Yep, agree that slow acclimation is not just a good suggestion but really the only way to make halides and T5’s work on a previously pure LED tank. I don’t know why this is the case since LED systems can really burn too, but in my case, I chose dimmable halide fixtures and the dimmable T5’s. I know some will say that the dimmable ATI isn’t worth it in the long run since you’ll just run the bulbs at 100% once corals get acclimated, which is quite true, however the reason dimmable bulbs and ballasts are worth it is in the initial set up. I ran my halides at 25% the first week for one hour and then ran them on a schedule ramping them from 0% up to a max of 55% over two hours, left em at 55 for an hour then back off over two hours. They stayed like that for 2 months without touching a button, knob, wire or Apex. Now I have to be honest, the only reason why I didn’t change anything was because I forgot that I set the ramping schedule for the halides like that with Apex. It ended up working well though, and I was lucky I forget stuff like that because even at a little more than half mast power, I saw some corals that were really stressed. They all did fine though. After close to three months I decided to let em rip; Holy Schnikies! I had forgotten how bright halides are, at least human perception. Everything in my tank is lit like up like Day One post Chernobyl. After 9 months I can run em for 8 hours a day; I have zoas crawling the back wall of my tank trying to get more, like halide crack. I’ll talk coral growth and coloration in a PM or new thread since brevity flew out the window on this thread. I have three hydra’s that I put on a schedule and haven’t changed it. Corals love the stability the most, not whether I have a shark tooth pattern of violet alternating with royal blue. LOL. I have the hydras because everyone has to admit that it’s fun to get some crazy colors in the morning and at night. Three hydras can’t compete in the slightest with the halides when all systems are running full bore. I can’t say enough about halides. Could keep going about T5’s too but have to sleep. Fun post!!!
I didn't measure the par on the kessils. I read a lot of arguments about what par meter would work with them etc. it's been 10 years since I had metal halides but I remember using my clubs par meter to measure both them and my T5s. I have to correct my post. It was late last night and I said I went with a Geissman fixture. That was my old fixture. My current tank has a 6 bulb dimmable ATI with the two reef brites. I don't think I'll go back to pure LEDS until the technology changes again. I like them a lot but I just haven't seen the crazy growth you get from t5 or halides.
Totally dependent on where you live and what your electricity costs. You can't make a broad, sweeping guess.
Yeah. But I don't think LEDs can be much different than what the are now. LEDs will be aways LEDs.
Oh man! That's a nice set up. The halides will rock.I have PAR readings over my frag tank for SB Reef Lights and Kessil AP700 and Kessil A360WE. I will do the same for my new CEBU SUN once it arrives. There is something to the PAR though, as the PUR/spectrum does matter. Even though my SB Reef put out more PAR, the Kessil has so far grown coral the exact same rate with less PAR.
SB Reef:
Kessil AP700:
3x Kessil A360WE:
Well, that will depend on where you live and how much the electricity costs there.
Yeah, the pendants would be lighter.
Yea I can snag one later.
Pics!
) and current light with the cheapie PVC pipe fixture.
I've had 250w Phoenix 14k bulbs run for about 14 months before I changed them. The XM 20ks yellowed in spectrum to my eye at about 10-12 months and I even had one burn out around the 1 year mark once- Never had that with a Phoenix. Didn't do an end of life PAR comparison, but when they were both pretty fresh at a few months old a pair of XM 20ks was putting out about 380 PAR at 12inches water depth in the center of a 65 gallon tank, whereas the Phoenix were hitting 450 PAR in the same center spot. Doesn't tell the whole story though, because if you look at the spectral distributions for the bulbs the XM's absolutely smoke the Phoneix when it comes to that 380-410nm range, but the Phoenix hits the 450nm peak way harder. Of course the PAR measurement weights the 450nm range much higher so that explains the discrepancy. Not sure which bulb was putting out more light energy though, since the photon energy in the UV range is higher. Probably also explains the shorter lifespan of the XM since producing that heavy UV spectrum tends to burn through those emitting elements in the bulb faster.
