what's your thoughts on these led lighting and tank builder

[don in mass]

Hello thinking of down sizeing to 120 gallon 48x24x24 .and i'm looking at these led's 50,000 hours of use running 12 hours a day that's about 11 years of better electric bills and no $$$ on bulbs. watch the video
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+21599&pcatid=21599
and has anybody used this tank builder before .thanks for any input and your time don

http://www.aquartaquariums.com/index.html

 

[DoctaQ]

the idea on that model of led is that its pretty decent but expensive imo

 

[don in mass]

the way i'm looking at it
1. t5 bulbs 11 years about $1320
2.mh bulbs 11 years about $2310
3.electric bill about $65.00 a month for light x 11 $8550.00
$12,180 vs $1,700 plus a small fee for back up parts no more buying bulbs and maybe half the electric bill just a guess $5200 for 11 years you save about $7000 i hope lol don

 

[DoctaQ]

diy for less money +more power

 

[don in mass]

Just got price from the buildler on 2 different tanks this includes shipping to the closeset conway, to my house would be an extar $98
1.120 gal $1000.00 center overflows
2.180 gal $1200.00 '' '' ''' '' '' ''' '''' '''

 

[lisa foster]

I am curious if anyone has kept leds over there reef for 7 or more years to test if these fixtures really last as long and work as well as everyone thinks.

 

[don in mass]

if it was not for a patten issue on these lights it would have best things for the time and we could have grown from that there but patten holder was a dick head oh well new lights more progress don
http://blog.marinedepot.com/2008/09/new-made-in-usa-pfo-solaris-led.html

 

[Bill Nye]

I doubt anyone has had LED's for 7 years. IMO LED technology is changing really fast so even if they would last that long you would want a new fixture before they burn out anyway. From what I hear LED's produce poor coloration in some sps and lps.

 

[marco67]

I've seen the ecoxotics at the last few shows I've been to, very impressive to say the least. If I were in the market for an led system they would be in the top 2, Acan being the other.

 

[JohnK]

I just took a look at the tank that tank builder made that's in the south shore plaza mall. It did look well built and nicely finished. That said, I would go with a glass tank so you don't end up with scratches all over the place like that tank in the mall

 

[don in mass]

thanks again marco and jimmy and doc,bn ,don

 

[Neya]

Personally. I'd DIY.
They're 1w LEDs. There's some
par results here for an 18" depth.
http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=215947&hl=Panorama

you'll need 4 of them (23"x15")for full coverage ($3000+) and hve overhang
like so
XX
XX
or 2 of them with almost no par for 6-8" of the front/back of your tank(LEDs are like a spotlight, and only throw decent par off about 2" from the center of the diode, and very very little beyond 3").

 

[DoctaQ]

if you are trying to look back that far in the led lighting history id say you have to look at the solaris, i know there is a member here who has one and its still going, i wanna say ronnie. at any rate, those are rebels and newer leds are more effecient and powerful

 

[mchartier]

if you are trying to look back that far in the led lighting history id say you have to look at the solaris, i know there is a member here who has one and its still going, i wanna say ronnie. at any rate, those are rebels and newer leds are more effecient and powerful

I think it is Rudy that has the Solaris.

 

[DoctaQ]

thats him

 

[lisa foster]

Maybe in a few years they would be more affordable on my 6 footer I could not even imagine. Maybe for my nano because I hate my t5s I just love my halides.

 

[Cheetos]

I doubt anyone has had LED's for 7 years. IMO LED technology is changing really fast so even if they would last that long you would want a new fixture before they burn out anyway. From what I hear LED's produce poor coloration in some sps and lps.

So does poor water quality!

 

[STiTCH87]

You could always go to Fiji during the day time and open up a jar and catch some light in it and then bring it back here and open up the jar into your tank...

No seriously though, I think LEDs are WAYYY too over priced in the first place nevermind they're so new that barely anyone really knows about their affect on reef systems. Well, the current LEDs anyways. Some like them some don't as with any light. I myself like T5s most. Not a big fan of shimmer plus they are very customizable especially if you have a 5 bulb or more fixture. Yes maybe in the long run LEDs would be cheaper than T5, but how many people on here have kept their same lighting fixture over 3, or even 1 or 2 years? I would think for the price initially (which hurts) and then to hope to save a fair amount of cash overtime, that by the time i'm saving cash overall, i'd already have a new fancier fixture in mind. From what I hear from the older hobbyists, every 5 years or less there is a new light fixture that blows all of the other ones away. As goes for everything else in the reefing hobby. Anything over 5 years old tends to be more than obsolete from what i've seen/heard from more experienced reef keepers.

 

[lisa foster]

Except my favorite metal halides. I hate the look of t5s over my 15. I may not ahve missed the shimmer if my 125 was not in them same room making the same coral so much nicer and more natural shimmering like it would from the sun.