LED REEF LIGHTING By Reef LEDLights www Reef

LED REEF LIGHTING By Reef. LEDLights www. Reef. LEDLights. com

LED REEF LIGHTING • • • Advantages/Disadvantages Cost Analysis Lighting Facts Spectrum / Intensity Pigments / Colour Apples & Oranges Types of LEDs / Drivers DIY Pics and Questions

Advantage and Disadvantages • Little Heat / No Heat • Low Energy Consumption • Long Life… 11 Years • Great Coral Colours • Low Voltage • Able to Keep The Light Off The Glass • Moderate Initial Investment • Changing Technology • Numerous Options • Tight Spread

MH Cost Analysis • 225 Gal SPS • 72”L x 30”H x 24”W • Maristar HQI 3 x 250 Watt MH w 4 39 W T 5 Actinic Bulbs $825 • 3 Lumatek Electronic Ballasts $165 ea • Bulbs 4 9 W T 5 & 3 Ushio 250 W DE $312 plus shipping • Total $2532 • Annual Bulb Replacement $ 312 • Annual Electric Cost @ $0. 12 KWH $374. 25

LED Cost Analysis • 225 Gal SPS • 72”L x 30”H x 24”W • 3 Quality Domestic Fixtures @ $595 ea or $1785 • Annual Cost of 354 W @ $0. 12 KWH $129 • $1000 Less Expensive • Over $500 a year in operating cost savings.

Cost Analysis • The Results Simply Blow My Skirt UP

LED Reef Lighting Facts • Most corals available to reef hobbyists are harvested between 2 and 20 meters. • A coral’s spectral needs are determined by the depth range in which each coral naturally grows • Coral can and do adapt to a change in light intensity • LED selection should reflect the lighting conditions in which most corals grow • Coral growth rate is better when the amount of blue light is increased www. advancedaquarist. com/2008/12/aafeature 1

Reef. Spectrum vs Full Spectrum • Most Corals do not receive light in the Red or Green Spectrum. These Wavelengths are severely limited below 10 ft • Coral growth rate decreases when the levels of red light are increased, even when accompanied by an increase in Kelvin rating www. advancedaquarist. com/2008/12/aafeature 1 • Red light can cause coral bleaching www. advancedaquarist. com/2003/11/aafeature • Corals have blue light-sensing photoreceptors that cue coral branching toward the blue light source, which is the dominant light in the coral environment. There is no corresponding red photoreceptor in corals. http: //jeb. biologists. org/content/212/5/662. full. pdf

250 DE HQI MH Bulbs

Spectrum For The CREE XT-E • The Spectrum is perfectly suited for the reef aquarium. • Compared to the 250 watt DE MH the Cree offers a wider wavelength without the UV. • The UV is normally shielded by glass or in the case of SE MH bulbs the outer Bulb.

Cree XT-E & XP-E Relative Radiant Power (%) 100 80 5000 K - 10000 K CCT 60 3700 K - 5000 K CCT 40 2600 K - 3700 K CCT 20 0 400 450 500 550 600 650 700 750 Wavelength (nm) 10 0 White lative Radiant Power (%) 80 Royal Blue Green 6 0 4 0 2 0 400 450 500 550 Wavelength (nm) Royal Blue 600 650

LED Binning

Ok, What Mix Do I Need

Factors In LED Choice • LED Efficiency – More expensive 5 watt XT-E are ultimately less expensive than 1, 2 & 3 watt LEDs • LED Colour Temp / Spectrum – Personal Choice. Ginger v Mary Ann • LED Fixture Cost – Numerous options and variables • Desired Intensity PAR – 100 -200 PAR on the Sandbed is Best.

Ocean depth at which the sun’s light is absorbed 10 20 90% Depth range of coral harvest 80% 40 70% 60% 50% 60 40% 30% 80 20% 100 <1% 120 Sunlight wavelength penetration depth (meters) (Clearest coastal water category) 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700 Colored lines represent the percentage of sunlight penetration at the specified depth.

75% 1 meter 25% 50% 10 meters 0% Percent of sunlight penetration Sunlight penetration to 1 meter and 10 meters depth 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700

3. Which pigments do corals use in photosynthesis? • Chlorophyll a: • The pigment that participates directly in the light-requiring reactions of photosynthesis • Absorbs light very well at a wavelength of about 450 nm (blue), and again with a higher peak at 675 nm (red) • Chlorophyll c 2 • Is called “antenna” or “accessory” pigment, because it helps to collect energy (photons) from light wavelengths which are not absorbed by chlorophyll a, then transfers the light excitation it absorbs to chlorophyll a. • Chlorophyll c 2 has absorption peaks at 450 nm, but also at 581 nm and 630 nm

4. Additional Pigments That Aid In The Photosynthetic Process • Carotenoids • Include Beta-carotene, peridinin and xanthrophylls (diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin) • Have two purposes: • Beta-carotene, peridinin and xanthrophylls are also antenna pigments, because they help to collect light wavelengths which are not absorbed by chlorophyll itself. They pass their absorbed energy to chlorophyll. • The perindin-chlorophyl a-protein (PCP) is a lightharvesting complex that uses perindin as its main lightharvester. • Xanthrophylls also absorb excessive energy that chlorophyll cannot use, dissipating that unused energy so that the photosynthetic apparatus is not damaged.

