LED experience for under $2

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Milad

btw thread is derailing! back to OP topic, Ill have to give that a try to see how it looks.

i was actually over to a friends house the other day who ordered some leds with you and believe me hes got me sold its a beautiful set up and the lights are amazing i do like the dimmable drivers and the no heat or maintanance issue.things i didnt like though were where its diy theres no room for error on installation, bulbs have a possibility of burning out quick from heat,to add extra led's means a fair bit of work plus you need to find something to mount them on plus heatsink as well.

what happens when the leds get wet? what about salt creep?

ill send you a pm as i do want to order some like i mentioned they both have great features youll just have to send me step by step instructions on install lol

[Milad]

Most people put a pane of glass between the LEDs and tank to prevent salt creep and getting them wet. Acrylic works too but it can sag.

You can also mount the LEDs more than a foot above the tank and there shouldnt be any salt creep/wetness.

Is your friend on canreef? Which LEDs did he get? You may have been spoiled by the new XM-Ls, they are inhumanly bright.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Milad

Most people put a pane of glass between the LEDs and tank to prevent salt creep and getting them wet. Acrylic works too but it can sag.

You can also mount the LEDs more than a foot above the tank and there shouldnt be any salt creep/wetness.

Is your friend on canreef? Which LEDs did he get? You may have been spoiled by the new XM-Ls, they are inhumanly bright.

they are insanely bright lol but the beauty is you can power them down which leads to my next question if you have to power them down what are you really losing??

[marie]

I will stick with my MH's. I actually use them to heat my tanks because I don't use heaters and I am one of the few people that actually prefer the 10K colour and use XM 10Ks with no actinic supplements

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Milad

You guys realize LEDs are cheaper than MH in about 2-3 years time if you do a DIY.

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.