Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

[CHSUB]

What is so special about MH/T5 photons??

answer: Nothing..

comparing light at an elementary level is useless when talking about corals. it is akin to comparing potato salad and hippo tangs at an elementary level, they are the same; you wouldn't fill your tank with potato salad, would you?

answer: no, but they're the same...

 

[oreo57]

comparing light at an elementary level is useless when talking about corals. it is akin to comparing potato salad and hippo tangs at an elementary level, they are the same; you wouldn't fill your tank with potato salad, would you?

answer: no, but they're the same...

Take it up w/ Phillips..

With Philips CoralCare you enjoy the light quality you'd expect from traditional T5 fluorescent or metal halide marine aquarium lighting, but with all the benefits from LED lighting. CoralCare is designed to achieve an optimal balance between coral growth and natural reef appearance. All in a robust and efficient fixture that is passively cooled and easy to control. With a validated lighting recipe and optimized optics, we enable reefers to take the next step for their fish tank

http://www.coralpublications.com/CoralCare LED unit - Preliminary Field Test Report - FINAL v3.pdf
http://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-li/coralcare

Tell them they are wasting their time and you know better...

Yes, preliminary, and not vs MH.. baby steps..

After one month of balancing lighting, flow and parameters, the study found there was little difference in the growth rate, coloration and shape of the coral, however there was a 30% higher wall–plug efficiency gained from going LED.

4 years of research.. thrown out the window...somebody ought to tell them..........

We have worked almost as indicated earlier, for 3 years year due to this illumination, and more than a year tested with the light formula.
So running my own tank (see diary) as early as May 2014. This light formula.
We also tested several aspects of the lamp on both scientific and consumer area.
Think color point range, light dynamics and set the way (check).

The most measurable research is still running at the moment and will be managed by Tim Wijgerde.

https://translate.google.com/transl...ead.php?156463-Philips-LED-lamp!!&prev=search

time will tell..

The information I have is that they are available around May this year.

 

[T Haynes]

i have t5 8- 54w running on 120gal aquarium but thinking of switching to leds so ur saying leds suck on growing corals

Mine aren't doing to hot. Going to try t5 next

 

[mhucasey]

Take it up w/ Phillips..

http://www.coralpublications.com/CoralCare LED unit - Preliminary Field Test Report - FINAL v3.pdf
http://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-li/coralcare

Tell them they are wasting their time and you know better...

Yes, preliminary, and not vs MH.. baby steps..


4 years of research.. thrown out the window...somebody ought to tell them..........


https://translate.google.com/transl...ead.php?156463-Philips-LED-lamp!!&prev=search

time will tell..

I hate these comparisons. It's a nice try but no one runs their tank with 100% Aquablue Special bulbs over them. The selection of only that bulb ensures that the best coloration possible will not be achieved. And once again, they use Stylophora Pistilata:face palm: Those will grow by candlelight. At least they have some acropora corals in there.

I have no doubt that with enough LED emitters that SPS will grow. Very few here will disagree. What they have yet to prove is coral color that can match T5 or Halide, while using less energy.

The day that I find a significant number of LED grown tanks that look as good as the best T5 tanks is the day I entertain the possibility of LED over the thousands of dollars of coral in my tanks. No amount of graphs or scientific jargon or spectral plots will sway me, I've seen plenty of those. Good luck experimenting.


Edit: The second pic didn't show up earlier. I assume it's an LED tank. Note the lack of Red and Pink acropora corals(birdsnests don't count). Note the minimal bright blue Acropora. That's the kind of thing we are looking for as evidence. It's a beautiful tank, but it's not in the same league with the best T5 tanks, sorry.

 

[Wazzel]

I remember the days when people ragged T-5 and radium bulbs. This is no different. People will become accustom to LED lit tanks and all will be fine. Anyone else rember the complaints about radium bulbs making your tank look like windex or t-5 looking fake? How about the lack of growth from both?

The industry also dumped those products on the hobbest with little to no guidance and we were left to figure it out.

 

[Fredfish]

... Anyone else remember the complaints about radium bulbs making your tank look like windex ...

I still think they make the tank look like windex.

 

[mhucasey]

I remember the days when people ragged T-5 and radium bulbs. This is no different. People will become accustom to LED lit tanks and all will be fine. Anyone else rember the complaints about radium bulbs making your tank look like windex or t-5 looking fake? How about the lack of growth from both?

That I remember. My recollection of both was that when beautiful tanks grown under each were shown, American reef keepers claimed it wasn't possible. "Too much blue" "Not powerful enough" "not like sunlight". The corals didn't lie, Steve Tyree got rich, and the Europeans laughed at us.

The opposite is true here- the lights are pushed and the consumer is expected to provide the proof with their tanks. "Just as good as halide, and a fraction of the electrical use" "PAR meters can't accurately measure" "you just need to get the settings right"...and once again the corals don't lie...

