# huge terrarium lighting ?



## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

This is my terrarium, it is 7ft tall and 7ft wide. I have been told by a few people that a 4ft t5 6bulb ho will work for lighting this along with 3 led spot lights. I have also been told that i will need a couple metal halides to get light to the bottom.

From the bottom of the lights to the bottom of the cage will be about 5 ft. I am worried if i put metal halides in this that it will burn all my plants at the top of the cage some plant will be only 6" to 1' away from the lights. I will have 4 fans blowing into the cage above the lights for ventilation and maybe to help the heat factor if i use metal halides. or maybe the t5s and spots will work just fine 

here are the two fixtures i am debating. keep in mind i will replace bulbs with 6500k

Odyssea 48 inch Metal Halide Fixture 2x250W HQI + 4x54W T5 +6xDual LED

Tek-Light


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

I would definitely say go with some metal halides. Maybe some other people have experience with that fixture, but to me it looks cheap for how much power it provides. Usually you get what you pay for but maybe they are better then I think.

I have 2- 150W MH (aswell as 4-54w HOT5) about 32" away from the bottom of my tank and it seems to be good. Im getting some nice low growing moss and the orchids are doing well near the bottom. Fans above are definitely going to be needed, and possibly a few inside the tank also to prevent insanely high temps.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

I'd use LEDs, myself. In my experience, metal halides are hotter than sin. If you do use MH, stay away from the bigger units. 500W (250+250) is way too much. Smaller units are harder to find, I think. Although I do have a 100W MH that I bought 8 years ago that is still in its unopened box... Never got around to using it.

A couple of those newer 24W LED spotlights would do the trick, check out the sponsors. They aren't heat free, but I don't think you can cook a viv with LEDs. At least not without trying really really hard.

Rob


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## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Wow that's a big impressive enclosure.

Have you seen these...

AquaRay GroBeam 1000 ND LED Tile | Green Leaf Aquariums

I haven't observed them in person but supposedly they have a nice full-spectrum light with natural color rendering. It depends upon the optics used with the fixture, but LEDs can penetrate very well too because they are a point source instead of the diffuse light that comes from a fluorescent tube.

Metal halides get awful hot--I don't even want them in my house--and an important distinction is that they actually emit infrared along with the visible light, so they actively heat up the enclosure.


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## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

well if i do a 4ft 8 bulb t5 that is 40,000 lumens and if i throw 4- 24w led spots that should get light to the bottom. i guess i can try it and see what happens. i just hate to spend money on something that wont work. i really want that background covered in moss so i need alot of light.


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

It is just my opinion, but I think the temptation is always to start too high. You can certainly invest in an 8 tube T-5 unit, but if you aren't growing dope it is probably too much. Seriously. You don't need to replicate noon-day sun to get most vivarium plants and moss to grow. Most mosses are going to do best in filtered light like you might find on a forest floor or woodland edge. In general, I tend to start off on the low side because I can always add more if I feel the plants aren't doing well. I was a semi-commercial orchid grower under lights before I built the greenhouse, so I've bloomed a few... Now I've closed the greenhouse and I'm back to under lights. In my previous light garden I could grow and bloom almost anything under t-8 shoplights. Two tubes over a 2' wide space at anywhere from 12" to 18" high. T-5s are a serious improvement. The new system is a mix of LEDs and T-5s.

When you are researching any lighting, it is a good idea to realize that the serious customers for artificial lighting products are most often the ones growing less than legitimate crops (you know what I mean). They have high profit margins and excellent motivation, so they will buy the expensive lights! Marketing materials are designed to emphasize the light output needed to grow these crops, which are field crops (think corn or soybeans for optimal light intensity). Of course we don't need that much light, so dial back your lumen shopping list by 50% or so. The other big market is reef tanks. Coral growers need whopping intensities (and mostly blue light) because water absorbs light. It also absorbs heat, and you'll see cooling systems sold right along side those high output light units.

If it were my viv, and it sounds like an impressive setup, I would worry more about covering the area adequately than high intensity. You have a long and wide area. You need something that will evenly light that. A single 4'x2' fixture is not optimal no matter what the wattage. In fact, with those dimensions, you might have trouble finding a 'tube-shaped' fixture that will work. 3' t-5 striplights might work (6 of them, evenly spaced, seems about right), although I don't think they usually come with reflectors. Compact fluorescents (which you can get in insanely high wattages now) would probably give you a better pattern. Four (or five?) CFLs of high wattage spaced evenly above your tank would work well, I think. You can get aluminum 'radar dish' reflectors quite easily and cheap, they are excellent, although not particularly attractive. 

I have been experimenting with a few different brands of LED spotlights. They come with standard lamp bases, screw into any regular light socket. I have a 12W one that the company insists provides excellent light at several feet above the plants, to about 3x3 sq feet. I have a 24W unit that I imagine would be twice as good over that same space... LEDs have excellent penetration, all of the light goes down and the spread is dependent on the lens used. Look up Kessil LED lighting for a premium brand. Sunshine systems makes a good LED spot, and our own venutus1 (a sponsor) has been making some excellent units that I have tested. Depending on what you are doing, you can customize the light to something that approximates daylight, or something that is best for growing plants (which looks horrifying, but works very well). You don't need reflectors for the LED spotlights. The cost seems high, but not when you factor in energy usage and the fact that most of the other options you've already researched are insanely expensive as well.

