Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

[meshwheel]

FastUno,
Hi, I am running a Reefbreeders Photon32 led light. I love it! It's awesome, and at full midday I am burning 94 watts for 4 hours!!!!
My tank stays rock solid at 76. And I would suggest to anyone to run your tank at cooler temps. It keeps the tank cleaner and healthier in my opinion. If it runs at higher temps and you cannot control it then so be it.
You are less likely to have disease problems as well. Big temp swings mean big trouble in my opinion.
And it may just be the geographical climate where I am at. Oxygen is a great oxidizer. The more the better in a glass box overloaded with animals!
Just my experiences. What works great for one guy I suppose may not work so hot for the next!

 

[chad p]

I went from a Sol to 250W Hamilton MH for a year or so and now back to an AI Hydra. I switched to MH because I have mostly SPS and I wanted the "best" possible color. Well after close to a year I was happy with everything but I wasn't blown away by any means from the switch to MH. A couple frags looked better and some actually lost color. My AquaSD Rainbow Milli lost its pop and my Cali Tort wasn't quite the same. After moving to a warmer climate (So Cal) I figured I'd go back to LED and see how it went.

Well the Hydra has been running for about a month and so far things look great. Growth seems to be continuing at the same pace and I'm not seeing any loss of color at this point. I'm actually getting a couple pieces like my Turquoise Stag and Rugue Milli to color up where I really couldn't under my MH. The stag came from a seller under 400W MH so I'm certainly not saying it won't color up under MH. Just that I didn't have success personally.

The store that sold me the Hydra basically said "If you're an SPS guy you're probably not going to be happy with this light. LED just isn't there yet." Well he may be right about LED not being "ideal" for SPS at this stage but as someone who's experimented with both over the same Solana Superbrite with the same creatures inside it...it works for me. I just don't see myself ever going back to MH.

 

[meshwheel]

Chad,
I agree with you 110%!! I just picked up a Cali Tort from a store that was 10.00. She fragged it off a pretty large brown colony. I am happy to report it's starting to color up now and the base is growing over my superglue rapidly! I am also getting growth on the tips and it's starting to color up. That's with a ReefBreeders led fixture!!!
I have had better luck with this lights then my Lumenbright fixture!!!! And it's growing corals with 95 watts at 4 hours a day!!!
Never thought I could grow SPS in a 65 gallon tank with 95 watts of light ........and at only 4 ours per day.
So whats doing this? Probably the PUR is ramped way up with the violets. I am totally happy with this light. I see no need to change for a long long time.
449.00 complete with electronic controller and hanging kit. Beat that!

 

[FastUno]

A local guy has that same Reefbreeders Photon32 & he loves it. I heard from someone online that a brand had trouble programming schedules & once you unplug you lost the schedule & have to reprogram? Is that true for those photons or is it easy to program & have it stick?

The most healthiest tanks I have seen are the ones with chillers, so I would have to agree about keeping temps low & stable. They look cleaner & they don't promote as much unwanted growth.

My tank temps goes somewhere between 79-80, but it sits behind a wall covered with baseboard radiators. In the spring I will find out what the true temp is. I don't understand my heater either, I have it dialed in to 75 & it still kicks on at times. I may have to replace it.

My ponape birdsnest & green ora birdsnest are just taking off under the direct beam of the LED's.

 

[rtparty]

The healthiest tanks have one thing in common and it isn't a chiller. It's good husbandry, plain and simple. A chiller does nothing for that.

 

[d2mini]

The tanks running chillers must have warmer tanks which would lead me to assume that they are probably running MH since this thread proves that you don't need chillers with LED. So the healthiest tanks run.... :idea:

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

IF metal halides are done in a smart manner they will add no more heat than LEDs do.:headwally:
As said above, husbandry is the key to a successful reef tank.
A chiller (I don't run one) can be a useful tool though if maintaining consistent ambient room temperature is a problem.
I know here in South Florida thare are still some homes without AC, I'm sure the same is true for many Island countries.
If you are an area where temps get in the 90s and are without AC a chiller would be a must have.

 

[d2mini]

IF metal halides are done in a smart manner they will add no more heat than LEDs do.:headwally:

If that was in response to me, you missed my sarcasm.
Some keep saying heat is a major problem with MH so they need to run chillers.
So if the tanks are running chillers (which supposedly look healthier), then they must be running mh, not led. MH > LED. See? It makes perfect sense.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Yes, I did.
Sarcasm is hard to pick up on when typed.:wavehand:

 

[d2mini]

Very true. You type it and then cross your fingers hoping for the best.

 

[rtparty]

It was perfect Dennis.

 

[FastUno]

I see what you mean, good one. But I am not debating which is BEST or not, simply that LED's can grow some damn good, healthy, & colorful coral.


