Custom LED lighting advice. Input please?

[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....

[Craigdillman]

That looks pretty good, i build mine own LED with rapid Led same idea, only thing i would be carful on is the red and green but the red is the most visible and too many overpower the color ( i have found anyways ) so i would recommend a 120 degrees on the red and green AND/OR ability to control those colors seprate


mine is set up like this

White -1 channel
Blue 1 channel
Colors red green violet UV 1 channel

My red green and violet are on a different channel than white blue to control the visual colour balance of the red green ( no idea on par or spectrum just how it looks to me lol )

hope that helps

[Coasting]

I've actually found another light, direct from china, that is really interesting me.

Called the Malibu s300
It actually has 4 channels that are individually controlled. Blues on one, Blue/UV on another, Whites, then Red/green/blue on the 4th.

Just trying to inquire further about those ones

I like that idea of 120s on the coloured leds with 90s on the rest.

[Coasting]

These are the ones im looking at now....
This is worse then shoe shopping.
Too many decisions!

http://www.wegrowlights.com/portfoli...m-manufacture/

[Craigdillman]

They both look good honestly , just pic the on that provides the most " coverage" for you tank and looks the best

I'm thinking for your tank 4 by 2 you would need 4 of the novas? in a square kinda and maybe 2 of the other fixtures , not sure if I'm off with that but

[Coasting]

The Nova is my current light over my 36"x18" tank, perfect coverage on that.

The lights I mentioned in the first post were not Novas. I would need 3 turned sideways to cover a 4ft by 2ft tank

The last ones I just posted Im thinking I would get 2 x 48" ones. Then each ones is responsibe for a 1ft strip of tank. Or 3 of them if I can get my hands on a 200DD tank

[GoFish]

Another one to consider is the Evergrow IT5012.
It's 1/2" wider and 1" thinner than the Malibu and has 6 colour channels instead of 4. No idea on price sorry. When talking with Evergrow they're quick to reply at first but when they realize you aren't a business/going to order a 10 fixture minimum for custom colour layouts communication kinda dies off. You MAY be able to utilize Reefsupplies to help you get one instead of dealing with China yourself

If you do decide on a light that has 3w diodes and they won't customize them for you I have a handful of spare diodes in several different colours that could easily be soldered (UV, Cyan, Pink, royal blue)