Best lighting on the market? Is there one?

[A. grandis]

Ahh, you've changed your tune now... 'your best' is subjective to what you see, and your view of what you see in the ocean.

Have you considered that your view of what you see in the ocean might be wrong?

My tune is still the same... I think you are stating to get the tune now.
Oh yeah... that's what I'm saying the whole time... the results are different using different lights!!

The animals we keep come from the ocean, and in MY POINT of VIEW, the ocean is what I try to reproduce, as the example. Therefore, there is absolutely no better light FOR ME than halides + T5s to reproduce that.
You still didn't get it, did you? LOL!
Do you wanna ask me one more time?
Just read this post again and again...LOL!

Would be very stupid of me to think what I see in the ocean is "wrong". Unless the environment is polluted and unhealthy.

The ocean represents the ultimate state of health for coral reefs. Any biologist would agree with that!

 

[X-37B]

Sorry could not resist.
Just turned my 7K 600 watt up to 450 from 300 after 2 weeks.
Hello sun, lol.

 

[A. grandis]

LED guys... if "the most reliable, or the best, or the most prestigious, or optimal, or whatever... LOL!" lighting to achieve the results you aim is LED, please stick with it and consider yourself very lucky, because I, and many other guys around the globe, including Dr. Sanjay Joshi (the so called guru of reef lighting) will only BE ABLE to achive the optimal results for OUR standards, meaning growth, health and true coloration (true pigment formation) using some metal halide over OUR tanks!
T5s will come right after the halides.
Mix both and you will have a close to excelent thriving reef IN MY OPINION!
How's that as a definition?

...and please don't come with that " only for Acros look" cause in my specific case I'm talking about zoanthids here!! LOL!

 

[A. grandis]

Sorry could not resist.
Just turned my 7K 600 watt up to 450 from 300 after 2 weeks.
Hello sun, lol.

Punch that life in them!
OMG! That's the sun in the house already!! LOL!

 

[Reefin’ Rumors]

Sorry could not resist.
Just turned my 7K 600 watt up to 450 from 300 after 2 weeks.
Hello sun, lol.

Beauteriferous!!

 

[oreo54]

Respectfully: I don't care if ANY paper proves anything that goes against the results we see. It's just a paper! Papers are isolated researches like puzzles to contribute to more researches. By the way I love science!!!!!

You didn't see every-ones tanks.
Your sub-set is just that, a subset..

Quantitative Comparison of Lighting Technologies: Metal Halide, T5 Fluorescent and LED

Based on this quantitative data, is its quite obvious that the LEDs have come of age in providing a viable solution to lighting reef aquaria.

reefs.com

Conclusions​

Based on this quantitative data, is its quite obvious that the LEDs have come of age in providing a viable solution to lighting reef aquaria. While a lot of other factors that may be involved in making decisions such as power savings, cost, longevity, controllability, cost of ownership etc. these are not the factors considered here. Based solely on quantitative light output data, I am excited about the future of this technology for reef aquarium use. In fact, I have replaced my lighting for the 29G reef aquarium with this Eco-Lamps KR-92 fixture, and am looking forward to replacing the 2X150W Metal Halides on my 55G reef with a 4ft version of this fixture. Future articles will present results on other LED fixtures that I am currently evaluating.

OLD article.

Mr. Paletta, a LED fan, said once that the ONLY bulb that grew corals profusely and with the best coloration was the Iwasaki.

See now THIS is the issue..A "specific" MH that is rarely used (Is it in production?) today.
A now pointless observation.
Besides how many people tried high output "white" LEDs?

so the system get enough of it to replicate what we see in the ocean.

Again..no..few want what the ocean really looks like..Yes I know the camera sees things a bit different than the eye..which sees deep blue as a magenta violet color due to a fluke in receptors.
Sorry, just what it is.

Where I do agree w/ you is the fact that the "led formula" is still in flux.
Technology is just fine.
As my "opinion".. unarguable ..

