210g FOWLR - PAR bulb

I actually DO NOT want to light the entire tank right now, however, I do want to avoid some of the spotlighting that can occur. I do like the darker/deeper look to the water as seen with some of the spotlighting effect though; I think it is far better than the typical light-box seen so often.

I can hang bulbs anywhere from a few inches to a few feet above the tank since it's an in wall system. This will start as a FOWLR system and could grow into something more in the future. I DO NOT want to go with one of the kits, but prefer the PAR38 bulbs.

Ideally, how high above the tank should I hang this light to avoid such spotlighting? Should I worry about 60 or 80 degree lenses? With the 7 LED bulb, what would the Kelvin rating be most comparable to? Just for giggles, how many of these bulbs should be over a FOWLR and reef system?

Thanks for the time.

 

Ideally you'd want to be about a foot off the water, though a little bit higher wouldn't hurt. Our best guess is that the kelvin rating is roughly 17-18k on the bulbs.

For a 210g FOWLR I'd say you'd need 6-7 bulbs, and for a reef system you'd need about 15 bulbs.

 

Thanks for the reply. Six to seven bulbs for a FOWLR, huh? Below is a picture of my system as it's being filled with water...


So on a six foot tank with bracing every 24", would you recommend grouping the lights in pairs over each 2" section or perhaps 3 lights over the outer sections and a single or pair over the middle (rockless) section?

Again, I do not want an entire box full of light, but do enjoy deep water effect these bulbs generate.

 

I've been using two of the Rapid LED's over a 30 breeder. 14" above the water will grow moderate light corals, 10" above, anything you want.

My six foot 125 FOWLR has a six bulb 36" long TEK over it. I usually only run two bulbs. I'm thinking about selling the TEK and starting out with only two of the PAR 38's. From there, "ll be able to determine what I would like to add.

I also like the contrast in light and dark in a tank. The nice thing about the PAR bulbs is that you can move them around where you want to create different effects.

Some things I've noted with the PAR LED's:

Color is better with the LED than the TEK with all ATI bulbs.

The LED light is more directional, so less spill into the room vs T5.

Less algae growth with the LED vs T5.

Great shimmer effect.

 

Thanks Jerry for your experience. I'd like to see a pic of your 125g once you get the PAR38s over it. I think one of the great things about these are that you can add more lights at any time to suit your needs whether aesthetic or photosynthetic. I could start with just a few bulbs and then continue to add at will. I love the lower heat, lower energy consumption, ease of installation within a normal socket, and the multiple options with directing light and lighting combinations.

 

Sure, but it may be a bit, lots of other projects going on, and working 6-7 days a week now. I'm in the process of building a wooden box with black eggcrate that will hang from the ceiling. I'll be able to hook the PAR bulbs anywhere I like on the eggcrate, and raise or lower them as I like. The extra cord will be hidden above the eggcrate in the wooden box. I'm stealing Matt's idea of using the Ikea lamp holders, since my lighting will be visible. Break free from stale aquarium lighting design with PAR 38 LEDs & Ikea lamp shades

 

Since I am working with an in-wall system, I am thinking something along the lines of this:

 

I still had a question about optics. Hanging the lights at around 12" above the water, should I worry about optics? What should I go with, 60 or 80?

Thanks

 

Go with 60, unless you don't have the height. I believe that they can be removed or changed out, but I haven't done it. For you, track lighting would be the way to go. With my lights over corals, I want some of them at different heights, and that could change over time.

 

I think either set-up would work, most people would go with 2 per 2' section but that's a personal choice. If you can get away with less light in the middle there's no reason why you couldn't do 3 on the outsides and just 1 in the middle.