55 gallon SPS reef- new additions (12/18/14)

that's a great angle! looking awesome

 

Thanks for looking guys!

This was a 14 months ago



And Last night

 

nice!

 

very nice! I think you've got this reefing hobby in hand

 

Thanks everyone! I do apprecite you looking.

I wish I could have set up the 55 gallon. I worked so hard on constructing, but it wasn't meant to be.

This isn't the tank I want, but I've made the most of what I have. One day I'll hopefully be growing these same mini colonies in a 100+ gallon in-wall or 70-fish shallow water/rimless reef.

 

I pretend to, anyways.

 

Thanks!

Tganks. I thought so too. It highlights the color more. Wish it were rotated.

Thanks!

 

I am making a big change to this system. I am switching out my 250 watt metal halide for a self designed, full spectrum, Cree LED system with Meanwell drivers. I decided to switch out the halide for 3 reasons.

1) The room that the tank is in is much hotter than the rest of the apartment. With summer approaching, I do not want to keep the entire apartment cooler just for the tank, which will climb to 86+ on warm days.

2) The bulb. The bulb switch spectrums about 7 months after purchase and has fueled cyano in this tank.

3) I found a buyer for my halide. I am only selling it for $50, but that's better than nothing. I was given a check by my aunt for the same amount over chrstmas and a new bulb for the halide was going to be $50. I decided to invest in an LED system that totals $165 dollars. Between the bulb cost, check and halide sale, my new lighting was pretty much funded by a sale, a gift and an expected cost.

Here is my design:



This is a 6x20" heat sink. I decided to make 4, nearly identical clusters, to spread spread the full spectrum evenly throughout the tank.

There are 24 dioides:

8 Royal Blue
4 Violets
4 Neutral Whites
3 Cyan
3 Cool Blue
2 Deep Red

My reasoning behind that selection:



As you can see, there are peaks in absorbtion between 450-500 nm, with a rise in absorption rate beginning around 400 nm and decline ending between 500-550nm. There is also a spike at about 670, with a rise in absorption rate beginning around 650 nm.

With these peaks in mind, let's look at the colors that favor these spikes:

Violet- 410-420 nm
Royal Blue- 450-465 nm
Cool Blue- 465-485 nm
Cyan- 490-520 nm
Deep Red- 650-670 nm

The majority of the peaks occur in the Royal Blue wave length, which to me, would make this the most important and most numerous diode in unit. All of the colors occur where the majority of the peaks occur.

The other peak at about 670 nm, with a rise in absorption rate beginning around 650 nm, is similar in the range of the Deep Red diode, also making this wave length important.

So the most important wave lengths to achieving full spectrum occur from 400-500 nm and then again from 650-700 nm. I cover a majority of that with

Violet- 410-420 nm
Royal Blue- 450-465 nm
Cool Blue- 465-485 nm
Cyan- 490-520 nm
Deep Red- 650-670 nm

 

This looks great!!!!! Loving the mushrooms

 

Thanks!

Post #119 will show you the colors better, but not as good as the top down photos show. I must have 40 mushrooms, or more.