Juiceman Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I been doing alot of research on LEDs for my new 200g tank. I was just getting excited about going for it, and now i'm hearing/reading alot of people's corals browning out, bleaching, and RTNing when they made the switch. Now i'm back thinking about sticking with Halides and VHO's. How are your corals going after the switch long term? Did you have trouble with a few of the corals worrying you for a little bit but eventually making a turn around? How did you make the switch, Acclimation, Photo Period, Dimming, etc. What brand did you go with and why? I've been looking at Evolution LED's AI LED's Radion LED's not sure about DIY just yet. Thanks ahead of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I'm going to follow this topic. I'm curious myself. I'm mainly interested in input from SPS keepers, as that is where we'll see a majority of the difference. I'm sure LEDs can maintain LPS and softies just fine. I know Tim (wizard) is running his own experiment at his place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I'm curious too. I haven't tried replacing any of my MH yet but have started gradually replacing T5s with Current USA & Ecoxotic (they use different wavelengths with their actinic strips and can use any 24 vdc regulated power supply) and haven't seen any problems. The problem I see is MH has a wide range of output between ballast/manufacturer/fixture/color temperature and LED has a wide range of output between fixture/manufacturer/LED wattage/optics. It's like trying to compare all the different kinds of apples to all the different kinds of citrus. Seems to me what's needed is a chart with the PAR readings of all the various permutations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don duncan Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Been using led's for 5 months now. I slowly switched out replacing each 400W MH. Corals are doing great. Color is better than before. I am using the evolution 200w 14k fixtures. I still have one MH left. I will switch that out soon. People who come over cant tell which is the MH. I took a lux reading. I know it is not the same as par, but no one has a par meter I can borrow, or aleast has not offered when I posted. the readings for the 400 MH and 200w led were almost identical except for the bottom 3 inches of the tank. I have some sps on the sand bed and they are growing and colored just fine. I am very glad that I made the switch. Electiric bill droped, chiller hardly comes on. I now need a heater. If you would like to come see the tank just pm me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 That's encouraging news Don, thanks for your input. I know you have a great selection of SPS so your input is invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AquaJohn Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I replaced my 2 400 watt MH with 60 led's from Rapid I put it over the tank on Friday. I do n ot have alot of coral ,frog spawn,Hammers a couple of chalice blasto and a few duncans. The duncans have never been happy in my tank. So far nothing has looked un happy and looks the same as before. I ramp them up andrun them 8 hours a day at 100% then ramp down for 60. I also left my 2 54watt t5's in there in case I need ez access to turning on a light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted November 30, 2011 Author Share Posted November 30, 2011 Cool Don, I didn't realize you've had them for 5 months. I've seen his tank prior to the change and after. I'd have to say that the colors are much more vibrant with the LEDs than when I saw just the Halides. Are they the dimmable Evolutions? How did you acclimate the tank to them? Been using led's for 5 months now. I slowly switched out replacing each 400W MH. Corals are doing great. Color is better than before. I am using the evolution 200w 14k fixtures. I still have one MH left. I will switch that out soon. People who come over cant tell which is the MH. I took a lux reading. I know it is not the same as par, but no one has a par meter I can borrow, or aleast has not offered when I posted. the readings for the 400 MH and 200w led were almost identical except for the bottom 3 inches of the tank. I have some sps on the sand bed and they are growing and colored just fine. I am very glad that I made the switch. Electiric bill droped, chiller hardly comes on. I now need a heater. If you would like to come see the tank just pm me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99taws6 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I want to follow this too. I'm curious how new tanks with LEDs are doing. I have a chance to get a set of Steve's 3w LEDs in a trade and they'll be going on a new 75 with nothing but rock and fish ATM. I eventually will have LPS and then SPS. I have t5's bow which are overkill for just the fish and it'd be nice to save some $$$ on my electric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlock Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 what are the types of LED lights ya'll are talking about Par38, GU10.. or something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 Any other SPS keepers that have switched to LED's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragIt Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 want to follow as well.....abt to make switch on my nano.........sps only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Any other SPS keepers that have switched to LED's? That'd be me. Everything is running along fine under LEDs. Coral growth hasn't slowed. Color is as good, if not better, no heat issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Updates... how are things going? I'm coming down to the wire for my LED purchase. Leaning towards EVO150 Evolution LED fixture or AI SOL Blue LED. Radion's too much for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizardx322 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I got like close to 20 sps frag in my tank and some browned but the ones directly under the leds didn't but the ones more to the sides did. I have one coral start to stn but I don't think it was because of the led's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 