175 watt Hamilton or LED

Discussion in 'Metal Halide Aquarium Lighting' started by Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012.

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  1. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    What would be the better choice? Right now I have a 55 diode bridgelux unit over my 20 gallon, but I don't seem to be getting the growth I desire. My calcium/mag/alk. numbers are spot on. I have no nitrate in the tank and no algae growth (so I assume low phosphate as well). I have 46x (910 GPH) tank volume of flow, the tank temperature is 77 degrees and my salinity is 1.026. I can only assume my limiting factor is lighting.

    Would tank temperature become an issue with a 175 watt unit that I can hang from a a support 12.5 inches above the water? I have a 55 gallon that I will be upgrading too in the near future, so I'll either need to buy a second LED unit or a second halide unit in the near future.
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2012
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    #1

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  2. 1.0reef

    1.0reef Giant Squid

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    46GPH????! Moar flow!
     
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    #2
  3. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    46x lol sorry. 910 gph.
     
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    #3
  4. 1.0reef

    1.0reef Giant Squid

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    Oh, can you list the leds and their spectrum?
     
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    #4
  5. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    55 bridgelux diodes. 30 blues, 19 whites, 2 greens, 2 violets, 2 reds.
     
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    #5
  6. 1.0reef

    1.0reef Giant Squid

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    What type of whites? If they are CW its a so so light, if they're NW then it's a pretty good fixture.
     
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    #6

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  7. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    28 450nm royal blues
    9 7500K cool whites
    4 3500k warm whites
    2 520nm green
    4 480nm blue
    4 420nm violet
    2 630nm reds
    2 660nm deep reds

    It's a good light, don't get me wrong, I am just wondering if I should invest in another LED or another halide, for my 55 gallon upgrade. I'll need another light either way I chose to go.
     
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    Kevin_E, Dec 24, 2012
    #7
  8. 1.0reef

    1.0reef Giant Squid

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    Great, if it were me I would make a DIY fixture w/ a Makersled heatsink, 3UPS, OCW's, and tv so there's no disco
     
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    1.0reef, Dec 24, 2012
    #8
  9. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    That's a foreign language to me haha.
     
    Kevin_E, Dec 25, 2012
    Kevin_E, Dec 25, 2012
    #9
  10. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    How long have you had the light and what species of coral do you have?

    Pleases list your spot on numbers. They may not be optimal.

    How long do you keep the lights on?
     
    2in10, Dec 25, 2012
    2in10, Dec 25, 2012
    #10
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