Full spectrum LED builds on reefs

Some amazing colors are coming out from Full Spectrum LED builds.  Lots of people are using whats called Ocean Coral White to bring out some insane colors that weren't coming out in corals when just using basic royal blue and cool white ratios.

Some useful information:

Full spectrum build thread

Ocean Coral Whites

Designer DIY Heatsink

Looking for the professional Grade DIY Heatsink for LEDs?  LEDGroupBuy.com now has the new MakersLED Heatsink kit designed to be "Wife Approved".  If you are looking for a sleak, clean designer looking for your DIY LED setup, have a peek at:  http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/makersled-designer-heatsink-kit-professional-grade/

Ocean Coral White Exotic LED for Aquarium Corals and Fish Announced

Ocean Coral White is the easiest way to get the colors you are missing from your LED kit. Combining the correct wavelengths onto one star board, Ocean Coral White produces a white color but excites the fluorescent in fish and corals dramatically.
For more information and spec sheet:  http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/ocean-coral-white/

Ocean Coral White Exotic LED for Aquarium Corals and Fish Announced

Ocean Coral White is the easiest way to get the colors you are missing from your LED kit. Combining the correct wavelengths onto one star board, Ocean Coral White produces a white color but excites the fluorescent in fish and corals dramatically.


For more information and spec sheet:  http://www.ledgroupbuy.com/ocean-coral-white/

Exotic wavelength LEDs Line up - 495nm, 420nm, 660nm

LEDGroupBuy.com Exotic LED line allows you to mix and match our exotic wavelengths to really make your corals "pop" in color

As you probably have heard, True Violets are going to add that extra spice to the color of your tank/corals that is missing.

What you probably haven’t heard is what the new Turquoise 495nm and 660nm red combinations can do for you.

Mixing 660nm Reds + 495 Turquoise + 455nm Royal Blue will give you a very white light but makes your coral colors really come out without darkening your tank.  They will really bring out your oranges, yellows, reds, and dark greens.


 

420nm LEDs - True Violet

If you haven't heard, LEDGroupBuy.com now has stock of the elusive 420nm True Violet LEDs.

True Violet is a spectrum needed for corals to grow properly that was absent since the LEDs start pooping up for the coral market.

The Photosynthetic Action Spectrum shows that at 420nm the activation of chlorophyll A is great.  Most LED system you see as kits only come with the 455nm which is still an essential part of the action spectrum but lack the 420nm that is greatly needed.  Combining the 420nm into your LED kit provides a great deal of light that is needed by corals for growth and overall health.

You can look at it this way, you can't give a human being only a protein diet and expect him to live healthy.  You need to mix in all the food groups to get a natural healthy diet.  This is the same for corals, they need a variety of wavelength to sustain growth and health.

Choosing the right optics

Choosing the right optics for your DIY LED build is very important.  Optics are similar to high end reflectors for T5s.  Sure you can put a T5 bulb in your canopy and it will shine light, but if you put a quality reflector behind it, it will make a world of difference.

When choosing your optics for your LEDs there are a couple things to remember.

1. Most of the light is in the first 50% of the degrees.  For instance, a 60degree optic has most of its light in the first 30 degrees.  It is not linear.

2. Choosing the optic is determined by the width and height of your tank including the height your fixture will be off the top of the tank.

Read more on choosing your optics here