gasman059
The OG mad scientist
ATi powermodule 60 x 8
My LED sps experience shared!
- Thread starter gasman059
- Start date
ATi powermodule 60 x 8
I think all of this debate is incredibly informative. I hope too many people are not taking all of this personally.
I cant wait to see some LED tanks with my own eyes.
Funny about the shimmer/nausea comment, my girlfriend just complained that focusing on my MH lit tank for too long makes her dizzy. (i maintain it was the wine, not the lamp)
I cant wait to see some LED tanks with my own eyes.
Funny about the shimmer/nausea comment, my girlfriend just complained that focusing on my MH lit tank for too long makes her dizzy. (i maintain it was the wine, not the lamp)
gasman059
The OG mad scientist
I kind of like this better- when compared to the LED spectrum. Aside from the previous growth mentioned IME.
The only other light I've used prior to this two LEd and the current t5's where
Full VHO( obe of the best color combos ever) and off course MH in my case always ran radiums 20k's.
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Mind u I was running AI sol white's and the whites where only at 50% since 100% would make the tank too white for my liking.
The only other light I've used prior to this two LEd and the current t5's where
Full VHO( obe of the best color combos ever) and off course MH in my case always ran radiums 20k's.
Mind u I was running AI sol white's and the whites where only at 50% since 100% would make the tank too white for my liking.
Big E
Premium Member
Based on 20+ years of success for MHs and about 5 years for T5's & imo the conclusion on T5's is still in doubt. I can tell you after running T5's for 5 years & MH for 20 I prefer MH hands down. Obviously they have the heat & electrical drawbacks.
Par means nothing to me, other than they have potential from a par perspective...............there's a lot more to success than just that. No one knows how much par each specific coral needs to thrive in aquaruims & no one is going to do a comprehensive test on every coral available to the hobby.
The past 8 years or so have had a huge improvement in reflectors & they have proven that you don't need 400 or 250 halides to grow SPS.
The big draw for LEDs is no heat & low electricity. but they have no track record, the jury is still out on them. I'm sure there will be huge improvements in this technology over the next ten years. They may win out, but it's not a given.
Other technologies will come about to compete................no doubt in my mind.
I'm not here to bash LEDs but just to say they need more time to evaluate. These things will sort out over time. I applaud anyone that wants to test these & evaluate them..........I prefer for LEDs to prove themselves before I jump on the band wagon.
reefkeeper2
Premium Member
Ok, now things make some sense. No wonder you like the halides better. We have been comparing apples to oranges. I have the Sol Blues and they ramp up to 100% that lasts for 4 hours and then ramp back down. If you had the Sol Blues, you would have liked the look a lot better and run them a lot brighter. You would have gotten growth and color that was a lot more in line with what other people are experiencing. You can't compare an LED fixture running at 50% with a metal halide/t5 combo. Especially with the Sol White.
stevedola
Master of my domain
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1852268&page=6
click this link and scroll down to the amazing colors that 90tz's tank and then tell me that LEDs arent capable of displaying spectacular colors. Proofs in the pudding.
click this link and scroll down to the amazing colors that 90tz's tank and then tell me that LEDs arent capable of displaying spectacular colors. Proofs in the pudding.
NatureNerd
New member
It is also worth noting that there are many ways to have a successful reef and what works for one tank may not work as well for another. I came from 10k MH's and went with Sol Super Blues running at 80W, 70B, and 75RB. I love the look and growth so far has been great.
Coral choice, coral layout/placement, LED mounting height, spectral coverage, LED power levels, all make a big difference. Gasman's experience is valid for his particular tank. He did not claim that LED's can't grow SPS's.
Coral choice, coral layout/placement, LED mounting height, spectral coverage, LED power levels, all make a big difference. Gasman's experience is valid for his particular tank. He did not claim that LED's can't grow SPS's.
gasman059
The OG mad scientist
Thx finally some sense. While I'm still very impressed with the technology and I do believe they may certainly work for an SPS enviroment, in my case it did not to my satisfaction.
If I could deal with the heat that my home office had with Mh's I would have them again in no time.
Just wanted to share my experience.
I just switched from a 250w MH to an AI Sol Blue for my primarily SPS tank.
I ran MH for my tank's first year starting with a 14K bulb. I wanted more "glow" so I moved to a 20K. I loved the way my blue and purple acros looked under 20K, and the growth was decent (especially with my monti caps). Like many here mentioned, heat was problematic, especially for my nearly nano tank (55G Elos 70). I also missed the a whiter light on some warmer colored corals.
