My RapidLED build (FTS Color Blended pg6)

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by Atticus818, Aug 26, 2011.

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  1. tattooedsoul87

    tattooedsoul87 Coral Banded Shrimp

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    thanks im going to be painting my new tank soon and that color looks awesome
     
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  3. Ashevillian

    Ashevillian Pajama Cardinal

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    if you were to pick a 20 light setup what colors would be the best in providing the lighting needs of lets say, a clam. that's what i really want in my tank and if i can healthily provide the right light i'll go ahead and place my order with RapidLED this weekend
     
  4. Atticus818

    Atticus818 Eyelash Blennie

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    Thanks! I was really happy with how it turned out. 1 can was perfect for my 75g, so that at least is something to gauge how much you will need for your tank.

    This is for the BC29 right?
    Here's what I would order.
    Biocube 29 Dimmable Retrofit Kit
    DDC-01 PWM Controller

    And include in the notes the color choices you want, they will happily make a kit at the same price if you are clear of what you want.

    This part is really up to you. If it were me I would go 7 Royal Blue 3 Blue 8 Cool Whites 2 Neutral Whites. BUT and this is a big but, that's just my preference on color.

    Here are the color temps for each LED and you can make your own decision from that.

    CW: 5000k - 8300k
    NW: 3700k- 5000k
    RB: 450-465nm
    B: 465-485nm

    I chose what I suggested for this reason; CW will blend the best with RB. In essence they make a perfect pair. However, they leave a lot to be desired if you want a "full spectrum" of lighting. Unlike traditional T-5 or MH bulbs, LEDs provide only the color they are outputting, not a range. So you need a larger blend of LEDs to compensate for this. The blue LEDs are very close to RB, however they offer a slight shift towards more white light and are more close to true blue light, vs RB which is slightly more violet in color. The neutral white LEDs are ugly. Plain and simple. LOL However, they offer a lower kelvin range that is generally associated with greater growth in coral, yet very little coloration of zoox. This is why I went with only a couple, placed strategically. They also provide a bit of a yellow/red spectrum that can cause some colors in corals to really stand out, something that with a standard 1:1 ratio is hard to achieve IMO.

    Hope this help!
     
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  5. Ashevillian

    Ashevillian Pajama Cardinal

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    Ya bro this has been a lot of help. Big learning curve on everything dealing with salt tanks. My main concern is whether or not this set up will be sufficient for a clam or two since I've heard they require good lighting for zooxanthellae to photosynthesize within the clam. LED's just seem sketchy in this department to me for some reason
     
  6. Atticus818

    Atticus818 Eyelash Blennie

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    Those 3 watt Crees put out a lot of light. You should be fine to do clams in that set up.
     
  7. evolved

    evolved Wrasse Freak

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    I keep a maxima 24" deep on the sandbed.

    You'll be fine.
     
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  9. Atticus818

    Atticus818 Eyelash Blennie

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    Evolved; what are you keeping you % at? It seems like the more blue I add in the more aesthetically pleasing but the more washed out everything looks.
     
  10. evolved

    evolved Wrasse Freak

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    My RBs are almost up all the way (but they are XR-E, not XP-E) and my whites (XP-G) are around 75% or so.
     
  11. Atticus818

    Atticus818 Eyelash Blennie

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    Okay cool. I was messing around with it, and I am thinking 100% RB/B and 77% CW/NW then just dimming down with the controller. So your setting sound about perfect ;) Thanks!
     
  12. Atticus818

    Atticus818 Eyelash Blennie

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