Switching to LED - Full Review Comming

[TJSlayer]

Well I'm currebtly running a TEK T5 6 bulb fixture over my 75 gallon and have many corals a really nice anenome and had a clam for a while as well.

Been reading about LED's for about the past year and have finally made the decision to pull the trigger on them.

I will not dislose the unit that I'm buying until it actually ships, but will be posting a complete review with many follow ups once it's all settled.

Gave some thought to a DIY setup but I really like the look of some of the commercial fixtures.

Essentially going to be replacing 324 watts of T5 lighting with 240 watts of LED lighting., wanting to get the shimmer effect and really looking forward to having moonlights back, and the ability to control the color of the tank from a control panel so to speak.

STAY TUNED...

:)
TJ

[Zarstar]

im running Maxspect G2 110w LED on a 54g corner tank... there is nothing like LED's, there is no comparison.

http://www.aquashoponline.com/cms.php?id_cms=7

this doesnt even do the night viewing scene justice... it's gorgeous :lol:

oh and i dont grow nuisance algae anymore dont know if thats the lights but i am leaning that way.

i am also going to retrofit my nano with some leds soon, anybody wanna buy some fluoros haha

zar

[Maverick00]

im still on the fence wether or not im going to make the switch. Ill more than likely try a diy fixture.

Looking forward to the review.

[TJSlayer]

Wow let me tell you there are quite a few choices out there….

I Still don’t have a light yet but I have rounded it down to my own choices, which are only a few of the ones listed here.

I will give you an idea of what I have been looking at and what I think the pros/cons are of each.

Again this is just my opinion, so take it all in with that in mind.

And all of these references and such are just to show you what I have been researching, and what I want FOR MY TANK, everyone’s tank is different and what may work for me may not work for you.


My basic requirements are as follows (Wish List)

1) Enough output to keep whatever I want in my tank

2) Ability to dim the lights independently

a. This helps with acclimation of new reef inhabitants and corals
b. Allows me to balance the color to what pleases me
c. Also allows for intensity to be lowered possibly extending life or making them usable on a larger setup down the road.

3) Timer ability to allow me to control on/off etc.

4) Ability to replace bulbs, etc.

5) Things that would be cool to have but not show stoppers

a. Ability to mimic sunrise/sunsets
b. One fixture to cover whole tank, or if modular one controller for entire setup.
c. Ability to mimic cloudy days
d. Variable light output throughout the day
e. Moon light that follows the lunar pattern
f. Connect ability with my pc or phone
g. Updateable controller so that if features and such are added I can benefit


The Contenders (In no particular order)

Pacific Sun – Incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable and they are even developing an app for smart phones/iPhones, etc. that will allow you to make adjustments and changes to the light with them, currently they hook up to PC’s and Mac’s via blue tooth, and the entire systems is updatable. In my opinion probably the most advanced light out there right now. They also have several configurations available so your really can design a fixture for any aquariums size. They are also releasing a new version of the Metis fixture that uses the new CREE XM led’s, (The only ones that I know of that use these) These guys satisfy every point in my wish list. They also use 4 different colors of LED, so you get a great balance of color. They have been around for a while but there is still not a lot of info on the net, but from what I have found it is very positive. Great Support in talking with the suppliers.

More Info http://www.progressivereef.com/pacificsun.php (Canadian Supplier)

http://www.pacific-sun.eu/ (Manufacturer)

Estimated Cost to setup over a 75 Gallon system

Python LED’s $2700 Total Wattage (220) – 2 Fixtures Modular
Python LED’s $3000 Total Wattage (320) – 2 Fixtures Modular
METIS CRP3 LED’s $2600 Total Wattage (300)
METIS CRP2 LED’s $1900 Total Wattage (200)
METIS CRP2XM LED’s $2500 Total Wattage (200 – May be more but they are the BEST)



Vertex Illumina – Again incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable as well, and have a USB option for wireless hookup to your PC/Notebook/MAC that will allow you to make adjustments and changes to the light with them, and the entire system is updatable. Again a very advanced light. They have pretty much all the standard aquarium sizes available, and even make smaller strip lights available to accent existing lighting, but they don’t have all the features of the illumina. These guys once again satisfy every point in my wish list. They have only been around for a little bit and you’re starting to find a lot of info on the net, most of which is very positive. I believe they use 2 colors of LED by default, but they do state that UV, RED and GREEN can be added. Have really heard anything for the manufacturer (No reply’s to email so not sure how they would be for support but others say they are good).