Just a few thoughts. Sounds like an awesome project.


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## curlykid (Jan 28, 2011)

not to mention the amount of money saved from not having to replace leds. imagine replacing 2 $150 metal halide bulbs every five months. or 8 $25 t5 bulbs.


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## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

so do you think 4 or 5 of those 24w leds would work and that's it or should i do like 3-125w cfls and 3-24w leds


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## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

i think i might do this deal. buy two of them for $150 a piece get one free. 28w led panels if i need a couple more led spots i can always get more. idk if i can get them in 6500k though 

GlowPanel 45 LED Grow Light


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## WeeNe858 (Sep 13, 2010)

AquaPanel 32 watt LED Aquarium Light

That's the 65k model. I'm pretty sure you can contact to company and see if the holiday special will work for that lighting unit.

I also know someone on here uses glowpanels for their plant room.

I personally would try out the LED spot lights on a 4 bulb track system and 2 strips of t5 or another supplementary lighting for viewing. The spotlights can be positioned for best coverage and interesting lighting while the t5's give you ambient lighting.


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

LED spot lights....

the HID lights will heat the heck out of a sealed tank....like a sauna

See lightyourreptiles.com 

Sponsor here....

Shawn


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## littlefrog (Sep 13, 2005)

Umm... That would be me on the growroom thing... 

I don't think those GlowPanel 45s are what you want. Although that is an insanely good deal, I don't think I can get them wholesale for that price. The reason you don't want them because the light isn't what you want to look at your viv under. Check out my website for a demonstration.

The aqua panel will probably be too blue for your needs, although it also looks like a quality unit. Blue light penetrates water better, which is why aquarium people like it. It must be a new release, because I don't have one. I'll order one next time I do a wholesale order.

I can get custom units, but the last time I asked it was insanely expensive, especially for just a few of them.

If you go with the LED spots, I'd use 2 or 3 24W daylight LEDs, and a couple of high output CFLs. You can always add more.


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## Ben Wehr (Jan 23, 2011)

*LEDs!!!!!*

A local manufacturer "reeftorch.com" is making amazing LED lights for my reef tanks. They are 50w multichip LEDs and put out light comparable to a 250w metal halide.

Also, check black star LED's for hydroponics

Oh, also check home depot. They are carrying some pretty strong LEDs. Look for warehouse or bay lighting to get the output you'll need for good plant growth.


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## skanderson (Aug 25, 2011)

the par lvl 5' below my t5 fixtures on my viv are around 90-100. my total will be 30 t5ho bulbs with a 50/50 mix of 6500k and 3000k bulbs to cover 36 sq ft. will post pics when i get my photobucket account fixed. that being said i will also have a diy led fixture to light a small bump out on that display. i am using 18 cree xml u2 in 7k, and 6 cree xml in warm white and im pretty sure that i will need to dim it at bit. it will cover a 3x2 foot area.


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## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

littlefrog said:


> Umm... That would be me on the growroom thing...
> 
> I don't think those GlowPanel 45s are what you want. Although that is an insanely good deal, I don't think I can get them wholesale for that price. The reason you don't want them because the light isn't what you want to look at your viv under. Check out my website for a demonstration.
> 
> ...


i was thinking the same thing i didnt know if the aqua panel would be to blue. i was going to call and ask if they can make me staight 6500k panels. i think that would be the way to go if it isnt to expensive. A couple of the led panels and 3 24w spot leds would be a nice set up. 

i might just have to go with 2 125w cfls and 3 24w led spots


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## ynotnad (Dec 21, 2009)

Another option is to incorporate some spot led lighting in the tank it's self. Add the lighting into a piece of driftwood that is 3/4 of the way up the background and run the wires up top. It would not be very hard to hide the wires or make them look like vines. You could also add a dimmer (controller) to the led lighting to change the brightness to them depending on the plant area they are lighting.

Just trying to think outside the box with a tank that large and save on cost.


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## Dartolution (May 30, 2011)

being young on this board but knowing a good bit about lighting, PAR, and photosynthetic organisms. 

I would vote for a combination of T5's for spread, and LED's for penetration.

Try RapidLED.com

They carry CRE XPG LED's which are one of the best LED's out there. 
THey offer pretty good priced kits that you can build your own array(set of LED lights in whatever bulb temperature you would like). 

The trick with your tank is going to be the OPTICS. 

You want to use a narrow optic to focus the light downward. 
Id say probably a mix of 40* and 65* optics on your array. 

with 7 foot, if you use 4 foot T5 bulbs (which I would use (4) 3foot bulbs myself. and two LED arrays that should give you plenty of PAR to reach most of your plants.

With a VIV that high, your going to end up mimicing a real forest floor at the bottom anyway! haha

Hope this helps!


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## skanderson (Aug 25, 2011)

on my diy led fixture to get good coverage and spread at 60" below the leds i am using a mix of 30 and 45 degree optics. wont know how well it will work until my drivers are built but according to the geometry of it i should be getting good coverage with little leakage out of the tank.


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## dertien616 (Jul 28, 2011)

i called sunshine systems i can get these ledpanels for buy 2 for $150 a peice get one free. the sales lady said i can get them in all 6500k leds. i am defiently doing that. 3 of those panels should light this viv nice. i think i will still ad some 24w led spots 

http://shop.sunshine-systems.com/product.sc?productId=10


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