120 sps and lps

[trueblackpercula]

I have a quick question about my sps/lps I am thinking about changing my lighting from 400watt aqua connect and 150watt vho 03 bulbs out for LED'S is anyone having good success with the health of sps and lps with led lighting? My tank is 30 x 30 x 30 what do you recommend?
Thanks

 

[robs.mark]

I too am thinking about swapping my halides for LED's, my main concern ATM is how new they are, I haven't really seen that many successful longterm sps tanks. I'm probably going to wait for another 12 months or so and see what happens.

 

[Fastcroc]

I had a rapid led DIY kit over my biocube29 for about 5 months. The kit itself was very nice and fairly easy to put together and get up and running. Since then I have upgraded tanks to a 75g and now I have a 4bulb T-5 setup over my corals and honestly I think I am a fan of the T-5s vs the leds. I seem to have better growth under the T-5s and the color difference is nominal. Currently I think its a preference really. I will be waiting a while before I go back to them due to the outrageous cost. If I could buy what I really wanted Id go to the ATi dimmable sunpower fixture! Yum Yum

 

[psusocr]

i like my leds

 

[NewbyReefer]

The few people I know that went LED say they get great growth with them but colors on coral start to brown out so they all have added t5's(atinic) to there set-up and it seems to have brought the colors back out. I myself have a 6 bulb t5ho setup over my 42bow and I'm happy with it.

 

[xcorallusx]

i too am thinking about swapping my halides for led's, my main concern atm is how new they are, i haven't really seen that many successful longterm sps tanks. I'm probably going to wait for another 12 months or so and see what happens.

lol

 

[mwladdicted]

I have yet to see an LED tank top a halide or T5 tank. I know several people who made the switch and all of them had some sort of problem upon switching resulting in coral deaths.
IMO LED's are convenient and appealing to people with their controllability and power savings. It's a cool toy, but corals suffer. My corals look much healthier and happier under my halides. When I see a TOTM grown completely by LED's with comparable color I'll think about it...

 

[JAustin]

X2 ^

 

[psusocr]

I have yet to see an LED tank top a halide or T5 tank. I know several people who made the switch and all of them had some sort of problem upon switching resulting in coral deaths.
IMO LED's are convenient and appealing to people with their controllability and power savings. It's a cool toy, but corals suffer. My corals look much healthier and happier under my halides. When I see a TOTM grown completely by LED's with comparable color I'll think about it...

Im not sure you saw enough threads with larger SPS dominated led tanks then..I agree there is alot of work to go with LED's but they are more than capable of mazing SPS tanks. Look at the large canadian system with nineball, theres another guy ( cant find the thread) with AI Sol's in his greenhouse room and thats one of the nicest tanks ive ever seen, i think he was TOTM. They have the color and growth.. IMO its not just the light source, its the maintenance, water changes, dosing, levels your checking, tweaking, observation etc. etc. etc. that give you those colors and growth...not just lights..anyone who wins TOTM usually has an INSANE and PERFECT maintenance schedule,, give them a tank with LEDS, Halides, T5's i still think they will win TOTM... just my .02

 

[mwladdicted]

Obviously you can tell I am bias and I won't deny that I am. I never said you couldn't keep SPS with LED. I just think that out of all the LED tanks I have seen (and I've seen plenty), I haven't seen one that was better than a Halide or T5 tank. Obviously maintenance is a contributing factor but thats not what we are talking about. Also, the majority of the awesome SPS tanks running LED were halide/T5 or combination to begin with... I agree in time we will see a start to finish LED TOTM but I haven't yet and like I said, when I do, Ill think about it. MY .02!