LED Vs LEP Lighting

[bwmalloy]

Fellow Reefers, it's been a while since I was on this forum but I know there is a LOT of knowledge here. I am interesting in changing out my MH to LED's. I have a 180g mature reef and I'm experienced. I have a full range of needs, SPS, LPS, etc. However, in beginning my research for the right brand/model/quantity, etc. I stumbled upon LEP, Light Emitting Plasma. The article was fairly old and I am having difficulty finding retailers for this technology which suggests to me that this never panned out or was never commercially viable.

Question 1: Does anyone have any information or has anyone used LEP lighting? What was your experience?

Question 2: Going back to LED's, what are the best experiences with LED? Brand, model, etc.

 

[jayball]

Fellow Reefers, it's been a while since I was on this forum but I know there is a LOT of knowledge here. I am interesting in changing out my MH to LED's. I have a 180g mature reef and I'm experienced. I have a full range of needs, SPS, LPS, etc. However, in beginning my research for the right brand/model/quantity, etc. I stumbled upon LEP, Light Emitting Plasma. The article was fairly old and I am having difficulty finding retailers for this technology which suggests to me that this never panned out or was never commercially viable.

Question 1: Does anyone have any information or has anyone used LEP lighting? What was your experience?

Question 2: Going back to LED's, what are the best experiences with LED? Brand, model, etc.

Just a comment on LEP, they did not come out favorably here:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/2/aafeature

p.s. Even the "outdated" LED's came out very well in this study. Only three species investigated (S. pistillata, P. damicornis and A. millepora) grew better under plasma. All other seven species either grew equally well under LED and LEP, or better under LED (M. aequituberculata). Things are looking good for LED, I would say

 

[bwmalloy]

Very good point, jayball. I didn't spend enough time reading through the comments. I didn't realize that Dr. Wijgerde was active in it.

So, where to start with research on LEDs?

 

[Breadman03]

There's a pretty decent cross section here. Toss in Reef Breeders and Orphek and you'll have a pretty broad spectrum of fixtures to choose from.

I'm running Radion G4Pros which seem to do a very good job of lighting up my tank. I had a 400 watt halide over it for a bit, and greatly preferred the MH shimmer. The Radion shimmer is much more hectic. I've been addressing issues from years of a poorly setup and maintained system, so don't look for my "proof" pics. They are, however, growing coralline on all my rock and on the bottom glass on the SPS AB+ profile at 65% intensity.

 

[bwmalloy]

Thanks, Breadman03. This is exactly what I need to start the research. Now, I at least have brand names to go after. My list is below.

Kessil
Radion
ATi hybrid
Fluval Eco Bright
maxspect
Orbit Marine
SeaStar
Reef Breeders
Orphek
AquaIllumination
EcoTech

Now, I need to look at spectrum, penetration and quantity of fixtures. I didn't know you can reduce the intensity. This is new to me. It seems counter-intuitive that the reason that people are hesitant to change from MH to LED is due to the light intensity for deeper corals and now we want to pruposefully reduce the intensity on LEDs.

 

[ComforablyNumb]

One other aspect to look at is ...the visual appearance IN the tank. Kessils will give your tank a different look than most of the others due to their "single point" shimmer. You will get more of a flat look with the panels/strips.

 

[organism]

Now, I need to look at spectrum, penetration and quantity of fixtures. I didn't know you can reduce the intensity. This is new to me. It seems counter-intuitive that the reason that people are hesitant to change from MH to LED is due to the light intensity for deeper corals and now we want to pruposefully reduce the intensity on LEDs.

LED's are much, much stronger than you might imagine. Halides have nothing on the power of white LED's turned up too high... So many people underestimate them and nuke their tanks.

If you can afford them then Radions are the way to go, if not then imo Aquatic Life Halos are the better of the lower end LED's.

 

[bwmalloy]

Excellent info, organism. Thanks a bunch! Noted!!! I'm thinking that I will need at least 3 sets for a 72" wide tank.

 

[bwmalloy]

So far, I like these, in order. There is more but these are at the top of the list.

ATI: LED Powermodule
EcoTech Marine: Radion XR30w Gen4 Pro LED Light Fixture
Orbit Marine: Aquarium LED 4117, 72" Dual Orbit Marine Pro
Reef Breeders: Aquasanrise Plus R120
Maxspect: 27 Inch Razor 15,000K LED Light Fixture - 180 Watt

 

[bwmalloy]

Does anyone have any ideas on the list I posted earlier?

ATI: LED Powermodule
EcoTech Marine: Radion XR30w Gen4 Pro LED Light Fixture
Orbit Marine: Aquarium LED 4117, 72" Dual Orbit Marine Pro
Reef Breeders: Aquasanrise Plus R120
Maxspect: 27 Inch Razor 15,000K LED Light Fixture - 180 Watt

 

[Mark9]

Definitely ditch Orbit Marine Pro from your list, you may want to also look at the AI Hydra 52 or 26 hd.

 

[bwmalloy]

Thanks, Mark9. Noted on the Orbit. Are you using the AI Hydras? What is the size of your tanks, how many fixtures did you use? What about depth and distance to the surface of the water?

 

[bwmalloy]

What about Aquatronica ACQ521-M? This is new, has anyone tried this, yet?

 

[bwmalloy]

Another thought....
What about mixing LED fixtures? I have a 180g tank with 3 distinct sections, left to right, separated by cross beams at the suface. In my research so far, when there are LED fixtures similar to the Hydras or Mytras, I will need 3 fixtures. What if I buy 2 Hydras for the ends and a Mytras for the middle fixture? My cost goes from ~$2200 to ~$1800. The only issue I see is the ability to control them. I would require 2 separate apps to control them but that doesn't seem like a big deal. That's a good cost savings.

Thoughts?

 

[jayball]

Another thought....
What about mixing LED fixtures? I have a 180g tank with 3 distinct sections, left to right, separated by cross beams at the suface. In my research so far, when there are LED fixtures similar to the Hydras or Mytras, I will need 3 fixtures. What if I buy 2 Hydras for the ends and a Mytras for the middle fixture? My cost goes from ~$2200 to ~$1800. The only issue I see is the ability to control them. I would require 2 separate apps to control them but that doesn't seem like a big deal. That's a good cost savings.

Thoughts?

I think it will be a pain getting the same look throughout the tank. I would stick to a consistent setup throughout the tank, especially for a small savings relative to the overall cost.

 

[bwmalloy]

Thanks, jayball. Good point.

Now, I'm down to Mitras LX7 and the Hydras 52. The overall cost difference (considering that I will need to buy 3 of either fixture) is about $650. What do I get out of the Mitras LX7 that is worth the $650? That's a significant amount of money for me and I want to make sure that the LX7's are worth that greater expense.

 

[Khazmodain]

Were Radions excluded due to cost?

 

[bwmalloy]

No, the Mitras are slightly more expensive, actually. In all my reading, I've heard the most positive things most often about Hydras and Mitras. Third and fourth on my list would be the Radion XR30W Gen4 and the Kessil AP700. To be honest, I'm probably good with any of these units. I want the one that is the most user friendly and allows me to control using an app.