Ok, let's hear it!

lastlight · #1 10-02-2013, 05:52 PM

2010 called and wants its thread back.

I do miss 2010 tho!

kien · #2 10-02-2013, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastlight

2010 called and wants its thread back.

I do miss 2010 tho!

These threads are fun. It's pretty much the only thing worth talking about in reefing these days. Or those days too. And probably days to come.

ScubaSteve · #3 10-02-2013, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kien

These threads are fun. It's pretty much the only thing worth talking about in reefing these days. Or those days too. And probably days to come.

Hahahaha. Well this and whether that Such'n'such paly is indeed a true Tyree. Without these topis most of the forums wouldn't exist and we'd have nothing to bicker about

I'm starting to wish I had the best of both worlds. I love the flat look of T5s for the evening/actinics, I love how LEDs make colours pop (in particular the royal blue and true violet's for actinic) but I love, love, love my metal halide for daytime colour. I have all of the above on my tanks (MH + T5 on one, LED on the other).

For the small tank I'm loving the LED because there is no other way of generating that much light in a small package without cooking the tank, so I say that LED wins for nano tanks hands down. The fact that I am growing SPS in my nano without any filtration as fast (maybe even faster) than my big tank with equally good coloration has me as a firm believer. That said, I find the light at high noon just lacks the same oomph that my halide has.

On the big tank the MH is a rocks star. It just looks awesome. You get great shimmer lines (without the disco effect that LEDs give you), so the tank tends to look more lively and natural. I find T5 look a little flat as a main lighting option. I have a chiller on the big tank, so I really don't give a hoot about the heat really - tank stays a rock solid 79F right through the hotest days of summer (I've actually had more heat issues with the nano). However, at night time I look at the big tank and then look at the nano and sigh when I see colours exploding out of the nano like someone sent Hunter S. Thompson on an acid trip with a backpack full of fireworks and neon paint.

So what I'm now thinking might happen is that I'm going to try a DIY replacement for the T5s on my halide fixture and put in a mix of RB, TV and RGB.

lastlight · #4 10-02-2013, 06:42 PM

yeah halides for daytime colour. I love those royal blues in the evening but i'm sorta missing my radiums during the day...

i'll be using my mitras until it eventually dies though. too much invested. i do still like it but there's something so fantastic about the light a halide throws.

down the road perhaps i'll choose to spend more on ac or a chiller instead of another LED replacement. That will depend on whether you can find halide bulbs 5 or 10 years down the road.

brizzo · #5 10-02-2013, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

For the small tank I'm loving the LED because there is no other way of generating that much light in a small package without cooking the tank, so I say that LED wins for nano tanks hands down. The fact that I am growing SPS in my nano without any filtration as fast (maybe even faster) than my big tank with equally good coloration has me as a firm believer. That said, I find the light at high noon just lacks the same oomph that my halide has.

On the big tank the MH is a rocks star. It just looks awesome. You get great shimmer lines (without the disco effect that LEDs give you), so the tank tends to look more lively and natural. I find T5 look a little flat as a main lighting option.

So what I'm now thinking might happen is that I'm going to try a DIY replacement for the T5s on my halide fixture and put in a mix of RB, TV and RGB.

I couldn't agree more with this post.

Recently switched from 150w mh, to a diy setup with 12 blue 12 white (xt-e/xp-g). I've been very happy with the color, intensity, and dimming.

That being said, it's perfect for a tank my size. SPS has been growing nicely since the switch, and some new colors have come out. I think it's hard to compare different LED systems because they come in so many flavors, but I think there is something to be said about how my leds are maybe 2 inches above the water... (no coverage issues)

If I had a bigger tank (when), I wouldn't second guess building with mh + led combo

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #6 10-02-2013, 10:01 PM

I love my LEDs and would not go back. At my most insane, was running 3x250w DE & 6x150w DE, but these were each drawing a bit more so over 2000 watts of power and it was so hot in the summer from the lights that I had to run a 12000 btu AC and/or switch to reverse photoperiod.

This summer, probably the hottest and sunniest in Greater Vancouver since I've lived here (since the 70s), never once had heat issues or had to reverse my photoperiod or setup my AC.

My 165g main tank went from drawing roughly 600w in halide alone, to 280w max (12 x 10w Blues - 6@454nm & 6@445nm) (16 x 10w Whites - mix of 6500k; 10000k & 20000k)

My 2' cube went from 150w halide to 50w LED (3x10w blues and 2x10w whites) same mix as with the main tank lights.

The RSM 34g currently has an Eshine 60w Cree

H2o2 · #7 10-02-2013, 11:51 PM

I am in the starting stage of a new tank setup so I have been adding fish and corals for about 8 months . I have the 60" sunbrite V2 which I love the iphone programing + 60" of vertex Illumilux Marino blue for dawn and dusk and pop because they pop but I find myself right now in the process of adding 4 54w T5s just because my corals are just not there like they used to be in my old tank with the MH and T5s especially the purples , I now different tank but I want to try it and see , so the 100 $ every 6 months + power and heat (still have my chiller ) I will have to deal with but I have to try

Reef Pilot · #8 10-02-2013, 06:09 PM

Can't believe all the LED haters!!! Did they buy the wrong LED's, or use the wrong program/mode, or wrong intensity for their tank? Or maybe the the LED's are a good excuse for other problems in their tank?

I had T5's before, and you couldn't pay me enough to ditch my Radion LED's (have both Gen 1 and 2). I am very happy with the fast growth and colour of my SPS. And not to mention all the other benefits, including economic with the low power, low heat and not having to keep replacing bulbs.

Well, at the least should be lots of cheap used LEDs available in the next little while. Then next year, they will be switching back to LEDs...

But hey, what do I know... I am still a neophyte reef keeper.

reefwars · #9 10-02-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Can't believe all the LED haters!!! Did they buy the wrong LED's, or use the wrong program/mode, or wrong intensity for their tank? Or maybe the the LED's are a good excuse for other problems in their tank?

I had T5's before, and you couldn't pay me enough to ditch my Radion LED's (have both Gen 1 and 2). I am very happy with the fast growth and colour of my SPS. And not to mention all the other benefits, including economic with the low power, low heat and not having to keep replacing bulbs.

Well, at the least should be lots of cheap used LEDs available in the next little while. Then next year, they will be switching back to LEDs...

But hey, what do I know... I am still a neophyte reef keeper.

denial....denial

wickedfrags · #10 10-02-2013, 06:16 PM

I ran 110W VHO from 1999-2001

I ran 400W radiums from 2001-2008 with VHO supplements

I ran T5's from 2009-2010

I purchased T5s for my last aquarium as my goals had changed......I used them for one month after seeing a Vertex Illumina in person then sold the fixture.

Today, for a mixed reef I would go LED, for an SPS tank I would go with 400W 20k halides with VHO supplements, or perhaps LED supplements as a second choice.