- ReefBreeders' Lumen Bar has got an upgrade,
so if you're looking to add some supplemental
LED light strips to your current lighting setup,
hang tight, 'cause we're gonna go over
all the specs and info that you'll need to know
on these light strips, including which of
the three different blue/UV spectrums
you should go for.
First off, while you certainly could use
several of these light strips
as the main lighting on your reef tank.
I think where they really shine, ha, pun intended,
is when they're used as supplemental lighting
alongside your main light fixture
to add fill light or extra color pop.
This is a super common practice
if you're using AT5 light as your main fixture
or if you've got spotlight-style LED lighting.
ReefBreeders has come out with the V2 versions
of their Lumen Bars, and they have a huge upgrade
in the form of an inline controller
that offers more than simple on and off times,
but actually allows you to set a schedule
with ramping sunrise, sunset, and even moon lighting
if you'd like, which is a super cool add-on
for supplemental lighting.
That way you can have it mirror your main lighting schedule,
and like their predecessors,
they include mounting hardware,
come in a variety of spectrums
and can add some serious color pop
and fill light to your reef tank.
When you take them outta the packaging,
you'll find your Lumen Bar, the inline LED controller,
the mounting hardware, as well as the power supply
and a user manual.
The V2 Lumen Bars are currently available in four sizes,
24-inch, 36-inch, 48-inch, and 60-inch.
They're made using super slim one-inch by one-inch
extruded aluminum with a nice matte black finish
and have silicone gaskets at the ends
that help them achieve an IP65 water resistance rating.
Like I was mentioning earlier each V2 Lumen Bar
also includes matching black mounting hardware
to attach to AT5 fixtures, as well as ReefBreeders'
Photon V2 fixtures, which is fantastic
for those who wanna mount them to other lighting solutions
or even standalone, you can easily use the included brackets
and find appropriate screws from your local hardware store
to match up with the fixtures that you want
to attach them to, even if it's a smaller length fixture,
since those brackets can slide anywhere
along the top channel of the Lumen Bar.
I was actually able to mount them
using the Orphek light bar mounts,
but I will say you will need to pick up
some longer screws in order to do so.
When it comes to spectrum,
you've got some interesting options.
Those options are named Royal Ice, Blue/UV Hybrid
and High Octane UV.
Royal Ice consists of a mix of 480-nanometer
and 450-nanometer blues.
Blue/UV Hybrid uses both of those blues
and then adds in some 430-nanometer violet
and 385-nanometer true UV, and High Octane UV
uses only 430-nanometer violet, 405-nanometer violet
and 385-nanometer true UV, which is pretty intense.
Royal Ice is gonna be the best option for adding
usable PAR and color pop for all types of corals,
and probably the option I'd recommend
to the majority of reefers,
especially if you're keeping primarily LPS and softies.
The Blue/UV Hybrid will have less usable PAR,
but the addition of the UV and violet LEDs
may add additional fluorescence
and could help increase coloration in SPS corals,
making it a good option for those with SPS dominated
and mixed reef tanks who are seeking a balance
of increased PAR for fill light and color pop.
Last but not least, the High Octane UV
is truly a niche spectrum in my opinion,
and really for those reefers who want to experiment
with how UV light affects coral coloration
and the excitation of UV-reactive pigments,
particularly in SPS corals.
If fill light's the goal,
the spectrum's probably not for you.
That would go as far as to call it
an expert-only spectrum for SPS enthusiasts.
So now that we know what spectrum offerings there are,
let's look at how these fixtures
actually deliver that light.
The V2 Lumen Bars use 90-degree optics
which provide a relatively tight beam angle
which means they'll provide decent punch for deeper tanks
or they can be mounted higher off the surface
of the water for extra clearance for working in the tank,
which is really convenient during water changes,
maintenance, or on frag systems where you're gonna be
in and out of the tank on a regular basis.
In terms of how much PAR you can expect,
as an example, the Royal Ice Lumen Bar that I have here
is drawing right around 37 watts from the wall.
Meaning each three-watt diode is driven
at a comfortably safe one watt, which is providing
around 250 PAR directly below the fixture
a few inches under the water, and around 50 PAR
around 12 inches below the water.
Because the beam angle is relatively tight,
that drops off fairly quickly as you move out
from underneath the light fixture.
But the most exciting part of the new V2 Lumen Bars
is the LED controller.
While it is a simple inline module,
it does have an LCD screen
along with four buttons for programming,
giving you the ability to control the intensity
in 10% increments and create a ramping schedule with sunrise
and sunset, along with the option for moonlight.
The easiest setup option allows you to add a start time
and an end time, and basically automatically
provides the preset ramping effects for sunrise and sunset,
but you can also create your own custom schedule
with eight time points and intensities.
If you'd like to match it up with your main light fixture.
If that sounds like it matches your reefing mantra,
you can pick up the V2 Lumen Bars for yourself
by clicking right here.
(upbeat music)