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BuildMyLED

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    New 20000K Reef Spectrum Launching Today!

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Do you miss the look of your old 20000K Metal Halide lights? Check out our new 20000K reef spectrum! We just added it to our website, so you can order it today


    Offered exclusively in our high-power XB Series, this breakthrough spectrum was designed to perfectly replicate the color of a 20000K Metal Halide lighting system. By using a mix of key wavelengths, including 400nm UV and 420 nm Violet, our engineering team was able to visually match the 20000K Metal Halide color spectrum. Most of the competing LED fixtures use 450nm Royal Blue as the shortest wavelength, so the resulting color spectrum has a blue bias. However, our new 20000K Reef Spectrum mimics the distinct violet hue which hobbyists have long enjoyed with traditional Metal Halide lights. With the addition of the 420nm Violet LEDs, this spectrum is extremely effective in targeting the Zooxanthellae algae which produce food needed for the survival and growth of most hard and soft corals.


    Check out the video of the new spectrum by clicking on the Video icon on this page. Thanks to Gary at Aqua-Dome for letting us film it over his beautiful reef tank grin.png




    Nick


    Spectrum and build questions

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Hi Bpb. Thanks for the questions. Sorry you have not received a reply to your first email, but I will look into this with our team.


    As for your questions....


    We are about to release a 20K spectrum that mimics the 20K Radium look, and I think you will love this new product. I think it will meet all of your color needs, and it will provide edge-to-edge uniformity in your tank. Since this will be exclusive to our XB line, 2 fixtures will be more than enough now (even when you upgrade to the 90). Hence, I suggest dimmers or the Apex while using them on the 55. Alternatively, one fixture will work great for your 55 now, and you can add the second fixture once you upgrade to a bigger tank. If you love the 20K Radium look, you will love this spectrum. I will also demo the light with the Super Actinic, so stay tuned for the feedback. I love the Super Actinic with the 12k, and I think the 14K and SA is too blue for my personal taste.


    Here are the answers for your spectrum questions...Deep Red and 660nm is the same LED. 505 and 525 are very similar, but 505 is useful for filling in the radiometric power dip in white LEDs. They also produce slightly more fluorescence in some corals. The next time you see a green traffic light, you are looking at 505nm Cyan LEDs :-)


    At BML, we carry 8 different types of white LEDs, and they are all useful for creating different types of spectra. Remember, there are countless ways to build great spectra options for reef tanks. There isn't a perfect spectrum. Now that we have added 420nm to our LED portfolio, we can create over 1 billion spectra options in ever fixture we build. 525nm green is useful when you want to create a narrow band saturation in the spectrum without altering the rest of the spectrum. White LEDs (which are blue LEDs with a phosphor coating), absolutely create green light. However, they also add blue, red, far red light at the same time. Look at this link, and notice how color LEDs produce narrow peaks, while white LEDs produce broad spectra. http://www.buildmyled.com/led-catalog/


    In summary, there are countless ways to create excellent reef spectra options. Hence, you want to find a fixture that accomplishes four primary goals: 1) Adequate light (PAR) for the corals, 2) Even light coverage throughout the tank, 3) Color that is pleasing to your eye, 4) while consuming the fewest electrical watts as possible.


    Let me know if this helps.


    Nick

    46 gallon bow w/soft and lps corals mostly.

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Beam angles.....Something I wondered about after my first BMLED purchase. Can your lights be used at a full 180 degree downward angle (completely face down towards the water) 3" off surface? or is that discouraged? If so can it damage coral? I'm maybe 2 months into using my BMLED lights and have had 0 problems so far but is positioned with no angle, directly facing the water. Feedback from a pro-in-the-know is appreciated.

    You should be fine, as that is a normal mounting option.

    Nick

    Part Time Job Opening

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Hello everyone. We are currently hiring for a part-time Shipping/Receiving position, so let me know if you are interested. Details: Mon-Fri, approx 4 hours per day (i.e. 12-4 or 1-5). We have a great team at BML, so this is a good opportunity for someone who is looking for PT work. Contact me for more info.

    Happy holidays,

    Nick

    46 gallon bow w/soft and lps corals mostly.

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    What kind of setup would you recommend for me. I have soft corals, lps corals, a few nps corals, and a few sps corals. It's a 46 gal bow front, so it's not your typical rectangular tank. As far a color, I don't care. I just was the most growth. Thanks.

    Hi Eel. I would recommend a 36" 14000K fixture on your tank. 90 degree beam angle :-)

    Nick

    XB Series Launching Today

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Hello everyone. Heads up…we are launching a brighter line of LED fixtures today. The new XB Series offers up to 40% more light than our original series…at the same wattage!


