Mars Aqua Chinese LED review (Ebay) - Page 22

DrawnToBeaches · 10/28/2015, 10:57 PM

2 is fine for a 40b but definitely 8-10 inches off the water. Keep the optics it prevents a lot of what I feel is light pollution, however I like open top tanks.

DrawnToBeaches · 10/28/2015, 10:59 PM

Oh and I swapped out 13 leds. 9 royal blue and 4 true violet. It's looking good, the white channel looks much better and the violets make the blue channel pleasing to my eyes

spkennyva · 10/29/2015, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrawnToBeaches

2 is fine for a 40b but definitely 8-10 inches off the water. Keep the optics it prevents a lot of what I feel is light pollution, however I like open top tanks.

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Yeah, these lights are VERY powerful.

DrawnToBeaches,

My plan to the modify the canopy so that the lights can sit on top. This way there should not be a lot of stray light entering the room. Given this, do you still suggest keeping the optics?

Bpb · 10/29/2015, 06:35 AM

Keep them if you can get the lights 8-12" off the water. They'll enable you to run them at lower power to save energy, led, and driver life.

DrawnToBeaches · 10/29/2015, 09:15 AM

Yeah keep the optics

Swope2bc · 10/29/2015, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spkennyva

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Yeah, these lights are VERY powerful.

DrawnToBeaches,

My plan to the modify the canopy so that the lights can sit on top. This way there should not be a lot of stray light entering the room. Given this, do you still suggest keeping the optics?

Keeping the optics will creat more pinpoint light into the tank, this is great for deep tanks. In your 40b its not at all necessary. As mentioned before, keeping them will allow you to run them at lower power though. With two units you certainly do not need more spread, so if you can keep the optics, without burning your corals, then do. Given your trouble burning corals even at the very lowest power setting consider their removal.

Step one, raise the lights. IF and only if your corals are still being burnt -
Step two, remove optics.

Have fun no matter what though

garygonzales · 10/29/2015, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrawnToBeaches

Oh and I swapped out 13 leds. 9 royal blue and 4 true violet. It's looking good, the white channel looks much better and the violets make the blue channel pleasing to my eyes

cool...thought you wanted more purple.lol...glad its looking good....

DrawnToBeaches · 10/30/2015, 06:01 AM

Lol funny story they sent me 30 violet and 10 royal it was supposed to be the other way around didn't notice till I installed a "rb"

gottalikesharks · 10/30/2015, 07:13 AM

Great thread lots of good info. I am in the process of building my first reef tank and could use a little help. It is a 120 gallon (60" x 18" x 24") from the water line to the top of the sand base is about 22", I also have a wood canopy that I built that the light will actually sit on top of that is about 9" above the water line. I plan on starting out with easy to care for corals, but as I get more experience move up to a few SPS. Here are the lights I bought. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3PCS-165W-LE...algo=undefined

Should I leave the optics on or remove them? Also do you like to use the glass canopies or run open top?

Thanks, Dave

garygonzales · 10/30/2015, 05:59 PM

run an open top ...

d-man · 10/30/2015, 08:05 PM

Cover tank with mesh to prevent jumpers. And there WILL be jumpers

Swope2bc · 10/31/2015, 01:02 AM

Open top and keep optics if using 3

paullondon · 10/31/2015, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottalikesharks

Great thread lots of good info. I am in the process of building my first reef tank and could use a little help. It is a 120 gallon (60" x 18" x 24") from the water line to the top of the sand base is about 22", I also have a wood canopy that I built that the light will actually sit on top of that is about 9" above the water line. I plan on starting out with easy to care for corals, but as I get more experience move up to a few SPS. Here are the lights I bought. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3PCS-165W-LE...algo=undefined

Should I leave the optics on or remove them? Also do you like to use the glass canopies or run open top?

Thanks, Dave

All my clowns eventually jumped and died on the carpet and the last royal gramma did the same, I installed a simple mosquito mesh and everything is perfect now...

Swope2bc · 10/31/2015, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paullondon

All my clowns eventually jumped and died on the carpet and the last royal gramma did the same, I installed a simple mosquito mesh and everything is perfect now...

100% Agreed! Open top with a mesh cover!!! I built my own screen and used 1/4" clear mesh. Cost me $20 for the screen and frame material.

gottalikesharks · 10/31/2015, 11:30 AM

Seems pretty unanimous to run open top with screen cover, so I ordered some 1/4" clear mesh and frame material.

Thanks for the help!!! Keep the good advice coming!

gottalikesharks · 10/31/2015, 11:32 AM

I know these lights have a dimmer on knob on them, but can I run them at 100% and control the brightness on my Reef keeper instead???

Swope2bc · 10/31/2015, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottalikesharks

I know these lights have a dimmer on knob on them, but can I run them at 100% and control the brightness on my Reef keeper instead???

Yes, with some modifications

azcrazy · 10/31/2015, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrawnToBeaches

Yeah those lights will be more than enough, throw your mh and t5 on the for sale threads haha

Got my lights but I tried them and i like my mh with 20k bulbs little better, going to try my Led's for few months and then my mh and i will keep the best (to my eyes) lights

Tank is a 72"L x 24"H x 24"W

gottalikesharks · 10/31/2015, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swope2bc

Yes, with some modifications

What sort of mods? Is there a thread you can point me to?

