It's been over 3 months now..

[reefer2008]

Boys and girls,
I went with most of you guys opinion, most of you said stay away from the LEDs...
Leds are junk, solaris is overpriced...nothing but trouble.
So I cancelled my orders and keep burning money with HQIs.

I went back to the store again today to check out that tank, wow!found nothing but growth and color with their little show tank.
No wonder they offered me money back for 6 months.

They just set up a webcam so everyone can watch it live,
Here is the link for the camera:
http://75.17.129.218:1025/user/cgi-bin/view_S_t_uF.thtml

$60 a month to burn on 2X 150w HQIs, replace them once a year.
60x12=720 + 172= $892 a year. X 5 year= $4500 to operate this damn Sunpod. plus I paid $529 for the unit=$5000.
The Aquaeuro usa I just bought this summer cost me $ 529 and cost average $32 a month for summer time. Say only plug it in on June, July, Aug and Sept. thats $128. $128 X 5 years =$650.

$3 a month to run these LED X60 months= $180 + 5 tubes of LEDs $694 with tax, total cost is $874.

%#@$#$% I don't know about you guys, what the fork was I thinking?

[nait002]

You might want to redo your math. It costs me $22 a month to run 3 250 MH lamps 8 hours a day and $5 a month to run 2 54watt T-5's 12 hours a day. Unless this calculator is wrong?
http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/tank_elec_calc.php?cost_elec=0.12&light_full_w=110&light_full_h=12&light_full_d=12&light_actinic_w=0&light_actinic_h=14&light_actinic_d=12&circ_pump_w=0&circ_pump_h=24&circ_pump_d=12&skim_pump_w=0&skim_pump_h=24&skim_pump_d=12&ph_con_w=0&ph_con_h=24&ph_con_d=12&ph_int_w=0&ph_int_h=12&ph_int_d=12&heat_w=0&heat_h=12&heat_d=6&ca_react_w=0&ca_react_h=24&ca_react_d=12&chiller_w=0&chiller_h=12&chiller_d=6&uv_w=0&uv_h=24&uv_d=12&ozone_w=0&ozone_h=24&ozone_d=12&other_w=0&other_h=24&other_d=12&B1=Calculate

[BeanAnimal]

$60 a month for (2) 150W HQI bulbs....

2x150W = 300W
300W * 8 hours a day = 2400 watts or 2.4kWh
$60 a month = $2 a day
$2 / 2.4kWh = 83 CENTS per kWh... So you are saying you pay 83 cents per kWh? Sorry, but even though your rates in CA suck, they are not nearly THAT high!

Secondly, who says bulbs need changed every year? Sanjay and others have posted several articles showing that HQI bulbs can easily go 18-36 months without showing much of a decrease in output compared to a 6 month old bulb. Remember the MH put out more PAR than the LED fixture so even if the bulbs do age, it has been proven that less light will still provide growth.

$3 a month to run the LEDs? Where did you come up with that.
Even if they were only 50W total, using your $60 for 300W claim...

50W * 8 hours a day = 400W
400W = .4kWh per day
.4kWh * 30 days = 12kWh
12kWh at 83 Cents = $10.00

Waht about the fact that you have to run the LEDs longer compared to the MH to sustain growth?

Sorry, but your math is very heavily skewed. You have significantly overstated the cost of the MH and understated the cost of the LEDs.

[OnlyCrimson]

Are you serious? Really?

[BeanAnimal]

Is who serious about what?

[MasterSparky]

Yah typical power here in the south is like 0.08 per kwh.

[BeanAnimal]

CA, NYC and some other areas can have much higher rates and tiered rates based on usage. Sometimes the TOP tiers can be pretty expensive, but not $.80 cents a kWh :)

[mil hse]

if i remember right.. and ill have to look... but i think we pay $.35-.50 cents... depending on the citys... i know when i took down my old reef 55g (2x250 + 2 96watt VHO) my bill went down $150 a month... so it not cheep here. That was 4 yrs ago.

[Condiman]

I guess I cant see it being that high. I know up here Im only payn .06 kwh

[DarG]

So Reefer 2008, go buy one. Your math is terribly bad as Bean points out. My two halides cost me about 15 cents per day to run and my T5's about 9 cents. But your poor math aside, buy an LED fixture or two or four if you want to. You shouldnt need anyones approval on this board to do what you really want to do.

