LED Pendant for 7.5 gallon cube

Jeremy0322

Jeremy0322

Active Member
First off thank you to anyone that reads this and helps, its a relatively long post but I like to give detail :)

Brief overview of tank. 7.5 gallons, 12x12x12. From the sand bed to the surface of the water is roughly 10 inches, and from the surface of the water to the bulb fitting is around 16 inches.

This tank will not be a permanent set up. It has about 6 months before I am in a position to go larger which will be happening (cant stand having this small of a tank, really difficult to find things to keep in it)

So, that means this will be a temporary light. That means I dont want to spend a ton on a light. Also I dont have huge dreams of keeping SPS and clams and the like, has never really been my thing. I like softies, Zoa's, the bright things that pulsate and can take over a tank if your not careful..haha.

With all of this being said I am going the eBay route for now. I know LED's are an item where you get what you pay for and thats fine. I dont need a lot so I dont want to pay alot :) I am just looking for a little guidance because from what I have seen this seems like a guess and check exercise instead of something with clear cut rules. I will more than likely be going Bridgelux because there are more of them out there and seem to be cheaper, plus I dont need alot of power or depth penetration for 10 inches of water. The part that stumps me is the wattage I should go with. Here are 3 of the choices I found looking for quick links on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/E27-15w-Cor...837?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e750ba2d

http://www.ebay.com/itm/E27-21W-7X3...427?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4619336573

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAR38-Blue-...520?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4acef70e90


I cant imagine needing 36 watts for a tank this size but I could be wrong. ALSO, as you can see from the picture it is a pretty simple light fixture (Target) so it is not dimmable, meaning I would rather not push it and burn up corals.



 
Ratpack

Ratpack

Active Member
I kind of like the looks of the third option which is the PAR38, I am also looking at one for a 10 gallon tank I want to set up for growing out frags. However, since they are not dimmable, you should have the option of raising or lowering the light to make the adjustments.
 
Jeremy0322

Jeremy0322

Active Member
I dont have the option to attach anything to the walls here so im just going to have to stick with the fixture I currently have
 
reefer gladness

reefer gladness

Well-Known Member
Jeremy0322 said:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CXTZN2Q/?tag=reefsanc-20

Im probably going to go with this option. Its a good color, good price, and should be able to support the soft corals that I interested in.
Click to expand...

For the type of corals you are interested in that should be a solid choice. The 3-watt LED's will penetrate the water sufficiently and you have some control over the spread by how high the bulb is mounted.

The higher wattage PAR bulbs are also solid options and can be dimmed using a TRIAC (just like a standard wall-mounted light dimmer/switch). This will still be a nice tank for QT'ing corals after you upgrade and could potentially hold SPS with a PAR38.
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
If this is a tank that your only going to have going for 6 months, save your money. If you really need to go with something, this is a case where the lest expensive is fine.
 
Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson

Well-Known Member
I'll agree with Dave K on this. For a 12"x12"x10" a 6500K CFL bulb in a shop light will keep even the most demanding corals up to 16" and 1 sq.ft.
 
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