Lighting: DIY LEDs or T5HOs?

[SamanthaP]

I'm in the middle of newbie-ish lighting research confusion and overload... :debi:
I just started cycling my 55 gal w 20L sump...so I'm a few weeks away from really needing my lights/starting to transfer "everyone" over, but I want to get started on my lights.
I have a number of LPS and one SPS (green slimer).

For LEDs I'm looking at one of these two kits - how many would I need? - and wondering if I'm getting in over my head (I'd be setting them up by myself):
http://reefledlights.com/shop/48-cree-xp-e-solderless-kit/
http://www.rapidled.com/24-led-plug-n-play-retrofit-kit/

I realize the benefit of forking out $ now versus semi-annually for T5HOs, as well as heat and electricity useage benefits.

Alternatively, I'm wondering if there are T5HO fixtures I should rather buy instead?

ANY advise and specific models, photos, etc is greatly appreciated!!! THANK YOU!!

 

[thegoatc]

If you are going to spend money on LED's I would at least get some new high efficent LED's. but just my 2 cents

 

[SamanthaP]

If you are going to spend money on LED's I would at least get some new high efficent LED's. but just my 2 cents

I'm new, so please clarify - if these ones I'm looking at aren't "high efficient" - do you have other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[Jim.mer]

I will be switching to LED in the future and have researched extensively. What i have found that DIY LED may not have the spectrum that is required to promote growth sure you'll save money but In my opinion I'd rather purchase a unit that is proven yet has controlability, such as Radion, Reefbrite,Orphec,AI Sol etc, etc

 

[tankaddict]

DIY led probably has more spectrum than the AI units... You customize any color you want. Or make a unit similar to the radios for a fraction of the price.

 

[Jeff_NJ]

If you are going to DIY with a kit, do how about a hybrid t5 with LED or LED with t5?

That's what I decided on and built T5 with LED. 8 Bulbs of T5 and (24) 3 watt LED's for shimmer and extra par.

I feel like this will give superior coloration found with T5 and the PAR of the LED's. Also the LED's allow me to gently ramp up and dim down the tank for sunrise / sunset.

Best of both worlds in my case.

It really depends on what you are looking for. Energy cost and heat go to LED. I still prefer the coloration of T5 or MH over any LED out there and coloration is my top priority.

 

[bhazard451]

I will be switching to LED in the future and have researched extensively. What i have found that DIY LED may not have the spectrum that is required to promote growth sure you'll save money but In my opinion I'd rather purchase a unit that is proven yet has controlability, such as Radion, Reefbrite,Orphec,AI Sol etc, etc

Leds are leds. If you use the same Cree leds in your DIY fixture, such as the ones in the Radion or AI, you're getting the same spectrum, at a fraction of the price.

Orphek uses the same chinese bridgelux leds that the $165 units have, yet charges $800 for them. They even ship from China still! You can get an arduino controller board like the Typhon Boostled for $55.

Unless prices start coming down, many led fixtures are absurdly overpriced for what you get, compared to DIY or even Chinese fixtures.

 

[madean]

This is a tuff question and its going to be hard for people to answer your question because most people are going to give a biased opinion based on there experience. Some corals people have found to be extremely difficult to keep with certain fixtures, mainly with less lights. I believe this is why people are debating whether or not some people believe led fixtures provide the proper spectrum for corals to grow and flourish. Some corals are even changing colors under leds. So some of the cheaper led lights might not provide the same spectrum that t5 and mh did. If you look at the more expensive led lights, a broader color spectrum, other blue and white, are provided along with the control over the intensity of each color. So some might say why does one company charge more for the same leds that are used in a cheaper unit. Well its not all about parts that determines the price. Engineering, production, shipping, distribution, advertisement and so many more factors determine the price of a unit. But you really have to compare units side by side and all of the functions each unit. An ai unit imo can't be compared to a radio unit because out of the box your capabilities are different. Now to say which one produces a better spectrum, which one is priced better for the features, ECT ECT. Is a matter of opinion. I will say I see many more complaints from ai users than radion users on rc. But that could be for many reasons and scewed for many more.
At the end of the day you need to decide first of all what's more important with your time. I personally have spent countless hours trying to come up with a design that sits well with you. I personally am very anal with the look of certain things, especially if I build it. You need to ask yourself do you have the time and resources to accomplish an led build? How much is your time worth? I don't have a canopy to hide a light, do you? If you don't can you come up with something to house the lights in? Or do you not care what the finished product looks like? Also there is the possibility that you could design and put together all of your leds and you calculate something wrong and fry a string or a driver. A light fixture might be expensive to purchase, led or t5, upfront but it might actually be cheaper in the long run when you include your time needed for research. Plus it comes down to how handy are you. The more handy you are the easier it will be, but if your not handy, you have little electrical background it might be better to just buy a fixture and spend more time researching the animals you want to keep. I am handy, I do have an electrical background and I started to design a setup that would have allowed me to move each light independently around so that I had better control of the light. But after it was all said and down, before actual production started I just realized that it would be cheaper to just buy a commercial unit. Plus I would save my time which to me is valuable. Some people might say it's cheaper to build it themselves but are they building something that can be exactly compared to a unit like ai or radions. I'm actually starting to lean back to a T5 ho unit like a ATI dimmable sunpower or powermudule unit. So imo you need to evaluate what you want in the whole system and go from there. Good luck

 

[joelespinoza]

Read post # 27 here, it is for a 65 gallon but would work nicely for you too. I just dont want to retype it all =P

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=20356597#post20356597