What Type of lighting hangs over your SPS tank?

[Lumix]

Mitras over 20g

 

[trueblackpercula]

big assumption here...and you know what they say about assuming...

I wouldn't say most reefers run their lights 14 hours

I think I trust first hand experience with T5 more then what you found online anyway

Anyway I am an LED user now and do like them a lot.

No assumption here that is how I had my lights on. Lets take a poll and see how long reefers are keeping there lights on a day bet most ar over 9 hours.

 

[chrisneill1987]

to those people that say you need to change t5 every 9 months

http://www.masa.asn.au/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=249188

 

[Mits]

4 modules of mazarra P series over my 90g

 

[epicurus84]

And this is exactly what I mean ... $10K in lighting ... only to have it trumped a few months later.

I know that LED is the future ... but while I'm waiting to get there, I'm gonna try my hand at T-5.

I haven't placed the order yet, its a long weekend and nothing will ship until Tuesday anyway, but the plan is the 8x54 ATI Sunpower. I'll keep reading and researching until I pull the trigger ... but it seems like the best option for my current set up.

So because you make a "bad" descision but you can't get any better with that decision you feel better?

Any high end led since full spectrum is more then well enough. Even the gen 1 radion can handle growing sps.

Currently the LED buisiness for aqua has stopped imho. They need to bring down the wattage, and improve the efficiency. the Tritron Leds i got pack a punch that is too much for almost any coral. Even further down.

 

[Nanook]

Metal halide with VHO super actinic. Hard to beat this combination aesthetically, IME, IMO.

 

[SPS_77493]

Switching from mh/t5 to radion led today. Everything I've seen online and locally leads me to the conclusion that some do better in mh then led and vice versa. Not sure either is a clear winner for coloration. My electric bill picked a winner for me though. So did my upkeep bill

It's all about choices. With radions, you pay up front...imagine if you have a large tank and you need 3-4 radions. The radions (pro) goes for $899/each...you do the math. With MH, of course the cost of bulbs and electricity every year.

 

[chad p]

Switching from mh/t5 to radion led today. Everything I've seen online and locally leads me to the conclusion that some do better in mh then led and vice versa. Not sure either is a clear winner for coloration. My electric bill picked a winner for me though. So did my upkeep bill

It's interesting. Almost all of my frags/mini colonies were under halides before my Kessil A350. Everything looks great and is growing except 2 frags: GARF purple bonsai and Palmers blue milli. Both lost color and had reduced polyp extension under the LEDs. I cut back the intensity and they both appear to be returning to form but it's still undeclared.

I'm hoping that under the reduced intensity every single coral in my tank will have good color and growth but I have also wondered if some species just don't want to excel under LED. I've contemplated going back to metal halide like I did back in the day but overall I'm pretty happy with LED and after a year or so with the Kessil I'm a believer in the results that can be had with SPS under LEDs.

 

[drw94]

I currently run a single 250 Phoenix Mh, 2 24watt ATI B+, and a single Royal Blue LED actinic supplement. I am thinking of switching to a single Radium with LED actinic supplement. My two part usage has really gone up with the use of the royal blues. I think they have the perfect amount of blue spectrum that the corals love. I have tried LED and had bad luck with all LED. I also like the heat the mh give off, it gives my heater a rest. I live in an area where the outside temp averages high 60 to low 70s during the summer, and the house is always a couple of degrees cooler.

 

[a.browning]

I run a ATI Sunpower dimmable with great results.

 

[LoJack]

I run a ATI Sunpower dimmable with great results.

Glad to hear it. I ordered my ATI Sunpower 8x54W yesterday. I didn't bother with the dimmable option, just don't see myself using it.

 

[sahin]

As soon as LEDs companies find a way to replicate the spectrum of a radium, aquaconnect, or T5 bulbs I would say game over to all that.

I think most companies know exactly how to build such a fixture already...I mean most of the diodes are there...there are decent 400-420nm Actinic LED's available...

However, if most of the LED light companies offered a really nice unit that fairly closely resembled the 400w Radium in its spectral output (not simply appearance), then that hinders their ability to sell upgraded units in 10 months time...

Look at the Radion for example. It has taken 3 separate units to get to the inclusion of Actinic LED's...

If they looked at the Radium bulb, the tried and tested spectrum...and offered a light unit with a spectral signature close to that from Gen 1; I doubt that they would have had as many Gen 1 buyers upgrade to Gen 3.

It makes sense for the companies to offer just enough of an incentive to buy a newer unit each year or so...that way the money continues to flow in for them.

Look at it this way, the main improvement we need for LED's is spectrum and coverage. If companies offered both in one unit then there is no need for anyone to buy a newer unit or upgrade etc...I mean then the companies can only improve on features...but we already have lightning...dimming etc etc.

Stop buying and demand from the likes of Ecotech, AI and GHL to release units based on tried and tested lights such as the Radium, Aquaconnect etc.

It just feels like each year we are given a tiny bit extra...Radion is probably a good example here, but same goes for AI and others.

Imagine if for the next Radion release Ecotech took the 400w Radium and a couple of VHO Actinics; then looked at the spectral signature of the two combined.

Then produced a wholesome light unit that produced light that closely matched the spectral signature of the above. Now that would be an awesome light.

Somehow I doubt they will do that. Rather we will see slight improvements offered each year...and so the reefkeepers continue to upgrade or sell an old unit and buy a newer and better unit each year...

 

[tmantaylor18]

LED manufacturers are taking the Apple approach

 

[chema]

I'm using a DIY fixture which combines neutral white, royal blue, blue, red, turquoise and violet LEDs. It combines the best of LEDs and T5.

 

[scrapz]

MH for the first 2 years
T5 for the next 4
MH/T5 for the last 2 months...

MH gives me that shimmer I love but is spotty on par depending on reflectors.

T5's give me the most uniform growth amongst all my sps, I can literally grow coral anywhere. Color is a little flat and unnatural looking to most but it didn't bother me.

MH/T5 = best of both worlds but man that electricity bill is kicking my ***!

One day, I'll try LEDS + t5 but I hate that disco ball look.

 

[bebereef]

sahin, i would like to add this : Maxspect and now the Razor have actinic out of the boxe, that' the reason why i finally decided to choose them, i now have a Razor over my nano
and i like it.

 

[TighTT]

Im currently running a Sfiligoi Genesis T5/LED unit (48 inch) over my 120 SPS. I usually dont even bother running the LED's because its an 8 bulb T5 fixture, which is plenty bright without the LED's on. I tried Radions in the past but some of my colony's (GARF bonsai and a few others) reacted negatively....even with an acclimation process. I didnt want to risk losing my hard work so I sold the radions and re-installed the Sfiligoi.

 

[nvictor]

Used to have metalhalides then cheap LEDs and thenswitched to two radions gen 2 now for my 100 gallon tank.
ITs only been a coupl of months so I will wait and see. However can see a big difference already between the ebay lights and the radions

 

[a.browning]

Glad to hear it. I ordered my ATI Sunpower 8x54W yesterday. I didn't bother with the dimmable option, just don't see myself using it.

Honestly, I don't use the dimming function much. Mostly just if I get new pieces and feel the need to light acclimate. Otherwise my corals get full power, and they sure don't mind! However, it can be useful to simulate sunset/sunrise, one power cord is nice and the built in controller is handy as well. Can't go wrong with any ATI fixture in my opinion. I have been very impressed.

 

[psykobowler]

On my 300g - 96"x30"x24"high tank

4x400watt radiums on 22"lumenmax reflector on lumatek ballasts
8x54watt ati blue + T5 retrofit
4x110watt VHO super actinic retrofit

What's a radion? Haha...