120 Gallon Reef Build

Got the NEW BOOSTLED MU135 Fixture in the mail yesterday!!!! So excited!!!!

Got some simple chain and hooks and a few drywall anchors and poof! We are up and running. Here are a few teaser pics. One half of the tank is now illuminated but a 250MH 14K Phoenix bulb and the other half is the MU135. Pretty easy to tell which side is which I'd say!!


Now starts the experiment. We will have one MH and one LED fixture that are both supposed to be in the same "league" so-to-speak in terms of usable light ouput (PAR/PUR).

I will hopefully be able to gain some insight into the world of LED fixtures and how they compare to the accepted "industry standards" such as MH and T5 lighting.

The MH fixture is higher in the pictures because when we installed the MU135 yesterday the MH fixture was too hot to put longer chains on (a problem I would NEVER have with my LED fixtures!!!). Also I wanted to start the MU135 and the MH up HIGH and slowly bring it down as the tank was previously illuminated by only a single 250 MH.

 

120 Gallon Reef Build updated with BoostLED MU135 Light Fixture (Pics added!!)

Figured the title should be updated as well . . .

 

This is going to be an interesting project.

 

Following.

Under the same water parameters, same corals, ...... I am very interested on how they compare. It is the long run results I am looking for. People that have that LED lighting swear that they get better coloration and growth. I am looking for objective observations and that is hard to do when you are running one or the others but not both.

Thanks for putting in the work.

 

120 Gallon Reef Build updated with BoostLED MU135 Light Fixture (Pics added!!)

This is the fifth day these lights have been on the tank and so far only what I expected: the corals seem to love them just as much as I do.

The polyp extension on the frogspawn has improved over the last few days. With the old light there was shadow that was falling just on the natural edge of the frogspawns "canopy" so two or three heads actually bent themselves inward toward the rest of the colony to be in the light when it was only a single 250 MH. Now with the new coverage of two lamps the spawn is wider and fuller in it's canopy than ever. Those few heads that allowed their polyps to bend inward are now much more horizontal and in this case, naturally extended.

I am also noticing the chalice coral's mouths are even more red/orange than before and it's small polyps are extended a bit more during the day now as well.

The purple tipped fuzzy/frilly mushroom at the sandbed which is nearly 30" below the light fixture showed some light-induced stress on days 2-3 but has since gone back to full extension and then some.


Cant wait to see how this fixture performs in the long run!!!


Also I added a cheap canopy - an old bedsheet!!!

The lights made it similar to being in broad daylight in our apartment and we had to do something. I was considering building a wooden canopy but after I figured in all the money for raw materials and hardware and my own time and frustration, I realized the only purpose a canopy would serve me would be to block out the light - or at least make it not so surface-of-the-sun-like.

Goal accomplished!!!!

It's certainly not fancy - but it's a whole lot more pleasant to have nice diffuse light coming from the fixtures than blinding rays of LED power!!!!

 

Looks good! Nothing better than a cheap fix, not to mention stylish. Now you can change the look of your tank with the seasons. Martha Stewart better watch out, lol.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Can't wait to run that one by the GF!!!!

hahahahahahahaha

 

A little dose of pics for that itch we all have. . .

First is a FTS - and just a reminder - a 14K MH on the LEFT and a the BoostLED MU135 on the right.

Amazing how yellow the LED makes the MH look in this pic.


Second is a pair of rics i picked up for $30 at my LFS. Not sure if you can see but each on has three mouths on it. These are my first rics so I am not sure if they will divide/how often.

Enjoy!


Oh, and happy V-Day to all you lovers out there.:sweethear

 

Im a little late to this thread but I love the comparison... how is your experiment going???

 

Ocean you are holding out on all of us who are sitting on the edge of there seats waiting for new pics. Boost says 2-4 weeks out of stock that would be perfect timing. Need pics having withdrawals. Thanks again tank looks happy.