5. Wavelengths That Are Absorbed By Each Pigment In The Photosynthetic Process Absorption PCP complex Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll c 2 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700 Note: These pigments all have peaks between 400 and 500 nm, matching the penetration of the blue wavelengths. Are the peaks above 600 nm only applicable to shallow water corals?

5. Wavelengths That Are Absorbed By Each Pigment In The Photosynthetic Process Diadinoxanthin Absorption Diatoxanthin 400 Β-carotene Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red Note that these pigments all have peaks between 400 and 500 nm, matching the penetration of the blue wavelengths 700

6. Different Rates Of Photosynthesis At Each Wavelength Photosynthesis as a function of absorbed wavelength Efficiency midpoint Greatest photosynthetic efficiency 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700 Photosynthetic efficiency is best between 400 -500 nm, and between 630 -680 nm. Note that the rate of photosynthesis drops off dramatically above 500 nanometers.

The arrows represent the top 50% of the light absorption capability of each pigment Chlorophyll a Chlorophyll c 2 Diatoxanthin Diadinoxanthin β-carotene PCP Ranges of greatest photosynthetic efficiency 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700 Note how the most efficient rate of light absorption by pigments coincides with the best rate of photosynthetic activity

Photosynthetic efficiency vs. wavelength penetration 20 90% 80% 40 70% 60% 50% 60 40% 30% 80 20% 100 Ranges of greatest photosynthetic efficiency 10% <1% 120 Sunlight wavelength penetration depth (meters) This is another way of looking at the data. Note how the rate of photosynthesis drops off significantly at 500 nm, coinciding with the steep decline of the rate of light penetration above 500 nm. 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700

20 Semi P 2 N-U LED Violet/UV 410 -420 40 430 nm (generic Chinese) Cree XT-E Royal Blue 450 -465 nm 60 Luxeon Royal Blue 450 80 Cree XP-E Blue 470 100 Philips or Luxeon Cyan 505 120 Sunlight wavelength penetration depth (meters) 7. Are high power (3 W-5 W) LEDs available for the range of wavelengths needed? 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Red 700

8. Lighting Intensity Needs of Corals • Coral lighting is measured in units of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) • PAR is a measurement of µmol photons/m 2/second • It’s been a generally accepted rule that corals typically need a minimum PAR of 100, while some corals need much higher values. • Actual experiments show that the rate of photosynthesis reaches its maximum at a point called “photosaturation” • Typical photosaturation points range between PAR values of 100 -400 • The point above photosaturation where too much light is present, a situation potentially harmful to the coral/symbiont, is called “photoinhibition” • Photoinhibition is seen as a decrease in the rate of photosynthesis, even as light intensity increases • Photoinhibition may occur at very low PAR values (250 and lower) • This means that in all but rare cases, more light is NOT necessarily better

Lighting Needs of Corals • Shorter wavelengths • have higher energy • penetrate much deeper • produce a higher photosynthetic response than other wavelengths • PAR meters measure the photosynthetic photon flux (area) density • They do not account for the photosynthetic response in each region of the visible spectrum (e. g. , blue light produces 3 times the photosynthetic response as green) • If most of the light supplied is in the blue region of the spectrum, it is a reasonable assumption to conclude that one would need fewer LEDs, possibly by half or more, than if white were used LEDs alone

Highlighting Pigments in Corals • This part is Art and no single recipe will be lauded by all • Process • Add a few UV / Violet, Reds or Greens • Use dimmable drivers to tweak the colour perfectly • Avoid too much as in any recipe too much spice will ruin the dish

Fluorescent Pigments • The following graph to compares excitation wavelengths (wavelengths of light absorbed by fluorescent pigments) with the emitted fluorescent light for the 90 different pigments listed in an Advanced Aquarist article. (www. advancedaquarist. com/2006/9/aafeature) • The data on the graph is limited to the data provided in the article • The vertical axis is the wavelength of light emitted by the excited molecules in the pigments • The dots are colored to match the color of the emitted light • The horizontal axis is the light wavelength that the pigment absorbs • Line “A” represents the boundary between UV and visible light • Line “B” represents the point at which the rate of photosynthesis drops off, around 500 nanometers (nm) • “Wavelength” is the distance between successive peaks of a wave • A nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter, or one millionth of a millimeter • Line “C” represents the longest peak wavelength at which fluorescent pigments are stimulated (583 nm) • When a pigment has multiple excitation and/or emission peaks, I’ve graphed each excitation/emission pair separately, which is why there are 169 points on the graph compared to 90 pigments listed in the article • For example, if one pigment is excited by 450 nm, and emits light at 500 and 550 nm, you’ll see a point on the graph at (450, 500) and (450, 550)

