Care to talk me out of this?

[dakota9]

I've read some pretty convincing arguments, both in this thread and via pm.

I fear that I'd be buying yet another 1995 Kia Sportage. I bought the aforementioned SUV in its debut year. No one knew how to fix it when the power locks AND power windows jammed with us in it...... One Lemon Law ruling later, I turned in the vehicle, but lost a huge down payment.

I'll wait until this technology is slightly more common place before buying the Solaris System. If I were to lay out all that money and then have a problem with that light too, then leaving the hobby would be the LEAST I'd do. (The MOST I'd do would include climbing a Bell Tower)

Thanks for all the input guys! Sorry I got ya'lls dander up about this light..... Rawn is in tears, Loren only has days to live if Linda can ever find that policy........ I feel as if I've cut a swathe of destruction....

 

[linda lee]

Dakota9;77095 wrote: Thanks for all the input guys! Sorry I got ya'lls dander up about this light..... Rawn is in tears, Loren only has days to live if Linda can ever find that policy........ I feel as if I've cut a swathe of destruction....

Loren....? Loren who?

Seriously, though... I thought it was a great little thread.

Idea ----> Discussion + Debate + Research = Knowledge.

Gotta love that formula!!

 

[roland jacques]

These LED fixtures have some awesome features. I cant wait for some good compation to see the price come down or even some DIY stuff.

Has any one compared $aving on power of these led fixtures vs MH or T-5s?

Do they create the water refection flicker like MH ?(point light)

 

[reeftankjunkie]

Roland Jacques;77277 wrote:
Do they create the water refection flicker like MH ?(point light)

Yes, they have the shimmer of MH. I had the pleasure of seeing George's beautiful tank. What an awesome light setup.:up:

 

[showtime305]

One thing that I've heard but not sure how much it matters is the lack of UV produced by LED lighting. I'm thinking it's related to the lack of need for MAAs which contain color fluorescent pigments that we see and love.

 

[roland jacques]

It seems to me they been out over a year or two, I have not noticed any price drop yet. but i have not been following it very closely.

FWIW You can Program T-5 lights to do the same thing with sunrise, multiply cloudy times ... The Sylvania Dali Programmable ballast can do that with a Dali controller

For you DIYer I do have some use Dali ballast for sale Cheep $35 (New their $250ish). I had them in the for sale forum. Finding the controllers may take some doing. i found some controller a year ago for $180 new

Showtime35, whats MAAs?

 

[showtime305]

Roland Jacques;77369 wrote: Showtime35, whats MAAs?

MAA = Mycosporine-like Amino Acids

MAAs block harmful UV light but it allows the corals to use near-UV radiation spectrum for photosynthesis by producing blue, cyan, green and yellow fluorescent pigments.

 

[showtime305]

dawgdude;77425 wrote: So would you need to supplement with a strong uv producing bulb? Are any of the guys with this fixture who have had it for a while lost color?

A strong UV bulb will do some serious damage to your corals.

<span style="color: black;">Low levels of UV can be tolerated by some corals because they use MAAs to block the UV and can produce fluorescent pigments within the polyps to utilize the near-UV radiation for photosynthesis. Without the UV or near-UV there is no need for MAAs or the production of these fluorescent pigments. This doesn't mean your coral will lose color because zooxanthellae can still contain various pigments. It seems that there would just be a decrease in the fluorescent pigments within the coral polyps. Meaning your coral may still live, thrive, and remain bright in color but lose that color pop that fascinates us. Only time will tell but this was a concern that was brought to my attention while discussing current LED lighting options. It may not be a big deal to most people but those that are doing all they can to create these vibrant coral may stay away from LED. I did also here that there is a UV producing LED bulb that we may eventually see added to these fixtures.</span>

 

[bzwaagstra]

After 2 weeks of installing my Solaris the color in my mushrooms and zoa's is improving. But I upgraded from PC so there was a lot of improvement to be had. I have never had mhl or T5 so I can't compare the LED to them.

 

[george]

Roland Jacques;77277 wrote: Has any one compared $aving on power of these led fixtures vs MH or T-5s?

I can't compare to T5's as I've never owned them, but I replaced a single 250w double ended MH. It has made a HUGE difference in ambient temperature and humidity in my upstairs floor. Where before I had the AC at 75/76 to keep the tank at ~81 degrees, now with the AC at 77, the tank barely breaks 78 degrees and maxes at about 79 during the day. My upstairs no longer feels like a rain forest. Actual $$ savings are a little harder to pin down, but my power bill from our multi-100 degree day run time period was the same as the month before. I've only had the fixture for a bit under 2 months.

Roland Jacques;77277 wrote: Do they create the water refection flicker like MH ?(point light)

Yes, but I won't say it looks nearly as "glittery" as a MH fixture. That's pretty much impossible because it is not a point source of light like a MH fixture.

reeftankjunkie;77294 wrote: I had the pleasure of seeing George's beautiful tank. What an awesome light setup.:up:

Most kind! Especially since I'm battling a hair algae problem. :yay:

Showtime305;77296 wrote: One thing that I've heard but not sure how much it matters is the lack of UV produced by LED lighting. I'm thinking it's related to the lack of need for MAAs which contain color fluorescent pigments that we see and love.

I can definitely say that my corals (especially those ubiquitous green zoos everyone in the club has) really pop under this lamp. The blue LEDs and moon settings produce excellent colors as glowing as any lights I've ever seen.

dawgdude;77425 wrote: So would you need to supplement with a strong uv producing bulb? Are any of the guys with this fixture who have had it for a while lost color?

It's hard to tell. Believe it or not, I had to dial back mine because I got some bleaching early on. Since the light is precise and directed, it can seem dimmer than it is. Looking directly into the fixture vs. looking at the side is, quite literally, the difference between night and day.