You still didn't get it, did you? LOL!
Do you wanna ask me one more time?
Just read this post again and again...LOL!

Would be very stupid of me to think what I see in the ocean is "wrong". Unless the environment is polluted and unhealthy.

The ocean represents the ultimate state of health for coral reefs. Any biologist would agree with that!

Actually it is you that doesn't get it.

For the 7000k guy..
You can do the same w/ a bunch of 6500k Luxeon Fresh fish COB's..

Mh's aren't "natural" t5's aren't "natural" LED's aren't "natural.

Closeness is relative based on design..

 

[stephj03]

Why would the "LED formula" still be in flux if it was proven 11yrs ago that LED are equivalent?

Shouldn't we all be using the Eco-Lamps KR-92??

If they are discontinued now shouldn't that be a holy grail level fixture that everyone is always on the lookout for?

It's mostly the stuff you don't see on a spectral graph that presents a huge gap between MH and LED.

I could just as easily point out how many extra LED fixtures I need to get even comparable blend/coverage/shadow mgt....

In this forum that would be explained away by saying you have to configure right.

Just like I would say you have to configure MH right.


To scoff at a $25 fan as unreasonable to have to add vs a chiller is silly compared to overlooking the how many more Radions Dr. joshi ended up using to replace MH.....

Cuz you know, it's all about spectral overlay hahaha.

 

[oreo54]

Why would the "LED formula" still be in flux if it was proven 11yrs ago that LED are equivalent?

Shouldn't we all be using the Eco-Lamps KR-92??

If they are discontinued now shouldn't that be a holy grail level fixture that everyone is always on the lookout for?

It's mostly the stuff you don't see on a spectral graph that presents a huge gap between MH and LED.

I could just as easily point out how many extra LED fixtures I need to get even comparable blend/coverage/shadow mgt....

In this forum that would be explained away by saying you have to configure right.

Just like I would say you have to configure MH right.


To scoff at a $25 fan as unreasonable to have to add vs a chiller is silly compared to overlooking the how many more Radions Dr. joshi ended up using yo replace MH.....

Cuz you know, it's all about spectral overlay hahaha.

Do you realize how many iterations of spectrums mh's went through?
How many bulbs went extinct?

How come it is soo popular to suppliment mh's w/ t5 leds!

Your "perfect" light has social defects .

 

[stephj03]

And for the record, I had no problem supporting the LED hybrid choice that OPs friend was considering.

Nor was it difficult for me to suggest multiple other LED options.


Perhaps a few of the louder voices on this thread could return the favor even though they prefer LED?

Or are we a bit "culty" about LED????

 

[oreo54]

And for the record, I had no problem supporting the LED hybrid choice that OPs friend was considering.

No was it difficult for me to suggest multiple other LED options.


Perhaps a few of the louder voices on this thread found return the favor even though they prefer LED?

Or are we a bit "culty" about LED????

I could care less as to the type of light you use..
I do care about pseudo-science though.
I do care that people make choices based on numerous criteria..

 

[stephj03]

Si tou realize how many iterations of spectrums mh's went through?
Hiw many bulbs went extinct?

How cond it is soo popular to suppliment mh's w/ t5 leds!

Your "perfect" light has social defects .

But you told me (citing an 11yr old article) that LED had caught up to where MH ended up.

 

[X-37B]

You didn't see every-ones tanks.
Your sub-set is just that, a subset..

Quantitative Comparison of Lighting Technologies: Metal Halide, T5 Fluorescent and LED

Based on this quantitative data, is its quite obvious that the LEDs have come of age in providing a viable solution to lighting reef aquaria.

reefs.com

OLD article.


See now THIS is the issue..A "specific" MH that is rarely used (Is it in production?) today.
A now pointless observation.
Besides how many people tried high output "white" LEDs?



Again..no..few want what the ocean really looks like..Yes I know the camera sees things a bit different than the eye..which sees deep blue as a magenta violet color due to a fluke in receptors.
Sorry, just what it is.

