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08/21/2019, 12:09 PM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Canada
Posts: 34
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Light height
Hi, I have a Current USA LED light with this chart specification. For a (future) reef tank with soft and hard corals, at what height should I hang this from the surface of the water. The tank is 125G and has a depth of 22 inches.
Thanks.  Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk |
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08/21/2019, 01:18 PM
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#2 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,148
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Whether you’re using a single or multiple strip modules, you will want to mount those directly to the tank rim. Zero height above the tank. They’re not designed to be suspended. Suspending lights has 3 purposes:
Improve spread Reduce intensity Reduce heat (in MH and T5HO) The current strips don’t have enough intensity at full power to allow you to raise them up. You’ll have a basically unusable light level in the tank anywhere but close to the very surface of the water for low light stuff. You’ll have to sacrifice spread/coverage if using a single unit over a tank that size, limiting your placement of coral to directly under the light source very high up. If you use multiple units it will improve the spread and coverage. Heat isn’t a factor with these. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro |
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08/21/2019, 01:39 PM
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#3 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 20,050
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^^Yes..
All Current USA lights should be AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.. They have mounting legs for sitting directly on the trim/rim of the tank.. Use them..
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08/21/2019, 02:42 PM
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#4 |
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Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Grove City, Ohio
Posts: 10,806
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^^^What they said^^^
If that par level chart is correct, even mounted at the water level it will be barely suitable for many stony corals, especially Acropora sp.
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I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer |
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08/21/2019, 07:34 PM
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#5 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Canada
Posts: 34
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Thanks all. My plan is to have a very focused area of corals and leave most space for few fish. My preference is "beauty in emptiness". I will use rock to elevate the corals i.e. no corals on the floor of the tank. So on that chart, what is the cutoff below which no corals would grow?
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08/21/2019, 07:42 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,148
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10-12” is going to be your absolute cutoff. But that mind you is the lowest of low light stuff. In reefing speak. 80-100 par is about as low as most people would grow anything in and allow it to actually thrive.
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08/22/2019, 07:18 AM
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#7 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Canada
Posts: 34
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Dang! I am disappointed. Dont remember why I bought this one, I think someone strongly recommended this on the forum and I bought it about a year ago. My 125G setup got stalled as I moved to a new house. Now I am resuming it. Maybe I should buy another one with strong but focused PAR depth. Any recommendations? Budget is 3-400 USD (am in Canada).
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08/22/2019, 08:05 AM
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#8 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 20,050
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For a 125G tank with a 3-400 budget you are looking at Black Box LEDS from Amazon/Ebay...
ViparSpectra, Mars Aqua,etc... Search 165W (~$80-150,each) Reef LED or 300W (~$200 each) reef led on those sites and you shall find them.. Assuming a 48" long tank 2 of the 165W would be fine.. 1 of the 300W could be ok but the 2 would be better with the dimensions you have
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