curiousphil
Super Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2013
- Location
- London, Ontario
So I've been thinking about my light situation, and trying to figure out how the intensity of my DIY LED system might stack up against say a MH unit. Mainly I want to figure out if I need to raise my rockwork closer to the lights or dim my lights further.
In the reading I've done on lighting intensity and 'watts per gallon' I've been led to believe that 4-8 WPG is considered to be a good "high intensity" light for SPS. I've also read that that is mostly in reference to VHO/T5/MH but not so much LEDs - that people often in fact say they need about .
With my system I'm running 106 3w emitters, ranging from 1000mA on the whites and blues to 700mA on the violets and 500mA on the OCWs. With an internal tank volume of about 81 gallons that puts me at approximately 3.9 WPG. My lights are totally ghetto rigged right now sitting on a glass panel that is held on top of the tank via some galvanized steel corner beading, putting them about maybe 3-4 inches above the water. I have a basic light controller hooked up that provides a constant dimming signal that brings things down to 70-80% intensity (no sunrise/sunset dimming yet - I still need to get the RTC working) and then the whole system is on a timer for a 1pm-9pm photoperiod. Given all this, *I THINK* I am about on par with a 2x250W MH system.
(If there's one thing you should know about me... it's that I like putting things in context
.)
Now on to my question - all this guesswork is fine and dandy but I think I need to just find out what my PAR is. Anyone in the area have a meter, and want to come check out my tank in exchange for a few drinks?? If not, I really should get out to see some of the LED tanks in the area (salty!) so that I can get a bearing on how mine looks in comparison.
In the reading I've done on lighting intensity and 'watts per gallon' I've been led to believe that 4-8 WPG is considered to be a good "high intensity" light for SPS. I've also read that that is mostly in reference to VHO/T5/MH but not so much LEDs - that people often in fact say they need about .
With my system I'm running 106 3w emitters, ranging from 1000mA on the whites and blues to 700mA on the violets and 500mA on the OCWs. With an internal tank volume of about 81 gallons that puts me at approximately 3.9 WPG. My lights are totally ghetto rigged right now sitting on a glass panel that is held on top of the tank via some galvanized steel corner beading, putting them about maybe 3-4 inches above the water. I have a basic light controller hooked up that provides a constant dimming signal that brings things down to 70-80% intensity (no sunrise/sunset dimming yet - I still need to get the RTC working) and then the whole system is on a timer for a 1pm-9pm photoperiod. Given all this, *I THINK* I am about on par with a 2x250W MH system.
(If there's one thing you should know about me... it's that I like putting things in context
.)Now on to my question - all this guesswork is fine and dandy but I think I need to just find out what my PAR is. Anyone in the area have a meter, and want to come check out my tank in exchange for a few drinks?? If not, I really should get out to see some of the LED tanks in the area (salty!) so that I can get a bearing on how mine looks in comparison.