I picked up the AI Sol Blue a few weeks ago, and my acro growth appears to have accelerated. The best part was not just the reduction of heat, it's the ability to change the color spectrum throughout the day. I liked both the 14K and 20K of my past MH bulbs, and, with the AI Sol Blue, it's great to be able to vary the power between the whites and blue/royals throughout the day and see the different colors reflected by my acros. I start with a 10K look in the morning, gradually transition through 14K, and end the day with a 20K look. BTW, I used a pair of the Nanotuner's 12K Par38 LEDs and a pair of Sunbrite actinic Par38s LEDs to supplement my previous MH. I lowered these to supplement my AI.
Gasman, thanks for starting the conversation...
I ran MH for my tank's first year starting with a 14K bulb. I wanted more "glow" so I moved to a 20K. I loved the way my blue and purple acros looked under 20K, and the growth was decent (especially with my monti caps). Like many here mentioned, heat was problematic, especially for my nearly nano tank (55G Elos 70). I also missed the a whiter light on some warmer colored corals.
I picked up the AI Sol Blue a few weeks ago, and my acro growth appears to have accelerated. The best part was not just the reduction of heat, it's the ability to change the color spectrum throughout the day. I liked both the 14K and 20K of my past MH bulbs, and, with the AI Sol Blue, it's great to be able to vary the power between the whites and blue/royals throughout the day and see the different colors reflected by my acros. I start with a 10K look in the morning, gradually transition through 14K, and end the day with a 20K look. BTW, I used a pair of the Nanotuner's 12K Par38 LEDs and a pair of Sunbrite actinic Par38s LEDs to supplement my previous MH. I lowered these to supplement my AI.
Gasman, thanks for starting the conversation...
Thanks so much for posting this. I was beginning to think I was the only one! I had a very similar experience. I started with one year of T5 lighting and had excellent growth and color. I acquired a one year old AI fixture and was super excited to have the LEDs over my tank (great thunderstorm right?). The decline started right away. The corals started browning out, many eventually died because I was in denial that the LEDs were responsible. One year later my husband finally convinced me to switch back to T5. We put a 6 bulb TEK fixture over our tank and changed nothing else. The difference was instant! The corals began coloring up within one week. Even my acans responded to the change in light. It seems that both my SPS and LPS did not appreciate the LEDs. Not only that, but the LED bulbs started to burn out at the two year mark. No where near the promised life span. So, between the short lifespan of the lights and the terrible response from the corals I'll be sticking with my T5's. Thanks again for posting your experience, it was very reassuring.
Wow, perhaps you were not suppling your corals with the correct amount of par? What percentage were you running your AI's? What was the par in comparison with the t5's? Kind of crazy that your leds burnt out within two years! I would ask for my money back. I have had mine for nearly two years now and have experienced no par loss. You must have had the first generation AI, the current 3w cree XPG version has only been available since 10/09. I would presume that you didn't acclimate your corals to the increase in par.
naldopr
Member
I always wonder if we never had this economical situation do this new technologies will have the same acceptance? I have the opportunity to see and share other friend experience different lighting or if zeo method you name and W I did notice was the good amount of money they spend just to find the best a way to reduce electrical bills or to get best coloration, some had good results some other don't ,this thing r not cheap just for the try at least in my case in my personal opinion for now and by far I just still like the simple way.
Yes, I had the first generation. Hopefully the newer ones have better potential. Here are my par measurements, not too far off from my T5.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1845870
I don't think there was any issue with acclimation, as the par was not high enough. I gave them a year to adjust, no success. Sure AI was willing to fix my burnt out bulbs, for hundreds of dollars... Hopefully LED bulbs will eventually be good enough for my tank, just not now.
roberto_lopes
Member
Oh ok, your first year was with the first Gen AI modules right?
I think gen1 was too poor on PAR redings...
As you can see on the forst posts, I have a 340gal SPS with leds for about 2 years now. I must say that I cannot change this for nothing.
Awesome colors and growth, oreval looking is amazing (for my taste of course)..
I think that like gasman says "two sides to every debate". Mine is a complete success.
Thanks for sharing.
I think gen1 was too poor on PAR redings...
As you can see on the forst posts, I have a 340gal SPS with leds for about 2 years now. I must say that I cannot change this for nothing.
Awesome colors and growth, oreval looking is amazing (for my taste of course)..
I think that like gasman says "two sides to every debate". Mine is a complete success.
Thanks for sharing.
roberto_lopes
Member
You will love it. Just take care to don't fry your corals.
Good luck.
What kind of fixture did you buy ? Is it DIY ?
Good luck.
What kind of fixture did you buy ? Is it DIY ?
Reefishness
New member
You won't regret the switch...
You won't regret the switch...
