?

Psychotrshman
02/09/2013, 08:33 PM
I was poking around that ecoxotic website and found the PAR38 LED bulbs. What's the difference between these bulbs and the PAR 38 that go into a motion sensor flood lamp? Is it just the cost savings / lifespan or is there a more technical aspect that I'm over looking? I don't know very much about lights, so I apologize if that's a "stupid question".

bdevillier
02/09/2013, 08:35 PM
look at the ************ value fixture. 179 shipped. 2 panorama pros will run you the same with no dimming and only 2/3 colors vs full spectrum.

Wmich2008
02/09/2013, 08:37 PM
Rapid led also had par 38 bulbs that include uv leds. Take a look at those, they have 12 leds.

bdevillier
02/09/2013, 08:39 PM
dont know why the maker of the fixture is blocked out when they are a vendor on the forum. there is a thread in this same section of the forum where people are discussing it.

Xadieu
02/09/2013, 08:40 PM
Good afternoon everyone,
I recently upgraded my five gallon invert tank to a twenty gallon reef tank. I found out last night that my LED light that came with it will not work for growing coral. With it being a smaller tank, the guy at my LFS suggested an LED light as opposed to a T5 or MH, but I have no idea where to start with finding the right one. I found kits on rapidled that are within reason, but how do I pick the colors? Do I need the UV ones?

I want to keep various polyps, candy cane and frogspawn. I found this one on eBay this afternoon and it says it is reef capable, but is it really? How can I tell? I know that's alot of questions, but I'm trying to figure out lighting so I can establish a budget. Haha. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time!
:headwalls:
Here's the eBay one:

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=270985923959&index=5&nav=SEARCH&nid=23033303917

Can you tell us what your budget is? then we can help you what best for your tank.

Psychotrshman
02/11/2013, 06:13 AM
To be honest, what the corals need is going to set my budget. I know that lighting is the one area that you can't skimp on in this hobby. I want something that is going to give them the growth/color and keep them healthy. At the same time, I don't want to go over kill.

My tank is a 20 gallon half moon tank that is 23" tall. Most of the coral will be towards the bottom of that as my rock goes about half way up (I have a couple of rock shelves for things that need to be higher. I really like the LED PAR 38 bulbs, their affordable and don't require special Fixtures. Any thoughts on what colors/LEDs I need and how many bulbs I will need? I don't know if it matters, but my tank has a surface area of 226".

bdevillier
02/11/2013, 01:07 PM
Surface area doesn't play a factor as much as physical dimensions of length width height. If you want to use par38 there are a few available. Led tric and reef breeders both make full spectrum unit but reef breeders has a dimmable par 38