LED question

I am looking at setting up a 10g 20x10x12 nano reef tank. I want to set this up on a budget however i want to be able to keep sps. I have been looking into LED lights as I think that they would save me money.

I contacted boostled and they said I would need 2 of their led pendants for the tank which would be about $140. I am looking to keep the costs of lighting between $50 - $100 the cheaper the better.

So.. does anyone know of any LED pendants that will do the trick that are relatively cheaper. I would also consider DIY LED stuff. I am looking for a 14k MH look to the tank color wise. So please let me know if you know anything. Links to products would be greatly appreciated.

 

bbrian189 - sorry to be a "fun sponge" here but IMHO - the words "small polyp stony" and "cheap" usually do not find themselves in close company.

The issues are many. SPS corals - tho stunningly beautiful, are very fragile to water parameter swings and you will find that unless you are a seasoned PRO, SPS corals in nano tanks are among the most difficult ventures in this hobby.

I am not telling you it cannot be done, but I AM telling you that it will not be cheap.

For SPS corals - most of their food comes from light. If you cannot afford the light - IMO - it would be worth while to reconsider the plan before you dive headlong only to realize that you cannot complete due to financial reasons, or strap yourself so tight as to create a financial burden instead of a beautiful reef tank.

Even for a 10 gallon tank, if you want SPS you will need some vital equipment:

Power heads - you will need to move AT LEAST 500-700GPH through that tank for SPS corals. This can be accomplished by a HOB/Canister filter and 2 Koralia Nano 425 power heads.

Skimmer - if you are not installing a sump then you will need a HOB Style skimmer rated for at least 30 gallons.

ATO - unless you are around to top off the tank multiple times every day - you will need an ATO system by which you can automatically keep the water level the same.

In a 10 gallon tank with rock and sand - you probably only have about 6 gallons of water in there. With a 1/2 gallon evaporation - think about the size of the salinity swing!!! Almost 10% in as little as a day - this would likely prove deadly for SPS - or at least stunt the hell out of their growth.

Test Kits - you will need to be testing the water at least once a week and dosing calc, kH, and Mg accordingly. Be sure to get high quality test kits as they are the most accurate (Salifert is my personal favorite).

Light - with two boostLED pendant fixtures - you would be totally set. I have a hard time believing that a T5 setup WITH bulbs and individual reflectors in a 20" hood would be cheaper than the 2 boost pendants. The light is one of if not THE most important pieces of equipment for an SPS tank.

Hope this helps and does not discourage you. Just think it's important to be informed.

 

agreed on everything said above but i can comment on the lights by saying that the boost leds are the best bang for the buck IME and will work out for the best on the long run.

 

Agreed totally - I have 3 on my 30 gallon cube (22" deep) and even the corals low in the tank are happy.

 

U

i know the requirements for an sps tank.. i currently have a ton of sps in my 40 gallon .. I think that 500 gph in a ten gallon would be too much in my opinion.. eater and sand would be blowing out of the tank.. I really just wanna know about the lights.. has anyone done any like diy led fixtures or pendants that fit into regular sockets..? I was just wondering if there were cheaper alternatives to the boost led in price.....not quality

 

Anyone?

 

sorry, but boost is you best bet for quality lighting at a good price. You get what you pay for in this hobby. Good stuff doesn't come cheap.

 

i was looking for info more along the lines of this

Comprehensive DIY LED Project List - Nano-Reef.com Forums