Ive never seen in person, an LED tank with blossoming, colorful sps. Ive seen a few pics of successful tanks in magazines, and on the internet, but here in NYC, out if all the stores and tanks, all of the ones ive come across were at most average. Some had great growth, but color was always as expected, somewhat lacking intensity.
Im not trying to pick a fight with led users, since i recently ditched my leds for halides after two years, but i tried to make them work and had some success, but nothing close to what i had with T5's.
I just find weird that we dont personally witness more "show" led tanks being that so many users have leds these days. How about fish stores? There is one i often go to that had a gorgeous, somewhat neglected tank with halides, and it was one if the most beautuful tanks ive ever seen. On the other hand, their radion lit tanks are always blah, with average corals. The tank keepers are always giving excuses why they havent yet "unleashed" the led powers.
Manhattan Aquariums, one of the best stores(if not best) in the city is one of the first led fixtures suppliers in the state. After many years with Radions, they have the sps tanks lit by MH's again. They sell top of the line Geissmann, ATI leds, but do not have them on their sps tanks anymore. Im sure they are very aware of intensity, color, spread..etc. With so much investment in a high end store, why wouldnt they use the slim, smart, controllable lights they try to sell their customers, but instead use bulky, old, heat producing, bulb replacement requiring ones?
The halide bulb emits light on all sides and is reflected by the appropriate large size reflector. Think about being in the tank and looking up. With Halide you'll see the bulb and multiple reflections of the bulb, with LED point source you'll see one source.
