Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

[mhucasey]

In that line of reasoning:


June 26 2013, Mark van der Wal

Oldie but goodie..

You go right ahead and enjoy your "Natural" brown coral reefs. I will presume that the majority of people who keep SPS corals select such corals at least partly because of their color. The argument that colorful corals are somehow starved and slow growing is just not true, and comes off as sour grapes by someone who wasn't successful growing coral AND keeping it colorful.

Here is Andrew's(V1...rotate) tank, first pic is from 12/15/13:

This is two months later:

As for how "Natural" our reefs are, they are as natural as any flower garden. We select the best colors and forms and grow them together in a way that rarely "just happens" in nature.

 

[Harry_Y]

Because the question goes both ways. Some of us use LED and do not plan on switching to something else. Talking about our success with LED and our intention to continue using them answers the questions just like those who are unhappy and share their experience to switch.

...and because LEDs do work.

I never did go to LEDS, I believe they are not quite ready.

 

[Wazzel]

I never did go to LEDS, I believe they are not quite ready.

I was leery at first, but some friends of mine were using LED and having success so I gave it a go. Many of the currently available fixtures have more than enough power and a good mix of diodes to grow corals and keep nice colors. The only real issues are coverage and figuring out how to run them. The other issues are just perceived issues. No lighting system is going to light a tank like another system or bring out exactly the same colors in coral. Just because a LED tank looks different than a radium tank does not mean the LED light source is bad.

 

[andrewbram]

I was leery at first, but some friends of mine were using LED and having success so I gave it a go. Many of the currently available fixtures have more than enough power and a good mix of diodes to grow corals and keep nice colors. The only real issues are coverage and figuring out how to run them. The other issues are just perceived issues. No lighting system is going to light a tank like another system or bring out exactly the same colors in coral. Just because a LED tank looks different than a radium tank does not mean the LED light source is bad.

I am trying to make the jump to led from t5 you suggest spread as one of most limiting factors. In you experience do you think your 60 cube that is beautiful would have worked with 2 hydra 26 instead of the 2 hydra 52 because it would have been spaced out more.

 

[Wazzel]

I am trying to make the jump to led from t5 you suggest spread as one of most limiting factors. In you experience do you think your 60 cube that is beautiful would have worked with 2 hydra 26 instead of the 2 hydra 52 because it would have been spaced out more.

I suspect that two 26's would work better than a single 52 by long shot. I think two 26's would probably do ok vs two 52's. I have only used the 26's on my 20 long frag tank. There is a really nice 120 that has 5 26's that looks real nice.

 

[Reeftub]

I think my led tank/t5 is doing good. Which only my opinion. But 2 of the larger center coral have grown from a 1" frag under led for 2 yrs.

But this is my tank and I'm proud of my tank and that's all that matters. People use what makes them happy and I like to share photos of my (not the name brand sps) lol.

 

[gus6464]

Here are pictures of the 2 frags that I am doing my experiment with.

The first is the frag under the MH. The color is MUCH easier to see and photograph on this side of the tank. The second is the one under the LED's. You can see that everything looks more purple. The colors are actually much closer to the other one.

MH Frag



LED Frag

Is it just me or does the LED frag look like straight up booty?

 

[biecacka]

^^^did you read his post above??

He states that in person they look very similar but the LEDs make it harder to photograph e real colors?

Corey

 

[markalot]

Honestly, unless someone knows how to take RAW photos and adjust the color balance in the file to compensate for the LED issues any test will be bunk since all we can go on is photos.

 

[mhucasey]

Honestly, unless someone knows how to take RAW photos and adjust the color balance in the file to compensate for the LED issues any test will be bunk since all we can go on is photos.

You should to be able to get decent pictures under LEDs by turning the blue down and adjusting the color temperature to closer to 6500k. It looks ugly to the eye but the camera will over represent the blue and balance it out.

 

[Aqualund]

I think my led tank/t5 is doing good. Which only my opinion. But 2 of the larger center coral have grown from a 1" frag under led for 2 yrs.
But this is my tank and I'm proud of my tank and that's all that matters. People use what makes them happy and I like to share photos of my (not the name brand sps) lol.

Great tank! I don't think anyone here has debated the viability of a T5/LED combo though

 

[MelloW33]

Great tank! I don't think anyone here has debated the viability of a T5/LED combo though

What is it that T5 adds to LEDs? Spectrum? I've been thinking about adding a T5 retro kit or two to go with my Radions.

 

[Reeftub]

T5 fill the voids with leds like all the dark areas that are left and maybe a hint of spectrum.

 

[USC-fan]

What is it that T5 adds to LEDs? Spectrum? I've been thinking about adding a T5 retro kit or two to go with my Radions.

Better coverage and color.

I plan to go with LED/MH with blue plus or coral plus.

 

[mhucasey]

What is it that T5 adds to LEDs? Spectrum? I've been thinking about adding a T5 retro kit or two to go with my Radions.

Coverage and an overal increase in PAR

 

[Reeftub]

Coverage and an overal increase in PAR

I don't need extra par as I have 6 hydra 52 over a 5x27x27. I could fry all my sps if I wanted with led only.

 

[pisanoal]

Anyone using the new E5 bulbs instead of T5? Thoughts? Seems they would solve the coverage issue people have with LED and the power consumption and bulb replacement issues with T5. Wouldn't settle the spectrum debate though.

 

[DavidinGA]

What is it that T5 adds to LEDs? Spectrum? I've been thinking about adding a T5 retro kit or two to go with my Radions.

T5 light "wraps" around coral better too. Led only tanks will tend to have sps that don't do well at the base where the spotlight beams don't provide that "wrapping" kind of light; T5's fixe that issue.

 

[MelloW33]

T5 light "wraps" around coral better too. Led only tanks will tend to have sps that don't do well at the base where the spotlight beams don't provide that "wrapping" kind of light; T5's fixe that issue.

Good info, I appreciate it. Is there certain bulbs I should run if I add the T5?

 

[Reeftub]

Blue+ T5 add good spectrum and color.