LED vs MH, side by side?

[flyhigh123]

Has anyone performed a side by side LED vs MH growth test?

A longer tank, 1 MH on one side and a LED light on the other side of tank. All tank params the same since its 1 tank, only difference light.

Maybe 2 frags of same corals, sps, zoos, lps and see the growth under both conditions? This can help provide better insight on led vs mh performance?

Thanks!

 

[atreis]

I've not seen it done... and don't really expect to, at least not in a way that would provide an unambiguous answer to the question.

Why? Too many variables. What type of MH (DE or SE, type and brand of reflector, type and brand of ballast), bulb color temperature, and brand of bulb for the MH? There are even more variables with LEDs - including brand of fixture, brand of LED parts (for each color), wattage of the individual parts (for each color), brand of driver, configuration of the parts (cannon vs. strips, for instance), color combination of LEDs, age of LED technology (newer generation LEDs are more efficient), and so forth... For both, every possible combination would lead to people criticizing the particular choice and pointing out a (in their opinion) potentially more valid combination.

In addition, such a test would take time (6 months? a year?). By the time it was done newer technology LED lights would be out, and people would proclaim the test invalid because the new stuff is so much better.

 

[NatureNerd]

Growth rate is just one factor. It is not, by any means, the most important factor, unless you are into farming corals.

If you want the highest growth rates, go get some 6500 degree MH's and pair them with an actinic T5. This one parameter will not, and should not, be THE performance measure between different lighting technologies.

My growth rate has improved since switching to LED's but that does not mean that every tank would see the same thing. The experiment you propose was done by someone on another forum a few years back. I think his tank was not big enough and that he had no separation (less than 20" apart) between the sources so they were effectively blended. His data was inconclusive but, even in that particular tank if one technology was a clear winner, it would mean very little. In a different tank, the opposite result could have occurred and the other technology would have won.

 

[flyhigh123]

its not for official purposes, but i believe it would help the LED industry. been seeing too many threads saying yes or no. Growth i agree is just one aspect, i would also like to see color, PE, etc. Even though hard to do, its still better than having nothing and better than people saying, its great, or its awful.

 

[krshlln300]

I feel that they both provide about the same effect as far as growth and color (LED may provide better color depending on spectrum) I feel though that LED wins out because of the upkeep cost over time. MH bulbs are expensive to replace and don't last terribly long and also are electricity vaccums! LED bulbs should not really ever need to be replaced while you have them (Almost every reefer will inevitably upgrade to a diff. tank or to the most up-to-date brand of lighting before 4 yr mark.) and use a fraction of the electricity as MH.

 

[BowieReefer84]

Mrsaltwater tank did a test halide vs led.

https://www.mrsaltwatertank.com/radion/

 

[karsseboom]

That doesn't mean anything just read what people are doing and make your desion. Both work great its up to you.

 

[alazo1]

Give vividaquarium a call. They are in LA but according to their website they have an experiment similiar to Mr. Saltwater. It's in their 800 gallon showtank. I'd bet they'd be happy to talk about it.

Albert

 

[Big E]

Here's a small write up---

http://www.vividaquariums.com/aquariumLightExperiment.asp