I wasnt involved in the thread you mention. However, most LED threads seem to have a common theme. Most seem to agree that LED is a very viable lighting source in the not too distant future. They also feel that when they are truly ready for mass use they will be less expensive and perform better than they are now. Basically, they will be more affordable and their actual performance will equal their marketing copy ... or their marketing copy will equal their actual performance. Well, as close as any other reputable product sold in the hobby anyway.

[emoore]

I remember paying about $.18 per kwh when I lived in the SF Bay area last year.

[pdelcast]

Go somewhere else. These lights are crap, the math supports that they are crap.

You keep posting here with this BS. Post some math and some real data (lumen output, PAR levels averaged over the sand bed, etc.)

IF you can't / don't give real numbers, I have to call "BS" on you.

[Paulairduck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13749597#post13749597 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefer2008
Boys and girls,
I went with most of you guys opinion, most of you said stay away from the LEDs...
Leds are junk, solaris is overpriced...nothing but trouble.
So I cancelled my orders and keep burning money with HQIs.

I went back to the store again today to check out that tank, wow!found nothing but growth and color with their little show tank.
No wonder they offered me money back for 6 months.

They just set up a webcam so everyone can watch it live,
Here is the link for the camera:
http://75.17.129.218:1025/user/cgi-bin/view_S_t_uF.thtml

$60 a month to burn on 2X 150w HQIs, replace them once a year.
60x12=720 + 172= $892 a year. X 5 year= $4500 to operate this damn Sunpod. plus I paid $529 for the unit=$5000.
The Aquaeuro usa I just bought this summer cost me $ 529 and cost average $32 a month for summer time. Say only plug it in on June, July, Aug and Sept. thats $128. $128 X 5 years =$650.

$3 a month to run these LED X60 months= $180 + 5 tubes of LEDs $694 with tax, total cost is $874.

%#@$#$% I don't know about you guys, what the fork was I thinking?

What store is this @ so I can check it out?

My usage in california running My tank (325 Gallons) (2 X 250 watt halide) and (4 X 150 watt Halides over the frags tanks) As I look @ my edison bill

I used 1341 KWH last month and My Bill was 255.75

19 cents a killawatt and that is including all the taxes and extra crap I pay on my bill

It also says I am in the 5 Tier, So they are charging me the max

The sad part in 2009, edison is raising their rates 20% IN CALI:mad2:

[Runfrumu]

Well, you asked for people's opinion and they gave it to you. Next time don't ask so you have nobody to blame but yourself.

[pdelcast]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752378#post13752378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paulairduck
What store is this @ so I can check it out?

My usage in california running My tank (325 Gallons) (2 X 250 watt halide) and (4 X 150 watt Halides over the frags tanks) As I look @ my edison bill

I used 1341 KWH last month and My Bill was 255.75

19 cents a killawatt and that is including all the taxes and extra crap I pay on my bill

It also says I am in the 5 Tier, So they are charging me the max

The sad part in 2009, edison is raising their rates 20% IN CALI:mad2:

Sorry bud -- there is no magic bullet. Growing SPS takes power to drive photosynthesis. LEDs like this look good, but won't grow crap.

If you are only keeping non-photosynthetic corals and fish, they will be fine.

You might look at adding sunlight to grow your corals... sunlight is free, and will grow photosynthetic corals. There was a thread about using skylight light pipes for lighting...

[Condiman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752411#post13752411 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Runfrumu
Well, you asked for people's opinion and they gave it to you. Next time don't ask so you have nobody to blame but yourself.


I agree completly

[nait002]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752378#post13752378 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paulairduck


19 cents a killawatt and that is including all the taxes and extra crap I pay on my bill

It also says I am in the 5 Tier, So they are charging me the max
[/B]

So at $.19 he would have to run his 300 watts of light 35 hours a day to be $60 a month:D

[Paulairduck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13752642#post13752642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nait002
So at $.19 he would have to run his 300 watts of light 35 hours a day to be $60 a month:D

you would get a lot of growth if you run your halides 35 hrs a day:D