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Deleted member 24321
Anyone try these yet? damm they are expensive. $2,800 for a 60". they are claiming better than halides, cooler, and last for 50,000 hours
phender
Active member
Here is a review
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/review2
I'm not a lighting engineer, but looking at the data, I don't see how they can say they are better or produce as much par a 250 watt MH bulbs.
My concerns based on the review:
1) There is no spread of light. If an organism is not directly under the bulbs, it doesn't look like it gets any light. One bank of lights leaves 14" of the 24" tank virtually unlit.
2) The PAR graphs show similar colors, but when you look at the keys, the colors don't mean the same thing on the two graphs. Red on the Solaris graph is 650-700. Red on the MH graph is 900-1000.
3) The light spectrum is very one dimensional. There is very little light other than blue. If the colors aren't in the light then you don't see them in the tank either. It would be like looking into your tank with a blue floodlight. Low level UV radiation is what gives you the glow in your invertibrates. The LEDs don't seem to give out any UV rays.
I didn't see the review as being that positive even though PFO is using it in their advertising.
I found this statement strange, "Lighting requirements of many, if not most, corals is overestimated by many hobbyists and lower light intensity offer advantages." It seem to me that he is saying that its OK that the LEDs have less intensity because we over light our aquarium as it is.
Seems to me the only advantage is the lack of heat. It also takes less energy, but your getting less light.
I don't know. Maybe I'm reading the review wrong, but even if they were the same money as MH they don't seem to be a better light source. Tack on the fact that they are at least 3x more expensive, and I think I will let someone else try them first.
Maybe I need to be straightened out be somebody with more knowledge on the subject.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/review2
I'm not a lighting engineer, but looking at the data, I don't see how they can say they are better or produce as much par a 250 watt MH bulbs.
My concerns based on the review:
1) There is no spread of light. If an organism is not directly under the bulbs, it doesn't look like it gets any light. One bank of lights leaves 14" of the 24" tank virtually unlit.
2) The PAR graphs show similar colors, but when you look at the keys, the colors don't mean the same thing on the two graphs. Red on the Solaris graph is 650-700. Red on the MH graph is 900-1000.
3) The light spectrum is very one dimensional. There is very little light other than blue. If the colors aren't in the light then you don't see them in the tank either. It would be like looking into your tank with a blue floodlight. Low level UV radiation is what gives you the glow in your invertibrates. The LEDs don't seem to give out any UV rays.
I didn't see the review as being that positive even though PFO is using it in their advertising.
I found this statement strange, "Lighting requirements of many, if not most, corals is overestimated by many hobbyists and lower light intensity offer advantages." It seem to me that he is saying that its OK that the LEDs have less intensity because we over light our aquarium as it is.
Seems to me the only advantage is the lack of heat. It also takes less energy, but your getting less light.
I don't know. Maybe I'm reading the review wrong, but even if they were the same money as MH they don't seem to be a better light source. Tack on the fact that they are at least 3x more expensive, and I think I will let someone else try them first.
Maybe I need to be straightened out be somebody with more knowledge on the subject.
Slakker
Premium Member
I don't see how LEDs could possibly provide the right spectrum to simulate sunlight at all...The way that LEDs produce light is just not the same. The white of an LED is nearly balanced, if anything leaning more towards blue than red, when in fact it's the red side of the spectrum that reaches the earth with the most intensity....the blue lights in there are superb for moonlight, but I don't see how they could aid in photosynthesis at all.
sarahkucera
New member
I got a chance to get a good look at a solaris at my LFS the other day and it's pretty sweet looking.
There are a couple of red bulbs in the one that I saw, so it isn't entirely blue light. Also, I would think that you should make sure that you get a bank of lights that correlates closely to the actual width of your tank to ensure that it is evenly lit.
I really like the fact that the bulk of the light is directed down into the tank instead of radiating out into the room, as it would be less of a distraction to view the tank when turning out the lights in the room.
And the almost complete lack of heat is definitely awesome.
I don't think the lights are for everyone, but I think it's nice to have lots of options in many price ranges.
Additionally, maybe as they become more popular they will drive down the price of metal halide setups, thus meaning more people who should be using metal halides will purchase them!
There are a couple of red bulbs in the one that I saw, so it isn't entirely blue light. Also, I would think that you should make sure that you get a bank of lights that correlates closely to the actual width of your tank to ensure that it is evenly lit.
I really like the fact that the bulk of the light is directed down into the tank instead of radiating out into the room, as it would be less of a distraction to view the tank when turning out the lights in the room.
And the almost complete lack of heat is definitely awesome.
I don't think the lights are for everyone, but I think it's nice to have lots of options in many price ranges.
Additionally, maybe as they become more popular they will drive down the price of metal halide setups, thus meaning more people who should be using metal halides will purchase them!
sushiman
New member
Except for all the white & green LEDS alongside the blue ones...seriously, they are not as blue as you think! Mine reminds me of a 13 or 14K tank I saw once. Crisp white, with a pleasent hint of blue. I haven't been able to take a pic that does mine justice ye,t but I'll work on it soon.
phender
Active member
Actually, yellow and green light reaches the Earth with the most intensity. Red light is also absorbed by the water. At 15 meters the red light has only 1/4 of its original intensity.
Photosynthesis uses red and blue light, so the is photosynthetic wavelengths available, they are just not balanced.
I guess they have a 13k version as well as a 20k version now. The bank of lights that I saw was the 20k version and it only had blue and white lights.
Steve_Aquarius
New member
sushiman,
Please post pic's! I'd love to see this light. At 10hours a day, these LED's should last over 13 1/2 years! So to replace 2 cheep 250w bulbs, lets say $140 times 13 for each year is $1820, so when does the price drop
Please post pic's! I'd love to see this light. At 10hours a day, these LED's should last over 13 1/2 years! So to replace 2 cheep 250w bulbs, lets say $140 times 13 for each year is $1820, so when does the price drop
GSMguy
New member
slakker your theory is based in lack of knowledge you have never seen an LED like these plus they have 25per bank they also have green and blue and red and white bulbs in all the 20k fixtures and the 20k fixtures have more par as the blue leds have the most par they do work they are cool they have a friggin computer and they are cheap compared to the stigfolli acls halide lights at 6grand a peice
I have a friend with a couple of the Solaris lights and his softies and LPS have thrived. As stated before clams and SPS are next on the test run. If they can support those two, I think I will be purchasing one for over the 125. They have great color, no heat and 50,000 hours on the bulbs. I replace my VHO and Halide bulbs evry 8 to 10 months. I have 4-6' VHO bulbs and 2 250w halides, the cost for replacement is roughly $256 every 10 months. At 3600 hrs of burn time before replacement, divide 3600 into 50000 and you get almost 14 times the life out of the LEDS. If I multiply $256 times the 14 you get $3584. $3584 is the amount that I would end up spending in bulb replacement for my vho/halide set-up. That is more in just bulb replacement than the 6' fixture cost. Also it takes less electricity to run.....this is starting to look like a win win situation!!
Slakker
Premium Member
You are absolutely correct. I based my post on the pictures on the web site which show only blue and white LEDs, unless the green and red somehow don't show up in the photo. Also it is true that the new LED technology allows them to create a much larger spectrum of colors...I remember when it was just red, green, white, and amber.
