Any serious SPS collectors use LED?

[VegasMike]

I agree, they are there to be seen if you but open your eyes, but they are much lower in absolute numbers than those primarily using MH

The information I think would be most useful and on point would be the % of great MH SPS tanks as a % of the total number of MH users and the same for LED. That is not a realistic measure though as it would be near impossible to obtain but I, for one, would not have considered my tank a great MH SPS tank. There is so much more that goes I to it.

 

[Wazzel]

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.

There are lots more options with LED than there was with T-5. With the variability in the fixtures and the operating options of those fixture it is just taking us longer to get them dialed in.

IMO the more nice looking LED tanks are coming.

 

[jda]

I would caution anybody into thinking that the technology is evolving. It is more of the same just by changing the numbers or the mix - it is still one-way spectrum piecemeal. Real evolution would involve maybe 360 degree output for reflecting and wide area spread, or diodes that had wide spectrum... or best of all, maybe a wide-range chip for aquarium use. The controllers are getting more progress than the lights, IMO.

 

[power boat jim]

There are lots more options with LED than there was with T-5. With the variability in the fixtures and the operating options of those fixture it is just taking us longer to get them dialed in.

IMO the more nice looking LED tanks are coming.

There are more out there then you know, I know one guy who has two great looking LED tanks. He wont post here anymore because he is tired of the arguments. I see no reason if a group of people have great looking LED tanks more cant. If some one is using a certain light and having good results with it what keeps others from the same? It makes no sense to blame the lights at that point.

It takes a lot more discipline to use LEDs since you can change everything so easily. That may be where so many have gone wrong, I dont know for sure but I do know small changes in K and intensity can make a big difference.

 

[fishguy597]

I think a lot has more to with stable paremeters and good water quality. You can have t5 or mh and still have a poor tank. To blame it on the lights is funny. Most of the time it's user error imo.

 

[lynchmob3000]

I think a lot has more to with stable paremeters and good water quality. You can have t5 or mh and still have a poor tank. To blame it on the lights is funny. Most of the time it's user error imo.

Ain't that the truth. I have both mh and led, radion g3 radion g1 and 2 maxspect razors and a frag tank with 250 radiums with 16 rb leds. I'd say health and overall longevity of corals mainly sps I'd be mh but being I love a challenge I've been experimenting with different panels.

I can say with confidence the power is there on all these panels. I have to dial the razors back so I don't bleach the coraline off my lr. I have great color on all my 3 tanks. In my neck of the woods there are a few reefers that all have the same corals and all have different lighting from mh t5 to all t5 and one with all led and the corals all look the same except the colors are slightly different but notice able. All healthy and very limited edition corals

 

[MisterP]

and the corals all look the same except the colors are slightly different but notice able

So in other words they are not the same.

 

[lynchmob3000]

Yes

 

[ChrisKirkland]

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.

You are probably correct on that. The default spectrum is 12K.

 

[ChrisKirkland]

I think a lot has more to with stable paremeters and good water quality. You can have t5 or mh and still have a poor tank. To blame it on the lights is funny. Most of the time it's user error imo.

The most expensive lighting (be it MH, LED or T5) or equipment cannot make up for poor husbandry.

 

[cody6766]

I don't have a full SPS tank, but I'm having good growth across the board under a pair of Kessil A350s in a standard 120g. The tank could use a third light, but doesn't really need it since the middle of my tank doesn't have any rock. If I had a rock wall, it would need a third light. I haven't tried to grow any SPS below the top half of the tank, but I have no doubt that the Kessils can do it, especially if I crank them up a little higher.

I have an AI Nano on my 6g Edge and don't keep SPS under it. I don't know how well it will support them because I'm not willing to put in the effort to make the tank support them.

My 14g BioCube has a Rapid LED retro in the hood and it grew montis well. The only SPS I have in there is a yellow scroll coral for the same reason as the Edge. I just don't keep it clean enough.

I think Kessil has the right idea as far as LEDs go. I don't like the disco effect the Hydra/Radion style fixtures have. I'd probably still be burning MH over the tank if those lights were my only option. I think it's very hard to beat a 250w Radium with some Super Actinic VHOs, but when it came to light my tank the Kessils were the cheaper option for the results I wanted. Pendent MH fixtures plus bulbs were more expensive than Kessils out of the box (got mine for a good price), plus I'm burning a little less than 180w instead of 500w and don't have to buy bulbs. I'll admit, electrical costs are at the bottom of my priority list when buying gear. It's cheap where I live, but any savings is a bonus if it comes with something I already want.

I won't say LEDs are perfect and always the way to go, but my LEDs work for my tank and my goals.

 

[ChrisKirkland]

IMO I think that no one has taken the time to properly dial their LED's in and find that sweet spot that gives awesome color and awesome growth. LED's are here to stay and are catching on like a wild fire. LED's will improve with time (just like MH did), someone will discover that a specific combo of LEDs will give you awesome color and growth. Many first time users go and by a Radion or Kessel and hook it up using the default settings and turn the intensity to 75%-100% and walk away only to come back to a bleached out reef. There are many factors here no one can answer the question of whether LED's are comparable to MH or that LED's produce stellar growth. MH has been around for a long time and many have tweaked and tested to put MH where it is today. It is coming for LED's its just a matter of time.

