Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

It still seems like a lot of people think that LED light is fundamentally different from MH light....it isn't.

I'm not going to get into any science behind it because that's not my field of expertise. All I can tell you is that from personal experience, there is most definitely something that is different. And I'm guessing it's missing spectrums that LEDs still can't hit.
 
I'm not going to get into any science behind it because that's not my field of expertise. All I can tell you is that from personal experience, there is most definitely something that is different. And I'm guessing it's missing spectrums that LEDs still can't hit.

There isn't anything led can't "hit". There is a myriad of ways to bend, fracture and alter the light and even more ways to create it.

The problem is that it doesn't in a lot of set ups and even if it could there are too many ways for your average reefer to make it less than great. Too many manufacturers are working in a little fantasy world where everyone is as interested and educated on the topic as they are.

There is nothing what so ever wrong, or lesser, about LED vs MH/T5 other than overenthusiastic producers. The technology itself it great!
 
The purpose of aquarium lighting is to duplicate natural sunlight.
MHs come much closer to doing so than do LEDs at this point in time.
As the technolgy evolves that may change, but for now MH are clearly superior to LEDs for mimicking natural sunlight.
 
The purpose of aquarium lighting is to duplicate natural sunlight.
MHs come much closer to doing so than do LEDs at this point in time.
As the technolgy evolves that may change, but for now MH are clearly superior to LEDs for mimicking natural sunlight.

That would be the purpose of lights on a planted tank, not a reef tank.

There is a reason you don't get very many reef tanks with that glorious 6k look... :)
 
The only two advantages of LEDs are low power consumption and infrequent or no bulb replacement.
Aside from those two points LEDs cannot and do not rival MH lighting. Period.

And I have LEDs on my tank.

Glad people are finally realizing LED stink. Then folks want to blame water quality and fine every excuse that they are better than MH and T5. Two points Uncle Salty 05 stated is correct. Like I had stated before some of these LED's are too powerful I mean who needs 1000NM at the top of there tanks when natural sun only pumps out that much to the surface 400 to 600nm or in some places maybe more. I used LED for about 4 years and just wasn't getting coloration like I wanted to.
 
Are we arguing just to argue? At any depth the light in the ocean is still from sun. Looks like we need 5th grade Language Arts more than Physics.
 
That would be the purpose of lights on a planted tank, not a reef tank.

There is a reason you don't get very many reef tanks with that glorious 6k look... :)

6K hits the surface, at reef depths the water filters it and what strikes the reef is more like 17K (at mid-day).
 
6K hits the surface, at reef depths the water filters it and what strikes the reef is more like 17K (at mid-day).

Yes I know. If you mimic the sun and you are going for 17k you will need a pretty deep tank though. 6k does not turn to 17k in any tank I have seen.

A lot of out corals do grow in 6k at just inches below the waters surface but even they look like garbage at their natural light.
 
Yes I know. If you mimic the sun and you are going for 17k you will need a pretty deep tank though. 6k does not turn to 17k in any tank I have seen.

A lot of out corals do grow in 6k at just inches below the waters surface but even they look like garbage at their natural light.

That is why you start with a 14-20K MH.
 
LOL, man. It's like who's on first in here. :lol:

Not one current LED fixture is as good as MH.
It's been proven time and time again and no one has been able to prove otherwise.
If you can, we are all ears and eyes.
Doesn't matter what you think LED are capable of. Let's see it in action.
 
This thread is awesome. It's like watching people argue politics on facebook. There is a point, where no matter how much evidence you have, the other side will never agree with you. I read so many posts and comments with people arguing so hard to convince others that will never be convinced despite how many facts and figures either side presents.

The folks that just hate LED lighting are not going to be swayed arguing in this thread. You can show great LED tanks, argue light and spectrum but your not going to get anywhere. Likewise MH supporters can give plenty of examples of people that have switched back to MH from LED and have better growth and argue that MH is more like the sun, but your not going to get a person that is happy with LED to change their mind.

If someone has posted multiple times in this thread either pro or con one lighting source or another and had their mind changed by arguing I would like to hear it!
 
Yes you are.
You are mimicking natural sunlight that has passed through 10-30 feet of sea water.

The reason I rejoined this thread was several statements like this. I do think that you are aware that the source does not matter when it comes to light, but many people aren't. It is very clear that we have a lot of people believing that there is a fundamental difference between "sun light" and "MH light" (for example) even if the 2 are identical.
 
If someone can show me scientifically that metal halide is superior at caring for corals than led lighting then please show me. I don't need to see examples, I would like to see hard evidence if it exists.
 
This thread is awesome.
No argument there! :D

You can show great LED tanks
I don't think one tank was shown in this entire thread that makes a case for LED being as good as MH. If it was, I missed it.
Generally good looking tanks, sure"¦ i've seen those.
I even thought my tank looked pretty decent overall before the switch.
But it was still lacking in certain areas.

If someone can show me scientifically that metal halide is superior at caring for corals than led lighting then please show me. I don't need to see examples, I would like to see hard evidence if it exists.
Try it and see for yourself.
Anyone who actually could give you scientific evidence one way or the other is not hanging out in this thread. ;)
 
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