Looking to switch over to LED but who should I choose?

[Jcr's Reef]

There are so many options it really boils down to what you want and $$$ Chances are, if you go with what someone else recommends you wont like it. Use what people say to further your research and weigh the pro's and con's to help you decide.

Corey--you really need to post some pics up man!!

 

[nixer]

i went with reefkoi on my 75 and im going to put them on my 180
i felt that lukes would be too powerful on my 75

 

[m and m]

I would go with the reefkio LEDS cheap and they are great use one myself. Also reefkoi is a sponser on her.e

 

[Troylee]

I got a partial part of my fixture done today!!!! Wow is all I can say I lit 24 royal blues up and holy moly it will blind you in a heart beat!!! The cieling in my shop is 14ft high and it was pure blue!!! I only got 124 more LEDs to wire up lol...
What t5 bulbs would you guys recommend to supplement 100 blue with 50 white 3w Cree LEDs????? I'm looking to get the correct spectrum and I feel LEDs don't provide that by them selves....

 

[Troylee]

No one?????

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Sorry Troy. I have only seen a few LEDs in person and they have been all blue. Mojo's tank looked real good with the all blue Reef Brites and T5 combo. I feel confident to recommend you the Fiji Purple T5 though to give your corals a different spectrum, and maybe a ATI Blue Plus. How many T5's are you planning to run?

 

[Troylee]

Either 2 or 4... I'm hoping 2 will cut it... Maybe a blue plus and purple plus??? I have never saw this new purple plus is it the same as the figi just made by ati?

 

[m and m]

Either 2 or 4... I'm hoping 2 will cut it... Maybe a blue plus and purple plus??? I have never saw this new purple plus is it the same as the figi just made by ati?

Yes it is the same thing i have had the purple pluse for about three months and its just like the fiji just ten dollars left.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Troylee- are you doing a build thread on your LEDs? The problem I have read with LEDs are they focus on just 2 colors (white/blue) and have no other color spectrum to them. I see they started adding a few red LEDs to some fixtures to compensate for this. I'm in the "thought process" of planning my own (2) 150w MH/LED/ T5 (all in one combo) to achieve the look I want.
If your leds give a pinkish look when they are all on with the white/blue mixture, I would go with all Blue + T5's; as Purple + will just add to the pinkish look, but that depends on what "K" pleases your eyes bc either way the purple + is providing your corals with another color to bask in to bring more color out in them.

 

[Seasonedreefer]

Here are few pics please excuse the quality they were taken with my iphone 4 not the best quality but you get the jist.

 

[Jcr's Reef]

Your only running 2 T5's and it's that bright oh: Wow.
Looks like everything is really fluorescing but your phone isn't quiet picking it up. You'll have to document the color changes and let me know if you see an improved growth/color under them. Thanks for the pics. After seeing Jesse's I really liked the Reef Brites mixed in. Are you still liking them over the MH?

 

[aalvarado87]

wow man those lights are super bright i am sure its not as bright in person. i really love the pop that you get from leds i think they give more pop than any other lights out there. have you got any par values? i know not everyone can get their hands on a par meter.

 

[Seasonedreefer]

Well the pics taken are with all the lights on both reef brites and t-5s. I like them better then the metal halides for multiple reasons. My first reason is heat! My tank temps are alot more stable now. I also have alot less evaporation which i am begining to love and im getting alot more even light distribution across the whole tank. The sps are coloring up alot more. My montis are getting pretty good growth too its very noticable. Im really starting to choose color over growth. I was a big fan of halides because of growth but it hard to get the colors tweeked with juat two mh lamps. With the LEDs and t5 mix i can really play around with the two bulbs and find the right color. So far i like the ati blue special and purple plus i would like to get one more reef brite strip to add a little more blue but so far im satisfied.