 

[Bpb]

I don't think it's a matter of time. We can stop saying "LEDs will catch on soon and everyone will use them". I'm a MH purist, but I know for me personally, observing the two nearest reef clubs (Austin reef club, and marsh reef Houston, I see the vast majority of people of all experience levels using LEDs now. That goes for in my small home town with only a dozen or so reefers in it. Seems in these large areas there is about a 3:1 led:all-other-forms-of-lighting ratio from expert down to novice. Can't speak for everyone's area, but here, LEDs claim the lions share of the lighting market for reefs

 

[jda]

Most of the serious people that I know around here are MH or T5 as a base... maybe 20% LED. The intermediate people are about 10% MH, 40% T5/PC and 40% LED. Lots of the noobs are LED (almost all), but many are abandoning them after a year or two and they aren't into the nightclub look anymore and get around to see more and more tanks with better lightings... the abandon rate is pretty high.

The vast majority of the LED users use AI SOL Blue or Radion. Kessil and Vega are a far-behind third and fourth.

When I left KC, there were WAY more LED users, but a few of my old friends have fired their MH back up, but there were pretty serious SPS guys. I totally can see that region matters - here electricity is cheap at .08 KWH.

EDIT: it could also totally be who I choose to hang out with. I don't really care about people with a bunch of kenya trees, montis, frags that have't encrusted the plugs yet and run-of-the-mill stuff.

 

[Bpb]

I can certainly respect that. The bulk of my experience with others in this hobby is online, as I only see other reefers if I'm buying or selling something, and I almost never invite people over to see my tank, but post plenty of pics. I'm at both ends of the spectrum. I use blue and violet LEDs dimmed on apex to have the nightclub look for a few hours a day which I like, but daylight is 10k halides on magnetic ballasts

 

[tdb320reef]

If you actually read that whole thread you will find that TBD 320 the thread starter went back to MH.

LED success is not as prevelant as MH and T5.

I'm not saying LEDS will not replace them in the future but we are not yet there. Look at the last 20 or so TOTM and tell us how many of them run LEDS.

Adam from Battle Corals, who has some of the nicest SPS available went back to MH.

Jason Fox runs MH and T5. He may run some tanks on LED I'm not sure.

If you want to know about success. Call or email these guys and ask them what they use and trust to grow their business.

These guys are in it for big wads of cash and not a p!$$ing contest with all of us on the Internet.

My advice is if anyone is on the fence go look at some tanks and see what excites you. Contact the growers and ask them what they use and trust and not just experiments.

I don't remember starting this one. Having a LED only 320 gallon SPS tank for about 3 years I had some limitations in color but growth was off of the scale and the tank was very successful. Other than that I disagree with the fact that one cannot be successful(keeping corals alive and growing fast). However I do agree that there are better options(keeping the corals alive, growing fast, and the best color) to LED.

I am currently rearchitecting my 320 and will run 4 Radium 250 Watts on m80's, 8 48" T5s and 2 8 foot led channel strips each with 48 cree Royal Blue. This is similar to what people are doing with the reefbrites but I decided to make my own LED strip considering the cost of the Reefbrites. It will be 100% cherry picked acros.

 

[MisterP]

I meant the 'Yes! LED Success....' thread that you started.

However I do agree that there are better options(keeping the corals alive, growing fast, and the best color) to LED.

Agreed

I am currently rearchitecting my 320 and will run 4 Radium 250 Watts on m80's, 8 48" T5s and 2 8 foot led channel strips each with 48 cree Royal Blue.

So out of curiousity why are you going back to MH and T5 if LEDs were so succesful? Not being rude here just curious.

Other than that I disagree with the fact that one cannot be successful(keeping corals alive and growing fast).

I think the context here is high end collectors and serious people that want outstanding pigmentation and growth. Not merely keeping them alive.

 

[tdb320reef]

I don't know how much more clear I can make it, you get better color with MH and T5. You get or at-least I got better growth under LED. As far as going back, your facts are not correct, I am going forward.

Your term of mentioning so successful is based on your observation point. Whether you are successful or so successful that is up to ones imagination. I think my many pictures can help the imagination.

What is a high end collector? Someone that buys ORA or someone that buys ReefRaft? Serious buyers, I just bought a 2900 frag pack does that make me serious? I joke about it all of the time. I can still run them under leds and be a serious collector. I am not being rude but your logic of success, high end and serious does not dictate on what type of lighting one selects. As I stated you can be successful with all of the choices given you know how to take care of your tank and develop best practices that provide you with long term success.

You will find the Most successful will run a combo of all, which is what I intend to do.

I meant the 'Yes! LED Success....' thread that you started.



Agreed



So out of curiousity why are you going back to MH and T5 if LEDs were so succesful? Not being rude here just curious.




I think the context here is high end collectors and serious people that want outstanding pigmentation and growth. Not merely keeping them alive.

 

[Fishmommy]

I am using LED and am pretty frustrated because I have too many knobs to turn and no clear path to coral happiness. I have bleached, browned, etc. and am still trying to find settings that work after a year now of trying. I now even dream at night about my lighting issues and am seriously considering switching to MH. Heat is my only concern.

 

[tdb320reef]

I am using LED and am pretty frustrated because I have too many knobs to turn and no clear path to coral happiness. I have bleached, browned, etc. and am still trying to find settings that work after a year now of trying. I now even dream at night about my lighting issues and am seriously considering switching to MH. Heat is my only concern.

The trick with leds is getting the coverage and nourishment that your corals need. Published articles say that corals get 90% if its nutrition from symbiodinium. Lets say that MH provides 80% of the nutrition well then Id say that with leds it only provides 50% or less. To compensate you need to increase system nutrients. An unknown secret of mine with to actually dose NO3 and AA's to keep my corals colorful under LED. Under my MH on my big tank and T5's on my 150G frag system I can keep ULNS and the corals happy and colorful.

Look into increasing your nutrients.