Returning to reefing: want MH look with LED

[sarget]

Hi everyone.
Getting back to reefing now that kids are older.

Had a Metal halide or 65g mixed reef before then tried T5HO about 8 years ago. Loved the shimmer of the MH but found the T5 diffuse light boring and added no visually appealing light rays in the tank.

Been looking at new LEDs and leaning towards two Kessil 360, two RS reef 90 or two AI hydra 32 over a new 36g bow we are setting up. Wanted to get opinions / thoughts on this? Tank gas a center brace. Was also thinking of adding AI blades if shadows get to much to soften it. But looking for good shimmer with coherent light.

Thanks for your time.

 

[griss]

@reefing102 @Genetics @BeanAnimal

 

[kharmaguru]

I don't use any of those lights but Kessil's were designed specifically to replicate halides, so I would say that's the best bet for what you are looking for. Then as many do, you could combine them with strip lights for fill to minimize shadowing. AI blades, Reefbrite lumilights, Quanta pros, Reefbreeders Lumenbars, or even T5's could do that.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Kessil's give the point source MH look to an extent. Anything with a puck and a lens will. The New Psyche K7 Pro III fixtures have puck/lens setup as well.
My take - Yes you get shimmer lines but you also get a lot of "disco" effect on the rocks and substrate where you see the different color LEDs overlap each other. Some people don't notice and it drives other people crazy.

 

[wvned]

It can be done. You tune the color channels the opposite of how it is usually done. Red, green and white up, blues down.
It is easier to make it look right to the eye than a camera. Image sensors see the to types of lights very differently.

 

[wvned]

Reefbreeders Photon V2 tuned the same way

 

[JohnL]

Reefbreeders Photon V2 tuned the same way

Can you share your program please. I'm running the same light. I use the sps program with red and green turned down a bit and blues turned up a bit.

 

[reefing102]

Agree with the others. Kessil was designed to give good shimmer. Others I’ve seen tend to lean more towards disco effect including my SmatFarm has a little bit of you look close. I believe it can be done with others just more fine tuning is required

 

[kharmaguru]

Agree with the others. Kessil was designed to give good shimmer. Others I’ve seen tend to lean more towards disco effect including my SmatFarm has a little bit of you look close. I believe it can be done with others just more fine tuning is required

I think the Red Sea ReefLED also have a dense led array similar to the Kessils (instead of a cluster of separate diodes like the others), so that might be an option for the OP as well.

 

[JohnL]

Getting back to reefing now that kids are older.

Welcome back

 

[JohnL]

@mellotang thoughts?

 

[wvned]

I cant. I dont have it tuned that way now. I am using it in the fish room for something else.

 

[wvned]

 

[JohnL]

Nice tanks @wvned

 

[JohnL]

@Vinny Kreyling what do you think?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I've never heard of doing it that way but the pictures do look good.
I have too much light for LPS & have to turn mine down even more.

 

[JohnL]

I've never heard of doing it that way but the pictures do look good.
I have too much light for LPS & have to turn mine down even more.

What about the OP's question about led options Vinny?

 

[mellotang]

Red Sea or Kessil if you’re looking for halide shimmer

Red Sea is very similar to halide shimmer
Nice and smooth
Not too crazy

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Truthfully I was thinking Orphek.
But I'm retired & cheap,
A friend gave me a 4' Reefbreeder's PhotonV2.
I'm happy with it, I had them on the 250.

 

[wvned]

Noopsyche
I have 6 being shipped right now for the 240 and 2 Coral covers. I am going with the same lights I have on the 180

Nice tanks @wvned

It's an old pic. The 75 is in the fish room now and a 180 sits there.