    Let us know if you need any help with your lighting design :D


    Nick

    Celebrating our 1st Birthday

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Thanks to our hometown customers who supported us this past year! We really appreciate your help and local support! We are doubling our building sq footage, and we are really excited about the new products we have in the development queue smile.png

    Thanks again for your support!

    Nick

    • Like 4

    48" fixture for 90 Gallon

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    For a mixed reef tank with SPS, we usually estimate 1 foot of our lights for every 10 gallons. This works for most tanks up to ~180 gallons. After that, many big tanks do not have corals everywhere in the tank. Hence, we will create a 3D lighting design model for the larger tanks.

    Having said that, two 48" fixtures is plenty for a 55. Most corals can accept a wide range of light levels, and more light usually ranslates into more growth and improved coloration with SPS.

    Nick

    We have a 185 gallon tank it is 60Lx30Wx24H. You said that for tanks over 180 you can create a 3D lighting design model for bigger ones. Is that just the way the lights would be set up or a different light? I am not wanting to mount them to the tank because I don't want to have to move them when I need to get into the tank. I was planning on having them at least 6" off the tank but from what I read they need to be closer. I am having problems trying to find lights to cover the footprint that I have. Most cover up to 24" and I don't want the front part or the back part of the tank dark. Any suggestions?

    PS - Our linear fixtures provide great uniformity in larger tanks, as we do not use LED 'clusters' that produce bright and dark spots. Here is a 374G tank we recently completed.

    Nick

    48" fixture for 90 Gallon

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    For a mixed reef tank with SPS, we usually estimate 1 foot of our lights for every 10 gallons. This works for most tanks up to ~180 gallons. After that, many big tanks do not have corals everywhere in the tank. Hence, we will create a 3D lighting design model for the larger tanks.

    Having said that, two 48" fixtures is plenty for a 55. Most corals can accept a wide range of light levels, and more light usually ranslates into more growth and improved coloration with SPS.

    Nick

    We have a 185 gallon tank it is 60Lx30Wx24H. You said that for tanks over 180 you can create a 3D lighting design model for bigger ones. Is that just the way the lights would be set up or a different light? I am not wanting to mount them to the tank because I don't want to have to move them when I need to get into the tank. I was planning on having them at least 6" off the tank but from what I read they need to be closer. I am having problems trying to find lights to cover the footprint that I have. Most cover up to 24" and I don't want the front part or the back part of the tank dark. Any suggestions?

    Hello. Sorry for the delay in finding your question! What do you have in your tank? Is this a full mixed reef with SPS? Let me know, and we will post a recommendation for you.

    Thanks,

    Nick

    Par bulbs?

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Can you guys build, or have you thought about expanding your product line to include, the PAR bulbs? I'd love to grab a PAR38 bulb from the local company rather than have to order one from afar. I checked your website but didn't see the option.

    Just a thought... whistle.gif

    Hi etannert. Thanks for the question. At this time, we are not planning to build PAR lamps, but we appreciate the suggestion and opportunity smile.png

    Nick

    48" fixture for 90 Gallon

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    For a mixed reef tank with SPS, we usually estimate 1 foot of our lights for every 10 gallons. This works for most tanks up to ~180 gallons. After that, many big tanks do not have corals everywhere in the tank. Hence, we will create a 3D lighting design model for the larger tanks.

    Having said that, two 48" fixtures is plenty for a 55. Most corals can accept a wide range of light levels, and more light usually ranslates into more growth and improved coloration with SPS.

    Nick

    My New BML LED Lighting

    in Equipment Discussions

    Posted

    Hi Jake. The tank looks awesome! I'm glad Tim was able to help you reposition the light, as it looks like he did a great job smile.png Here is the spectrum we used for the two custom strips. http://www.buildmyled.com/custom-report-details/?partNo=PS2460S101LMATLPMALOMJAML While most scientists refuse to give a min PAR (PPFD) number for a large/diverse group of corals, many people say you want a minimum of 100 PPFD for SPS. Most can handle much more than that, and the increased light levels will typically lead to different colors and growth rates.

    Unfortunately, PAR meters do not provide accurate readings. In general, the less the meter costs, the less accurate it will be. Take a look at this recent article by Dana Riddle. http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/2/equipment Dana shows the sensor response curve over various wavelengths in Figure 7. Many hobbyists use the Apogee unit since it is the least expensive PAR meter. However, the Apogee will under-report the amount of PAR in the blue range. This is an issue with reef tanks, as most reef lighting systems have between 60-75% blue wavelengths. Hence, you need to account for this 'loss' to get a true PAR reading in your tank.

    Nick

    Thank you!

    in BuildMyLED

    Posted

    Wow, the before/after pics are great! We really appreciate all of the local support we have received in our first seven months. We appreciate everyone's patience as we improve the products, and we plan to keep hiring more Austinites as we grow.

    Thanks again smile.png

    Nick

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