I am in the process of going from a 20g high tank with a full spectrum LED light over it to a standard 120g tank. Overall I cannot say I have been blown away by the LED performance as my corals have ok color and are slightly growing (I dont want to get into brand bashing but its a good light that everyone knows of). What I am faced with is, do I drop another 6-7 bills to get another LED for the other half of the new tank or do I do a 250w radium? Has anyone ever done this? does it look weird? I like the idea of LED but just have not seen the proof that they are as good as MH. This option would give me the ability to move corals around and experiment with the lighting But then again It could just be conditions in my tank that are just ok and the light has nothing to do with it. What do you think?
Anyone ever do 1/2 MH and 1/2 LED?
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terrypercula
New member
https://youtu.be/IpJM-EIrPI0
There's a few different videos on it. A few people have done it if you look around. I think Mr. Saltwater's new tank has MH, T5 and LED too.
There's a few different videos on it. A few people have done it if you look around. I think Mr. Saltwater's new tank has MH, T5 and LED too.
Thanks for the video, kind of what I was thinking. I might want to play around with the programming of my light a bit more before I make my decision. Interesting in the video is they went full 20k which (almost) turns off the white, red and green completely. And the watts consumed is around 80w which seems low to me but they had a bunch of them on the aquarium.
Thanks
Dave
Thanks
Dave
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coralsnaked
New member
20 G high to a 120 standard don't see where those little LEDs would work on a 48" tank put them in the refugium and let the MH rock 250 watts x 2 would do nicely.
scottneeld88
New member
Im running 2-20k MH 4-Radions and 2- 72'' BML Bars to fill in dead space on the out sides of the take do to how much growth it got from the combo after 2 years. That's all over top of a 550gal tank.
karimwassef
Active member
I run 3 x 400W MH 15K + 650W LED (250W @ UV + 75W UV low + 200W RB + 125W CW)
I also run very different photoperiods. LED is a simmering low power, long period. MH is a searing high power short period.
Not 50/50 but they really deliver different kinds of benefits.
I find MH drives growth and triggers color change (hard impulse). I find LED improves visual color and the long photo period is like a slow tan for brighter tissue colors.
I also run very different photoperiods. LED is a simmering low power, long period. MH is a searing high power short period.
Not 50/50 but they really deliver different kinds of benefits.
I find MH drives growth and triggers color change (hard impulse). I find LED improves visual color and the long photo period is like a slow tan for brighter tissue colors.
Didn't want to get into brands but its a G2 radion over the 20, not a "little LED" which is what makes the decision hard.
Reel North
New King of Quarantine
I had 3 radions over a 6 ft 150. I sold them and got halides. You'd need 3 or 4 radions over a 4 ft tank. If you look up the video where Vivid in California uses radions vs halves as a comparison..... He has about 15 grand worth of radions crammed in his hood. That's an awful lot of light bulbs and electricity.
karimwassef
Active member
Oh. I also do my own LEDs. No light fixture is worth $15K
terrypercula
New member
In what world do you need 3 or 4 radions over a 4' tank? One per every 24" is more than enough. Heck I've seen one light a 4' tank on its own, granted it wasn't perfect but for the most part it was fine, grew acros on the edges just fine.
Wonton Soup
New member
I was running 2x 250w 14K HQI next to 120w 16K LED and the LEDs gave me better color while the halides gave me just slightly better growth. They were almost on par with each other but I couldn't find halide bulbs that matched the color of my LED enough for my liking and have since gone to all LED. This is on a 6 foot tank.
