Custom LED lighting advice. Input please?

[Coasting]

So I am trying to figure out what I want light wise over this new tank.
I haven't even got it yet and I'm spending all my money....

I really like the light I have now over my 65.
Corals grow great.
Size wise it is not enough for a 120 (4x2). I don't think it has the spread from front to back to cover 2feet so ordering a second one likely wouldn't do me any good.

I was thinking of ordering 3 smaller fixtures, and turning them sideways so I have full coverage.

But I need some... advice I guess on what custom LEDs I should pick.
I'm somewhat trying to replicate what I all ready have that is working well for me. It appears I have a roughly 2:1 ratio of Blue to Colour/whites. And I do somewhat enjoy the Listerine look of more blue then white! I want dramatic colour popping! My current fixture is the Nova a8. 96 x 3w leds

The other fixtures I am looking at right now, have either 2 or 3 dimmable (by remote) channels. There are 52 x 3w LEDs on it. I would likely order it with 90 degree optics (other option is 120)
If I can get it with 3 channels, just from reading around it seems a good idea to put the coloured LEDs on a separate channel. Since it still seems to be a big argument over colours contributing to algae vs enhancing coral colour. ( I was never having algae issues in my current tank....)
Otherwise if It only has 2 channels I would have the colours go with the whites like my current light. is there a better option?

Ive looked at the expensive high end fixtures people keep buying and my poor bank account cant afford those, but ive been looking at the ratio of colours and whites and blues.

Anyway, what would you pick, change? Colour wise and channel wise.... not looking for "just go buy an AI or whatever".

Help a girl out here I'm not tech savvy!

Red:630nm&660nm
Blue:440nm&460nm
UV led 410nm
IR Led 725nm
White:12,000k&7,000k&3,500k
orange:610nm
Green 520nm

[GoFish]

Just go buy an Evergrow IT2012 or whatever oooops
Not sure what your budget is but you'd only need one (48"). If you're concerned about spread you could maybe put 120 degree optics along the front and back row?
If you're just looking for color input I don't really like the look of 6500k LEDs so replaced them on my old light with different colours. I had algae for a short period running red LEDs, covered them up, added a couple more hermits and it was gone a short time later and never came back

And you could have sunrise/sunset if you wanna tweak the way your tank looks

[Coasting]

I know I looked at the IT2012s :P Evergrow never got back to me about customizing them haha. And I worry about spread back to front being that those fixtures are so slim I wouldn't get coverage of the coral in the front, especially if I had tall rock structures. I honestly wouldn't be object to ordering 2 48" fixtures. Even with 120 optics, light would go on a nice angle sideways but I don't think I would get what I want, where I want it with a single fixture. I looked at a lot of the 48" ones like the Razor or whatever it is, not spending 3grand on a vertex either.

Kind of like how I live at the bottom of the hill right on the beach where I am.... so because the cell tower is at the top of the hill in the booneys, its like im in a no cell signal shadow zone.


Sounds like just 2 channels on the lights im looking at oh well
See I only ever had algae grow on my powerhead and in my overflow, never on my rock or coral in the tank. And that's my Nova light spectrum. I just wish my corals popped more then they do. Not sure how I would obtain that ability. I was thinking of putting some blacklights into a wood canopy over the tank

[hillegom]

Sorry, I don't have any input, just following along
Good luck

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

One thing I would add is a separate channel for a few (3 x 3w blue leds) moonlights to view the tank at night. If you're customizing, then for the front row of LEDs, I would use 90 degrees lenses so there's less light hitting your front panel and growing algae & more light directed downwards towards your sandbed. 120 degree lenses could be used over the other emitters for better spread, but the more light hitting your front panel, the more frequently you'll have to clean the glass.

[Coasting]

Originally Posted by SeaHorse_Fanatic

One thing I would add is a separate channel for a few (3 x 3w blue leds) moonlights to view the tank at night. If you're customizing, then for the front row of LEDs, I would use 90 degrees lenses so there's less light hitting your front panel and growing algae & more light directed downwards towards your sandbed. 120 degree lenses could be used over the other emitters for better spread, but the more light hitting your front panel, the more frequently you'll have to clean the glass.

I do like that idea.

My current fixture has 90s I believe so that doesn't prevent the glass algae on that tank.

I think I have those cheapy Ikea changable LED strips sitting in my bin of fish supply crap in the garage that I used for blues at night when my tank was still in the 30gal. I could pull those out again.
I also have a spare 5m RGB Led strip, fully waterproof, with remote that I bought for shits and giggles a few months back, if I built a canopy on the new tank I could stick that up in there....

[Coasting]

Ive heard squat back from evergrow.
My very first light was customized directly through them.
I did see the evergrow 5012 and its fairly expensive. Over a grand US i believe and i was searching where to buy that and came accross the malibu fixtures which are more in my budget. They seem to be slightly cheaper then the evergrow 2012.

I really hope i hear back from the malibu light people. Even not customized the lights seem nice. I would just want darker blues.

[Coasting]

Oh goodie! They do allow customization of the Malibu fixtures....

I think perhaps...
Per each section. 4 sections per fixture.
Ch1: 6 x 460nm Blue
Ch2: 6 x 12,000k white
Ch3: 2 x 410nm UV 4x 460nm Royal Blue
Ch4: 1 x 630nm Red 1x 530nm Green 2x 440nm Blue 2x Either warm whites or more blues.....??
Not sure how I feel about channel 4.... What would you put?
Same as below except this ones channel 4 is different then the photo.

[AquaAddict]

First of all, I hope your don't mind me asking the question below -

Maron..

Could you tell me what kind of T5 you bought? I would like to do the same thing but don't know if it should be 5,000 or 15,000 or 67,000 to supplement my LED Zetlight. How is everything working out on your lighting?

AquaAddict

[Coasting]

Okay what do you guys think of this?
What would you change? add? remove? instead of?
Move UV on number 3, and more dark blue on number 1? or leave as is.
the 4th one is still getting me. Not sure what I want.