Aquaillumination LED Lighting Upgrade

[JoeJ]

I just finished upgrading my tank to a 5 foot Aquaillumination lighting system today (really, this hobby is all about the cool gadgets!:cool:). It happened to fit perfectly under my existing canopy after I removed the fans/MH/PC. I'll start it off at 25% output and work my way up to avoid stressing corals.

These before and after pics might not be fair because the MH/PC bulbs probably expired several months before. I wasn't sure what the expiration date would be for these bulbs as the previous owner kinda had an idea:confused:. Either way, the bulbs were 2X 175 W 10K Hamiltons and 2X PC actinics. I wasn't too happy with the blue hue as it tended to make me sleepy at night. Also, the power consumption along with the heat generated (chiller required) isn't environmentally friendly, (but, my car guzzles gasoline--holding out for a plug-in model).

Don't expect me to post any "wow my corals are just poppin' now, man" because I've probably gotta work on bringing nitrate levels down further:rolleyes:. The DIY fish food is probably causing a buildup and I'm partial to all those hungry mouths! (I saw a thread by Vinny on SDMAS who did something similar) Also, I'm just now getting around to getting Mg up to match Ca levels.

I'll post the old lighting system for sale;).

If all goes well, I'll be purchasing SPS left and right! ENJOY!

[Gotakuf1]

Wow, congratulations on the upgrade! I love the colour balance it generates and I'm sure you love messing with your new toy. Are you still getting sleepy from watching the tank? :D

[JoeJ]

Nope, it doesn't seem to get me drowsy even after a little Cabo Wabo! The color change is what I was expecting with more white. The fish colors are better, IMO. After several hours, I can already see that the bubble coral is not enjoying being half in and half out of light. The LED point-of-source (?) is creating sharper shadowing than the diffuse PC/MH lights as expected. I was thinking of angling the device slightly when/if I mount it to the canopy.

Wow, congratulations on the upgrade! I love the colour balance it generates and I'm sure you love messing with your new toy. Are you still getting sleepy from watching the tank? :D

[victortrav]

looks like you are going to have to host another meeting so we can all come and look at your new lights

[JoeJ]

Yup, I'm open to that. It'd be nice if can get something nice growing before then.
I won't be able to make this month's meeting, though.

looks like you are going to have to host another meeting so we can all come and look at your new lights