Just got a eBay LED PAR38 Full Spectrum Bulb for my Fuge/Frag Rack!

[higorc]

I just got this light from eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/20084175819...eName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 to try to grow out some frags in my Refugium “turned” Frag Tank.

I modified my Refugium around a bit (so it’s not a fuge anymore) so I can use to grow frags. I am hoping this light will do the trick since I couldn’t find any T5 fixtures that would fit under my tank.

Fitting it under my tank was kind of tricky. I am using the same light socket I had my 6500K Fuge light plugged into. I have it zip tied it for now until I come up with a better solution.

It's always a project for me trying to fit any equipment under my 72G stand! (o;




Light Specs are as follow:

-14k Bulb w/ 120 degree lenses - 24W Total Power


-LED configuration

4- 12000k white
2- deep blue
2- royal blue
2- true violet
1- green
1- hyper red


I have frags of SPS and Zoas under this light so far. I will try to get some LPS frags by the weekend. Not sure how good these lights are, so I will try updating this thread with any progress or disappointments.




Here are some pics;

 

[higorc]

UPDATE:

It's almost been a month and everything I have put under this light seem to be doing good. It still a little too early to come up with any conclusions, but SPS have held their color and grown a little and zoas seem to love it.



Couple of pics I took last night. It's hard to take pics under my tank, but here you go...

 

[76hudson]

Nice. Keep the updates coming on this one. I'm very curious to see how it progresses!
GW

 

[P-Nut]

Please keep us updated. I have thought about using all PAR 38 lamps on my tank in the past, so I am curious to see how it works out for you.

A couple of questions:
1- how deep are the frags?
2- how high above the water is the lamp?

 

[P-Nut]

Please keep us updated. I have thought about using all PAR 38 lamps on my tank in the past, so I am curious to see how it works out for you.

A couple of questions:
1- how deep are the frags?
2- how high above the water is the lamp?

 

[higorc]

Please keep us updated. I have thought about using all PAR 38 lamps on my tank in the past, so I am curious to see how it works out for you.

A couple of questions:
1- how deep are the frags?
2- how high above the water is the lamp?

Light is about 8" inches above water level and frags r about 3.5" inches from the water line for a total distance of ~11.5" inches between the frags and the light.




Few more pics so you can have an idea on how high/low the light seats from the frags...

Full top shot of my frags

 

[higorc]

Going on two months now with this PAR38 Full Spectrum LED bulb and I have to say that some corals under it have gotten more colors than ones under my AI Sols/T5 in my DT! I am shocked... I just noticed the difference the other day between a Blue German Digi that I fragged from the DT and put it in the frag rack...

Mother colony in DT-

Frag under the PAR38 full spectrum LED 2-3weeks later. Notice the much bluer polyps and growth tips! -

Taken with the same camera. Nikon D3000

I have to admit, not too sure if I like this $100 PAR 38 LED giving corals better coloration than my AIs!

Other SPS doing very well under it too...Acro, Stylo, Birdsnest, Caps...and Zoas? growing like crazy!!! And colors, I have to admit are awesome.

Another thing... Algae growth under it is unreal. I have had to trim back on my chaeto, gracilaria and other Macro Algae at least twice as much compared to when I only had a 65K light in there. Not to count that all of the little cyano and nuisance algae growth I had in the fuge is GONE!

 

[Intheflesh]

awesome review.

in post #7, pic #4, what is the green w/ purple tips/polyps acro? looks really cool.

 

[PSU4ME]

Great stuff! I have been thinking of doig the same with my fuge as I just installed egg crate like you have yours. I cut some frags last night so i want to see how they do on the sides of my tank but from what you're seeing i may move them to the fuge - just need to increase my flow off of the main manifold.

Very nice

 

[higorc]

awesome review.

in post #7, pic #4, what is the green w/ purple tips/polyps acro? looks really cool.

Thanks. Not sure what that acro is. It wasn't that color in the DT. It changed to a much nicer color under this light

 

[higorc]

Great stuff! I have been thinking of doig the same with my fuge as I just installed egg crate like you have yours. I cut some frags last night so i want to see how they do on the sides of my tank but from what you're seeing i may move them to the fuge - just need to increase my flow off of the main manifold.

Very nice

I added a Nano Koralia to the Fuge since I converted it to a Frag tank. All the frags seems to like the flow I have in there. I just keep the SPS more infront of the Koralia than the other corals. With my new setup I will T off the return pump like u r saying to help with the flow in my Frag Chamber.

One thing I was worried about the egg crate in there was Nuisance algae growth. One of the good things of LEDs is that they don't promote that as much as other lights. When I had a 6500K bulb under in the fuge, I had some Cyano and bad algae. With this light and a couple of small snails there is nothing now.

I have to say the results have been positive...

 

[CoralJunkie]

thats awesome!

 

[higorc]

Been running this guy for almost 6 months now. The driver died on it once, but I replaced it and it has been running strong so far. I believe moisture killed it, since I had it on top of my frag chamber in the sump under my tank.

It's kind of hard to believe that corals get such great color and growth from this $90 PAR38 bulb. I have been growing all sort of frags under it with no color loss what so ever! LPS, SPS, Zoas...

Higor