SPS and LEDs?

[stlcards14]

I'm running kessil a350 and recently wanted to get into SPS coral. I have heard debated about LEDs for some time now and would like to hear it from the SPS experts themselves. Is anyone having success running just Kessils on their tank with no additional lighting? Pics would greatly help in the debate.

 

[Saltar]

My local LFS is running Kessil and growing SPS on their main tank.

 

[Ross33]

I'm not an expert but I do have a few years experience with sps and LEDs. From what I have seen, yes it is possible to keep them and some did well. Most did very average. FWIW my new tank is going to be halides.

 

[CBlair]

I'm not an expert but I do have a few years experience with sps and LEDs. From what I have seen, yes it is possible to keep them and some did well. Most did very average. FWIW my new tank is going to be halides.

I 100% agree, I ran both ai sol and radions on my tank and some did ok others did not like led. I ordered an ati sunpower 8bulb t5 and installed it about a week ago. Corals seem much happier with the t5 in just 1 week. This is just my experience

 

[Touring]

I 100% agree, I ran both ai sol and radions on my tank and some did ok others did not like led. I ordered an ati sunpower 8bulb t5 and installed it about a week ago. Corals seem much happier with the t5 in just 1 week. This is just my experience

Keep us updated,picks too if you can

 

[chad p]

Had a Kessil A350 over SPS for close to a year. My experience was similar to others here. Some really nice color and growth but most very average and a few SPS that just didn't like LED much at all. I went to AI Sol for a short time and just switched to 250W MH for my 34 gallon cube. Right now it's a Hamilton Cayman Sun with Hamilton 14K but I'm going to swap it out with a Phoenix 14K for some more pop. I'm literally only on day 4 or 5 with the new light but I'm expecting better color and growth with most or all of my SPS.

 

[Prochef176]

I have had only Led and have almost all sps. Have had really great growth on some and great coloring as well. But I will say that start out low, I run my radions at 60% and up from 40% when I started.

 

[Borchers]

I've been trying to find a good thread about using Radions over an SPS system. There are only a few and they are just personal threads in their tanks.

 

[Reef Raf]

My LFS has tested them and been very unimpressed with them. They did multiple PAR testing and the couple model they tried could not sustain SPS very close to the surface. They were likely the smaller models. But they were hung low to the water and should have been able to sustain SPS right under the surface.

I know some people do like them though.

 

[CIGARSC351W]

I'm at the 9 month mark on my 45 cube. The tank is mostly sps. I'm running a maxspect razor 20" 16k. I still haven't figured out LED's completely. I turn them down the Acro's look unhappy. I turn them up they bleach. I firmly believe that LED's are the future but the technology is not perfected yet in my opinion. I have so far been able to resist the urge to mount MH over the tank.

 

[celamb89]

I've had my tank over LEDs for aprox a year... DIY Cree LEDs, SPS do ok, LPS have lost color but continue to grow.. I did loose a blue tort but IMO it was due to an ALK swing when my perilstatic pump overdosed and ALK when through the roof...

SPS include, seriatopora, 2x milleoporas, fire echinata, hyacinthus, strawberry short cake, tricolor acropora

recently added, granulosa and unknown sps... they show good color and started to encrust but still too soon.

 

[jda]

You won't find too many long term SPS keepers who have aspirations of a really nice SPS tank that are happy with LED... and the smart ones never tried them. There are a few. Most of the people who are happy with LED and their SPS are newer to the hobby and don't generally have the breadth and depth of experience to know what they are looking at, so they likely would have been happy with whatever they bought.

Most of your TOTM winners are SPS people. You can also reach out to SPS farmers and fraggers. Unfortunately, not too many post here, so you have to do the work.

 

[mr. pluto]

i'm a long term SPS keeper & i used LEDs For over 2 years, and recently lit up by RB photons.

 

[animalkingdom]

...and the smart ones never tried them.

disagree with this, I know some very experienced sps keepers who tried leds. whether or not they liked them or not is a different story.

 

[rovster]

You won't find too many long term SPS keepers who have aspirations of a really nice SPS tank that are happy with LED... and the smart ones never tried them. There are a few. Most of the people who are happy with LED and their SPS are newer to the hobby and don't generally have the breadth and depth of experience to know what they are looking at, so they likely would have been happy with whatever they bought.
Most of your TOTM winners are SPS people. You can also reach out to SPS farmers and fraggers. Unfortunately, not too many post here, so you have to do the work.

That is a great observation. I fall in that category. I have only known LEDs. I get decent growth and color in my nano, and have Radion Pros for my upgrade. I blame my "decent" growth and color on the fact that its a 14 gallon, not the light. I am very curious however about the whole halide thing. Once my upgrade is finished and running, I plan on setting up another nano-ish tank and am considering using a halide to see what all the fuss it about, LOL!

I think the consensus is that halides are still king if color and growth are the only criteria by which its judged. That said, if you factor in everything else, LEDs can still be a "good" choice for lighting your reef. There is no "perfect" scenario, in reefing, or in life for that matter:beer:

 

[marinelife]

a local hobbyist used Kessil but switched them out as they did not do well.

I have been running DYI LEDs for 3.5 years and my SPS corals have never looked better!
Been in the hobby almost 18 years and was with MHs. I have no regrets moving to LEDs. one of the best things I have done for my tank!

 

[Frick]

I like the Kessils, and I wouldn't say I am the most seasoned reefer. I have had successful SPS tanks with halides and T5s. And now I think I am having good success with Kessil LEDs.
Corals so have to adapt to the LED lighting most of the time, but I can say I am in no hurry to go back to halides or T5s.

Here's my 29 BioCube at work. It's had an A350 on it for about a year and before that it had an A150W Sky Blue.



My new 75 has two A360Ws, I need to get a FTS. Here's a few of the SPS in it.

 

[Kurkis493]

I had MH and have had a Radion Pro over my cube for 3 months or so. I question the LEDs and how much easier it would be to go back to MH. You read and hear constantly people telling you how great their LEDs are and how much growth they have but very few times do we ever see images of a tank that has been under LEDs for any extended period of time...

When I get the itch to switch to MH I look at this thread and think if one person is having success then I can have success too.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2287628

This is a tank that has been under LEDs for an extensive period of time. He is running his light close to the water line at what I would consider very high intensity for that size tank... His lightning period is from 9am until 12:45am which is much longer than alot of people run their LEDs....

I have been using this person's radion profile for 3 months and up until today have I increased my intensity by about 15% during the peak 4 hours of the lightning cycle and also changed the spectrum during this peak time from bright whites to primarily blues (in attempts to regain some lost color).

This is being done on a 60 cube with the light 9" over the waterline.

 

[sanchoy]

30 inch deep tank here. Growing millis and acros with no problem. Montis and digis grow like weed on bottom. AJMled brand with 90 ops.

 

[dfm34]

I'm at the 9 month mark on my 45 cube. The tank is mostly sps. I'm running a maxspect razor 20" 16k. I still haven't figured out LED's completely. I turn them down the Acro's look unhappy. I turn them up they bleach. I firmly believe that LED's are the future but the technology is not perfected yet in my opinion. I have so far been able to resist the urge to mount MH over the tank.

I have 2 16k razors over my 75 with sps right now run them at whites 65% and blues 90% for three hours they gradually increase to this level then decrease over the course of the day and have no issues. I will say that my frags all came from led tanks so the acclimation time may not be needed or that extreme.