What happens if you try to do it without mods?

Swope2bc · 10/31/2015, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottalikesharks

What sort of mods? Is there a thread you can point me to?

What happens if you try to do it without mods?

In order to dim from a controller you have to make the LED visible to it. Follow the link on post 230 of this thread. There is my experience with modifying a Chinese black box led to run on my APEX. I am not certain, but I believe the reef keeper operates with a 0-10v similar to APEX.

Swope2bc · 10/31/2015, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottalikesharks

What sort of mods? Is there a thread you can point me to?

What happens if you try to do it without mods?

Without the modification you just get on and off capabilities like a regular timer.

gottalikesharks · 10/31/2015, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swope2bc

Without the modification you just get on and off capabilities like a regular timer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swope2bc

In order to dim from a controller you have to make the LED visible to it. Follow the link on post 230 of this thread. There is my experience with modifying a Chinese black box led to run on my APEX. I am not certain, but I believe the reef keeper operates with a 0-10v similar to APEX.

Thanks, I will check it out, might have to wait on doing any mods till after the warranty!

Swope2bc · 10/31/2015, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottalikesharks

Thanks, I will check it out, might have to wait on doing any mods till after the warranty!

If you acquire the correct connectors you can just attach directly to the existing wires. Warranty in tact.

bristle · 10/31/2015, 02:49 PM

I find the fans to be quite loud.

I am looking for the quietest 80mm replacements I can find. What connector do these have? 3 pin? 4 pin?

garygonzales · 10/31/2015, 04:28 PM

mine arent that loud at all...all the other tank noises block em out...lol...

10/30/2015, 07:13 AM	#534
gottalikesharks Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 182	Great thread lots of good info. I am in the process of building my first reef tank and could use a little help. It is a 120 gallon (60" x 18" x 24") from the water line to the top of the sand base is about 22", I also have a wood canopy that I built that the light will actually sit on top of that is about 9" above the water line. I plan on starting out with easy to care for corals, but as I get more experience move up to a few SPS. Here are the lights I bought. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3PCS-165W-LE...algo=undefined Should I leave the optics on or remove them? Also do you like to use the glass canopies or run open top? Thanks, Dave __________________ Building 120 Gallon Reef * Eshopps R-200 Refugium * PF-1200 Overflow Box * Reefkeeper Elite Controller * Reef Octopus 202-S Skimmer * Sicce Syncra 5.0 Pump * 2 Hydor Koralia 1500's & 2 565 Power Heads

10/31/2015, 11:30 AM	#540
gottalikesharks Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 182	Seems pretty unanimous to run open top with screen cover, so I ordered some 1/4" clear mesh and frame material. Thanks for the help!!! Keep the good advice coming! __________________ Building 120 Gallon Reef * Eshopps R-200 Refugium * PF-1200 Overflow Box * Reefkeeper Elite Controller * Reef Octopus 202-S Skimmer * Sicce Syncra 5.0 Pump * 2 Hydor Koralia 1500's & 2 565 Power Heads

10/31/2015, 11:32 AM	#541
gottalikesharks Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 182	I know these lights have a dimmer on knob on them, but can I run them at 100% and control the brightness on my Reef keeper instead??? __________________ Building 120 Gallon Reef * Eshopps R-200 Refugium * PF-1200 Overflow Box * Reefkeeper Elite Controller * Reef Octopus 202-S Skimmer * Sicce Syncra 5.0 Pump * 2 Hydor Koralia 1500's & 2 565 Power Heads

10/28/2015, 10:57 PM	#526
DrawnToBeaches Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 266	2 is fine for a 40b but definitely 8-10 inches off the water. Keep the optics it prevents a lot of what I feel is light pollution, however I like open top tanks.

10/28/2015, 10:59 PM	#527
DrawnToBeaches Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 266	Oh and I swapped out 13 leds. 9 royal blue and 4 true violet. It's looking good, the white channel looks much better and the violets make the blue channel pleasing to my eyes

10/29/2015, 06:35 AM	#529
Bpb Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 3,148	Keep them if you can get the lights 8-12" off the water. They'll enable you to run them at lower power to save energy, led, and driver life.

10/29/2015, 09:15 AM	#530
DrawnToBeaches Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 266	Yeah keep the optics

10/30/2015, 06:01 AM	#533
DrawnToBeaches Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 266	Lol funny story they sent me 30 violet and 10 royal it was supposed to be the other way around didn't notice till I installed a "rb"

10/30/2015, 05:59 PM	#535
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	run an open top ...

10/30/2015, 08:05 PM	#536
d-man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, ca Posts: 2,732	Cover tank with mesh to prevent jumpers. And there WILL be jumpers

10/31/2015, 01:02 AM	#537
Swope2bc Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 1,066	Open top and keep optics if using 3

10/31/2015, 02:49 PM	#549
bristle Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 570	I find the fans to be quite loud. I am looking for the quietest 80mm replacements I can find. What connector do these have? 3 pin? 4 pin?

10/31/2015, 04:28 PM	#550
garygonzales Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WEST ALLIS ,WI Posts: 922	mine arent that loud at all...all the other tank noises block em out...lol...