Can't decide whether to abandon LEDs

[JoeReef]

I've always been happy with T5. I know its not the latest and greatest LED. I feel like they just aren't there quite yet for the amount of money that you are paying

 

[bif24701]

My issue is that I see hobbyist struggle and become disheartened and drop out of the hobby. They spend their hard earned money on fancy LED lights and can not find success. They work hard and getting their tank " prefect" and by all accounts they have everything right. People post that LED's are growing corals "with supplemental" T5's not is not a success that is a failure. New hobbyist spend hours and you see them post threads asking for help day in and day out. We are not yet at the plug and grow stage that we need to be at with LED's. This is not a Oh LED's are bad it's a call to action on the manufactures part to get LED's to where a new hobbyist doesn't' need to struggle and drop out of the hobby because they feel stupid that they can not get success. We are all here wanting to have a successful reef tank. That is the ultimate goal and everyone needs to work together to get everyone to that point . It will only make the hobby better.

Look at what Kessil has done. Kessil logic makes it easy to set your lights to grow coral. No matter what spectrum you chose Kessil logic ensures that it is the right one. Still you can fry corals sure, but they also have done a great job designing fixtures that SPREAD light this no hot spots. Eliminate the 1 million+ custom program points and endless combinations. Literally a million ways to fail, a few to succeed.

How many threads do you see asking how to set a Radion or AI programming vs Kessil?

Though I certainly could fry my coral under my Kessils and their built in acclimation mode is way too fast. You just don't see folks frying their coral with the Kessil.

I bet beginners 10 years ago didn't start with 400 watt Radiums with M80 magnetic ballast with VHOs. It took a lot of research and knowledge to get that far. Because you also needed chillers and has to piece together all that equipment.

We should recommended to anyone getting LEDs to GET A PARMETER and know how to use it! Buy, rent, or borrow. That's how you know you have enough. What's enough? The "sweet spot" 200-300 para in the majority area of the aquarium space.

Beginners need to stop talking short cuts like any and every other process in our hobby. Research, compare, test, verify, and confirm. It's easy but it's hard.

How does it go?
What LED to you recommend for "my" tank?
Response: AI, Radion, SBreef, Kessil, ect.....

10 years ago if you needed lighting and wanted recommendations it went much further than recommending a do it all fixture.

How do we help beginners? Stop recommending fixture and lead them to research fixtures, how they work, how to properly set one up WITH A PARMETER, how to look for signs of stress.

 

[TighTT]

My frag tank (36x36x12 with a center overflow) runs Radion Pro's (two 30's and two 15's) and my show tank (elos 160XL) runs an old school (but awesome!) Sfiligoi 2x400 halide with 4 t5's (48 inch). Honestly....they both work....and work VERY well. Anyone who issnt having luck with LED's is using the wrong LED system....or has poor parameters in their tank/pests/or some other issue. I can say without a doubt that radions CAN produce beautiful corals.

 

[bif24701]

My frag tank (36x36x12 with a center overflow) runs Radion Pro's (two 30's and two 15's) and my show tank (elos 160XL) runs an old school (but awesome!) Sfiligoi 2x400 halide with 4 t5's (48 inch). Honestly....they both work....and work VERY well. Anyone who issnt having luck with LED's is using the wrong LED system....or has poor parameters in their tank/pests/or some other issue. I can say without a doubt that radions CAN produce beautiful corals.

That's my point, all LEDs grow corals.

If your having problems, look at everything else first. Lighting should be last on the trouble shooting tree.

 

[TighTT]

That's my point, all LEDs grow corals.

If your having problems, look at everything else first. Lighting should be last on the trouble shooting tree.

I personally think there is some degree of variation between LED systems (spread, intensity, etc) that can lead to greater success/less success but you're correct...all LED's can grow coral.