Your Experience with LEDS

Matt- there are SEVERAL successful LED tanks growing SPS. I do agree that it take some rather fine tune tweeking to dial it in properly, but once achieved your golden. 10 years ago the concept of email on your phone was nuts and the "old" guys said no way... Same thing with LED's IMO.
 
Sn4k33y3z;965019 wrote: Matt- there are SEVERAL successful LED tanks growing SPS. I do agree that it take some rather fine tune tweeking to dial it in properly, but once achieved your golden. 10 years ago the concept of email on your phone was nuts and the "old" guys said no way... Same thing with LED's IMO.
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+1 Just because certain people have a bad experience with them... does not mean they don't work.
 
It's all about what YOU want to achieve. If you are wanting to go to a heavy <u>acro</u> tank. I wouldn't recommend LED. That simple. (Don't confuse a mixed reef or even "SPS" tank with an acro tank.)

The whole fascination around LED's is centered on things that have nothing to do with their performance as it relates to the tank. It's about- No heat. Low wattage consumption. No bulb replacement. Etc. THAT'S what gets people's attention. If LED's didn't have these things going for it, we wouldn't even be having the discussion, right? Most people shopping for a Prius aren't asking about it's 0-60 time just like people buying a Ferrari aren't asking about its MPG. I'm looking for one thing and one thing only from my lighting. Pure performance. MH gives me that.

This discussion reminds me of NFL football discussions of years past. For about 30 years now, starting with guys like Randell Cunningham and later, especially with Mike Vick, all we've heard is how the mobile/running quarterback was going to be the new mold and forever change the game and pocket passers were a thing of the past. A dying breed that teams would lose with if they insisted on doing it the "Old School" way. Since then, how many of these "mobile quarterbacks" have Super Bowl titles? ZERO! One could argue Steve Young was but you get my point. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees are the mold your after if you want to win titles in the NFL.

So, for the sake of this discussion, we will say an <u>Acro</u> tank is the NFL and a mixed reef with a little sampling of everything is NCAA football. NCAA football is not so heavily dependent on the QB in it's typical pocket passer form to win championships. It's a watered down field, of watered down talent, that simply doesn't require the same high level of precision in its execution. A mixed reef is just that. A watered down pool where there may be a few finicky pieces but nothing like growing 30 different varieties of acros plus other corals.

So, for those who want to have Trent Dilfer as the quarterback they build their NFL team around. Go for it. He won a Super Bowl right? So, "It can be done" with a dud at QB. Yep. I'll stick with proven winners that take home the trophy I want. (And that trophy may be different from the one YOU want.)

I don't draw a lot of attention to the fact, but I continue to buy LED fixtures as they improve and test them on my tank. Both on the DT and frag tank. So far, I feel my experience with AI's, Radion's, and Kessils gives me a good grasp of the whole LED vs MH situation. I'm using the same system water and same corals to do comparative results findings giving each fixture 6-12 months of test time. When I find the LED that does what my MH do, believe me, I'll tell the freaking world!
 
Does that make power compacts like the Canadian football league in the analogy?
 
Seth The Wine Guy;965054 wrote: It's all about what YOU want to achieve. If you are wanting to go to a heavy <u>acro</u> tank. I wouldn't recommend LED. That simple. (Don't confuse a mixed reef or even "SPS" tank with an acro tank.)

The whole fascination around LED's is centered on things that have nothing to do with their performance as it relates to the tank. It's about- No heat. Low wattage consumption. No bulb replacement. Etc. THAT'S what gets people's attention. If LED's didn't have these things going for it, we wouldn't even be having the discussion, right? Most people shopping for a Prius aren't asking about it's 0-60 time just like people buying a Ferrari aren't asking about its MPG. I'm looking for one thing and one thing only from my lighting. Pure performance. MH gives me that.

