Anyone local using a Solaris?

[JJ4417]

On Mark's advice I contacted ReefGeek about the AI unit. I specifically asked them that question as I am going 30" wide. They said that I would be fine unless I am puttin things on the glass.

On a side note, they also told me in 6 months, AI is going to update their LED board. Not with new LED's but more specifically on the focus area, etc., addressing the width issue.

(Should coincide just right with the time that I actually need lighting!)

 

[P.Kelly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11723971#post11723971 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JJ4417
On Mark's advice I contacted ReefGeek about the AI unit. I specifically asked them that question as I am going 30" wide. They said that I would be fine unless I am puttin things on the glass.

On a side note, they also told me in 6 months, AI is going to update their LED board. Not with new LED's but more specifically on the focus area, etc., addressing the width issue.

Not to be difficult, but if ReefGeek says there isn't a problem on a 30" wide tank, why is AI updating the design? I'm a ReefGeek customer, so nothing personal, but have they actually tested on of these?

 

[CaptiveReefSystems]

I have 4 of the 14" units over a 260 and the light is good. The one thing to consider is the life of the fixture. My math puts it at over 10 years. Compare that to a standard MH fixture and lamp replacement, eclectic costs and heat, the LED from PFO comes out cheaper. If you are just looking at the price, you will not purchase this until the pricing comes down.

I will also agree that they don't seem to cover the same area as a MH lamp does, but so far it does not seem to be having a negative effect on the animals. Just looks different to my eyes.

 

[Mr. Barlow]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11725782#post11725782 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CaptiveReefSystems
I have 4 of the 14" units over a 260 and the light is good. The one thing to consider is the life of the fixture. My math puts it at over 10 years. Compare that to a standard MH fixture and lamp replacement, eclectic costs and heat, the LED from PFO comes out cheaper. If you are just looking at the price, you will not purchase this until the pricing comes down.

I will also agree that they don't seem to cover the same area as a MH lamp does, but so far it does not seem to be having a negative effect on the animals. Just looks different to my eyes.

What kind of corals do you have growing and how deep is your tank? How much less is your electric bill with the leds?

 

[CaptiveReefSystems]

the tank is 28" deep. There are mostly soft corals right now as the tank is only 3 months old. It is my understanding from data and reports that this light should support just about anything we would want to put into this aquarium.

It's a clients aquarium, so I can speak to the electric bill. I do have clients that have mentioned they saw a marked increase in their electric bill when their aquarium went on-line.

I can't remember what the power rating was on the power supply, but as I remember it was something like the rating you would see on a computer power supply.

 

[Jim_S]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11732927#post11732927 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr. Barlow
How much less is your electric bill with the leds?

This is one of the debated topics.

I'm not on either side, and feel that LED lighting is definitely the future.

However, 250 watts = 250 watts, no matter how you look at it.

A solaris cannot produce more light with less electricity, but a solaris fixture uses less electricity than a set of MH's. The key is though, that with less electricity, you get less light from the fixture.

So you see, you are saving in electricity, but your corals are receiving less light as a result.

HTH

Jim

 

[CaptiveReefSystems]

not 100% true. its the quality of the light, not necessarily the wattage. example, a T5 produces more light then a PC or VHO using less power.

 

[WarrenG]

Maybe it's already clear, but watts is a measurement of power- in this case it's the amount of electricity consumed by the light fixture/lamp.

Some types of lamps produce more, or less light output (measured in lumens, PAR, PUR) for a given amount of watts of energy consumed.

If a light produces 1000uE (another measurement of light) with 440w (VHO) and another type of source produces 1100uE with 450w (T5) then the T5 is more energy efficient because it produces more light per watt (consumed).

We can imagine that some manufacturers will try to represent themselves in the most positive light by using the terms that make their stuff sound the best.

 

[Jim_S]

Yes I agree with both of you! I should re-word what I said so that it is more specific.

What I meant, is that as of now, LED's don't produce the quality of light we need, at the same wattage as a MH can (YET ) So what you have is less electricity as well as lower PAR/PUR values. In order to increase the PAR and PUR values, you must run more lights. The amount of lights you need in the end (if you want to match the MH output), will cost you the same to run as MH's, if not really close.

The way things advance so quickly in this hobby today, soon LED's will be much, much better. I would think in the next 5 years (if there is enough money thrown into R&D), we will see LED's start to really take off.

 

[Mikey Donuts]

Thanks for the interest in this thread. After weeks/months of careful consideration I purchased an eight bulb ATI powermodule last night (T-5s). In the end it all came down to cash, availability and heat. I was willing to take the $2600 hit the Solaris would bring, but they were sold out everywhere I looked. I started thinking more seriously about T-5s while waiting for the Solaris to become available, and I discovered that the addition of some small LED strips would provide me with glitter lines. I still wanted to avoid buying a chiller which made the T-5s the only viable option besides the Solaris.

