What's the deal with LEDs?

S

Solarfall

Totally Gnar
So I'm finally pretty situated for a good FOWLR tank. Got myself an Aqua C Remora Pro from a LFS classifieds section for $80 (with the pump) and I'm now waiting for my 6 stage RO to come in the mail. I'm in the process of setting up a fuge from a 10g tank that will run off of my sump. Things are looking good.
I do plan on converting it to reef as soon as I can, but I don't really know what to do for lights. I have some money to splurge with right now because of an inheritance, but not a whole lot. I don't mind spending some decent money on good lights up front, but I really really don't want to pay massive electric bills for years, which I understand will become a problem with MH.
A normal customer at the Petco I work at (he only buys snails and stuff from us) mentioned that he got some LEDs that he's going to try out on his new sea horse tank. This has me intrigued because he said they use substantially less wattage than say.... MH or T5s. I tend to ramble, I know, but really the topic title says it all. What are the pros and cons of LEDs as opposed to MH or T5s? I know it's a fairly new technology and most people are reluctant to use them, but they sound like exactly what I'm looking for in terms of lighting. Does anyone on here use them or have some kind of experience with them?

Thanks,
Duncan
 
I have no experience with the LED specifically for fish tank, but in general, LED use a lot less energy and produce less heat. For the same amount of light, it will for sure runs cooler and cost a lot less to run. However, it is also run on a different light spectrum that it may not be optimal for corals. Since you are running FOWLR tank, it should be completely fine. Fish doesn't care what color of the light it is.

The fish tank specific LED does indicate it runs on certain spectrum and supposingly good for fish tank. But only time will time from other people's experience for using it running reef tanks. Again, FOWLR is completely fine regardless.
 
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LED's might be the lighting system of the future, but the technology for use over a reef tank is still too young. Solaris had a few different generations of their LED fixtures available, and they all had issues. PFO/Solaris is now shut down due to copyright/patent infringements.
 
As an owner of both kinds, I can say that MH/T5 combos do a much better job producing that shimmering effect. Also the corals seem to do better with the MH/T5 lighting.
 
i've thought about building my own led light bar just to see what i could come up with, but i dont have any way to measure the output, or its wavelength, so anything i build would just be a guess at what its output would really be like.

if i had the tools to measure with, then i could definately build them and get them to work.
 
You would have to trust the LED manufacturer on their light output and wave length.
I have thought of making one since I have a 20 amp 12v power supply laying around that I dont use any more. But the LED's that you need arent exactly cheap. They arent the 20 cent ones you can get from radio shack.

Brian
 
Thanks guys, I didn't realize they would be THAT expensive. I figured I'd spend like $500 or something. But I'm more concerned about my future electric bills. I also figured I'd get a little more input as far as personal experiences, but it looks like the technology is still way too young for me to be willing to spend that kind of money on something that might flop.
I imagine finding used LEDs would probably be near impossible too :(

Are there any other options as far as lower wattage and being able to keep more advanced corals? I certainly don't plan on keeping SPS or hard corals any time soon, but I don't want to blow money on lights that I'll end up having to replace.
 
depending on if your planning on building a canopy for the top, you could build the lights in and space the bulbs out now, so that latter when you need more light, all you have to do is add a ballast and some new bulbs...

This is what i'm about to do, I'm gonna go with t5's, 8 of em, 4 foot long.

I think that the t5's are about the best bang for your buck as far as getting something good enough, and not having to pay for MH's and the added AC bill.
 
i had one of the fire starter oddysea's, but as soon as i figured out that i had one, i gutted it, replaced all the cooked wires, and the bad ballast that it had caused, and now life is good...
 
Solarfall said:
Hmmm, I may just go ahead with the MH now that I recall the "shimmer" effect in my LFS. that alone I think is worth the electric bill.

Anyway, how about this bad boy:
http://shop.aquatraders.com/Odyssea-48in-500W-Metal-Halide-System-p/54224.htm

I remember seeing something about fire hazards with this Oddysea brand. I also remember people saying that was fixed. Any input?
Click to expand...
I have the 150 watt mh with 2 18 watt t-5 pendant from them I really like it. If it was me I would get the next step up that way you can do a dusk to dawn effect. The basic is only the mh The next step up has the t-5 in it also.
 
Solarfall said:
So I'm finally pretty situated for a good FOWLR tank. Got myself an Aqua C Remora Pro from a LFS classifieds section for $80 (with the pump) and I'm now waiting for my 6 stage RO to come in the mail. I'm in the process of setting up a fuge from a 10g tank that will run off of my sump. Things are looking good.
I do plan on converting it to reef as soon as I can, but I don't really know what to do for lights. I have some money to splurge with right now because of an inheritance, but not a whole lot. I don't mind spending some decent money on good lights up front, but I really really don't want to pay massive electric bills for years, which I understand will become a problem with MH.
A normal customer at the Petco I work at (he only buys snails and stuff from us) mentioned that he got some LEDs that he's going to try out on his new sea horse tank. This has me intrigued because he said they use substantially less wattage than say.... MH or T5s. I tend to ramble, I know, but really the topic title says it all. What are the pros and cons of LEDs as opposed to MH or T5s? I know it's a fairly new technology and most people are reluctant to use them, but they sound like exactly what I'm looking for in terms of lighting. Does anyone on here use them or have some kind of experience with them?

Thanks,
Duncan
Click to expand...
Just got into leds myself not cheap 36" £1285 KR2 by Eco-lamps, modes are dawn, daylight, sunset and lunar, got a good write up here in UK, don't know how much cheaper my elec. bill will be but must be cheaper than MH and T5/8's, here is couple of photo's, only set them up today.

algy1943
 

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