More Info- http://vertexaquaristik.com/ (Manufacturer)
Illumina 200 $2600 ( 200 watts)
Illumina 260 $3150 ( 260 watts)
I believe you have to buy the USB stick Extra for another $55 or so as well



Aqua Illuminations SOL - Again incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable as well. They are also modular similar to the pythons so you can position them over the bracing of the aquarium with little light blockage. System is updatable (not 100% sure about the controller. They will work with pretty much any setup. These guys once again satisfy every point in my wish list. They have been around for a while and a lot of info can be found on the net, most of which is very positive. Default LED’s for these guys is two different colors, but I think they can be changed (at a cost).Another neat feature of these is that can be controller with many of the popular aquarium controllers (Digital Aquatics, Neptune, etc) Support seems to be good and quick replies with supplier.

More info http://www.thereefshoppe.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_90_153&products_id=860&zenid=5e3b260116994775e49f12bb96df923b

http://www.aquaillumination.com/ (Manufacturer)
4x Modules with Controller $2800 (288 Watts)
(Do Not Need Controller with Certain aquarium controllers – saves about $70)



Illumagic Blaze ALC – Looks like a promising light with most of the options I’m after, they come with a controller for timing, dimming, sunrise/sunset, also has a lightning mode and cloudy mode. They lights come in your standard fixture lengths. Unsure how easy components are to replace, But they do used the favored CREE LED’s, so I’m pretty sure they are replaceable. The light is a real newcomer to the market, hard to find a lot of info them, but from what I have dug up on the net they look pretty good. Another unique feature of these is that the default bulb configuration comes with four diffierent color spectrums from the LED’s . Support also seems good quick replace back and forth.

More Info http://www.illumagic.com.tw/photos.html (Manufacturer)

http://www.reefconcept.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=27_244&products_id=2587 (Canadian Supplier)
48” Fixture $1800.00 (180 watts)

Inwatter Stingray – Another Promising looking light that has most of the options I’m after. Has a controller for timing and dimming the lights, sunrise/sunset. (No lightning or cloudy settings that I can tell) Come in 2, 3 and 4 foot lengths. Again uses the favored CREE LED’s with replaceable led’s and customization down the road. They also use four different spectrums for the lights as well for balance. Lights are really new to the market so there is virtually no info about them, I have found a little after a lot of searching and everything I have found has been positive, communication with the manufacturer has also been very good.

More Info http://inwatter.com/stingray.htm (Manufacturer)

No Canadian Supplier as of yet
48” Fixture $1600 (240 watts)


MaxSpec – Seems to be a pretty decent light and easy to find many reviews of them, they also have individual replaceable LED’s so you can color balance until your hearts content, You can also choose to use CREE led’s or SEMI Chips. They are modular so for a 75 Gallon I would have to look at doing two pods. They also have a built in timer but do not have the dimming function built into them. They also have new lens kits available to intensify and focus the light. Reliability seems to be somewhat of an issue, but it also appears that the newer G2 versions of the unit are more reliable, and the support has been great when there are issues. That being said they do have a newer G3 version coming that includes built in dimming and timer, not sure what else it will entail but time will tell.

More Info http://maxspect.com/auarium_index.html (Manufacturer)

http://www.thereefshoppe.ca/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_90_153&products_id=854&zenid=6cc0f2bcb2e4bb6993ae88fface4398a (Canadian Supplier)

2 160 Watt units $1230 (320 watts)(Semi Chips + $320 for CREE))
or 2 110 Watt units $920 (220 watts)(Semi Chips + $300 for CREE)


KEY Aquarium - Another newcomer to the seen, looks like the have actually been around for a while, but they haven’t been very prevalent in North America. They have some pretty interesting lights, and the new K3 model is dimmable and comes with built in timer. They do use CREE lights in the system , and have a bit of a unique item called the “SPS Power bar” added to some of the models that allows you to add different color highlights to the tank (red, green, blue, etc.) There are quite a few pictures and video available on their site, but I’m unclear on the manufacture of them at this point, could be the company fish-street, but may not. There is limited information available on the net on these guys. Communication with the reps or manufacturer was good and they seem to be pushing these more as he sells the Maxspec lighting as well but claims these will be better and more reliable. Downside is that with two lights you have to use the two controllers.

