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Reef Breeders Photon 48 Led

11K views 75 replies 8 participants last post by  vilenarios 
#1 ·
Any body used the planted version from reefbreeders photon 48' version.

They claims it output 200 par above 24" from substrate. Anybody used the planted tank version of it?
 
#2 ·
What "plant version"???
The exact color combination is as follows: channel 1; 44 450nm royal blue, 4 480nm blue. Channel 2; 24 4500K neutral whites, 8 480nm blues, 4 660nm reds, and 12 410-420nm violets. Channel 3; 6 480nm blue moonlights, for a total of 102 3 watt LEDs. We put 120s on the reds and moonlights.
I do see for an additional $10 they have the "custom layout w/optics" version..

All 48" are back ordered btw..
 
#4 ·
Well since nobody answered there is your answer.....
I'm curious as to what they consider a "plant version"...
Mosr reef centric companies wouldn't know a plant (or freshwater) light if it bit them in the .............. ;)
 
#5 ·
Yeah, true they probabaly dont know but at the same time they build it for some ppl.. Total 102 leds and half of it is already 4500k some red and orange, some blue. Thinking about removing blue and add some cool whites and remove some blues one.
 
#9 ·
They don't have 3000k warm white or 6500k cool white. This is the planted version of the layout that they will do for me to bring out a white and a tint of blue.

I wanted a high light with the look of a daylight (white) and some grow of the red plants. Not sure if this layout would work, they said it will work. What do you think?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tx6qsgkyycvvcvh/Photon48Planted .xlsx
 
#10 · (Edited)
I have a photon 32 and love it I got a custom spectrum and have changed out some chips myself. I rather like a warmer light and wish I had used more warm white LEDs but it looks good still. With apogee sq200 I'm reading 90 par at 50% neutral whites 15% colors at 36" above substrate. My light has 90* optics and covers 39x19 easily. With as much power as they have it's all about getting a spectrum you personally like more than anything. I'm currently at 8 blue, 8 red 8 warm white, 24 neutral white, and 3 warm white moon lights. I'm going to switch 2 more reds for warm white as it's too pink still IMO. I would like the light brighter with less par. Also I think I would put all cool whites and blue on one channel and warm white and red on the other so I could do better sunrise sunset and tune exact color for the rest of the day. Also I think I would do 14k whites for moonlight if I did it again http://fishtanktv.com/m/photo?id=6423219:Photo:875802&context=latest
 
#12 · (Edited)
IF your going to do 2 channels I "think" it is always best to have a "red tone" channel and a "blue tone" channel...
your layout mixes thing up too much..
It might work fine but I'm not seeing it..
Think of it this way..
Say one channel has an "effective" K of say 4000K
Another has an effective K of say 10000K

The 2 channels would equal 7000K w/ both on full power..

What has worked best is(for me YMMV) having reds/ww/(up to 6500K) on one channel and
blue/cw/violet (10000k) on another..


W/ 3 channels I'd add a green/cyan/white channel but not having that option i'd either intersperse them w/ both channels or go for the one or the other (brilliant huh)

My theory is RGB make white so you won't really tone anything RB/Cyan?deep red also make white..

ect...

Jeffs agree w/ this plan.. ;)
Oh and yes.. too much blue/white..

IF you want the blue and red on one channel throw the cyan in there as well dilute the blue w/ a much warmer blue than 10000K

Ch2 will be "effectively" 7250K.. You will never go below this color temp considering the composition of ch 1..So even w/ 1 completely off (which has your reds ect) you are a bit too "cool" in color..
Ch1 has 20 450nm blue.. w 2 660 red and 2 630 red..You'd be "off the chart" in K rating and basically a blue light..

Combined on full (1 and 2) you'd be "lucky" to hit 20000K....

What I consider ideal is to have c1 = 3000K and ch2 = 10000K so that both on full (or dimmed equally) you have 6500k... tweaking one or another will shift your K color (for your enjoyment) in the direction you prefer..
There are infinite ways to achieve this.....but what they designed is not one of them......
 