My SPS have colored up more and grow over 1" a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The comments made by Don Duncan about a 200W LED comparing to a 400W MH are realistic values of comparison. I recently purchased a 90W Growout light for greenhouse operations which claimed to exceed a 500W MH fixture. To accomplish these schewed results, one would have to place the LED fixture 6" from meter and compare with a MH fixture at 3'. A PAR meter seperates hype from truth. http://www.apogeeinstruments.com/quantum/index1.html I have had an Apogee PAR Meter for more than 10 years with no prob lems and no change of battery. The model that I have is no longer manufactured and would require replacement if it fails. I do not loan my meter. The new meter cost $320. Considering the large amounts of money for lighting systems in reef aquarium, it is a no brainer. Several people should pool there resources and purchase a common meter. Apogee is a professional company that supplies instruments to comercial greenhouse operations. This meter is used by commercial agriculture businessman, it is not a fad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michae52 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 I am in the process of testing some LED lights. I have a Red Sea 130D which I put a set in the hood. Everything seems to be doing good. If anyone would like to see a photo send me your email. The only problem that I can see is that by putting them in the hood your only 2 or 3 inches above the water line. It gives a spot light effect. I do not know how much light red maco algae requires but I am getting growth after just a few days. Some of my coralline is spotted like the measles because I turned them up too soon. I am running them at 25-30 percent for 10-12 hours a day right now. Have not had any problems with any type of algae cyno or hair, but that is probably due to my water chemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragIt Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 3 wks in and the colors are AMAZINGLY bright and the growth is comparable......The overall tank health seems to be fine, no longer running such a wide spectrum was a concern. Nothing but an undata was burned and it recovered within the first week. I am now up to 70 percent and loving it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I have run Evolution LEDs on my tank for more than a year now and my corals are doing great even with the depth of my tank. I've kept my electricityy down to as low as $45 a month and as high as $80 during summer. I have never had a problem putting in a new coral in my tank from someone that runs only MH or T5s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUSH Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I run 2 Rapid LED PAR38's (7 LEDs)and a Boost LED (all RB) over my 20 high and have awesome colors out of my SPS. -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavio Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I just recently started a little project with LEDs in a 29 gl tank. I picked an Ecoxotic Panorama Pro II retro fit and suspended over my tank. I have a few SPS and softies that seem to be ok. Its still a bit early. Tank has only been running with corals for about a week. My only concern at this point is that without proper actinic lighting my SPS will brown out eventually. I'll post a few pics and will def. be following this thread. Oh, my tank is going through its brown algae stage, hope ya'll dont mind the diatoms everyhere . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavio Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Quality is not great. Used camera in my phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bannerfish Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 i started my 29gal on a DIY kit of leds from rapidled. i have never owned a metal halide, but the colors of the corals under the leds are FAR better than the ones under the t5s from our other tank. i will be getting rid of the t5s hopefully in feb sometime and throwing a high powered led kit on my big tank. I have several of the same type of mushrooms, some under the leds, some under the t5s. the shrooms under the leds are electric neon blue with darker blue-purple dots and gorgeous. the shrooms under the t5s are more of a dull purplish with slightly darker spots. just dont do what i did at first....i had NO IDEA (and didnt believe it) how powerful they really were so i ran them at full power. even though the sps frags were not at the top of the tank at first, my sps frags bleached big time! they are recovering, but sucks that they bleached so bad, and quick. even though the frags were kept like 4in under some MHs before i got them, the leds were definitely too strong for them. even now i only run them at 50% and they are still colored up. the softies and lps didnt seem to mind either way although even the color looks way better under leds than t5s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragIt Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Banner...That brings up a point I was curoius about..... I switched to 60 watts(total) LED...... 3watt bulbs.........I run them at a 1 to 1 ratio blue white.......I have had them on for several weeks and like everyone else the colors are FAR superior to my 150 watt MH......I am running this on a JBJnano29..........My question is this.....if I have them running at about 60% and everyone is perfectly happy......Is pushing it up to 100% just too much for the size tank i have? i know it is hard to say across the board, but I am wondering what the highest wattage per gallon the SPS can be acclimated to before it becomes just too much....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavio Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Those Rapid LEDs are catching on around town. Those are probably one of the very few LEDs I've seen actually enhance color and not just make corals fluoresce. Cree LEDs have been getting very good reviews. They were my first choice but the fixture I have now was just more convinient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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