Congrats on your LEDs. I built my own arrays for my 72g bowfront and I really love it, absolutely no regrets! I built 2 LED arrays consisting of 42 LEDs at a 3:1 (royal blue: cool white drove at 750mA respectively); with 6 cool white high noon LEDs drove at 1000mA each for 4 hrs/ day; 6 LEDs per array stringed together for high noon lighting.
My day light begins at 6am with a ramp of 0-70% over 2hrs; the whites are staggered by 1/2hr. My high noon blast lasts from 12-4pm at 1000mA. Evening ramp down begins at 5:30pm over 2hrs with blues powering off around 8:25pm each night.
My focus on my coral animals is on their nutrition, corals are heterotrophic like us although some disagree. Majority of folks focus on lighting too much when this plays only a small role to do with regard to developing needs for the corals energy demands. Focus should also be on their nutrition as a small percentage of a coral animal's needs for energy actually come from lighting via their hosted zooxanthellae photosynthesis process. I'm not suggesting this is unimportant. Instead, I'm merely pointing out that your corals will experience some changes that will take place over time as you have changed their light spectrum that provides the energy for your coral animals zooxanthellae. The zooanthellae your coral animals host currently may not stay with it's host, you may see this change unfold as stringy matter emanating from your corals organelles. This is a normal process that takes place and can lead to eventual demise of your animal experiencing this over the long haul, someone may correct me here but I believe Eric calls this photoadaption? So, during this time your coral can swap zooxanthella that do thrive under a given spectrum better but will take time. You can maximize your corals chances by providing their nutrition needs; i.e., phytoplankton.
You should know in about 8 weeks or so if your coral animal is going to do well in a given light spectrum, if it's not, then several factors might be contributing.
I only offer this information as FYI and encourage you to read Eric Borneman's; Corals...it's a great book! The complexity here is over my head and some of it makes sense and sticks, lol, but you should be able to do well with LEDs accompanied with other good husbandry habits.
Take care and enjoy your tank! It's a whole new experience when you your tank becomes absofreakinglutely awesome! (Mark Callahan tossed that one back at me when I shared with him how absofreakinglutely awesome my tank is doing since the switch)
My corals are thriving very well and have been doing well after their break in to their environment. You don't have to go adding a bunch of packaged goods to make them thrive, just a few needs to keep them healthy and thriving.
Take care and again congrats! LEDs are really fun to experience!
Respectfully,
Brian.
You won't regret the switch...
Congrats on your LEDs. I built my own arrays for my 72g bowfront and I really love it, absolutely no regrets! I built 2 LED arrays consisting of 42 LEDs at a 3:1 (royal blue: cool white drove at 750mA respectively); with 6 cool white high noon LEDs drove at 1000mA each for 4 hrs/ day; 6 LEDs per array stringed together for high noon lighting.
My day light begins at 6am with a ramp of 0-70% over 2hrs; the whites are staggered by 1/2hr. My high noon blast lasts from 12-4pm at 1000mA. Evening ramp down begins at 5:30pm over 2hrs with blues powering off around 8:25pm each night.
My focus on my coral animals is on their nutrition, corals are heterotrophic like us although some disagree. Majority of folks focus on lighting too much when this plays only a small role to do with regard to developing needs for the corals energy demands. Focus should also be on their nutrition as a small percentage of a coral animal's needs for energy actually come from lighting via their hosted zooxanthellae photosynthesis process. I'm not suggesting this is unimportant. Instead, I'm merely pointing out that your corals will experience some changes that will take place over time as you have changed their light spectrum that provides the energy for your coral animals zooxanthellae. The zooanthellae your coral animals host currently may not stay with it's host, you may see this change unfold as stringy matter emanating from your corals organelles. This is a normal process that takes place and can lead to eventual demise of your animal experiencing this over the long haul, someone may correct me here but I believe Eric calls this photoadaption? So, during this time your coral can swap zooxanthella that do thrive under a given spectrum better but will take time. You can maximize your corals chances by providing their nutrition needs; i.e., phytoplankton.
You should know in about 8 weeks or so if your coral animal is going to do well in a given light spectrum, if it's not, then several factors might be contributing.
I only offer this information as FYI and encourage you to read Eric Borneman's; Corals...it's a great book! The complexity here is over my head and some of it makes sense and sticks, lol, but you should be able to do well with LEDs accompanied with other good husbandry habits. Take care and enjoy your tank! It's a whole new experience when you your tank becomes absofreakinglutely awesome! (Mark Callahan tossed that one back at me when I shared with him how absofreakinglutely awesome my tank is doing since the switch)
My corals are thriving very well and have been doing well after their break in to their environment. You don't have to go adding a bunch of packaged goods to make them thrive, just a few needs to keep them healthy and thriving.
Take care and again congrats! LEDs are really fun to experience!
Respectfully,
Brian.