#13 ·
I'm not a fan of his preset fw spectrum but Logan is a great guy to work with and will get anything you want. Also don't need any uv and I don't think they have a cyan option. These fixtures can be par monsters though and are really great IMO if you tweak you spectrum to your liking. I've taken mine apart probably 4 times getting it to what I want but now I love it. Also high hanging lights plus rimless tank makes maintenance a breeze
 
#14 · (Edited)
495 is Cyan......... ;)
To be honest that "freshwater spectrum" is more like the saltwater "flavor of the day"..........
This is the "palette" to chose from:
Each panel has 24 LED's per channel X 2





The actual design distribution will depend on a few factors 1)what do you want them to do.. Say you really want a "sunset/sunrise" fade in out.
Then you need a very "reddish" channel to imitate that..So you need one to be at least 3500K (which is "only" yellow)..
Then if you want a "hot" noon Nitrogen blue tone light you need one channel to be 12000K-ish
The colour temperature of average quality sunlight (at noon) is about 5400 K and of photographic daylight is about 5500 K.
The blue colour of skylight is due to selective (Rayleigh) scattering that is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength, atmospheric gas molecules and particulates scatter blue light (shorter wavelengths) about 4 times more intensely than red light (longer wavelengths). The colour temperature of skylight can range from 12000 - 20000 K. At lower sun angles the direct sunlight has to traverse more of the earth's atmosphere and is depleted of blue light so that colours are biased toward red. Near to sunrise and sunset, the colour temperature of sunlight can range from 2000 - 3000 K.
Then 2) you need to balance out how much light you want at maximum..
Which will modify 1)
What I mean is you probably don't want to extinguish one channel in the morning hours and extinguish the other channel at "noon". So that will decide your max K per channel..

As an extreme example: You could make one channel "solid red" which would ramp up in the morning and at a certain point start ramping ch2 (which you have designed fo a total visual temp at 6500k.).
Once that is in full there is little reason (or desire) for a lot of ch1.. so you ranp it down to say 10% just to get PAR but no "visible" tone..
Unfortunately you "waste" 90% of the potential on ch1.......
In this scenario ch 1 would most likely never see 100%........

Assuming ANY of this is important. ;)

A fairly effective 2 channel design is this: You could substitute 7500k for 6500k and add some more low k to the "red" channel"


video of that array on
http://youtu.be/lkq9rr8NQtc
 
#15 · (Edited)
I know 495 is cyan I just never saw anywhere on his site that says he can get them. I've ordered the 495s from ac-rc for a photon 16 on a sw setup but didn't like how green it was and went to the 475 which looks more like what I imagined cyan to be... I understand the 495 let's out more light in cyan range but the green in it is much brighter to our eyes making them look green. Where'd you get that list? I can't seem to find that cyan on his list of diodes to buy individually either. Really even putting the 6 cyans on a sw fixture instead of whites I couldn't tell the difference even with 3 photon 16s on one tank side by side. Also with this amount of power you will never reach anything close to 100% except to the largest of tanks with it hanging very high.


P.s. I made 2 4x20w multichips off ac-rc for some nanos and they are sweeeeeet! Amazing shimmer and great color with the 20k/455nm hybrid chips. Thanks for the link I that site Jeff. As always I enjoy your posts
 
#31 ·
Thanks.. sorry never answered this question.. The diode list was on MBA's spread sheet.. I assume it was what reefbreeders had to work with..
As to cyan.. I was gun shy by the Chinese doing "hybrid cyan" chips (1/2 b 1/2 g ) to imitate cyan.. Went w/ steves for the cyan for the trust factor.. As to reefbreeders, they tested spectrum apparently at they are "one spike" cyans..

I was considering the blue vs green cyans but only "trusted" the "greenish" ones I found. It would have been a toss up anyways.. Arguably the more blue is a bit better..
 
#16 ·
Thanks to jeffkrol for the help. Below is the led layout that i am planning to order from RB with 90* optics and hang it above the tank, roughly 28-32" from the bottom of the 75 gallon tank (48x18x21). I hope with this new layout I would get a good growth in plant (red, carpet, and etc) with a desire light temp of a daylight or at least away from the yellowish and the major blue tint. I also take the consideration of changing the moonlight to a 14k, I hate the blue moonlight look.

Let me know what you guys think!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cy3d7lq7d16v35l/Photon48 Planted Updated Version.xlsx
 
#17 · (Edited)
I would trade out 4 red for 4 blue, the reds really are potent. I also am not a fan of the look of the neutral whites and would use more cool white if you don't like the yellow warm look. I would hang the light even higher than that, better color blending and shimmer along with tank access. Also you won't get over 50% power even with tons of co2 and ferts
 
#21 · (Edited)
Updated the layout, removed 6 3500k WW replaced with 6 BLUE.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cy3d7lq7d16v35l/Photon48 Planted Updated Version.xlsx

Channel 1
  • 14 - 10000k Cool White
  • 24 - 7500k Cool White
  • 10 - CYAN (495nm)

Channel 2
  • 20 - 4500k Natural White
  • 12 - 3500k Warm
  • 6 - BLUE (450nm)
  • 10 - RED (660nm)

I hope with the 6 BLUE will help boost the color a little toward the white and away from the yellowish. My goal is fully adjustable to 5500k and back to 6500k toward the whitish. This way I can try to make the sunrise and sunset affect.
 
