Anybody growing good coral in a LED biocube 32?

[Chiefmaster30]

I have Biocube 29 I added Truelumen pros. The kit is pretty inexpensive and will fit under the stock hood. I use the Pro ramp timer.

Did you add 2 of those true linen pro kits? By looking at the pic it looks like you have 4 strips.

 

[Darin]

Any negatives? My son is getting the new 32 for Christmas.

It's plenty powerful for the cube and for the costs I love it. I use the Pro ramp timer with the lights as well.

 

[GatorScott]

That's what I was looking at, the website only offers claims that it can grow SPS but doesn't back it up par values or spectrum analysis, so I can't be sure that it works. Stuff like "Outputs more than enough PAR to blast and potentially kill most corals" is not a very factual statement and can be used to describe a ton of lights in the market, in fact I've seen it used to describe other popular budget retrofits and light fixtures like SB Reef Lights.

However, this video on youtube looks promising, the corals in it all look happy and healthy:

Sorry I never saw this thread.... you would not be disappointed at all with Steve’s LEDS. They are a very high end light with amazing spectrum/intensity that makes the coral “pop”.

That being said you definitely don’t have to have them. Plenty of people run the stock 32 leds and grow corals. But if you ever see the Steve’s LEDs or a BC that removes the lid and ran a better light you’ll want one [emoji41][emoji41]

I have Steve’s:

 

[GatorScott]

Any negatives? My son is getting the new 32 for Christmas.

If he’s getting the new 32g led model stick with the stock lights unless upgrading to Steve’s LEDs or removing the lid and going AI prime or something.

Edit: or you could even just add one actinic true Lumen for the extra blue pop

 

[Darin]

Did you add 2 of those true linen pro kits? By looking at the pic it looks like you have 4 strips.

I have 1 kit with 2 sets of splitters. One power supply can 4 or 6 of the 12" lights.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I have 1 kit with 2 sets of splitters. One power supply can 4 or 6 of the 12" lights.

May I ask which model of led strips your using?

 

[Katrina71]

If he’s getting the new 32g led model stick with the stock lights unless upgrading to Steve’s LEDs or removing the lid and going AI prime or something.

Edit: or you could even just add one actinic true Lumen for the extra blue pop

The only upgrade I have previously considered is Steve's. My son wants an anemone down the road for his new clown couple. What would you suggest for them?

 

[GatorScott]

The only upgrade I have previously considered is Steve's. My son wants an anemone down the road for his new clown couple. What would you suggest for them?

It really depends on the funds. If funds aren’t an issue then I will back Steve’s till I’m blue in the face lol. Some will say other wise because there is cheaper options if you remove the lid, but I wanted the stock lid look. I got the Steve’s LEDs 32g upgrade full spectrum with hurricane x controller he offers. It’s like $325ish. My nem has already split once and tank isn’t even a year old.

And before I removed the split:

And tank as of yesterday:

 

[GatorScott]

Bubble tips are great anemones for the cube because they won’t get so big as other nems.

 

[Katrina71]

Thanks. I was confident about Steve's before, and I guess it's still my only choice!

 

[GatorScott]

Thanks. I was confident about Steve's before, and I guess it's still my only choice!

He might want to just stick with the stock leds tho until he wants the nem, because they are sufficient to grow corals contrary to what a lot of people will say. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Just feed feed feed coral food and maintain parameters and they will grow lol. Then when the tanks mature upgrade to Steve’s or similar.

 

[jasonrusso]

Sorry I never saw this thread.... you would not be disappointed at all with Steve’s LEDS. They are a very high end light with amazing spectrum/intensity that makes the coral “pop”.

That being said you definitely don’t have to have them. Plenty of people run the stock 32 leds and grow corals. But if you ever see the Steve’s LEDs or a BC that removes the lid and ran a better light you’ll want one [emoji41][emoji41]

I have Steve’s:

I went with a Red Sea Max 130. I had the Steve's LED installed before it had water in it, lol. I figured that I was going to do it anyway so why acclimate the corals to one light only to have to do it all over again with a different light.

 

[GatorScott]

I went with a Red Sea Max 130. I had the Steve's LED installed before it had water in it, lol. I figured that I was going to do it anyway so why acclimate the corals to one light only to have to do it all over again with a different light.

That’s a sweet cube!!

 

[jasonrusso]

It really depends on the funds. If funds aren’t an issue then I will back Steve’s till I’m blue in the face lol. Some will say other wise because there is cheaper options if you remove the lid, but I wanted the stock lid look. I got the Steve’s LEDs 32g upgrade full spectrum with hurricane x controller he offers. It’s like $325ish. My nem has already split once and tank isn’t even a year old.

And before I removed the split:

And tank as of yesterday:

What are your light settings? My corals have all been in my tank less than a week. I'm running about 30% (1400 ch1 and ch2). 60 minute ramp up at 11:30 ramp down at 7:30. You want to feed around dusk so I usually feed between 7:30 and 8 which works with my schedule.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LSFR0F...t=&hvlocphy=9061183&hvtargid=pla-505585159192

Hold this about 6in from the leds and kinda wave it around while the leds are at full intensity.
Decide that number by 60 and 70. That is the approximate par at the top of the tank.

In a small cube you want about 300 -400 at the top.
Check the specs to see what the spectrum includes.
Most stock tanks don't seem to have the lower end of the spectrum
The royal blue side , and almost no red.

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I use a SBreef light 16" basic light over my Biocube 32 with the lid off. I had heat issues with the stock lid and my corals have responded great to the new SBreef light. I have since drilled it and added a sump though, so now I could probably have run it with the lid on and mitigated the heat issues via the sump.

I spent $135 for the SBReef light just for another data point. It works great and is @ less than 50% on both channels

 

[GatorScott]

What are your light settings? My corals have all been in my tank less than a week. I'm running about 30% (1400 ch1 and ch2). 60 minute ramp up at 11:30 ramp down at 7:30. You want to feed around dusk so I usually feed between 7:30 and 8 which works with my schedule.

I can get you exact numbers tonight when I get home but if I remember right I ended around 85% blue and 33% white. I run a long light schedule tho, 8am-10pm with 3hr ramps on both ends and moonlight all night.

 

[jasonrusso]

I can get you exact numbers tonight when I get home but if I remember right I ended around 85% blue and 33% white. I run a long light schedule tho, 8am-10pm with 3hr ramps on both ends and moonlight all night.

So you still only have 8 hours of "on" time. I'm doing 60 minute ramp time. My fowler ramps down around 8:15 so I don't want the reef to be on at that time.

 

[Krzydmnd]

+1 for Steve's upgrade. It's as expensive as the tank but so worth it for growth and appearance. I am growing almost all sps in my biocube 32 with Steve's lifts running about 68% blues and 25% whites at peak. I used a seneye meter to get a rough PAR idea, and am at about 400 top and 80 at the bottom. Thus is right in the middle of the tank, those numbers drop significantly moving to the sides.

First pic is Photo Mode on the bluefish controller (I think it maxes blues and whites) and second pic is my mid day setting. Both are completely unedited.

 

[GatorScott]

So you still only have 8 hours of "on" time. I'm doing 60 minute ramp time. My fowler ramps down around 8:15 so I don't want the reef to be on at that time.

Ya it’s only full power for 8hrs but it’s always ramping either up and down which makes the tank look nice. I had to find a setting that worked for me because I like my tank to be lit everytime I look at it regardless of time lol