Fluorescent Pigments • Interesting reading in the article found here: • http: //www-personal. usyd. edu. au/~cox/pdfs/nat_preprint. pdf • The fluorescent emissions from some pigments may actually serve to excite other pigments to fluoresce • An experiment was conducted in which one pigment produced weak green emissions between 330 and 380 nm when excited by 482 nm (blue) light • A blue-emitting pigment was then mixed in solution with the green-emitting pigment (blue pigment’s excitation peak was at 382 nm) • When the two pigments were exposed to 382 nm light, the green emission increased by 4 to 7 times • Fluorescent pigments are believed to have multiple purposes: • In excessive sunlight, they dissipate excess energy from light wavelengths that don’t contribute significantly to photosynthesis • Reflect ultraviolet and infrared light • Regulate the light environment of coral host tissue, actually collecting additional light energy in low-light environments

Fluorescent Pigments Pigment emissions in the visible spectrum 700 A B C Red 650 Orange 600 Yellow 550 Green 500 Blue 450 Violet 400 250 300 350 400 Violet 450 Blue 500 Green 550 Yellow 600 Orange 650 Fluorescent pigment excitation wavelength Red 700

RGB • Red Green & Blue have been used in combination to produce almost any colour. • The first colour TVs colour film and even modern flat screen displays use RGB to produce almost any colour

Why Use RGB ? • Red Green & Blue can produce almost any colour. • Why add tertiary non growth LEDs like Lime or Yellow when with the proper control you can tweak the looks of your reef and even offer a different look based on the time of day. • Your Primary Grow is 420 -480 nm. Based upon the previous pigment chart you have the flexibility to highlight these pigments efficiently to suit your individual taste. • After you have the grow solved you want your reef to look the best without adding too much of the warmer spectrum which may enhance nuisance algea.

Conclusions? • Most fluorescent pigments (111 of 169) are excited by peak wavelengths between 400 and 510 nm • 76 pigments are excited by peak wavelengths between 400 and 499 nm • 35 pigments are excited by peak wavelengths between 500 and 510 nm • Red light does not excite the fluorescent pigments, infact it’s the first wavelength blocked by the ocean • Max excitation peak wavelength is 576 nm (orange) • Only 7 of the pigments are excited by UV light

OK How Many Watts Do I Need

Never Compare Fixtures By Watts • Many are shocked to learn that Fixture Wattage is a poor judge of LED light output (PAR) and penetration

Comparison Of Three Similar Wattage Fixtures EBAY Chinese Fixture 145 watts 200 PAR OK Chinese Fixture 139 Watts 397 PAR

Domestic Fixture 150 Watts 700 PAR

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEDS Epistar 3 watt Up To 700 m. A 180 Lumins @ 700 m. A or. 25 l/m. A CREE XP-E Up To 1000 m. A 122 Lumins @ 350 m. A or. 34 l/m. A CREE XT-E Up To 1500 m. A 139 -160 Lumins @ 350 m. A or. 39 l/m. A 428 Lumins @ 1500 m. A or. 28 l/m. A Luxion ES Up To 1000 m. A 351 Lumins @ 1000 m. A or. 35 l/m. A

Drivers • Standard • Dimmable – PWM – Analog

Forward Voltage and Current Mean Well LPC 35 -700 Forward Voltage of 9 -48 Constant Current of 700 m. A Mean Well ELN 60 -48 D Forward Voltage of 24 -48 Constant Current of up 1. 7 A

CREE XR-E Forward Voltage of 3. 2 -3. 6 LPC 35 -700 9/3. 2= 2. 81 48/3. 6=13. 33 ELN 60 -48 D 24/3. 2= 7. 5 48/3. 6=13. 33

DIY How To

Solderless DIY • Much Easier • LEDs Can Be Swapped Out or Changed • No Soldering Mistakes • Use BJB Solderless Connectors

Solderless Build

Solderless Build

Solderless Build • Build Questions?

Know The Facts and Options Don’t Be This Guy

Questions • Sources – www. advancedaquarist. com/2008/12/aafeature 1 – www. advancedaquarist. com/2003/11/aafeature – http: //jeb. biologists. org/content/212/5/662. full. pdf • Special Thanks – Dana Riddle – Dan Kelley aka Crit 21 on RC