Is 10k 10k?

[Von_Rahvin]

I work for a lighting company, we don't do fish tank lights but we do have some high end LED's that are putting out 10k and 15k. these are 3 watt led's that are brighter than our 150watt Metal Halide bulbs. with a 80 deg beam angle,

what are your thoughts on using them in a reef tank. I've always used MH and VHO's, but i was wondering if this was a possible alternative idea.

 

[jeffbrig]

The idea of LED lighting is an emerging concept for aquariums. A few people have tinkered with it, and there may be some commercial LED lights under development.

The problem is, the number of LEDs required to achieve the high PAR levels needed for aquarium lighting is higher than you think. It can be done, and will probably save money over the long term, due to the long life of LEDs compared to standard bulbs that must be replaced every 12-18 months. Benefits in energy efficiency and heat reduction have been heavily debated, although I'm not sure there are any conclusive savings to be had there.

 

[azmorpheus]

There are a lot of threads on here about people who have tried them and their results. There are even companies that sell them now, but they are definitly not affordable for most of us. Your best bet would be to read thru some of these threads in the DIY forum.