Maxspect LED owners!!!

[Midnightsun]

Oh I understand the benefits but they are merely aesthetic. My point was that to me that's not worth another $100-$300 per light at this point in the LED game.

I would not even bring this up if we were talking that much money. I personally think it can be done sub $100. :mixed:

 

[Mandragen]

Oh sure, maybe a DYI job with someone who knows circuitry. Also someone who wants to void factory warranty or responsibility. lol, personally I am neither of those and therefor I have to pay the pretty penny for that kinda technology on these kinds of lighting systems.

 

[SimonSKL]

I have both the Maxspect 230W and a 24-LED DIY strip in my tank. 12 of the 24 LEDs are manually dimmable but I found I rarely use the dimming. Instead controlling different on-off times for different banks of LEDs can achieve the desired color blend and intensity.

I won't mess around with the Maxspect unit except to change individual LED, which is rather simple and easy to do.

 

[stephane]

Im like the rest dimming is worthless for our use. it is cool to impress the gallery but dont have any impact on coral even worst when you dim you loose the precious PAR to grow them....custom the color to your taste and blast you coral!

If you like the final color look but dont like the blue alone in the moring just open the fixture and reverse a couple of wire from white to blue. when it will open in the moring you will have a mix of blue white and the rest of blue white will lite up after voila!

 

[kgk]

Some more proof that these lights grow coral. I have dual 110's with optics hung 15" above a 4'x2'x16" tank. The optics were installed about 2 months ago.

On Oct 14th.

On Jan 9th (4 months of growth).

 

[Mandragen]

looks real good! that sure is a nice system you have there.

 

[reefkeeps]

disagree

disagree

Oh I understand the benefits but they are merely aesthetic. My point was that to me that's not worth another $100-$300 per light at this point in the LED game.

I would pay the $100 and not look back, I want to ensure I don't cook my corals when I put this thing on, in my situation dimming is my only real option....

 

[reefkeeps]

Some more proof that these lights grow coral. I have dual 110's with optics hung 15" above a 4'x2'x16" tank. The optics were installed about 2 months ago.

On Oct 14th.

On Jan 9th (4 months of growth).

Great looking tank, is the a powder blue on the right?

 

[jpeavytx]

How long are yall running the lights over a SPS dominated tank?

My current schedule:

10:00AM-8:00PM Blues
10:30AM-7:30PM Whites
11:00AM-7:00PM 30W

About a month ago I experimented with cutting back on the 30W time and it seemed the corals were not responding as well, so I switched back.

 

[kgk]

Great looking tank, is the a powder blue on the right?

Yep, it's a Powder Blue Tang.

 

[Acrotrdco]

I've posted a bunch of new photos on my tank thread, go take a look if you guys are interested

Here's the new FTS:

And in case if you're wondering, whether you can keep SPS under LED, I think the following photos of my acropora nana frag say more than a thousand words:

Taken 21.6.2010:

Taken 14.9.2010:

Taken just now:

 

[Rosscopeco]

Great shots and a beautiful frag taking off. My camera is not upto the task but I have several acro frags that are growing under my lights at a rapid rate.
The best of the bunch are the ones that broke off by accident when I transfered stock to my new tank and had die off with a few colonies. They where fouling the water so I just hacked bits off and some ended up on the bottom in the sand. They have now started to grow along with everything else.
I love my g2 160's.:dance:

 

[Rosscopeco]

How long are yall running the lights over a SPS dominated tank?

My current schedule:

10:00AM-8:00PM Blues
10:30AM-7:30PM Whites
11:00AM-7:00PM 30W

About a month ago I experimented with cutting back on the 30W time and it seemed the corals were not responding as well, so I switched back.

My tank is not SPS dominated but I have found the SPS I have respond well to a lighting schedule that is slightly longer than yours. The growth is good and colours are stabilising after a few weeks. The main thing is that the corals take weeks to adjust.
My previous schedule used much less of the 30w and was also fine but I think the growth rate has improved with an increase in light.

 

[lanespd200]

I have a G2 400 110w on my Solana and the growth is great. I just ordered a G2 800 170w today for my other tank. I am pretty excited and hope this will be as good as my 110w!