More Info - http://www.fish-street.com/key_aquarium_led_lighting_us_version?category_id=1 18

2 x K3 24” Wide Dimmable $1040 (230 Watts)
or 1 K3 36” Wide Dimmable $700 (But I don’t think it would be enough 165 watts)

There were quite a few others that I bumped into while doing my research, and I have pretty much tossed aside some of them either because they were too modular for what I was looking at or I simply couldn’t get any info from the supplier/manufacturer. I figured if they were interested in supplying me with info now before I but the support would probably be that much worse…

I will post more info as I have and let you know which light I decided on soon.

TJ

[TJSlayer]

Just a quick note to any of our suppliers/ sponsors. If your a distributor for any of the lights mentioned or others that I haven't included feel free to post the info.

Thanks
TJ

[Nebthet]

Have you consider the Orphek lights as well... they are similar, and down have some of the options you are looking for, but are having good reviews for deep tanks.
http://blog.captive-aquatics.com/captive_aquatics/2010/09/orphek-pr-156-reef-aquarium-led-light-review.html

[TJSlayer]

Yes actually I did check those out as well. And they do look very good as well. Thanks for the reminder.

:)

[RuGlu6]

J&L is trying to get their SPS LED tank to look good for a year now and still cant get it done.
And even after they ripped it off to pieces and rebuild it all, it is still looks mediocre at best! SPS just does not look good under their LED; unhappy, bad color, bad polyp extension.
Until i see at least three tanks that will show excellent SPS results similar to MH lighting i am not sold on LED at all.

[abcha0s]

J&L is trying to get their SPS LED tank to look good for a year now and still cant get it done.
And even after they ripped it off to pieces and rebuild it all, it is still looks mediocre at best! SPS just does not look good under their LED; unhappy, bad color, bad polyp extension.
Until i see at least three tanks that will show excellent SPS results similar to MH lighting i am not sold on LED at all.
That's very interesting. Can you share what brand of LED lighting they are using? - If you don't want to post to the forum, please send me a PM. I expect the OP might also be interested in the brand of LED that JL is trying.

- Brad

[eli@fijireefrock.com]

I love my led setup over my tank it is a DIY though.I had to play with height and lenses to get it to my own liking.
i only had it over my reef for 3 weeks now.(yes i know its still early but so far no problem and i am driving the led to their max)
So far no ill effect polyp extension of the SPS corals is there and the growth is fine although on 2 of my encrusting SPS its spreading like crazy 3weeks with just under 1/4" on all sides.

[Rogue951]

Vertex last I saw... if it's the same tank we're talking about.

[OscarMeyer]

J&L is trying to get their SPS LED tank to look good for a year now and still cant get it done.
And even after they ripped it off to pieces and rebuild it all, it is still looks mediocre at best! SPS just does not look good under their LED; unhappy, bad color, bad polyp extension.
Until i see at least three tanks that will show excellent SPS results similar to MH lighting i am not sold on LED at all.

umm i think this is due to the fact that they are handled often? or maybe the water parameters are alittle off? or it could be the fact that the corals in the sps tank dont really stay there to long? there are multiple things that could cause this?

with that being said I have a Vertex Illumina and my PE and the growth of all my corals have been amazing! and that goes for my SPS, LPS, and Clams, Ive also had to turn down the lights to only 30% power cause it is to strong!

LED over MH any day of the week, oh and you MH guys must just love changing the bulbs every 6 months too ;)

[liz]

K3 Dimmable LED's - anybody know the par value on these fixtures?

I have a 18" deep SPS tank and wondering if they would do the job?

[TJSlayer]

Orphek PR-156 - Missed these guys in the original writeup but they are also on my short list now. Pretty nice looking lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable BUT NOT dimmible. They are also modular similar to the pythons so you can position them over the bracing of the aquarium with little light blockage. System is updatable and upgradible when it comes to lens, and led choices (not 100% sure about the controller, but it would be nice if you can download updates to it). These guys almost satisfied every point I had, but the lack of controller features and no dimmability will get them taken off my list. They have been around for a while with quite a lot of info to be found on the net, most of which is very positive.

More Info: http://www.orphek.com/index.html (http://www.orphek.com/index.html)(no Canadian Supplier Yet)
PR-156W Lights x 2 ($1800)(Approx 300 Watts)

[TJSlayer]

Not sure about the PAR value on the KEY's you'd have to get in touch with them or Eric from the link I provided. He's quick to respond, but can be hard to understand...

[Bblinks]

This is gonna be good. I had a chance to get my hands on a "premium quality led light system" but it really didn't turn out like I have expected it. It was really a shame since I had high hopes for them. I would love to see what you get and what kind of result you are gonna get from them. So mysterious.:question:
I think out of all the choices you have listed here, vertex will be one of the top picks, but I would still wait till they come out with a few more color options like red or green to complete the full color spectrum. just my 2 cents.

