Yes!!!!!!!!! SPS Success with Leds! Come in and Share your Story!

[sahin]

my 2 cents on led lit sps....62 gallon with 160w maxspect razor running 15 mths...seems to working just fine :]

Nice tank! You have VERY good colour on your SPS. Would love to learn about your tank. So I will bump your thread rather than take this thread off topic: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2336418

 

[reefmutt]

So, what is a decent par meter for a decent price?
Are some better than others?
I have no experience with them..

 

[bebereef]

So, what is a decent par meter for a decent price?
Are some better than others?
I have no experience with them..

+1
I would like to own one but +- 400.00 for a new one is a bit too much!

 

[sahin]

So, what is a decent par meter for a decent price?
Are some better than others?
I have no experience with them..

+1
I would like to own one but +- 400.00 for a new one is a bit too much!

I actually imported the Apogee from the states to the UK. Cost me $460 altogether after import taxes/shipping costs etc. I bought the Apogee MQ-200.
http://www.apogeeinstruments.co.uk/mq-200-quantum-separate-sensor-with-handheld-meter/ Costs $369 from places like RapidLED.

Or you can pick up the sensor (model SQ-120) alone and hook up to a multimeter, then do a quick conversion to get the PAR level. The sensor costs around $200.

 

[bebereef]

Thanks for those infos sahin!

 

[JPMagyar]

Took a short video but cant get the embed to work, Royal Blue only, be sure watch in HD.

]

I did supplement my 6 D120's 4 Apollos with halides a few months ago and getting great colors.

Holy amazingly beautiful tanks. Some of the corals being showcased here are truly amazing. The two aspects that catch my eye though are that many of the best looking corals are from tanks with DIY LEDs that have many more total LEDs than most fixtures on the market and also several of the nicest LED tanks have some type of supplementation like a couple T5 tubes or a metal halide or two. So seems like the LED makers need to consider spreading out there LEDs more and adding some basic supplements as an option. Really great stuff, and I love how the DIY guys are leading the way. That's really awesome.

What happened to it, Joe?.
Such an awesome tank.....l

Mo

As to my tank, it's still nice, but it simply became waaay too full of coral. The colonies were simply filling up the whole 240 gallons so I had to take everything out, reaquascape and basically start over. I am excited and looking forward to the corals growing back to full size, but it takes a couple of years to get there so patience is the word of the day. My tank originally had classic 400 watt metal halide + VHO, then I tried T5 and some ballasts went bad and I couldn't find replacements because they were Sfiligoi 240 volt European ballasts so most recently I tried a hybrid LED/T5 fixture, but I think the LEDs are too densely packed to make for a good LED and after seeing tanks on here, I'm inspired to retrofit my Sfiligoi fixture with LEDs and make it into something really cool.

Anyways, beautiful corals and reefs in this thread for sure so thanks for sharing everyone!

 

[007Bond]

So, what is a decent par meter for a decent price?
Are some better than others?
I have no experience with them..

Go to the for sale forum and in the search tool type in Apogee (its the par meter to have) hit search, and the ones for sale or sold will cone up. You can see what they have sold for. Most say they were only used a few times,... I think this is the way to go as they don't wear out, and you can save some $'s. If you see one you have to act fast as they don't last long.
If your going to run leds its a helpful tool. Unlike MH that come on/off with timers,...led have a lot of variables that can change the par you are hitting your corals with, its helpful to know what the par is. Remember fry a few of your corals (which leds can do) and you have the cost of the par meter paid for.

 

[reefmutt]

^ very true.
Sahin, bond, thanks for the info!

 

[69bird]

led wattage

led wattage

Hi, there are some great tanks on here with leds. I am wondering, if alot of people say the 1 watt leds aren't very good and the 3 watts leds are better, why is it necessary to dim them so much. As much as 60% on some channels. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having 3 watt leds.

I was in the process of starting up a 288 g display which will be lit with leds. I have to change dimemsions because of my vlamingi tang so it has been delayed until I get new glass. I was planning on using AI hydra 52's.

 

[sahin]

Hi, there are some great tanks on here with leds. I am wondering, if alot of people say the 1 watt leds aren't very good and the 3 watts leds are better, why is it necessary to dim them so much. As much as 60% on some channels. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of having 3 watt leds.

