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Mits

Lumenbright Mini upgrade worth it?

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4 Comments
by
Mits
, 06-15-2011 at 01:30 AM (5159 Views)
I want a lighting upgrade and was thinking of starting toward a DIY LED setup, but it may be a while until I can afford to put it together and I think that new items and ideas are going so fast that I'd be better served to let it play out a little more. I'm currently running 2x250w MH SE bulbs with parabolic spider reflectors and I can get a couple Lumenbright minis for about $88 each. I know it would focus a lot more light into the tank and I'd need to acclimate, but will it increase heat or do anything else unexpected? It's over a 4 ft. 120g tank. Should I do it?

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‎ Lighting

Comments

  1. DJ in WV's Avatar
    I just changed from 4 vho 165watts to 3 250w hqi lummax 3 pendents from sun light supply and there hasn't been any heat difference between the two. Personally im loving the 14k phoenix bulbs and getting great coverage over the 6 ft tank
  2. Jungliztkruger's Avatar
    I loved my lumen bright and because of the design I was able to raise up the reflector and actually saw a temperature drop. I have since changed to led for to help with energy and bulb costs. LEDs def cost more up front but pay off in the long run
  3. melev's Avatar
    Definitely go with the Lumenbrights, Mits. Your tank will get far more light than previously. With my tank, I measured the spot in the Toadstool leather coral before and after. With the spider reflector, it measured 144 PAR at 9" off the water. With the Lumenbright at 18" off the water, the PAR was 444.

    You will finally stop wasting light, and your tank will not run as warm because of the elevated lights. I bought pendants with the glass shield to avoid all the salt spatter that would otherwise erode the reflective surfaces over time. Mine are now over 3 years old and still look like new.
  4. Mits's Avatar
    Yeah, I think I will go with the Lumenbrights but it'll have to wait until I sell some frags. I walked into premium aquatics today and walked out with 2 mandarins (one for each tank), 2 firefish to add to the 1 in there, 24 nerite snails, 2 sand sifting cucs, a coco worm and a flame scallop. I really needed to bolster the cleanup crew and I wanted to add some diversity to the livestock. It's a large tank that can easily handle that and plenty more. I also have some money earmarked for the Hanna calcium checker when that comes out. Maybe it's time to list these frags. As far as the LED goes, I keep seeing new products every time I logon to reefbuilders along with reading posts debating different color combinations. I just have a feeling that if I hold out a couple years there will be more of a consensus, parts will be less expensive, and some awesome new products will have come out.