[Myka]

Simply design-wise I like the modular fixtures because of the ability to move the lights around. That way if you want more intense lighting you can move the pods closer to eachother or off to one side. I find with the amount of light in my tank (halide+T5) that I have several corals I am constantly trying to find a better place to shade them from the intensity.

[TJSlayer]

Found another to consider...

REEFTECH LED Prometheus - Yet another very sweet light like the pythons and such, similar in every aspect for upgradabilty, computer connectivity, and even has iphone support .... (I have an iphone so that would be very cool) So far looks like two modules would work, and once again does pretty much everything you could imagine....

More Info - http://www.reeftechled.com/?page_id=64

2 x Prometheus Units $2300 (360 Watts!!)

[RuGlu6]

That's very interesting. Can you share what brand of LED lighting they are using? - If you don't want to post to the forum, please send me a PM. I expect the OP might also be interested in the brand of LED that JL is trying.

- Brad
Not sure exactly what they are using , i will try to remember to check next time i am there but i think its this one.

http://www.jlaquatics.com/product/vt-ldss1200/Vertex+Illumina+260+LED+Lighting+Fixture+%2848+Inc h%29.html

May be its because this is the frag tank.. who knows but maan... they just cant get it to look good and Corals are definitely not happy there. i have seen many frag tanks that look way better under regular MH DE and or SE and corals look fantastic.
Sure LED is a cool new toy but i prefer to have better looking corals then a fancy light fixture.

[cale262]

...
The Contenders (In no particular order)

Pacific Sun – Incredible lights that will do just about anything you want them to. They are completely programmable and they are even developing an app for smart phones/iPhones, etc. that will allow you to make adjustments and changes to the light with them, currently they hook up to PC’s and Mac’s via blue tooth, and the entire systems is updatable. In my opinion probably the most advanced light out there right now. They also have several configurations available so your really can design a fixture for any aquariums size. They are also releasing a new version of the Metis fixture that uses the new CREE XM led’s, (The only ones that I know of that use these) These guys satisfy every point in my wish list. They also use 4 different colors of LED, so you get a great balance of color. They have been around for a while but there is still not a lot of info on the net, but from what I have found it is very positive. Great Support in talking with the suppliers.

,...


Pacific Sun does not have any software available for Mac's that I can find, Did you find some?


I have a Black Python 200W unit and would love to be able to program it via one of my Mac's...

[TJSlayer]

In regards to J&L they probably don't have it dialed in correctly....(Be my guess)

In regards to Pacific Sun, no I haven't spent much time looking at the software as of yet, so not 100% about what they have, but as a customer I would ask them about it....

TJ

[TJSlayer]

Here is another pretty interesting article on lighting....



http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html



Cheers

TJ

[TJSlayer]

I think the orphek's are off the list as they are not dimmable at this point....

[TJSlayer]

Well I tell you the more I read the more confuesed I get right now likeing the idea of the Prometheus lights due to the modular design, and the power.

If I ever move up in aquarium sizes I could use the same fixtures and add another if needed...

You can actually chain up to seven of them together and they will all comminicate with each other.

Two units would give more than enough light to grow anything and each unit has four boards in it that are user replacible so as bulbs change down the road you can change the lights if you desire.

As far as programability goes looks like they will do almost anything.....

As far as everything I have looked at they really do look like they really have the most to offer per dollar spent.....

But with them being so new finding info on them is tricky, but I can honestly say that everything that i have read has been good.

Decisions, Decisions

[Myka]

You could wait a few months and see what the coming reviews of the Prometheus bring.

[lastlight]

If I ever move up in aquarium sizes I could use the same fixtures and add another if needed...

This is the LED game lol. Unless you're upgrading a month after you purchase your fixture chances are you won't be able to buy the same thing when the time comes! It's like the gold rush :surprise:

[TJSlayer]

So good point's there, but waiting another three months won't do much been doing that already for a long time now, there will be even more to choose from.. :)

As far as the units themself becoming obsolete, that may or may not happen.

I know the manufacturers are designing these things so that they are replacible, and from what I have seen, all the different sized units seem to have the same basic led board in them, larger units simply have more. and even some of the newer ones have the same boards just in a different layout, so hopefully they keep in that thought going forward otherwise you could be right.

I suppose one could remove the board and manually change the led themselves as well if they had the knowledge to do so, hard to say.

But this brings up another point that worries me a little, everyone says buy from a company that has been around long term and not one that is new, because they may not be there in then next few years, etc.

