Bye-bye LEDs hello mh!!!!!!!

[Redstag]

Now you believe me! LEDs need more spectrum in there.

 

[Dave3112]

Not sure I understand the "one spectrum of light" comment. LED was the only lighting source we were able to use that could most closely replicate solar spectra and output at sea-level... while I was at a national laboratory. Reliance LED was the party responsible for accomplishing said feat.

Can you show me a spectral chart for the LEDs you are talking about? I am not doubting you it's just that everything I have read says that LEDs only emit a single "color" 10k is just that 10k. I Also agree with Rev. Go with what you like. I like my MH...

 

[Redstag]

Plan to try this Plasma light from Sfiligoi with the new color.

I know cherry corals set up a plasma display about 2yrs ago not sure what happened with it thou they quit updating it.... There is actually a member on here running plasma Also...

 

[Troylee]

Now you believe me! LEDs need more spectrum in there.

The spectrum is there LEDs handle there own this is just a wired situation... If I wasn't to cheap to buy LEDs for the new cube I would have never saw this.... Looking at my sticks under SOS there flawless prolly the best they have ever looked no joke.....

 

[Redstag]

I know it's there but it's not enough. You need more supplement of T5 or some of red and green LEDs. LOL

 

[Troylee]

I can tell you this much LEDs are way more powerful than other lighting I have used and I have used them all besides plasma..... The spectrum looks great in a led tank but take that coral and put it another tank it's not good.... I'm gonna have to take a mh lit coral and stick in under the LEDs and see what result I get... I'm happy with LEDs for sure this just looks very confusing... It reminds me of back when I switched from a xm20k to a 10k bulb I was just like wow what happened haha....

 

[Redstag]

There are many different metal halide bulbs in the market but they are not all useable for reef as well as LEDs. They should do the research and find out the one we can use in Reef.

 

[Troylee]

Well I'm running a diy Cree kit the best there is man..... I think I got my self worried now haha..... I wander if this mh can pull the colors I am seeing every day with my LEDs I'll keep this updated bi-weekly or so and see where it goes... I'm gonna put LEDs as supplements on the cube just in case...;)

 

[bob]

I just picked up some frogspawn and hammers that were kept under MHs. They looked great, but sweet baby Jesus they look amazing under my LEDs. All of my corals seem to pop and have better color including a few previously boring ugly shrooms.

No heat and a ~50,000 hour lifespan (11.45 years at 12h/d @100% output!) has me sold without question. The unit should pay for itself with the money I'm saving in bulb replacements and the power bill.

 

[CoralReefDoc]

never been a fan of LED!! i love and die by phoenix bulbs and blue plus and fiji purple.

Well said ! MHs supplemented with T5s, specifically the Phoenix 14k/ATI Blue+/KZ Fiji Purple combination, is where its at as far as im concerned

 

[SunnyX]

Well said ! MHs supplemented with T5s, specifically the Phoenix 14k/ATI Blue+/KZ Fiji Purple combination, is where its at as far as im concerned

+1 I have been very happy with a combo of XM20k's/Ati Blue+/KZ Fiji Purple. I would have loved a 100% T5 over my setup, but the footprint of the tank is too large to make T5's the sole light source.

Sonny

 

[ReefMP]

Over the years I've switched from PC, to MH, then T5's and recently (over the last 9 months) been testing LED's. I was happy with MH until I switched to T5's, yeah I lost the shimmer but with such a wide variety of T5 bulbs on the market I was able to create the look I was going for and growth was great too. I've tested many T5 bulbs over the last 3 yrs, I prefer the ATI Aquablue, Blue+ and KZ Fiji purple combination. However, with all the hype about LEDs I decided to build a LED/T5 combo fixture where LEDs would be the primary lighting....let's just say I'm glad I tested them on a much smaller scale before emptying my wallet. I like the shimmer of the LEDs and colors too...but I'm not satisfied with growth rate. Now I know there are lots of different LEDs out there so it's not fear for me to make a blanket statement that the results would be the same for all LED. I've tested the same size frags under my main lighting (T5's) and BoostLEDs (PAR30) and CREE XRE....the growth rate under my T5 bulbs was almost double and the color is just as good as the LEDs. For me, it doesn't make sense spending lots of $$ on LEDs....I don't think they are there yet.

 

[Redstag]

Well said!

 

[engineeronh2o]

Great thread, I got rid of my DIY LED (for supplemation) last year and got asked 21 questions about how I did it wrong. I told everyone that my sps turned brown in a month or two, so I went back to T5 and all is well.

 

[KLR]

Everytime I said my corals turned brown under LEDs I got told "No it is your water quality,leds dont do that". Im glad to see this many people have had the same experience,maybe the people that told me that will read this and change their thoughts...

 

[wicked demon]

I have been skeptical of singular wavelengths being able to produce florescent pigmentation, I know you see the pigments currently in the tissue better, but they do not produce it, I have an ATI sunpower with 2 reefbrights as supplementation, color is great in the growth, and I get to see it under LED, best of both worlds.

 

[BigFeesh]

I have had 100 watt evolution LEDs on my 29 gallon biocube since February and some of my Sps looks great but some are just still brown (all params are good). For
Growth for LPS and sps are great for the first 2 months in the tank and then it drops off. Z's and p's grow very sporadically (il have a couple polyps pop up within 2 days but none for about another 3 weeks. I'm going to switch to t5s just so I can get steady growth and the color I want.

 

[SaraB]

Here is how I view it.

If the tank is for your pleasure and you want pretty corals then light it how you want too. ;)

I agree, light your own tanks to your own liking!

 

[Jpurpz831]

i use both led and MH looks great :bigsmile:

 

[Billgax]

Can you show me a spectral chart for the LEDs you are talking about? I am not doubting you it's just that everything I have read says that LEDs only emit a single "color" 10k is just that 10k. I Also agree with Rev. Go with what you like. I like my MH...

I believe I still have those spectral profile charts... I'll see what I can dig up without ******* anybody off. Maybe RelianceLED will chime in...