LED Strip with MH

Q

quakerroatmeal

Anyone have any experience with LED strips added on to their current MH? I have a 150w mh with Phoenix 14k bulb. I'm looking for some more accent / color popping and maybe some better growth/supplement. I've seen some zoa's/corals under led and it's insane looking. I've did some research and some I'm looking at are

Current USA TruelumenPro
Ecoxotic Stunner
Ecoxotic Panorama
Reefbrite LED

Also is there a big difference between 445nm Royal Blue and 453nm Blue?

Does anyone have any recommendation, experience? I've red some the reefbrite do cost some spotlight effect if not put high enough. These will be sitting pretty close to the water and not high at all.
 
ecoxotic stunner strips is what ive seen many ppl use. looks good! not sure if there is a big difference in the blues though.
 
I have a homemade strip with leds from rapid LED. I have 2 dimmable drivers and 12 or 14 royal blues(don't remember how many) I run them at 50% and get great color. Much cheaper to go with a homemade unit.
 
Steve, pretty sure you have cree blue, not royal blue. And it is 26 of them ;)

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I am not 100% on the color, you ordered them! But the number was definitely 26, i checked back to the pictures. The one above has half of it lit.


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I just ordered the reefkoi evoslim led strips to go with my T5s as I heard some good stuff about them, I would stay away from the truelumen as those things are pretty weak compared to the others.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Bettalover there is two versions. The regular Truelumen and TruelumenPro's I believe. Are both of them weak? I may have Caravan DIY me one unless there are other recommendations and comments.
 
No question have Joe DIY it. You can get exactly what you want and cheaper. you can use less leds then I did. Mine is super bright and only turn it on 50%. I got the fined heatsink from rapidLED, but i think an angle AL from Lowes would have worked just fine, that will save $50 too. I suggest dimmable drivers so you can get the brightness just how you want it. Lots of the cheaper premade strips are not dimmable.
 
Thanks, Steve. I am glad you are happy with yours! I still think you have a good number of LEDs though. If you space them out more, you run the chance of spotlighting. Although, i am testing that a bit more with my new personal build, doing clusters of 3 LED's spaced about 8 inches apart.

His tank is only 18" wide, so the finned heatsink is cheap at $15. I suggested 12 LEDs, but 8 or 10 will probably work fine. No extra drivers needed to go to 12 though, so it only saves about $12 if you go with 8 versus going with 12.

Dimmable is great, but adds quite a bit of cost to a build this small. $20 more for the driver, another $17 more for the pot and 10v power supply, then you have to find a place to mount the pot as well. So a $100 build goes easily to $140-150 just by making it dimmable.

With as small as his tank is, i suggested wiring a 700ma driver in parallel to run them at 350ma, or around 35% of their max capacity. It is a good brightness for a nano, and if he wants brighter all you have to do is wire it in series and it is at 700ma!


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