I bought the best T-5 fixture I could find and it was $1600 cheaper than the Solaris. I used the extra money for a Vortec, Litermeter III with additional pump, and all of my live rock. I'm still longing for an LED fixture and I'm sure I'll get one in the future when prices come down, but it's T-5s for the time being.

 

[Twisted]

Sorry, just saw this thread, but I guess I will chime in anyways...

I have the sunlight supply Tek fixture for T5's 6X54w T5's over a standard 55 gallon tank.
I have yet to fine anything that will not grow under it....

I have Soft corals, LPS, SPS, Clams all at arious depths in the tank. My lowest SPS is an acro about 60% down from the top, and the growth is slower on it then the rest of the corals, but that could be the species as well as anything else.
When I got that acro it was dirt brown, it is now getting a bright green to the skin while the polyps are still a dirty color, but that is only in a couple of months, in a couple more that may change.

I love my T5's and the only upgrade I would ever consider is LED, I won't go to MH for many reasons, the main one being we run a child care business from our home, and the last thing I need is to explain to someones parents why their child is blind, or covered in burn ointment.

My house due to our business stays roughly 75 winter through summer. Winter my tank gets to 82 at max without any fans running.
During the summer I set the 6 inch desktop fan mounted above the tank to kick on with the daytime lights, and I usually get about the same temps, if it boils up to 118/120 degrees outside I have seen my tank hit 84 but that is unusual, and a couple of one liter bottles of frozen water saves it.

 

[JJ4417]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11724133#post11724133 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petes97
Not to be difficult, but if ReefGeek says there isn't a problem on a 30" wide tank, why is AI updating the design? I'm a ReefGeek customer, so nothing personal, but have they actually tested on of these?

Honestly, I can't say. The guy I talked to did say that they were tested and that I wouldn't have any problems. The 'focus' comlaints come from the Solaris unit. As the AI unit is not nearly as known, I have yet to see any real threads about end user experiences. I even asked if anyone in NorCal had one that I could see and was told no.

That said...if I was any company in this industry selling anything, and battling complaints, true or preceived, I think it would be easier to make and announce an upgrade rather than try and change people's opinions. Dealing with lights, if it doesn't come from Sanjay or Riddle, no one believes it. And those two are overwhelmed with work. If I were able to convince them to do specific testing for me so I could sell their product, their reputation would take a hit and I would gain nothing.

All this being said...I don't want to come off as an AI fanboy. I'm not. All my info is from their marketing, so consider the source. I haven't even seen pics of a tank with the AI unit over it yet. I just haven't been happy with what PFO has done, such as upgrading three times in a year but not offering discounts to original purchasers. (So I have been told.) Bad business, IMO. I'm willing to be one of the first to make the leap on something new.

I haven't bought real lighting yet (see sig), and would rather hop on to something upgradeable now rather than spend $1500 on MH's that I am going to toss in 3-5 years when real LED systems come out.

(Late friday...nothing going on at work so I ramble a little.)

 

[xlayedoutx]

[/B][/QUOTE] I just haven't been happy with what PFO has done, such as upgrading three times in a year but not offering discounts to original purchasers. (So I have been told.) Bad business, IMO.


Thats weird because what I've heard from a number of different people is that PFO is currently working on offering upgrades. I wouldn't have offered a discount if it was me either. Thats sort of like going out and buying a brand new 2007 mustang and wanting a discount when the new 2008 came out.

 

[JJ4417]

I don't think it is like a car at all...I know vehicles come out every year. It is a given. By the rants that I have seen, PFO didn't tell anyone that there would be three generations in a year. I know a better model will come out eventually, but three in a year? To my knowledge (which is limited because I quit paying attention to Solaris), they told everyone that bought a previous model that they were SOL. That could have changed. I completely agree with it from a financial business stand point. However, this hobby is driven largely by customer service. Sometimes concessions need to be made to make a larger profit in the long term. They have a new unproven tech and they need all the good words they can get. Not even offering a discount to previous customers isn't exactly a great marketing strategy. Hopefully, AI is trying to achieve that by putting out an upgradeable model.

Well, Sanjay showed us that the LED's do indeed put out enough light for your tank. Of course, he also showed us that the light spread on the Solaris I series is pretty much useless on anything wider than 16" at 24" depth. After listening tonight...I'll wait on an led until AI comes out with their light spread upgrade and I see the par (per ppfd of course!) spread on it.