Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

I think it's because very little is understood about corals needs. Plants are well studied and understood worlds over.

its a shame corals cant get people high too since every drug dealer and user would have figured out how to run them perfectly then LOL:wildone:
 
You're right again, there are a LOT of failures.....the question on everyones lips is why are so many people failing with LEDs?

Simple. To much controllability. People either tinker to much or make settings without understanding what they are doing.
 
Simple. To much controllability. People either tinker to much or make settings without understanding what they are doing.
PLUS manufacturers don't have a set of standards for setting them up and the end users are left to decide for themselves.
 
PLUS manufacturers don't have a set of standards for setting them up and the end users are left to decide for themselves.

This is true, I got lucky in a way, I run my Hydra52s through my Apex which has preset figures for 10K, 12K, 14K, 18K and 20K. I just use the presets and am very happy with the results. I can imagine it would take research if you didn't have that option but as Wazzel says at the end of the day it's not the LEDs that are the problem but the users. They're not plug and play like MH and T5 and I don't think a lot of people realise that.
 
It would be nice if ecotech, for the 900 bucks a pop, would be honest with people about the numbers of units they ACTUALLY need, instead of some wish number of 1 every 24x24". That's BS and they know it. And it would sure be nice if they used better than 5 dollar fans and heat sinks that are too small.

You would certainly think that the companies would have preset the actual normal 10k, 12k etc and told people that these are proven. I know I feel like I got absolutely screwed when I bought mine and wasted a whole year trying them out.
 
The thing is every reef system is different with different requirements, it would be impossible for them to say that you need X amount of units for a 5ft sps tank for instance, there are far too many variables. All they can realistically do is give us a footprint at a certain height from the water surface.
This is why websites like this are invaluable, unfortunately though instead of everyone who bought Radions or AI lighting getting together to figure it out a lot of people threw a tantrum because it wasn't as easy as plug and play, sold their LEDs and went crawling back to MH/T5s telling everyone how 'LEDs don't work, I had terrible growth' etc etc. Now that there are more and more AI and Radion users making threads and helping each other with settings we are seeing more and more successful LED tanks appear. It would seem that all the hating on LEDs is coming from people that went from MH to LEDs and back to MH again and don't like it when they see posts about LED success.
 
I've run LED in pure form in one guise of another for about 3 years now.

tankwithgreeny.jpg~original


side.jpg~original


hulk.jpg~original
 
I don't think LED add "Too Much" variables. Corals can adapt to difference light sources to survive.
Coral is sensitive to LED White and get stressed. That's why the first gen LED failure. The latest LED fixtures come with at least 2:1 blue/white ratio. It is not easy to bleach corals. In fact, there are 90%/or more ppl choosed LED for their first reef tank in my local reefer community. There are not much failure cases, we don't think LED = failure. I also started sps tank with DIY LED. I felt everything great even I had provided very very high par(400~700 at sps).

I want to know the difference between different light sources, so I started my second tank with T5. That's why I have the previous picture for comparing, but it doesn't mean I'm a LED hater. Actually I'm a LED lover.

We use similar fixtures as you guys such as kessil, ecotech radion... The only difference is we're keeping wild corals mostly, and many avaliable sps in the states are frags which were adapted to t5/mh many years.

I told LFS owner that I want to try MH in winter and switch back to LED in winter. He told me that will kill my corals if I'm repetitive changing light source.

BTW, IMO T5/MH for growth and color, combine with LED for viewing. = the best option.
 
This is true, I got lucky in a way, I run my Hydra52s through my Apex which has preset figures for 10K, 12K, 14K, 18K and 20K. I just use the presets and am very happy with the results. I can imagine it would take research if you didn't have that option but as Wazzel says at the end of the day it's not the LEDs that are the problem but the users. They're not plug and play like MH and T5 and I don't think a lot of people realise that.

I take it your running the AWM module. I was thinking about getting one, I still just have the basic controller(not even the director).

What are your thoughts? Any improvements lately? How is it in fusion?

Thanks
 
I take it your running the AWM module. I was thinking about getting one, I still just have the basic controller(not even the director).

What are your thoughts? Any improvements lately? How is it in fusion?

Thanks

Yes I have the AWM, it's definitely money well spent.
Fusion is awesome, I love it! It makes using the Apex so much easier than the old interface.

Here's a screen shot of the AWM Hydra 52 interface

17732399691_2cc16403e7_c.jpg
[/url]Screen Shot 2015-05-16 at 10.19.49 pm by kenpau01, on Flickr[/IMG]


17694526889_4d9e0e7e86_c.jpg
[/url]14k by kenpau01, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
You have found one yourself in a previous post!!

Although a awesome tank it is a 514 gallon tank with 19 AI Hydra 52's started in 2014, not 2012. It also proves LEDs work but you have to add many more than the manufacture suggest. If you follow Roberto's rule you will need 10 Hydra's on a 72" x 24" x 27" tank or you could use 3 x 250w MH. With the MH you get a longer warranty also with your purchase.
 
No one is debating the fact that you need more LED fixtures to achieve the same output as MH, at a much higher cost. That's the fact of using LEDs. They do have advantages over MH as well as disadvantages. But all the posts stating that LEDs do not work are simply false.
 
Yes I have the AWM, it's definitely money well spent.
Fusion is awesome, I love it! It makes using the Apex so much easier than the old interface.

Here's a screen shot of the AWM Hydra 52 interface

17732399691_2cc16403e7_c.jpg
[/url]Screen Shot 2015-05-16 at 10.19.49 pm by kenpau01, on Flickr[/IMG]


17694526889_4d9e0e7e86_c.jpg
[/url]14k by kenpau01, on Flickr[/IMG]

Thanks for that. Maybe I'll go shopping today lol. I've been debating it for awhile, its pretty much the last module I need and everything will be apex based. And yes, fusion has been great so far for me as well.
 
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