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MargieInAZ
10/04/2008, 09:54 PM
I'm intrigued by the LED lights. I like the fact that they use less energy, and especially that they throw off less heat, since I'm in Arizona and keeping the heat down in the summer is always a struggle.
I'm just starting out, but I do want to have corals (LPS, SPS, mushrooms, etc.) in my tank, so light is important.
Right now I have a PC light unit with PC daylights, actinics and moonlights.
I've been looking at upgrading to MH or T5, but I keep coming back to LED also.

So, I found these lights on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=300263818319

I'm guessing it's too good to be true, as far as light output and cost, but has anyone else tried these with corals?
Am I just wasting my time and energy looking into LEDs? Or would it be worth it to give something like this a try?

Thanks,
Margie

Creetin
10/05/2008, 04:47 AM
I would put little faith in that product. IMO

areze
10/05/2008, 05:41 AM
LEDs have a WHOLE lot of hype with not as much substance.

with that said, they can work, but not just any LED is going to cut it. right now only the high end LEDs begin to be viable. some myths-"they use less energy" not really true, or maybe. its dubious. LEDs do a good job of getting specific wavelengths, they are the wavelengths we want. so while they come close or maybe miss the lumens of a MH watt for watt, they match or beat them for par. as for less heat, its not magic, LEDs certainly produce heat, but they do not put out IR and UV wavelengths like MH, which is their whole benefit, means the heat isnt beamed into the tank, but rather more managably extracted into the heatsink and dispersed into the room; without passing through the water. with all that, its still hard to justify their cost and Im not sure theyve really put the effort needed into optics to get a good spread on a larger tank.

ANYWAY, off that little tangent. the trouble with the link you have there is that those LEDs suck. they do not come close to a high end current LED in efficiency or spectrum. and they arent even inexpensive, double fail. if you want LEDs, sure, but only if your ponying up the 2-3grand or whatever a current gen LED fixture is these days. Im cheap, so Ill stick with halides and pendants for maybe 300$ a peice.

MargieInAZ
10/05/2008, 11:54 AM
Okay, I figured those were too good to be true, LOL.
Thanks for your insight.
-Margie