This discussion reminds me of NFL football discussions of years past. For about 30 years now, starting with guys like Randell Cunningham and later, especially with Mike Vick, all we've heard is how the mobile/running quarterback was going to be the new mold and forever change the game and pocket passers were a thing of the past. A dying breed that teams would lose with if they insisted on doing it the "Old School" way. Since then, how many of these "mobile quarterbacks" have Super Bowl titles? ZERO! One could argue Steve Young was but you get my point. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees are the mold your after if you want to win titles in the NFL.

So, for the sake of this discussion, we will say an <u>Acro</u> tank is the NFL and a mixed reef with a little sampling of everything is NCAA football. NCAA football is not so heavily dependent on the QB in it's typical pocket passer form to win championships. It's a watered down field, of watered down talent, that simply doesn't require the same high level of precision in its execution. A mixed reef is just that. A watered down pool where there may be a few finicky pieces but nothing like growing 30 different varieties of acros plus other corals.

So, for those who want to have Trent Dilfer as the quarterback they build their NFL team around. Go for it. He won a Super Bowl right? So, "It can be done" with a dud at QB. Yep. I'll stick with proven winners that take home the trophy I want. (And that trophy may be different from the one YOU want.)

I don't draw a lot of attention to the fact, but I continue to buy LED fixtures as they improve and test them on my tank. Both on the DT and frag tank. So far, I feel my experience with AI's, Radion's, and Kessils gives me a good grasp of the whole LED vs MH situation. I'm using the same system water and same corals to do comparative results findings giving each fixture 6-12 months of test time. When I find the LED that does what my MH do, believe me, I'll tell the freaking world!
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I don't follow football so I don't understand any of this.... all I'm saying is if acros can be grown under reeferman's leds and alot of other tanks I've seen..maybe there not for you,but they grow acros.
 
Not sure what your idea of acro tank is but I have 7 or 8 colony's of acros, I will agree that my acros are high up. People seem to focus on lights as the only thing they need to grow hard coral, personally I feel this is a small part of the big picture. I like acros but to have only them in a tank is not my thing.
 
I had a 120 sps dominated tank with ONLY leds. It did great with growth and color. When we moved i had 2 sponsors buy all my coral if that says anything about quality. Imo its more about the water quality/chem. Verse what exact light works best. Dont get my wrong lighting is huge but... keeping the water parameters cosistent is #1 nt
 
JimmyStephens;965097 wrote: I had a 120 sps dominated tank with ONLY leds. It did great with growth and color. When we moved i had 2 sponsors buy all my coral if that says anything about quality. Imo its more about the water quality/chem. Verse what exact light works best. Dont get my wrong lighting is huge but... keeping the water parameters cosistent is #1 nt
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+1 I loved the way your tank was looking before you moved.
 
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This has always been a hot topic since I got I the hobby. Seth's tank was one of the reasons I insisted on keeping my MH. But as I've gained more knowledge it is completely undeniable the good LEDs grow good sps. And you are completely right Seth it's all about the heat they kick out in my living room as it's now the hottest room in the house which has my A/C running nonstop. Sooo I took the plunge and got the RB P48. I can only hope that I am happy as most of the other people I've read. And you are right the 180.00 every 6-9 months for lamps can bust your wallet. I can get some nice sticks for 180.00
 
Mikesmith34;965105 wrote: This has always been a hot topic since I got I the hobby. Seth's tank was one of the reasons I insisted on keeping my MH. But as I've gained more knowledge it is completely undeniable the good LEDs grow good sps. And you are completely right Seth it's all about the heat they kick out in my living room as it's now the hottest room in the house which has my A/C running nonstop. Sooo I took the plunge and got the RB P48. I can only hope that I am happy as most of the other people I've read. And you are right the 180.00 every 6-9 months for lamps can bust your wallet. I can get some nice sticks for 180.00
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hang em high and Start them off low 30%
 
mattgee87;965109 wrote: Mike got any pictures because thats the light i'm looking at.
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I haven't got it hung yet. I'm going to hang it this week end. I've got to get the retro mh and t5 unit out of the canopy and by the time I get home form work I'm beat down
 
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