But most of the companies that are offering these units are new, very few that have been around long term are offering much, and what they are offering will not work as a total replacement, only supplements...

But again that being said the lower budget offerings from companies like maxspec have been around for some time now, and they are launching their third version of led's and so far from what I have seen you can upgrade even the older models to be similar to the newer ones, and the led's can be moved up all the way to what they are offering today. So one would hope that the other players in the game take note of that.

But so far everyone is citing the replaceable aspect of components in their fixtures for the future and upgrades.

I will be interesting in the coming years for sure...

TJ

[ALang]

Been a very enlightening read. Thanks for the thread. Don't know much about LEDs, except, "I WANT ONE". So this is helping.

Just that the cost is still prohibitive for most of us. Never mind all the salient points... Just wish that ship will come in faster...

[TJSlayer]

I just found out something recently regarding the Reeftech fixtures as well. Not sure if the others can do this or not.

But considering that the new XML chips are now comming out, and if they prove to be that good with the reeftech Light I could simply order a few boards to replace the current ones.

One thing I'm not sure about is wether or not I could replace say one or two of the boards with the XML or if I would have to do all four (In each light)

But could make for some interesting possibilities down the road...

TJ

[Bblinks]

WOW. Those xml are pretty crazy. Can;t wait till see those bad boys inside a fixture...just not from them.

[albert_dao]

FYI, CRI of the XML's is only 75.

They sound nice on paper, but wait til you throw them over your livestock without heavy color refining from other LED sources (neutral white XPG's are 90 CRI).

[TJSlayer]

I think the only ones using the xml's are Pacific Sun as an option in the Metis fixtures, probably the pythons too, but would have check with them for confirmation.

[TJSlayer]

Well after many weeks of reading, doing research on the net and in many of the reef forums, reading what others are doing, etc. and many conversations with several manufacturers and suppliers I have finally committed to my LED light.

After really taking a long time to consider what features I considered to be needed rather than just cool or nice to have I finally decided upon the new light offered by Inwatter – The Stingray.

I was leaning towards the Reeftech Prometheus or the Pacific Sun Metis for the longest time, as they really do pretty much anything you could hope for with an incredible amount of expandability, and the build quality of each seems to be top notch, but I just couldn’t quite get to the price that they were at, otherwise I would of probably went with one of them.

But more to the reasoning I decided to go with the Inwatter Stingray.

The most important features to me were as follows:
Quality components (ie. CREE lights – replaceable boards, etc.)
Dimming Capability – with a sunrise/sunset/moon option
(a must for led’s as far as I’m concerned – far easier to acclimate and adjust colors)
I really wanted a fixture that would cover the whole tank or at least link together and act like one, and all three of the above mentioned covered this point. Many of the others really didn’t.
Controllability either by built in controller, or another method I already had (Reefkeeper Lite)

In my discussions with Inwatter I have come to the conclusion that all of the above points are easily met and the light has a great amount of output in a 48” fixture (240 Watts). Standard pricing is also the lowest of the three that I was looking at so that was also key in my final decision.

The other two lights do have more features than the Stingray fixture, which ultimately adds to the cost, but it also put them just out of my price range right now, and in my opinion are features that are not critical to the main purpose of the light.

Currently I have been running my tank with a pretty basic on off timing functionality of the controller I use and things are fine. The other features would be really cool to have but ultimately will not affect the core functionality the lights are providing.

I was originally concerned about ordering a light that is just getting released, but in discussions with inwatter, and the research I have done, they are building a top quality light, and not just another cheap import. They are not trying to compete in the lower rang of offerings, but are trying to provide a great fixture for a fair price. They too have also tried to look at what key features were needed, and what other features that simply added to the price, and after a long time came up with the Stingray design.

I have had many PM’s with people who have purchased pretty much every light discussed in this thread and for the most part people are happy with whatever they decided on. But one key point that I have heard time and again, is that after the initial playing around period most have their lights set to the same sunrise/sunset and color output that they want and really don’t mess around with them after that.

This pretty much agrees with what my thoughts were on what I needed.

I hope to receive the fixture in the next two to three weeks and then I will start my full review.

Very excited to finally have this underway..

Stay Tuned

TJ

[TJSlayer]

Light has arrived will be starting a new thread on the review shortly!

[Bblinks]

awesome to see other brands of led systems infiltrate into this market, looking forward for the review.

[TJSlayer]

REVIEW CAN BE FOUND HERE

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=615790&posted=1#post615790