#22 ·
Having the red and blue on a channel really doesn't make the color you'd want for sunset. I'd take a picture but the phone doesn't capture how it looks. I did spent slot of time at first trying to make the led spectrum match the photosynthetic action spectrum then realized it's ugly and had plenty of power no matter what and it didn't really matter for plants. I'd get what you think but imagine you will be changing out some chips soon
 
#23 · (Edited)
That is the restriction of a 2 channel design..
Better having a RGB array (even w/ multiple shades)
Even better is a RGBW array..
This an early prototype w/ just the WW and 660nm reds (3 channel arrangement w/ actinic/white off).. Reds were mutichips (10W x2) so lots of "toning" but it gives an idea of the possibilities of a dual channel w/ just the 3000k/660nm channels ramping up...


Same tank all 3 channels running. You can see the colors in the lights on top...



3X10W 2:1 Actinic blue/white multichip: 2X10W 660nm red: 15x 1W 3500K ww...
I've "moved on" to a more spread array concept.. ;)

Just 3500K.......


Just actinic blue high K white (2:1):


Just red is self explanatory and subject to "camera interpretation".. Needless to say it is red.
 
#30 ·
Hello all,
I have been looking for new lights for a couple of weeks for my 180 (72x24x24) high light build and can't seem to find a led system that has just the simple functions of on-off timer, dusk to dawn and a couple of channels to control spectrum. Do you think this could be a good option to mount in a canopy? If so, please make some recommendations, maybe the Photon 32x2.
I am really getting tired or the drab look of my 4" shop light.
 
#32 ·
#36 ·
No matter what with this light it will be high light
I think I would do

ch1: 12 royal blue, 8 cyan, 4 uv, 24 cool white 7500k

Ch2: 8 deep red, 20 neutral white 3500k, 20 warm white 2500k

Moon light your choice I like warm whites as it's kind of an evening look but I think that the 14000k whites could look good as well. Not a fan of the blue moon light on planted tanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#38 ·
No matter what with this light it will be high light
I think I would do

ch1: 12 royal blue, 8 cyan, 4 uv, 24 cool white 7500k

Ch2: 8 deep red, 20 neutral white 3500k, 20 warm white 2500k

Moon light your choice I like warm whites as it's kind of an evening look but I think that the 14000k whites could look good as well. Not a fan of the blue moon light on planted tanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I sent an email to Reef Builders with this layout to see how long it will take to get them once an order is placed. I like the idea of 3500k to 7500k control. May end take a look at bumping it up to 10000k.
 
#43 ·
Got a response from Logan.
"Hi, that layout should work okay on a planted tank. Keep in mind the nuetral whites should be 4500K, and the warm whites 3500K. We can do the layout for $10 extra with 2-3 weeks of lead time."
Does this make since? He is going to send me a spread sheet and not sure if he is going to change the whites on ch2
 
#44 · (Edited)
this is "cheap Chinese 3500k plus 6500k 1:1
Second channel is 660nm red..both channels dimmed..

It will give you an idea of color temp, rocks/substate is white quartz and red granite:
Apr. 24th 2014


Daylight a month ago today ALL colors on full except cyan (90%).. all foreground plants are breaching the surface..
June 21 2014
 
#46 · (Edited)
I might just skip the neutrals really they have a lot of green in them. Jeff is the first pic ww cw and red evenly?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

no, I'm only running 4 =3W reds.. The other channel is 7:7 3w 3500 and 6500k 3w...(14 total)
The ramp cycle starts at pure red.. going up in intensity from 0 to 100%
Same w/ "white" channel but starts 1/2 hr later .. Before that is on full the "blue white" channel goes on (5= 6500k 4= RB.. ) before that reaches 100% cyan goes on (4).. Until eventually all 4 channels are on full for approx 3 hours.. Then the cycle repeats..in the opposite direction..

To directly answer your question I'm not sure "exactly" where in the cycle that was taken..but most likely the 4 reds were full and the whites (14 total) at about 1/2 power.. giving a 1:2 power ratio of R to "collective" white..but it's a guess.. ;)

Just found one of the "just blue" channel (5 6500k 4 rb)



OPPS just checked the metadata.. THAT is in a sunset cycle..
;)
 
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