LEDs for deep tank

[GOSKN5]

Just set up a new tank... 24x24x30 deep blue 74 gallon tower...

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/11/11/a691f3e899221c49cccf378aa919e506.jpg

I am a big fan of LED and really want to stick with them as I have had success in the past with shallower tanks..

I have a few stipulations unfortunately..
-must be able to mount on tank rim
-budget is 500 or less...

I am considering hydra HD 26 or maxspect razor 20.5". Either may not cover the whole tank. Leaning toward hydra, so I can add a second down the road if needed...

Any other suggestions or thoughts??

[220tang]

What kind of coral do you plan on keeping?

[d-man]

I just set up my 43" deep tank using MARSaqua 300wt unit. At 70% whites it reaches way down. Although no par meter to test. But I'm sure the 165 watter would work too

[PeterHall]

My tank is 26 inches deep and I grow things just fine with a radion and Chinese led boxes.

[GOSKN5]

What kind of coral do you plan on keeping?
I hope to have SPS on the top 15" and mixed stuff rest of way down...

[zooman72]

I think either the 20" Maxspect or the Hydra 26 would work well enough, but the "look" would be quite different between them.

You could also run an Ecotech Radion for not much more than your overall budget cap, and with the Ecotech mount it looks quite clean too.

[bmanzie]

I would suggest the Kessil A369N. Check out my build thread to see them on my 42" deep tank.

[Bootlegger]

Since opinions, especially about lighting, are like bellybuttons, I have one too. Any quality 3-watt LED with the right optics would have no problem with your tank. Personally, if it were my tank, I'd go DIY with Luxeon Ms. In fact, I just finished my build on my older tank, which is 24" tall (80 gallon). I drove them at 1000mA and it looks really good, as if I am running 2x 250 watt 65000k DE Ushios. All my SPS on the bottom are really starting to color up versus the previous T5s.

[Ron Reefman]

I just set up my 43" deep tank using MARSaqua 300wt unit. At 70% whites it reaches way down. Although no par meter to test. But I'm sure the 165 watter would work too

You might want to find a PAR meter to borrow. At 43" deep I think even 3 watt leds are iffy to get a good PAR level that deep. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm just suggesting you try to test it. They do OK at 24" and are acceptable at 30", but at 43" you have added a lot of water between your fixture and your bottom. But then if the corals aren't on the bottom (and in most tanks they aren't) it's less of an issue.

BTW, most (maybe all) 165 watt Chinese fixtures don't run at 165 watts. They run at 120 watts. They have 55 leds that are 3 watts, so they call them 165 watt fixtures, but they under drive them at 2.2 watts so they run cooler and last longer.

Since opinions, especially about lighting, are like bellybuttons, I have one too. Any quality 3-watt LED with the right optics would have no problem with your tank.

+1
Any quality 3 watt led fixture (from China to the over priced... I mean expensive Radions) can do just fine on a 30" deep tank.

[toothybugs]

If you go with BML strips you can order the lenses wider or narrower for more focus. 75 or 60 degree lenses should get you down that far but with 60s you might see striping at the top of the tank and wickedly intense PAR if you sticks the sticks up there. I went with 75s for my tank and mounted higher they did well over a 40B but could also do an SPS-dom 90 if I wanted to (which I may end up with before too long).

[RxReefer]

I would go kessil or radion

Kessils are smaller and add more shimmer but might have shadow issues. Used radion can be found in your budget

[Braver69]

I would go with a Pacific Sun Hybrid, will give you full coverage with no shading issues with the t-5 tubes. Also the leds will have no problem getting through 30" of depth, even t-5's can go that far.

[d-man]

[QUOTE=Ron Reefman;24119343]You might want to find a PAR meter to borrow. At 43" deep I think even 3 watt leds are iffy to get a good PAR level that deep. I'm not saying it's not possible, I'm just suggesting you try to test it. They do OK at 24" and are acceptable at 30", but at 43" you have added a lot of water between your fixture and your bottom. But then if the corals aren't on the bottom (and in most tanks they aren't) it's less of an issue.

Ron, my plan is mainly lps, and zoas. And they do great in the mid depth lvls. Lots of LPS are lower light reef corals anyway where the only main color that penetrates that depth are blues. Scoly and acanthophylia will be my sand dwellers. Frogspawns, and other euphylias will be mid lvl and clams and some easier sps will be top lvl. Still at about 18-24" water depth. I Know things will be fine. I'd prefer low par at the bottom 10" for those reasons anyway.

[zachts]

If you go with BML strips you can order the lenses wider or narrower for more focus. 75 or 60 degree lenses should get you down that far but with 60s you might see striping at the top of the tank and wickedly intense PAR if you sticks the sticks up there. I went with 75s for my tank and mounted higher they did well over a 40B but could also do an SPS-dom 90 if I wanted to (which I may end up with before too long).

plus 1 for BML, very sleek and low profile, and PASSIVELY COOLED!! but you'd need at least two strips, three would be better and that would be pushing your budget, narrow optics at the front of the tank and wider as you go back given your rock work layout. They even give you nice par charts for different beam angles, not to 30" but I bet if you email them they have those on hand....

[reef bloke]

Over here in the UK we have a guy with a huge aquarium with SPS coral that is 4 foot deep, he runs hydra 52 and can grow most sps almost on the sand bed. His name is David Saxby , some hobbyists in the states may have heard of him as his aquarium has been in a few books. I think it also features in Tony Vargus's book.

[firebirdude]

MarsAqua 165W. With the optics on and at full blast, you'd probably burn the crud out of corals on the sandbed. LOL Plenty of power. You just have to rig a way to rim mount them. But heck, you've got more than half your budget to figure that out with!

[L8Braker]

Aquatic Life Halo has 2 sets of lens for a deep tank like yours. I have 6 of them on my big tank and they look great.

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticLife_Halo_Marine_LED_Aquarium_Light_Fixture_High_Output_LED_Lighting-AquaticLife-AK01337-FILTHO-vi.html

[oseymour]

The Kessil A360NE puts out light at a narrow angle that is focused to get light deep in the tank.

I use the wide angle kessils on my tank.