BuildMyLED Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Hello everyone. Lots of people are asking us to correlate the color of our LED fixtures to metal halide lamps. I asked a few ARC members to label our Custom Reef Spectrum, and everyone agreed it looks like a traditional 12000K lamp. Since many customers want cooler color temperatures, I want to add some cooler options to our portfolio. Hence, what other temperatures should we consider? Once we identify these temperatures, does anyone have a non-LED source still running on their tank? I would like to configure some sample fixtures to match the look of these lamps. Let me know, Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 20k is also pretty popular Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 robb in austin runs t5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Yes, yes I do. (victoly; this is your hint.) Mine is roughly 15K. I was going to suggest a 15K and a 20K option as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshdmartin Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I like a 14k-20k!! I'm currently running 3x 250mh 14k with 2 6ft super blues... I'm in process of purchasing your cust reef spectrum with uv added.. Waiting on your 6 ft lights though bc I don't want 8 cords!! Any thoughts on difference between 4x 6ft cust reef spec and what I'm currently running? Thanks josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SChrisEV Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 What is your current custom reef spectrum considered, temperatures wise? While I like it quite a bit, I plan on getting a second one 36" fixture, but I'll want more blue in it, and maybe a little of the UV, but given that the UV does not help the coral growth, just adds some additional color to the coral appearance, I'm thinking just one UV light per 12" section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 The typical spectrum advertised for bulbs are 10k, 14k, and 20k. I still have my 48" fixture over my new tank running (4)54w T5 actinic and (2)250w metal halide (plusrite 20k bulbs) if you would like to do some comparison shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I run 10K MH, with a bunch of actinic supplementation. I was running 14K without the actinics and it gives a nice crisp color. 10K is too yellow IMO without additional supplementation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 I really like the Custom Reef spectrum and along with the Super Actinic will work well on most of my tanks. Nick,I am curious if you can test the color temperature of existing bulbs? I have a tank with both 14,000K and 20,000K MH and would be more than happy to volunteer but they are from two different manufactureres and the 14,000K actully look bluer than the 20,000K. Just one of the frustrations with MH I'm glad I'm phasing out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SChrisEV Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 (edited) ... I plan on getting a second one 36" fixture, but I'll want more blue in it, and maybe a little of the UV, but given that the UV does not help the coral growth, just adds some additional color to the coral appearance... After another very good conversation with Nick, and reading an article that he forwarded to me (a very informative read: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/aafeature), sounds like I'll need to revise my statement about the UV lights!! Edited December 10, 2012 by mFrame (Mike) fixed link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuildMyLED Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 I really like the Custom Reef spectrum and along with the Super Actinic will work well on most of my tanks. Nick,I am curious if you can test the color temperature of existing bulbs? I have a tank with both 14,000K and 20,000K MH and would be more than happy to volunteer but they are from two different manufactureres and the 14,000K actully look bluer than the 20,000K. Just one of the frustrations with MH I'm glad I'm phasing out. Yes, we have two spectometers that can capture the radiometric spectrum of any light source. One is calibrated to capture the UV through visible region, while the other captures visible through the Infrared region (for horticulture applications). When they are calibrated for absolute photometry, you can determine practically anything about a given light spectrum. I would be happy to test your lamps to compare the spectra and their associated CCTs. I believe the CCT (Kelvin scale) is a really poor method for describing light sources, but we can tell you exactly where they are in relation to the Planckian locus. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cMidd Posted December 11, 2012 Share Posted December 11, 2012 T5 here too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuildMyLED Posted December 17, 2012 Author Share Posted December 17, 2012 Here are a few different reef spectra compared to our preconfigured Custom Reef Spectrum. The white balance was off on the second clip, which looks like a ~14000K spectrum in person. For those of you who prefer more blue in your reef spectrum, this will help you with the design process. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.