I have a 75g hex tank that I'm thinking about setting up. It will not be easy to clean so I am hoping to focus the light straight down the middle, without a lot of light hitting the sides of the tank. I was thinking about using 10, 20, 30, 50, or 100 watt LEDs. These high watt LEDs claim to have a higher lumen per watt than many 3 watt. And more importantly, I think I can pack in more light closer to the center. How close I can put them together depends on the heat sink. I found a lot of people using 3 watt, but not too many using these high watt types. So I bought one to test.
I bought two different lenses to test but so far only one has been delivered. This lens claimed to be adjustable from 4-90 degrees. But it really only works well and uses all the light at 90 degrees.
And just to compare.
This is 36 watts (2x18) CF spiral bulbs. (f/2.8, exp. 1/30 sec., ISO-200)
This is the 20 watt LED without the lens. (f/2.8, exp. 1/30 sec., ISO-200)
It looks to me that one 20 watt LED produces more light than 36 watts of CF spiral. This 20 watt LED could work very well for this 10 gallon tank, but 10 watts might be better. I like this light, but really want a tighter focus if I'm going to setup the 75 gallon.
I'll wait until I get the other lens before I buy anything else, but I think I'll end up using 3 watt LEDs. Mainly, this is because the 3 watts have more lens choices. Also I'll be able to add different light spectrums. One thing that I don't like is too much blue. So I might try a few different whites, a couple blues, red, and UV.
Edited by MadReefer - January 17 2012 at 5:07pm
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The pipefish are still doing good. I also lost the clowns to a heater issue since I took these pictures. They were new and the water got a little cold and they both got sick with the stress and all. It has not been a good month for this tank. I'm not adding any more livestock to this tank.