Where I do agree w/ you is the fact that the "led formula" is still in flux.
Technology is just fine.
As my "opinion".. unarguable ..

Actually it is you that doesn't get it.

For the 7000k guy..
You can do the same w/ a bunch of 6500k Luxeon Fresh fish COB's..

Mh's aren't "natural" t5's aren't "natural" LED's aren't "natural.

Closeness is relative based on design..

I imagine I could but I already have 6+ 600 watt ballasts and the lights from grow days.
Just wanted to test them.
I am going to hang 2 OR3 blue plus light bars to get some extra blue, just like I do on my 120 with Halides.
I really like Orphek products and the light bars are fantastic.
I will never run another T5 as the light bars are that much better and I am a Halide T5 guy.
My large upgrade will be a mix of Halides and OR3 bars.
Once my 600 watt test is over I plan on Lighting another larger frag system with OR3's only.
I could easily run a sps only tank on OR3's and nothing else.
One day I probably will.
I run halides because I like them.

 

[stephj03]

I could care less as to the type of light you use..
I do care about pseudo-science though.
I do care that people make choices based on numerous criteria..

I would think you would place a premium on data regarding blend, shadowing and spread.

As it turns out LED mfg do, and most recent advances bear that out.

LED fixture wattage is going up

LED pucks are giving way to panels

LED optics are giving way to diffusers

Bc of the data mfg have that show these deficiencies vs MH/T5.


Or are we left to think these advances were not data driven? They are after all the most scientifically advanced vendors in the hobby.....

 

[stephj03]

I would also think that someone who "could care less" would display that ambivalence regularly by suggesting LED/T5/MH options on threads like this,. Much like I've tried to do, much like BRS does depending on application.


Maybe you could suggest one here for OP.

 

[oreo54]

But you told me (citing an 11yr old article) that LED had caught up to where MH ended up.

That was for effect.. And to this day he is still using LED's.


Plenty of successful LED tanks atm.."How" successful is mostly an opinion at times..
Like coral "color"

Photons are photons give enough in a usable frequency any light "works".
I've never argued that the Iwasaki 6500k want a great bulb. Matter of fact my point was to see if one could emulate it ..just because.. Call it respect if you want.

As a marketing thing.. 6500-700k reef lights are a cultural dead end atm regardless of how "great" they are ..

 

[stephj03]

Do you think the aquatic life T5 hybrid unit is a useful addition to the 2 kessils for the system OP is talking about?

If so why?

If not,. Do you think 2 kessils actually is enough to evenly blanket the tank we are talking about?

If not, how many Kessils would be needed? 3? 4?

How does the cost/heat of the 4T5 bulbs compare to that of the extra kessils?

 

[oreo54]

I would also think that someone who "could care less" would display that ambivalence regularly by suggesting LED/T5/MH options on threads like this,. Much like I've tried to do, much like BRS does depending on application.


Maybe you could suggest one here for OP.

Like I said, not my place. They need to make up their own mind based on needs/wants

 

[stephj03]

Or are we a bit "culty" about LED. And when I say "culty", I mean is it illogically difficult for us to reccomend any perfectly good non-LED light simply bc it's not LED.....

@OP, this is what I meant.

 

[oreo54]

Do you think the aquatic life T5 hybrid unit is a useful addition to the 2 kessils for the system OP is talking about?

If so why?

If not,. Do you think 2 kessils actually is enough to evenly blanket the tank we are talking about?

If not, how many Kessils would be needed? 3? 4?

How does the cost/heat of the 4T5 bulbs compare to that of the extra kessils?

Tuillo made the comment that watts/gallon still applies.. Start there.
I don't care about heat nor energy savings.. Those are personal choices made by the buyer.

 

[stephj03]

Tuillo made the comment that watts/gallon still applies.. Start there.
I don't care about heat nor energy savings.. Those are personal choices made by the buyer.

Pretty abrupt water's edge once we stray from LED don't you think?

Photons are photons, shouldn't it be straightforward to talk evenly about the strengths and weaknesses of the different ways they are delivered to a tank?