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Post by BriMc on Apr 6, 2014 10:13:00 GMT -5
UV is a spectrum of lighting that is not seen, even though you cannot see it and it doesn't seem to reach the top of the water it is penetrating the surface and providing the spectrum some animals need.
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Post by maineultraclassic on Apr 6, 2014 10:33:42 GMT -5
I wouldnt take all the optics off your par will be cut in 1/2 just on the red and green led If you don't mount the light closer to the water, this is true. With 60 or 90 degree optics, you have to mount the light higher to get better dispersion. With 120 optics(or no optics) you can mount closer and keep the par up. |
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Post by BriMc on Apr 6, 2014 10:55:31 GMT -5
You are correct on removing the optics you lose some par. Think of the optics as a magnifying glass you take normal sunlight and no problem, add a magnifying glass and it concentrates the light and energy into one focused area creating a greater amount of light and energy into that area. Now removing the optics you do lose some par but you don't actually lose it the light is just spread out over more area and can the par can be boosted up a bit more by overlapping the light spread as you are doing when you remove the optics.
Food for thought, remember when you put your LEDs on your tank and you tried to start them off at 50 to 70% and everything ran for cover because you were essentially burning them? You had to start the lights off at 10% and every couple of days raise the level 10% until you got to roughly 50%, Your corals had to basically adapt (and I stress the point adapt) to the higher concentration of light. Now if you removed the optics in the beginning and started off at lets say 30% and worked up to lets say 60 or 70% the corals would be under less stress and the disco effect would be eliminated.
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Post by foggman on Apr 6, 2014 11:18:49 GMT -5
I don't have the disco effect, and my tank is 30" talk and lights are about 8" or so off the water,
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Post by BriMc on Apr 6, 2014 11:46:01 GMT -5
Yes correct because you are 38 inches off the bottom the light spreads out a lot more and the disco effect is a lot less to not noticeable but you could also have a lot less par at the bottom of your tank being that high off the bottom. There are two ways of eliminating the disco effect, Going to a higher spread optic or raising your LEDs off the tank.
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Post by jasonandsarah on Apr 7, 2014 13:10:47 GMT -5
So what degree of optics should I use to get them to spread nice but make it in the tank? I took the optics off today and the red isn't even making it in the tank it's just going right off the edges of the tank.
I'd say if 20% of the light is making it in the tank I'd be lucky.
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Post by BriMc on Apr 7, 2014 13:15:40 GMT -5
your choices are 60, 90, or 120. 120 will give you the most spread. How is your fixture positioned above your tank?
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Post by maineultraclassic on Apr 7, 2014 13:41:09 GMT -5
I've got 55 - 60degree ones if you want them........disco disco.......LOL
I was going to buy the 120degree ones to put on, but it's the same as no optics at all so why waste the $20.
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Post by Lance on Apr 7, 2014 13:43:27 GMT -5
I was going to buy the 120degree ones to put on, but it's the same as no optics at all so why waste the $20. Protection from spray and/or scratching would be the best reason I can think of. |
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Post by jasonandsarah on Apr 7, 2014 13:49:08 GMT -5
I've got 55 - 60degree ones if you want them........disco disco.......LOL I was going to buy the 120degree ones to put on, but it's the same as no optics at all so why waste the $20. Don't the 120's at least send the light down towards the tank? Because with no optics most of the light looks like it barely makes it out of the light fixture! See how it spreads out automatically? You would think some kind of optic would send it downwards at least? Attachments:
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Post by BriMc on Apr 7, 2014 14:06:14 GMT -5
I was going to buy the 120degree ones to put on, but it's the same as no optics at all so why waste the $20. Protection from spray and/or scratching would be the best reason I can think of. Reef breeders has a sealed piece of plexi to prevent spray from getting into the fixture |
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Post by BriMc on Apr 7, 2014 14:07:00 GMT -5
How high above the tank do you have the fixture?
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Post by jasonandsarah on Apr 7, 2014 14:12:11 GMT -5
Protection from spray and/or scratching would be the best reason I can think of. Reef breeders has a sealed piece of plexi to prevent spray from getting into the fixture So does cheap Chinese light |
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Post by jasonandsarah on Apr 7, 2014 14:13:35 GMT -5
How high above the tank do you have the fixture? Right now like 7" because the colors I took the optics off aren't making it in the tank. So I lowered them.normally around 9-10"off the water. Yes I turned them down |
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Post by Matt in Lewiston on Apr 7, 2014 14:23:22 GMT -5
I just removed my optics from a fixture from Rob so the light would spread across the whole 40b...I was running it around 15% before, but the edges were too dark...now I have it around 30-35% and the whole tank is lit up. I'm just going to keep an eye on things to figure out how bright they should be now.
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