# Reef Lighting, yay or nay?



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Hope you like blue..... 










http://www.reefs.com/blog/2012/07/12/product-review-hagen-fluval-sea-led-light/

Won't be too much light..........


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

jeffkrol said:


> Hope you like blue.....
> 
> Haha I don't mind blue, but I just wanted some opinions on the color range. I know fresh water plants like the red spectrum more than reefs. But will it hinder growth any? Or is it just a preference on looks?
> 
> ...


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> jeffkrol said:
> 
> 
> > Hope you like blue.....
> ...


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

This is what it looks like with just the reef led. 









This is with my 2bulb t5









And this is both









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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

I did say it would probably look better........ My ratio was 2:1 blue /cool white.. 
What T5's do you use?.. they look high-ish K (6500 or greater).. and def no "roseate" type bulbs..

I still go back and forth on cool vs warm.. all a personal preference..


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Ya I think I'm gonna trade out the reef led for the freshwater version and also get I warmer light for the t5. It's actually a 4bulb but 1 ballast is busted. 

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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> Ya I think I'm gonna trade out the reef led for the freshwater version and also get I warmer light for the t5. It's actually a 4bulb but 1 ballast is busted.
> 
> Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk


I think the reef light has potential.. only needs some supplemental color..
nothing wrong w/ reef PAR (in the "full spectrum" variety), just the visual tone....










Add some 660nm red and cyan.. your all set. 
I'm worried that the "freshwater" are just a bunch of mixed white.. which isn't bad per se.. but multiple spectrum's are more on my line of thinking.
I'm pretty sure they will also not have "deep red" 660nm nor cyan

BTW: just switching tubes in the T5 can add that w/out adding any new LED's. Just make sure one has some deep red.. like the roseate.

Oh and if you get back to 4- t5's that LED isn't really powerful enough to be more than an accent color.. as to tone..( I believe 4' LED specs at 46W)

You can see by the last photo you have a slight richness in the blues and a bit more definition w/ the 2 types. The 2 t5's don't overpower the LEDs in other words.. 2 more T5's and.. ???
Regardless of this fact, you still have more photons w/ the LED.. 
but that is from photos which can vary from our visual perception (camera has it's own "interpretation" of color)


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Thx for that info. It's along the lines of what I was thinking. I'm gonna check out the freshwater version and see what it's got and then figure out from there

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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

His is the specs on the freshwater light. 
http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/ca/freshwater/aquarium-lighting/series/aqualife-plant-performance-led/

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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

Yes for your peace of mind do check the Freshwater version for color of bulbs.
I use one red bulb (650nm) and one 6700K bulb on my two bulb T5 and get just a tad faster growth than when I use two of the 6700K bulbs. Plants do use both the 420 and 460nm light range but generally it's believed that the 460nm is better for plant growth on the charts I've seen. The plants also use the 650nm(red) so the use of either simply means that all or much higher level of the energy those bulbs are using is being used by the plants directly. 
The appearence of the green is off a bit when an actinic bulb is used with the regular white bulb on a two bulb T5 fixture IMO, butby using one red bulb along/w the regular white one in your T5 fixture it will off set this. It will be better even if you get the freshwater version of the LED, but mostly I was talking about the marine one.
I find that some T5 bulbs in 6500K are harsh/glairing. So when I got my T5 fixture and this was the case, I bought True Lumen "Flora" bulbs. Other companies sell "Flora pink"
by True Lumen and I have no clue if they are the same bulb. I got mine at DRs Foster & Smith's and the color of everything in my tanks is vastly better and more natural
with no glair at all. Then I got a 650nm bulb from the same place but by well here are the links. The Flora looks pink but gives white light.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13821+13823&pcatid=13823
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13821+21444&pcatid=21444
Not allowed to give vendor reviews but see what you think about the prices on there
for the bulbs.
Actually my concern on a marine LED is that it may be much too high of a level of
light in general. To what extent who knows but I think this to be a contributing factor when people say Actinic causes algae. Is it the actinic or did you put in a much higher level of light than you thought ?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> His is the specs on the freshwater light.
> http://www.fluvalaquatics.com/ca/freshwater/aquarium-lighting/series/aqualife-plant-performance-led/
> 
> Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk


How about ditch the t5's and get one of each... 

Tough call the freshwater is fairly balanced w/ the ww ect..

I'd have to see it in action but it is more neutral than the SW one..

If you are going to stick w/ one I'd probably go w/ the freshwater..

Each has it's own weakness (in my own opinion) but on balance it is a pretty good try.. 

25% 15000k 25% 6500K 16.6% warm white ect.. (assuming ww/b/r are equal) ... not much missing..

My main difference is I haven't decided on the value of UV in FW.. which the SW has.. FW w/ the addition of WW def. has more deep red.

5200K CCT..Wonder how they got that number.. seems low.. oh well unimportant.


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Well I picked up the reef led for next to nothing on a trade. Couldn't pass it up, basically free and only 2mo old. But I may be able to return it to the store it was purchased at and swap it for the freshwater one and a little store credit. So I figured I'd try for the freshwater one and run it along with the t5. 
Now another question, at this high light I need to be running co2 correct? 

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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

Switched out the reef light for the freshwater version today. It looks soo much better. Nice colors. 








The picture doesn't do it justice. 

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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Comparison..


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

It does have a slight yellower tint in the new pic. But to the eyes it is definitely more orange/yellow

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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> It does have a slight yellower tint in the new pic. But to the eyes it is definitely more orange/yellow
> 
> Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk


Well I look at the first tank and see blue black gravel.. 

Second is quite neutral..

That was/is my angst between like 6500k and warmer color temps.. Some days I like the crisp blue/white, somedays .. not so much..  

One of the reasons I like 2-4 channel designs.. I can't make up my mind.. 


My camera overstates "warm" (yes I can do something about that) normally so, to the eye, they are not soo orange/yellow..


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## scoutsdoitbetter (Apr 12, 2014)

I'm in love with the way it looks now. Now we just sit back and watch growth. 

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## MeCasa (Apr 22, 2014)

scoutsdoitbetter said:


> I'm in love with the way it looks now. Now we just sit back and watch growth.


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