Sometimes I come across a super healthy looking tank. All the LPS corals are super extended & just have that "healthy" look. I start reading & trying to learn from their post/forum & BAM, many of the ones have chillers. Then I slap my face & say OH MAN, I could never get a chiller. I have children & I am just too worried about fires. If one of them placed something that blocked the chiller & we had a fire, I would find it hard to continue in the hobby & therefore I choose not to get a chiller.


The BEST tanks that I have seen are mostly MH or MH/T5 (there is no denying that) & there after the ATI T5's. Those tanks have been around longer & there are many more tanks supporting those lights. I am pleasantly surprised when I see a prosperous LED lit tank, it is inspirational to me. It teaches us that it can be done!

 

[Windirmere]

As a relatively new reefer after seeing Ai, Mitras, Radions and kessels in action vs Mh and T5's I see too many draw backs for Mh and T5's to ever consider them :S and they would cook my room in the summer :S

 

[meshwheel]

I can unplug my reefbreeders and plug it back in. It holds my settings just fine. Awesome light, less juice, less heat, and less money. Full sunrise/sunset.
Better light distribution then any metal halide. Metal halides are indeed old technology.
I changed all the ceiling can lights in my moms kitchen to leds for Christmas. She went from 750 watts down to about 160!!! Far less heat, more and brighter light. much better spread as well. It's a no brainer. This is why all new vehicles, appliances, buildings, aircraft, trains, boats, buildings, etc etc etc are ALL going LED..........

 

[sirreal63]

I seriously doubt it would cover my 40x40 tank as well as my LumenMax Large and a single 250 watt Radium. It could cover one 40" plane, but not both.

 

[meshwheel]

Oh, and dont kid yourself. These compaines would not spend the extra money for leds if they did not save them monies in the long run. It's big saving everywhere....
Many guys will switch back and forth. It's a hobby. Have fun with it!. I waited long enough, and made my decision. So far it's working out well for me.

 

[James77]

I can unplug my reefbreeders and plug it back in. It holds my settings just fine. Awesome light, less juice, less heat, and less money. Full sunrise/sunset.
Better light distribution then any metal halide. Metal halides are indeed old technology.
I changed all the ceiling can lights in my moms kitchen to leds for Christmas. She went from 750 watts down to about 160!!! Far less heat, more and brighter light. much better spread as well. It's a no brainer. This is why all new vehicles, appliances, buildings, aircraft, trains, boats, buildings, etc etc etc are ALL going LED..........

All, huh? Odd...I rarely see LEDs being used in construction around here. Brand new, huge stores are still using halides.

It's big saving everywhere....
Many guys will switch back and forth. It's a hobby. Have fun with it!. I waited long enough, and made my decision. So far it's working out well for me.

No, it is not big savings everywhere. Actually the savings are a joke around here. That's with pretty high electric rates.
Great that it is working out well for you......halides work perfectly for me.

 

[meshwheel]

What a warehouse store??? I have not seen halides around here anywhere! They are energy guzzlers!! Everone around here changed from those to T5's in better reflectors years ago!
As led's come down in price, they will be used without a second thought anymore. And the price will continue to drop

 

[James77]

Yes...a warehouse store, or any large retail chain. I have yet to see LEDs used around here for any of those stores....it is ONLY halides. The Lowes around me use the t5s.

LEDs will be used when they make sense around here. It just does not make sense around here. Even on a residential level......the LED lightbulbs are a joke. CFL are still stomping all over them, and even were the prices the same...you are only saving a handful of watts. But I am sure that will change when it is forced.

 

[d2mini]

Better light distribution then any metal halide. Metal halides are indeed old technology.
I changed all the ceiling can lights in my moms kitchen to leds for Christmas. She went from 750 watts down to about 160!!! Far less heat, more and brighter light. much better spread as well. It's a no brainer. This is why all new vehicles, appliances, buildings, aircraft, trains, boats, buildings, etc etc etc are ALL going LED..........

First, you are in for a surprise my friend.
Better light distribution? Wait until you see that all your sps are bald underneath because the light from led does not wrap. You'll never get the light wrap that a mh/t5 fixture will give you.

Second, yeah... i have been slowly replacing all my cf bulbs in my ceiling cans and fixtures with LED. They are $$$, but they work and they are "supposed" to last for min 5 years. We'll see. They are instant on, and I can choose color temp and brightness. The spread is determined by the glass enclosure, not the fact that its led. LEDs are a very pinpoint light source. Brightness is determined by how much you want to pay. You forked out A LOT of money to change those bulbs and its going to take a while to recoup.

C'mon man... i have 4 radion pros over my display and a gen 1 over my frag tank, and I can relate to some of the advantage to LED, but even I can see your arguments are a bit redonkulous. :facepalm: