for me it's not entirely about cost, although there is no way I could afford a new light setup if even I thought they'd stop the aging process :)

I like the light I get from MH point source lighting, and I don't like LED lights. I don't like the shadows or the colors or even the flicker. Some may be better than others, but they just aren't what I'm looking for. I have my heat handled, bulb replacement annually doesn't hurt financially and hydro is hidden in my bill, and as far as I'm concerned, a part of the hobby I chose.

The lights posted above by Ryan7 may alleviate some of this, and if I get robbed and someone steals my tank and insurance will buy me a new one, I might look at them. Maybe.
but for now, I prefer MH, which works out well since that's what I have, and I'm not throwing away perfectly good lights to get something I like less.
Lighting always comes down to personal taste, and LED are not to my taste.

Those could be potentially game-changing...

I've read these high-powered canons are not nearly as energy efficient as the lower wattage LEDs but it sounds like 3 or 4 of these 100w versions would light a 400g nicely...

So their 50w versions are not dimmable by the looks of things?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2019873

There is a guy with 3 of the 100w 12ks over a 500 and he loves them. Here goes my evening/early morning ugghhh....

Looks like I'd need a controller to use the dimming however. I don't think you can program those drivers. They connect to a controller. Also... since these things are a single color (12k or the bluer one) you'd have to mix them if you didn't want a really blue or a 12k look. By the time you spread these over a tank and start mixing I imagine you'd see the 12k/blue banding in the tank.

Brett, agreed. But I'd have to see the 12k, it might look ok, or you could add a T5 tube for blue (somehow)

Agreed I'd really like to see one first. And I can't see myself just buying one to test either as it's still a lot of money.

After reading that RC thread I do get the feeling that these things are not quite as good par-wise as an actual fixture with 3w LEDs.

Ya, they're LED, but not in the sense of what most people consider LED for tanks. These especially would need to be proven long term.

Thankfully I love my halides. And I'll need the heat rather than hate it once I'm into the basement tank. :mrgreen:

Ya, other than Radiums not being available anymore, I love mine too. And my 1/2hp chiller takes care of any heat that they can throw :)

That might change if Radium gets their act together. My XM 10k bulbs should arrive soon. I'll post pics of the scorching par monsters here maybe for the LED folk.

They'll each run 360w on my PFO magnetic. It's all about going green =)

Jeff says the radiums are out due to mercury content or some such thing. Might try the Geismanns next.

True, you cant look at the wattage and compare LEDs. 50w of CREE XM LEDs will be much brighter than the 50w cannon.

I think we read the same thread on RC, they didnt get good reviews.

So to get what I need I'd have to build it myself? Ouch... I haven't even completed my current trade.

Apparently they won't supply the proper paperwork declaring the mercury levels. I'm guessing that means the reef world is a super tiny slice of their market and they can't be bothered... OR these bulbs are loaded with mercury and they gave up. Either way it stinks.

Yes but just hold out for couple more months and ill have a kit for you that basically is plug and play. No soldering, no drilling, no tapping. Just pick the colors and plug in the power.

haha, they were using old old LEDs, not anywhere near the power of the current ones.

3x3 from a single MH is not a good even output and is realy streatching the light out. yes it can light this amount but at a lower par. 2x2 is the effective max for MH.

Steve