Success with LED and SPS

[Reefgoat]

The coral in the pictures look fairly healthy but to me the colours look less than awesome. Every time I read a thread on LEDs and SPS there are always people who say that their colours are inferior but the benefits of LEDs outweigh the negatives. If I was keeping an SPS tank I think that vibrant colour would be one of the top priorities.

That being said it may simply be that the pictures are not representative of the actual colours.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Reefgoat

The coral in the pictures look fairly healthy but to me the colours look less than awesome. Every time I read a thread on LEDs and SPS there are always people who say that their colours are inferior but the benefits of LEDs outweigh the negatives. If I was keeping an SPS tank I think that vibrant colour would be one of the top priorities.

That being said it may simply be that the pictures are not representative of the actual colours.

The pics I linked in the other thread are close, but are nicer in person. But yes, I did lose some "pop" going to LED. But...I spend less on power and bulbs. I no longer have 5gallons/day evaporating into my livingroom, rotting my house. I don't have to run the chiller 10 hours a day. MH do not ramp up and down like LED, which is a really nice feature. Yes, colors are slightly better under MH, but I'm mostly ok sacrificing a bit of color for all the other pluses. It's a trade-off you need to justify as an individual based on your priorities.

[molotov]

I'm running 4 AI Sol blues over my 5' tank. I would say it's lacking some colour. I'm considering adding some supplemental red/green to see if I can get more pop. You may want to consider adding additional reds and greens. I haven't yet researched it yet but maybe stunner strips have something where you can add reds/greens?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by molotov

I'm running 4 AI Sol blues over my 5' tank. I would say it's lacking some colour. I'm considering adding some supplemental red/green to see if I can get more pop. You may want to consider adding additional reds and greens. I haven't yet researched it yet but maybe stunner strips have something where you can add reds/greens?

I'm at a point where I'm content, so no more mucking around with it. Just keep the corals watered and watch them grow

[mrhasan]

I believe LEDs have endless options starting from RB+NW ranging to full spectrum, not to mention the cool controls that one can have on LEDs which is not technologically possible with MH or T5s. I have seen people complaining colors in the typical RB+NW mixture since they generally wash away the yellow, orange, red, etc. But with full spectrum, you get killing colors. LEDs are all about proper ratio and spectrum. One wrong placement/ratio and the output gets funky.

[Ram3500]

I love my MH if you pull up a recliner next to the tank with the sound of the wavemaker in the background. It kind of like lying on the beach in Maui

[Madreefer]

Originally Posted by molotov

I'm running 4 AI Sol blues over my 5' tank. I would say it's lacking some colour. I'm considering adding some supplemental red/green to see if I can get more pop. You may want to consider adding additional reds and greens. I haven't yet researched it yet but maybe stunner strips have something where you can add reds/greens?

I've supplemented my AI Sols with 2 Ecoxotic RGB modules. When the reds are turned on it does not pop the reds at all. I find the rdes pop more when the blue is turned up more. I'm waiting for the new controllors for the said supplemental lights and will be adding 2 more for more options to play with.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

I've supplemented my AI Sols with 2 Ecoxotic RGB modules. When the reds are turned on it does not pop the reds at all. I find the rdes pop more when the blue is turned up more. I'm waiting for the new controllors for the said supplemental lights and will be adding 2 more for more options to play with.

You cannot make the same color pop with the same color supplement. The theory goes like this:

To pop something "black", you will need "white" background and vice-verse.

Let's look at the RGB spectrum:



Basic rule, you have to have the contrasting color to make coral color pop. If you look at the RGB intersections, the best pop for red will be when you put in cyan. SO you will have to mix the RGB strip accordingly to create cyan blend.

[Tangled Knot]

Sorry, my corals decide what color they're going to be. You can't color them the way you like and expect them to do well.

[mrhasan]

Originally Posted by Tangled Knot

Sorry, my corals decide what color they're going to be. You can't color them the way you like and expect them to do well.

Yah I know that. I was just referring to Madreefer's post regarding the red for red pop.