thinking about switching to LED

[jojo1n2]

Hello all. I've been in the hobby a while now and have had some good success with metal halide lighting. Right now I'm running 2 250 mogul 14000 k Hamilton bulbs over my 120 gallon sps dominated tank. Of course costs are up there as far as energy consumption so I've been pondering making the jump to LED lightning, but I know nothing about them. My overall goal is to save money on electricity, but not take away from growth or color of my corals. What types of LED fixtures are suitable to my needs. My tank is 22 inches deep. Any info will be help.

 

[wdebenedettojr]

There is a lot of people on here that think LEDs are not good for growing corals or bringing out the coloration. That being said I was not sold on LEDs myself, I was always a halide guy. In April I bought a few cheap led pendants to try them out to see if they were worth the hype. I think they were awesome. My corals seem to love the LEDs and are growing very well. I am upgrading now to a pacific sun Hyperion led fixture which should come in next week. My suggestion try a few of the cheap fixtures to see if you like them first. Remember LEDs are very powerful and only need to be run at about 40-50% percent. If you switch, start at a low intensity as to not shock your corals.

 

[jayinh]

there is tons of info out there on this topic. you will find all kinds of info if you do a search, and many different option's too.I have had MH ,PC,T5 ,DIY LED and now LED's. I use the gen1 radion and its a great fixture with awesome customer support from ecotech.I love this fixture for the power savings and flexibility. I don't se the growth rates like with T5 or MH but stuff does grow! you can tweak the colors to you liking.For me the pros of LED's weigh out the cons.

 

[jojo1n2]

That's what I'm afraid of. I love my halides but the cost to run them gets higher and higher each year. I was looking at the photon units by reefbuilders. Any experience with those anyone???

 

[MrX]

I had a Photon24 over a 40B. Nems loved it, corals did ok with it, but that's probably more related to other factors. The only thing I didn't like about the Photon was the fact that it couldn't be dimmed/controlled by an Apex Jr.

 

[RMc]

Here's the skinny - LED will never look quite as natural, crisp, and beautiful as Halides. But if you go with a good full spectrum layout it's damn close, and you can feel just fine about it when you sign the check to your electric company each month. By the time summer rolls around, and your not worried about cooking your fish all day long you'll forget all about the halides. If you supplement with a UV bulb of some kind, and make sure you have some cyan (white led's drop off heavily near cyan) you can be assured that your coral is getting everything that they might ever need.

Do it!

 

[wpeterson]

You can run a great reef with a variety of lighting options. Folks have had good success with halides, T5s, and LEDs. They all have their trade offs in price, heat, or spectrum.

I've had solid results as a new reef keeper with Kessil LEDs. The light spectrum is great. The amount of energy needed is lower and you don't have to replace bulbs. On the other hand, the upfront costs can be higher.

LEDs could be good for your tank, but ensure you get decent lights that meet your needs.

 

[jason401]

I wouldn't bother with cheapo LEDs

I switched to leds from halides at least 1.5 years ago, huge investment up front. But controllability and tank heat is was sold me.

 

[jojo1n2]

Is there a recommendation for the type if tank I have. I need something that will light a deep tank with sps corals and clams. The radions sound nice as well as the reefbuilder photon. Those are the 2 units I'm looking at. I want something I can simulate a sun up to sundown.

 

[PSU4ME]

I have 2 Gen2 radions over my 120 sps tank and really like them. When looking at LEDs, the compnonets are what matters so research that. If money isn't an object, there are some quality builds out there from notable companies with some good support. Pacific Sun, Radions, Max etc etc. Reef Radiance has some really nice built LEDs at some really good prices. Quality components......the Lumentek 180's (2) would be nice.

 

[jason401]

Is your 120 a 4ft tank?

I went with radions as well, love the lights (not trying to throw a plug here) they are rated at a 2ft square coverage. But they just came out with some 36" coverage lens'. Being that your tank is so deep, I would think the 36" lens would drastically cut away from depth power.

Also, get ready for the led haters to start chiming in here

 

[jojo1n2]

Lol it's all good. I like a good debate, plus I do love the reliability of my halides. If my chiller would stop turning in constantly I wouldn't be considering it. Also Nstar in my area is going up 20% for electricity. So from 7 cents a kilowatt to like 11-12 cents a kilowatt and who says they're done. Hey if I can get the same results or something close, I would be fine. I'll read up in the radion gen2. I've heard some bad things about the software with those, but just as many good reviews as well, and yes my tank is a 4' tank. It's a standard 120 gallon. I measured the depth. Pretty close to 23". Maybe even 24". I think the dimensions are 48"x24x24 but not 100% sure. I'm measuring my depth including the sand

 

[choff]

You can run a great reef with a variety of lighting options. Folks have had good success with halides, T5s, and LEDs. They all have their trade offs in price, heat, or spectrum.

I've had solid results as a new reef keeper with Kessil LEDs. The light spectrum is great. The amount of energy needed is lower and you don't have to replace bulbs. On the other hand, the upfront costs can be higher.

LEDs could be good for your tank, but ensure you get decent lights that meet your needs.

I have 4 Kessil 360s over my 66" tank. I love the light, but I have had to RMA them 6 times in less than a year.

...stupid auto correct

 

[dannyp02908]

I use 3 gen 2 radions over a 60x18x24 tank. I keep a clam on the bottom. SPS grows fine as do my softies and lps. Ymmv.

 

[wpeterson]

I like the Kessil lights. You'd do well with 2-3x Kessil A350/360s. The spectrum is good. They're both dimmable. The 360s should be controllable with the RKL. They're pricey, though.

 

[this is me]

Do full spectrum or go home.

 

[sfb911]

If you can swing the price tag, take a long hard look at the pacific sun LEDs. I have them on my tank and I could not be more pleased with the results.

 

[jojo1n2]

I keep reading about optics. Is 90° optics better for a deeper tank or should I go higher like 120°, or lower like 60°

 

[jojo1n2]

Full spectrum all the way, I hear that. I'm willing to spend some dough on a quality unit if it can produce. What the Hell right? This hobby is infamous for emptying wallets lol

 

[RiverRat]

If you can swing the price tag, take a long hard look at the pacific sun LEDs. I have them on my tank and I could not be more pleased with the results.

I agree

I have pacific sun (Hyperion S) and love them.
My tank is 30" tall and the LPS in the sand bed are very happy (I don't have SPS or clams, so I can't comment on them).
It was higher in cost, but it was definitely worth it.