 

[Wazzel]

That I remember. My recollection of both was that when beautiful tanks grown under each were shown, American reef keepers claimed it wasn't possible. "Too much blue" "Not powerful enough" "not like sunlight". The corals didn't lie, Steve Tyree got rich, and the Europeans laughed at us.

The opposite is true here- the lights are pushed and the consumer is expected to provide the proof with their tanks. "Just as good as halide, and a fraction of the electrical use" "PAR meters can't accurately measure" "you just need to get the settings right"...and once again the corals don't lie...

T-5 had similar issues. Early adopters failed until people figured out you needed more than the manufacturers recomended and good bulb combinations were figure out. I was a MH/VHO user at that time. Totally remember thinking T-5 will never catch on, it was crap, etc, etc......

 

[CHSUB]

I still think they make the tank look like windex.

agree....i think radium bulbs look terrible, even when i used them with white t5s, and nothing is worse than a t5 only lit tank. imo, combo lighting is best!!!!

 

[Aqualund]

They make plenty.. only .5W... Now 1000's of those...

http://www.yujiintl.com/files/high-cri-led-datasheets/VTC2835-YUJI.pdf

$950/1000.... 6500k listed but unavailable ATM...

Only a few years now then

 

[lpsouth1978]

I have officially begun the side by side coral grow out experiment. I purchased 2 x tricolor frags and placed one at each end of the tank. One is under directly under the MH, the other is almost 5 feet away under the LED's. Both were placed at ~11" below the water surface.

Frag#1 (MH side) weighs 13.5g

Frag #2 (LED side) weighs 11.2g

I plan on weighing them once a week until we make a final decision on which light to keep. I will also take photos regularly to show the color or each coral throughout the process. I will get the first set of photos in the next day or two. The tank is cloudy right now, because we moved some things around and kicked up some sand.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

I was just at Vivid aquariums in Los Angeles. They were in the process of re-doing their huge show tank. They had been running half Radions, half halides as a comparison for the last couple years. They've ditched the halides and switched to all Radions.

 

[albano]

I have officially begun the side by side coral grow out experiment. I purchased 2 x tricolor frags and placed one at each end of the tank. One is under directly under the MH, the other is almost 5 feet away under the LED's. Both were placed at ~11" below the water surface.

Frag#1 (MH side) weighs 13.5g

Frag #2 (LED side) weighs 11.2g

I plan on weighing them once a week until we make a final decision on which light to keep. I will also take photos regularly to show the color or each coral throughout the process. I will get the first set of photos in the next day or two. The tank is cloudy right now, because we moved some things around and kicked up some sand.

Sounds like a 'fun' experiment...but with all the possible differences in equipment and tanks, the results will mean nothing to anyone else.

do you think removing the corals every week for a 'weigh-in' will help their growth?

 

[rhymechizel]

Sounds like a 'fun' experiment...but with all the possible differences in equipment and tanks, the results will mean nothing to anyone else.

do you think removing the corals every week for a 'weigh-in' will help their growth?

It may not be definitive and conclusive but the results will add to existing and growing knowledge. The corals are in the same tank so lighting will be the big variable IMO.

 

[karimwassef]

He's running it in the same water conditions... It is a valuable datapoint.

It says - all other things being equal (and describe what the common conditions were), here's what happened...

 

[albano]

it may not be definitive and conclusive but the results will add to existing and growing knowledge. The corals are in the same tank so lighting will be the big variable imo.

he's running it in the same water conditions... It is a valuable datapoint.

It says - all other things being equal (and describe what the common conditions were), here's what happened...

Sorry, but IMO...

sounds like a 'fun' experiment...but with all the possible differences in equipment and tanks, the results will mean nothing to anyone else.

 

[karimwassef]

sometimes, when you KNOW the right answer, the data is always suspect

 

[lpsouth1978]

do you think removing the corals every week for a 'weigh-in' will help their growth?

Don't know, but they will only be out of the water for less than a minute each time. I can't imagine that it will have much of an affect on them.

As for it being useless to any one else, it may be to some and it may be quite useful to others. Now, If you want to send me a Radion, Hydra, Kessil, etc., I can get you more conclusive data, for each one. As it is, I have to work with what I've got. At the very least, I will know which one is better for my system.

 

[albano]

As for it being useless to any one else, it may be to some and it may be quite useful to others...
As it is, I have to work with what I've got. At the very least, I will know which one is better for my system.

Exactly what I said ...
This is good for you to know...

But, since your signature lists a Custom LED light w/456 3W Cree XP-E and XP-G diodes... Who else has it, AND runs it at the exact same % and lighting schedule, compared to the exact same MH fixture, reflector, bulb and ballast...

 

[andrewbram]

I don't think lps is trying to skew anything. I think he wants to see the difference. Some people just will never be happy if the led wins. He could run any led out there get great growth and I think people would still have a problem because it's led. Lps south is a good honest guy.