Any serious SPS collectors use LED?

[JB NY]

This discussion reminds me almost exactly of when T5s came out years ago. We were all debating on whether you could have a successful tank lit entirely on T5 rather than Metal Halide. Turns out you can, but it is a little different than using MH. Same here, I've seen some tanks that look good and are having success with LED. So I have no doubt one can be successful using LED, and as time goes on hopefully the technology gets even better.

I added some reefbrite blue LED strips on my tank and that seems to fill the one gap that I had for adding blue to my tank that pops the colors like the old VHO URI Super Actinics did in the past. But I will still keep the MH for now.

 

[jda]

I don't remember this as much with T5 since there were so many (and still are in my area) nice tanks lit with VHO. I do remember a lot of talk between T5 and VHO, but more about power, longevity, reflectors and bulb choices and not so much about effectiveness. ...and it turns out that most people were wrong about that at the time.

This reminds me more of Power Compact compared to MH or VHO. Lots of strong opinions at the time.

There was 11 or 12 Radions on the half of that Vivid tank a while back when I stopped in when I was visiting CA.

 

[JB NY]

I remember this big huge thread about some dude in Germany who had this huge tank with a crazy amount of T5 bulbs on it and he had crazy colored SPS. Most people couldn't get good SPS under VHO so the T5 thing was almost the same, can I... using less power and less heat get good coloration and grow with T5 on SPS. ah fun times.

 

[Wazzel]

I recall it being a fairly big deal. Not sure if it was the same magnitude, especially since there were not as many operating options.

I have actually never use T-5, I did use VHO and grew SPS in a VHO only lit tank. Am I dating myself a little with that bit of info?

 

[power boat jim]

I recall it being a fairly big deal. Not sure if it was the same magnitude, especially since there were not as many operating options.

I have actually never use T-5, I did use VHO and grew SPS in a VHO only lit tank. Am I dating myself a little with that bit of info?

VHO brought some of the best color I ever had. I just didnt like the fact the end caps nearly burned a hole in the wall.

 

[jda]

I had a beautiful SPS tank under VHO Super Actinics and Actinic Whites. It was full of frags from when ReefFarmers had waiting lists and you had to mail checks to people to buy stuff.

My first MH had a 5.5K bulb and was ordered out of the back of a Tropical Fish Magazine and you had to wire it yourself. $69 bucks shipped IIRC. I still have it and it still works. No reflectors back then, so we would mount them vertically 2 gallon galvanized buckets that we beat the sides out for more spread.

 

[Wazzel]

Thanks guys, I don't feel so old now.

 

[jda]

I am not old, I guess... still in my 30s. I just got started before I could drive. There was a LFS that I could ride my bike to when I was 14 and I was jaw-dropped amazed. I had to wash a lot of dishes at the Western Sizzlin' to buy my stuff... I have only every been out of the hobby long enough to move to/from college and then to Colorado... so a few weeks.

 

[Wazzel]

I'm not that old either at 43. I started my first reef tank in 1998. I have had a couple of multi year gaps in that span. Had to get out for work travel.

 

[power boat jim]

Now I feel old

 

[cdmurphy]

Couple of photo's of my tank grown under 4 Radion Gen 3 Pro's. Tank was set up in January of this year. Most of the bigger SPS were from my 90 gallon tank. All frags grown from one inch frags. Wouldn't call myself a high end collector because I refuse to pay $100 t0 $200 for a 3/4" frag. Most corals were purchased from Pacific East Aquaculture or a couple of the local fish store or traded with friends. Radions are set to 60% on radiant mode for 12 hours per day. My 90 gallon tank was run with a 6 x 54watt ATI Powermodule with all ATI bulbs. I don't think I get the same amount of growth with the Radions as I did with the T5's but the colors are much better under LED. The biggest problem I have found with LED's is the controllability and I find this to be their worst enemy. Find the sweet spot and let them do their thing.

Photo's taken with a Cannon D7 with no photoshop, basically straight from the camera. Radions were set to 14K during photo's.