I was in the process of starting up a 288 g display which will be lit with leds. I have to change dimemsions because of my vlamingi tang so it has been delayed until I get new glass. I was planning on using AI hydra 52's.

A 3watt diode ran at 1 watt is more efficient than a 1watt diode ran 1watt.

 

[Chicago]

I switched over to the LEDs when two of my pfo ballasts went and at same time was going to have to change out three to four 400 wattMH bulbs. the it2080 fixtures I have working good and no bleaching. Colors looking good on sps also. But here is issues the LEDs are not getting light to the sides and under side of the sps. The light does not reflect?
What are you guys doing to doing to correct this. I do not want to go back to MH.. To mush heat . I have my old fixtures and plenty of ice cap ballasts for t12 vho. But tank is 31 deep.

 

[sahin]

I switched over to the LEDs when two of my pfo ballasts went and at same time was going to have to change out three to four 400 wattMH bulbs. the it2080 fixtures I have working good and no bleaching. Colors looking good on sps also. But here is issues the LEDs are not getting light to the sides and under side of the sps. The light does not reflect?
What are you guys doing to doing to correct this. I do not want to go back to MH.. To mush heat . I have my old fixtures and plenty of ice cap ballasts for t12 vho. But tank is 31 deep.

It is due to this issue that I havent moved over to LED's yet. With LED's most of the light is concentrated in a tight cone and heads straight down. Hence the effect you are seeing.

I would love to run 20K Radiums over my tank...but due to heat etc, cannot.

I've settled for T5 with LED as supplemental.

You can definitely improve the situation by adding a couple of T12's or T5's to the front of the LED fixture, and maybe one behind. That will throw a lot of diffuse light and brighten up the side/front of corals facing the front glass of your tank. It will also help fill in the shadow areas. You can also add a DIY strip of LED's as well.

Most Halide lit systems run T5 or VHO's in front and behind. So why does everyone choose not to run their LED fixtures this way???...The answer to this is that we are led to believe that the LED's are all we need. LED fixture manufacturers want you to think their unit is all you need. Also, people wont admit to themselves that after having spent so much money on an LED fixture, that they still need to add a T5 or VHO tube...Plus it doesnt help the aesthetics...Plus those cost saving promotion lessens a fair bit.

This is why I like the the ATI T5/LED Hybrid and the Pacific Sun LED with T5 supplements.

I said this a while ago; if Ecotech were to release the Radion Pro with Spectrum it has, with the two LED pucks flanked by twin T5 tubes...they would have an AMAZING light...

 

[FastUno]

Just add 2-4 T5's & then you will get the spread, still better & cheaper than MH.

Not that there is anything wrong with MH, I still love those too. You will save more $$$.

 

[007Bond]

Another parmeter post from the Top down shots thread. >http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=22554171&postcount=221 Just fyi,---Rick

Big Ed's thread>http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2197142

 

[Chicago]

I have vho Fixtures should I modify them to make them T5
What light penetrates deeper T5 or T12 vho ? Tank is 31 deep

 

[meshwheel]

Save even more....................get the Reefbreeders lights! Plenty of spread and a great mix! I love them. I dont think I will ever go back to halides!

 

[jg93]

FWIW I supplemented my AI Vega's w/ 2 T5's. Very happy I did this for all the reasons listed above.

 

[Wills612]

Jg93, what's your bulb combo, and vega settings?

 

[tdb320reef]

.

.

UGGGG i just paid $400 for 5 Radium 250 watt bulbs. I am really liking what I see with supplementing LEDS with MH. Hopefully I can get over a year on these new ones.

 

[tmc1313]

FWIW I supplemented my AI Vega's w/ 2 T5's. Very happy I did this for all the reasons listed above.

^^^+1...I did the same thing. I think it kind of smooth's everything out. Here's how mine looks from the top looking from one end to the other.

<a href='http://postimage.org/' target='_blank'><img src='http://s9.postimg.org/8m3jzypjz/20140204_185412.jpg' border='0' alt="20140204 185412" /></a><br /><a target='_blank' href='http://postimage.org/'>photo hosting</a><br /><br />