 

[Mandragen]

My tank is not SPS dominated but I have found the SPS I have respond well to a lighting schedule that is slightly longer than yours. The growth is good and colours are stabilising after a few weeks. The main thing is that the corals take weeks to adjust.
My previous schedule used much less of the 30w and was also fine but I think the growth rate has improved with an increase in light.

I was running my 30w's for around 5 hrs and found that a lot of my coral's color was fading, the growth was great. I thought for sure that their color would adjust and come back but it hadn't after a months. I had to cut the 30w's to 1 hr a day, and now they are coloring up nicely.

 

[Rosscopeco]

I was running my 30w's for around 5 hrs and found that a lot of my coral's color was fading, the growth was great. I thought for sure that their color would adjust and come back but it hadn't after a months. I had to cut the 30w's to 1 hr a day, and now they are coloring up nicely.

I was the opposite.
2hrs a day and good colours with good growth. Then a new tank with an adjusted lighting sched and the frags are showing good colours with outstanding growth.
What exactly do you mean by " colours fading"? Did they tan up or bleach out?
From what I have been reading of late, the corals take several months to adjust to a new environment and I feel we expect too much too soon.
It has been very interesting to follow this thread from the begining ( including the thread before this thread) and see just how well LED lights are working for people. The maxspects have held their own and seem to be gettng better.
Before the maxspect lights arrived I jumped on the led bandwagon and ordered a custom made light from China, not knowing if I was being scammed or not and even that light is able to produce good results 18 months down the track.
Needless to say I was not scammed.
The first maxspect I ordered took months to arrive and was faulty. After returning it the second unit was also faulty and was returned. LCK led never sent another light and left me roughly $700 out of pocket with nothing to show for it.
Months later I made contact with Eric at Fishstreet and explained the situation. Two G2 160's and I'm about $100( more than I should be) out of pocket from the whole experience.
This I can live with.

I guess what I'm getting at is that these lights will grow any type of coral if you keep the important things like water quality, flow and food at acceptable levels for what you are keeping. Overall I can say that I would buy another Maxspect if I had the need for another light.
:beer: maxspect.

 

[Mandragen]

oh man I'm loving mine, and I know Eric and Brian personally, great guys. I went over to his shop and got both of mine, one of which was faulty but it was just a drive over and he was able to swap it out right there. The lights are amazing and I won't buy anything else at the moment. For some reason the coral wasn't coloring like it should under my long lighting schedule, probably because of shock. The color was more of tanning up to try and combat the higher light I believe, the blue mili and the red mili were the same color, lol. I bumped my lighting down on the 30w LEDs and things have returned. I'm sure once colors come back in strong for a bit I will raise that lighting schedule and acclimate them properly. I was just stateing my experience incase others were experiencing the same.

how long have you lived in Australia? my brother is thinking about coming that way to backpack the country a bit, think he is planning on heading to Cairns? I'll send you a pm we should chat.

 

[SimonSKL]

I have my Maxspect G2 230W for almost 9 months and loving it. Knock on wood, never had any problem with it since day 1. I don't think there are too many people who bought Maxspect are not happy with it judging from 55 pages of postings on this thread. Coral growth is well documented under these LED lights. Since every tank is different, acclimation is the key to success to coral growth and coloring.

I just came back from Australia and spent 4 days in Cairns last Sep. Great Barrier Reef is an amazing underwater world of corals and fish. An experience of a life time and well worth the trip!

Mandragen, your brother will probably need a boat or canoe to reach Cairns now:lol:

 

[Rosscopeco]

I'm just about to board a plane for Townsville then it's week in Mission Beach and fly out of Cairns.
The outer reef at these spots is so beautiful I'm always getting in trouble with the boat opperators for being reluctant to get out of the water. Unfortunately it's stinger season and there might not be any boats going out this time of year.
Sorry to make you jealous.
The reef gets baked all day and the colours are amazing so I definatley think it is an issue of acclimatisation.

 

[digidana]

anybody know of a way to actually search in this particular thread? :crazy1: i believe i've settled on a maxspect 160 for my mixed 93 cube (30x30x24H), but am trying to see if the extreme is worth the extra $200-ish over the G2. i'm also a little worried about dark corners and not enough blue and wondering if an extra blue light strip along the back of the tank would be a good idea.