 

[Editour2]

Couple of photo's of my tank grown under 4 Radion Gen 3 Pro's. Tank was set up in January of this year. Most of the bigger SPS were from my 90 gallon tank. All frags grown from one inch frags. Wouldn't call myself a high end collector because I refuse to pay $100 t0 $200 for a 3/4" frag. Most corals were purchased from Pacific East Aquaculture or a couple of the local fish store or traded with friends. Radions are set to 60% on radiant mode for 12 hours per day. My 90 gallon tank was run with a 6 x 54watt ATI Powermodule with all ATI bulbs. I don't think I get the same amount of growth with the Radions as I did with the T5's but the colors are much better under LED. The biggest problem I have found with LED's is the controllability and I find this to be their worst enemy. Find the sweet spot and let them do their thing.

Photo's taken with a Cannon D7 with no photoshop, basically straight from the camera. Radions were set to 14K during photo's.

What are the dimensions of the tank pictured?

 

[ChrisKirkland]

I disagree, since they are used for the same application we need to compare. It gets complicated with the variability of the LED fixtures.

For instance, from my experience I would say a AI hydra52 is approximately equal to a 250 watt MH when it is run at or near full power on all channels. If you greatly reduce the power on many channels then that is no longer valid. Also you need to be happy with 10k +/- color temp to get the best performance out of the Hydra52. To get a 20k color temp you are running the fixture at around 50% total power, again from my experience.

Agreed on that. That what I was trying to say. also According to EcoTech Marine they make the comparison of par to a 250W MH.

 

[cdmurphy]

What are the dimensions of the tank pictured?

Its a 240 Gallon, 96x24x24. The tank is in a bedroom so I can't get a full tank shot of it with the lens I have on my camera. still has about 12" either side of the picture.

 

[MidwesternTexan]

And I am still REAL happy with my Chinese/Ebay/Amazon/Evergrow style lights.

Full spectrum and dimmable 2 channels. HIGH Par also.

All that for ~$100 US shipped to the doorstep.

I have lots of sps also.

The Title of the OP was.....

I feel I am farily serious, serious as a Heart Attack!



Cheers.

 

[Wazzel]

Agreed on that. That what I was trying to say. also According to EcoTech Marine they make the comparison of par to a 250W MH.

I suspect that comparison is with every channel at 100%. I put a spread sheet together for the hydra 52 where I can punch in the percent for each channel and get a percent of total power used. It is just an estimate since I set it up with all the channels having the same watt rating, which is incorrect. I need to add that so it is a better estimate.

Edit

Had a minute so it is all fixed now.

 

[Editour2]

August TOTM using only cool white and royal blue LEDs.
Post #537

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2290355&page=22

 

[Wazzel]

Yup, nice tank. On the AI hydra the cool white (20 watt) and royal blue (15 watt) are the two most powerful diodes and the highest number at 16 white and 12 royal blue. Dropping those really hurt the power output of the fixture.

 

[Peter Eichler]

This discussion reminds me almost exactly of when T5s came out years ago. We were all debating on whether you could have a successful tank lit entirely on T5 rather than Metal Halide. Turns out you can, but it is a little different than using MH. Same here, I've seen some tanks that look good and are having success with LED. So I have no doubt one can be successful using LED, and as time goes on hopefully the technology gets even better.

I added some reefbrite blue LED strips on my tank and that seems to fill the one gap that I had for adding blue to my tank that pops the colors like the old VHO URI Super Actinics did in the past. But I will still keep the MH for now.

Yes, when they came out. But that debate died down for the most part after a couple years. We're several years into LED's being available for aquariums, and it's a struggle to find great SPS tanks using them.

 

[Editour2]

Yes, when they came out. But that debate died down for the most part after a couple years. We're several years into LED's being available for aquariums, and it's a struggle to find great SPS tanks using them.

The technology is still evolving but if you read through this thread I think there were a few fine examples of "great SPS tanks"....but then again everything is subject to interpretation.