LED Upgrade???

[kleach]

Hey everyone,

I just set up a RSM 250 and currently have 75 lb live rock, 40-50 lb live sand and just 2 mocha clowns from sustainable aquatics in it. I've been running the lights for about 6-8 hours a day ( I know its not needed for fish but thought it looks better so why not).

When running the lights I've seen the temp go nuts. The highest I've seen it go was 84-85 on a day when the temp outside was maybe 70 (Tuesday and Wednesday) at the most and house was definately not hotter than that. Full disclosure - back cooling fans were not on.

Now I know that fish can handle a range of temperatures and that 84 shouldn't kill them, but I would assume a major temp swing from the 79-84 in just a few hours might stress them and possibly cause death. Corals (which I havent gotten yet), from what I understand, can't deal with those swings in temp.

I've been looking around contemplating buying a chiller because if the temp can get up to 84-85 on a day that its only 70 degrees out, what will it do if the house got up to 75 or 80? In my quest for a solution I came across the idea of retrofitting the hood with LED lights from steve's leds. A major source of heat for the Red Sea Max 250 are the lights, so I figured that I might be able to get rid of the problem with the LED's. They have a package for about $500 that they say will eliminate the need for a chiller as long as the house is kept under 78. I also like this idea because from what I can gather LED is better anyway. It uses less energy and doesnt need to be replaced which will save me the cost of replacement bulbs every year.

Please give me your opinions. Are LED's worth the $500 switch and do you think it would help control my temp? Also, do LED's loose their effectiveness over time like T5 bulbs?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Well, LED's cured my temp swings so my chiller is sitting in the garage.
However if you like open windows the heat will rise & fall with the weather.
Lifetime expectancy is up in years.
Can't speak to loss of effectiveness.

 

[Editour2]

Like any other light source LEDs will also loose effectiveness over time......most are rated at 50,000 hours but will exhibit decay prior to that. You can expect them to last easily 5 or 6 years without measureable decay especially if you do not drive them at 100% intensity....I run my white Cree LEDs at 40% and that is probably too high...the fixtures are approx 8" above the water surface. I run Royal Blue @ 75% and Blue @ 65%. Make sure you can dim the DIY kits or connect to a controller. You will definitely notice the difference in heat the lights give off (or don't give off). The thing is what kind of tank are you planning? Mixed reef? SPS dominated? LPS? I have not been happy with the growth of my SPS corals...very slow...of course I am still experimenting (after more than a year) with finding the right settings but I think with just white, blue and royal blue the overall color spectrum is lacking. (My light fixtures are already antiquated...at 2 yrs old...that's technology for you). I am in the process of customizing my existing 3 main fixtures with a broader spectrum....(adding 400 to 420nm violet, 500nm cyan and 660nm red). Only time and experimentation will tell.......Just my opinions.....
Whatever you do...if you use LED's start with low intensity and increase very slowly or risk burning your coral.

 

[kleach]

Thanks! I went ahead and pulled the trigger. I ordered the lights so hopefully they will help. The lights can be adjusted and I really like the idea that I dont have to spend at least $120 a year to replace the bulbs. Really hoping that this will fix the temp swings.

 

[pecan2phat]

I have the modularled kit in my RSM 250. They are out of Canada and had a retro for the RSM at the time a few years ago and ran about $650.
I am happy with the retro since all the RSM tanks run so hot with the T5 lights. At least the temps are within reason without resorting to a chiller now. My kit came with 20 Cree RB, 12 Cree blues and 32 Cree cool whites but I swapped out 4 of the whites for 2 reds and 2 greens.
The drivers only puts out 700 mv, so the emitters are only pushing 2.5v at full power, I run both my channels at 100% during their respective photo periods. I can't seem to pull the trigger on the cost of an Apex just to have the full controllability thing-a-ma-jig.