Blue led better for zoas than daylight bulbs

[likefish]

i started a thread with not much luck on blue LED and their intensity. I have a strip of DIY bridgelux blue and royal blue mix spanning my 4' wide 24" deep tank. There are 18 3W bulbs. I have had to turn them down to about 30% to keep from bleaching the corals higher up in my tank.

The blues are the only change i have made and the reduction in power improved the bleaching problem. Unfortunatly my tank appears dim now when teh rest of my lights are not on. (I have 2 ati blue bulbs, 1 coral plus and 1 purple plus).

These 3W blue led's pack some power! How much i do not know but they are capable of bleaching corals at 12" of depth.

Comments / arguments appreciated!

 

[organism]

I have LED's over my tank that's turning into a mainly zoa tank, and with 20 royal blues and 4 cool whites everything looks amazing. I was talking to a coral vendor a few weeks ago who farms a lot of his corals under 100% blue LED's and they look awesome, also a ton less heat and much lower power bill. To each their own, but the argument that LED's still have a long way to go or don't offer much spectrum options (which they already do in every spectrum you want) is kind of moot at this point.

 

[650-IS350]

ton less heat and much lower power bill

big reason I went with LEDs and aint going back.

 

[A. Grandis]

I have LED's over my tank that's turning into a mainly zoa tank, and with 20 royal blues and 4 cool whites everything looks amazing. I was talking to a coral vendor a few weeks ago who farms a lot of his corals under 100% blue LED's and they look awesome, also a ton less heat and much lower power bill. To each their own, but the argument that LED's still have a long way to go or don't offer much spectrum options (which they already do in every spectrum you want) is kind of moot at this point.

:thumbsup:
Yes, and at the same time some very good reports are still happening, like yours and that vendor you've mentioned.
I just want to wait for the right time to switch. My T5s are great and the bill is not THAT high. Besides, the LEDs are still expensive to just try them out. I like the shimmering though!

Grandis.

 

[organism]

They're really cheap if you diy your own fixtures, I think mine cost like $200ish for a 34 gallon solana, which with t5's or halides would've cost me that much by now just in bulbs alone

And you're right, the shimmering is awesome!

 

[got2envy]

I tried a Par 30 bulb on my zoa tank for a moth and lost a few frags and color on some colonies...I switch back to 150w 14k Pheonix and they bounced back with in a month.

MH4LIFE

 

[NiTr0x911]

I tried a Par 30 bulb on my zoa tank for a moth and lost a few frags and color on some colonies...I switch back to 150w 14k Pheonix and they bounced back with in a month.

MH4LIFE

By Far my favorite light,have had better coral growth and love the look.

 

[A. Grandis]

I tried a Par 30 bulb on my zoa tank for a moth and lost a few frags and color on some colonies...I switch back to 150w 14k Pheonix and they bounced back with in a month.

MH4LIFE

That could be an adaptation problem or a poor choice of LEDs, I would presume.
The "change back" I've heard from other people would include the preferences for their corals/zoas growth and colors, as well.
But again, some others just love their LEDs!!!
Some people love the LEDs for months and still come back to T5s and/or MHs.
Go figure!!

Once some can achieve success with the LEDs we know they can be considered and it could be a matter of choice. The new UV LEDs are something that called my attention though!

I didn't get anyone to really convince me how LEDs could be closer to the natural light than MHs or T5s. To change only because of my electric bill is not worthy. But I live in an island and the first time I saw LEDs on aquariums was at the MACNA 2010. We don't have the "good new aquarium stuff" around here very often and the shipping is a killer!!!!!!

I'm still sticking with my T5s for now...

Grandis.