My CREE 180w LED thread

[PIMPALA]

Ok, instead of cluttering up my reef chronicle thread on my big tank, I'm just going to start this thread, keeping track of this lighting experiment and my tanks progress on this lighting from opening the box, to coral growth.


Here are the fixtures:


I got 6 units this shipment. Each unit retails at $400ish USD, and should light a 2'x2'x2' area in the tank.

Each unit is WELL packaged, and everything is very easy to set up, and put together.

Each unit comes with a separate control for the blue and white (there are 10 of each) so you can light acclimate your tank by just turning a knob.

hooked up, but lights off:

blue on only (lowest setting)

white only (lowest setting)

white and blue (lowest setting)

both on, highest setting

back side of unit.

heat sink, cooling fan, which is temperature controlled via built in thermostat

each unit comes with 2 digital timers as well, blue and white not only have separate intensity controls, but separate plugs and timers!

also comes with a nice hanging kit

spec sheet:

i'll post more, and add to this thread as i get home and start setting the lights up on the tank.

 

[jpsika08]

Put them on the tank LOL, great review, can't wait to see them in action

 

[PIMPALA]

ok, i hung, then re-hung, and re-hung again. they are up... BUT:


because my tank is 24" front to back, i have to turn them so they are facing front to back, instead of lining them up side to side. then, the problem is that i have no coverage in the middle of the tank.

so im glad i ordered more, because tomorrow im going to hang a 3rd light in the center of the tank.


anyway, here is what it looks like with only 2:





OLD 6 bulb T-5 setup:

a pair of 60 watt fixtures, turned lengthwise:

(you can see the dark areas in the front and back of the tank)

here they are turned with them facing front to back:

then just the blue lights on, and turned all the way down:

will post more tomorrow when i install the other fixture in the middle.

 

[GlassMunky]

wow, its amazing at how much of a difference the direction its facing makes...... Looks good though. cant wait to see/hear how the corals like it.

 

[jpsika08]

They look really nice, indeed you need the third fixture to compensate the middle section.
Do you think enough light is getting to the bottom? as your tank is really high.

Congrats and keep us posted

 

[Reefmack]

Are these capable of programming to gradually raise & lower intensity (sunrise/sunset ramping up & down)?

 

[PIMPALA]

Are these capable of programming to gradually raise & lower intensity (sunrise/sunset ramping up & down)?

negative sir. manual control.

 

[Reefmack]

Ok, thanks Jason!

 

[PIMPALA]

Ok!! WOOHOO!!

3rd light did it! I'm in love with my LEDs!!!

WINNER WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!!

 

[PIMPALA]

Oh, can someone please change the thread title to 180 watt? LOL

 

[Reefmack]

Oh, can someone please change the thread title to 180 watt? LOL

Done!

 

[PIMPALA]

Thanks Mack!


I'll take and post some current coral pics soon, and then post more weekly or monthly depending on growth, so we can see how well everything does under the LEDs.

 

[Reefmack]

You're welcome! Stuff like that only takes a few seconds. Looking forward to those progress reports!

 

[Uslanja]

The lights look Great. The third one sealed the deal!!

 

[Gasturbineguy]

Wow... those look nice! The metal LED to power supply connector is a nice touch... I don't see that type of build quality much. Would love to see some PAR measurements... has this been tested by anyone??

-Shaun

 

[PIMPALA]

OMAS, the local club here has a PAR meter... maybe I should borrow it, and get some readings!!!

 

[jpsika08]

Those Leds look incredible and more impressive the light penetration with your tank being so high, a par meter sound a must to see how much light is going though, congrats

 

[PIMPALA]

once i am ready to turn up the whites all the way, i'll bust out the meter.

 

[PIMPALA]

Ok, whites are up all the way... but no meter yet.


however, I thought that since they are up, and rocking... i'd take some pics of corals in my tank today, and track the growth progress with pictures every other week or so.



on to the good stuff!


(please excuse some of the pics. my tank is 24" front to back, so its difficult to focus on corals at the very back of the tank)



first... a FTS:

duncans:

shrooms:

2 diff types of frogspawn:

hammer:

Zoas and Palys:

xenia, and zoas:

my Acans that have been receding ever since the 46 broke and they were exposed to air for a few hours

Leathers:

a little piece of GSP hitch hiker

some GSP that im trying to get to grow up onto the overflow:

couple of colt corals, and some more zoas:

candy canes:

torch:

 

[PIMPALA]

i'll get some SPS pics this week. two of them got knocked over by freakin turbo snails, and they are on the frag rack. i hate turbo snails BTW, and every one of them but a couple (cant get them right now) are mantis food. nom nom nom.