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jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
My lunar lights are always on. There isn't a setting to turn then off unless you set them to zero. Then you would not have any lunar lights at all. I need to make a last visit before bed.
Anybody growing good coral in a LED biocube 32?
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Derek Meline
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Hey guys, quick question for you guys and anyone else that used the Steve's LED's upgrade for their Biocube 32. What spectrum did you guys choose? Or were you not given an option? If you choose, did you choose 14,000K Regular Spectrum, 14,000K Super Full Spectrum combination, 13,000K Full Spectrum JMB Special or your own custom spectrum? Also, did you opt for the "Iridescence" booster?
I ask because I am an avid LED DIYer and I actually do A LOT of business with Jeff at Steve's LED's. I usually make custom blends that I can add, remove or swap LED's/drivers to my liking. But, in trying to piece all the parts together to mimic their design, it is looking close to the same costs with all the different venders and shipping, as it is to just buying their pre built setup.
After seeing your successes, I figured might as well try to utilize the K.I.S.S. method on my new cube so my wife isn't flustered with another custom build and just slap them in and be done. My next option I'm considering is remove the hood, put a custom screen top on and mount my own DIY LED. It's A LOT cheaper for me this way as I already have 1/3 of the needed material to build a hoodless array. Either way, Steve's is gonna get my money . Just seeing which choices you guys made.
I ask because I am an avid LED DIYer and I actually do A LOT of business with Jeff at Steve's LED's. I usually make custom blends that I can add, remove or swap LED's/drivers to my liking. But, in trying to piece all the parts together to mimic their design, it is looking close to the same costs with all the different venders and shipping, as it is to just buying their pre built setup.
After seeing your successes, I figured might as well try to utilize the K.I.S.S. method on my new cube so my wife isn't flustered with another custom build and just slap them in and be done. My next option I'm considering is remove the hood, put a custom screen top on and mount my own DIY LED. It's A LOT cheaper for me this way as I already have 1/3 of the needed material to build a hoodless array. Either way, Steve's is gonna get my money . Just seeing which choices you guys made.
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.
+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.
Derek Meline
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Another reason I ask, I've been testing out LED combinations mimicking the Nanobox array and I've gotta say, it's showing more growth and my personal color looks from my Zoa frag tank than any other array/fixture I've mimicked. But, I plan to setup two 50G low boy frag tanks here in the next month and divide each of them into 2-4 sections with light blocking dividers and test out different arrays and lighting schedules in each section. All sections will get the same Zoa's, each with the same polyp count, they will run shared water through a single sump with a return split evenly from a single pump and all fed the same food. The only difference is the lighting. I'm picking Steve's LED's spectrums to test, so knowing what you guys chose for a fairly permanent (wife says once I upgrade the Biocube lights, I'm NOT allowed to tweek it ) spectrum will help me decide if I decide to get the plug and play LED system from Steve's.
Sorry for the long posts, I always seem to get an overwhelming urge to type WAY more information than anyone probably ever needs to know lol.
Sorry for the long posts, I always seem to get an overwhelming urge to type WAY more information than anyone probably ever needs to know lol.
Hi! When I bought mine in September I do not recall the spectrum purchase options. I don't know if that is relatively new, or that I didn't even catch that I had options, lol.
I have, over the past month, increased my lighting to around 85/35 and saw noticeable improvement in my acros. The biggest issue I have with the hooded light setup is the light spread is more concentrated to a center band of intensity. Combine this with the shape of the tank and there are definitely areas that I wish I could get more lighting on as I am having shading issues with any acropora that aren't right in the middle of the tank.
I considered trying to add a few strips to increase the spread, but then they wouldn't be controlled by the lighting timer and I didn't want to have to piece together another controller.
I'll be moving in the spring and likely getting a larger tank and will address the lighting issue then vs. Switching to hoodless with the biocube now.
Overall I am still very pleased with the Steve's kit! Especially the bluefish controller.
You can see the drastic shadows on the sticks in this picture.
I have, over the past month, increased my lighting to around 85/35 and saw noticeable improvement in my acros. The biggest issue I have with the hooded light setup is the light spread is more concentrated to a center band of intensity. Combine this with the shape of the tank and there are definitely areas that I wish I could get more lighting on as I am having shading issues with any acropora that aren't right in the middle of the tank.
I considered trying to add a few strips to increase the spread, but then they wouldn't be controlled by the lighting timer and I didn't want to have to piece together another controller.
I'll be moving in the spring and likely getting a larger tank and will address the lighting issue then vs. Switching to hoodless with the biocube now.
Overall I am still very pleased with the Steve's kit! Especially the bluefish controller.
You can see the drastic shadows on the sticks in this picture.
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jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
Did you ever get the exact numbers you were using?
I got a trachy about 2 weeks ago and after 8 days it stopped inflating and started to bleach. I put it under an overhang for now to see if it improves. Most people said too much light. My coral guy says that the "white" leds on the Steve's are RGB and may be burning it. I had the blues set to 2400 and the white at 1600. Everything else seems to be thriving. I lowered the blue to 2100 for the moment.
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jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
Looks awesome! Love the trachyphyllia.Here is my biocube that I have had for 4 months with the LED lights that came with the tankd.
What is this that I circled?
I was really lost when it came to setting up the lights. I had to call the company. But I can tell you how I run my lights. I have the full lights to come on at 7:00 clk AM and the blue lights to come on at 8:00 PM and they lights go out completely at 12:00 midnight. I also think that I have a light that comes on at 7:00AM is a little dimmer for 30 minutes. All I can tell you is the bright light from 7:00 AM to 8:00PM has worked well for my tank.
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jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
Full light for 13 hours??
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jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
I am not judging, if it works it works.
It may also be a sign of the stock lights. If the corals can handle 12 hours it may not be as intense as another light.
Maybe I can run my lights at less intensity for longer?
Reefsmoker
Community Member
I've got 2 of the old Biocube 29's and like 3 lids i think, all the older crap pc 32watt x 2 ones. There website states 32 par for that hood, would be good enough for lps ans zoas and such i'm sure, as long as you've got good prams and all that.
JC Slater
New Member
Another vote for Steve's LED. I have had it in my BC29 for almost 2 years. They work great. SPS grows fast enough. Euphillia down on the sand sprouts heads like crazy. Had a toadstool shroom EXPLODE once that light was added. About 8 months, I had to pull the thing out, took up WAY too much room. Now have similar problem with this green Monti Cap. Started off smaller than my hand. Its reaching from the rear to about 5 inches from the glass up front....must be a foot across now, just a beautiful piece. Im running blue @ 100% and white @ 60% (I think) for about a year now. Not sure what PAR/PUR I get, but Im sure its enough.
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jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
100%?? I have mine just over 50%.Another vote for Steve's LED. I have had it in my BC29 for almost 2 years. They work great. SPS grows fast enough. Euphillia down on the sand sprouts heads like crazy. Had a toadstool shroom EXPLODE once that light was added. About 8 months, I had to pull the thing out, took up WAY too much room. Now have similar problem with this green Monti Cap. Started off smaller than my hand. Its reaching from the rear to about 5 inches from the glass up front....must be a foot across now, just a beautiful piece. Im running blue @ 100% and white @ 60% (I think) for about a year now. Not sure what PAR/PUR I get, but Im sure its enough.
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