Exotic LEDs, anybody gonna take the plunge

[Anemonebuff]

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=ecoxotic

They look well made, handsome, and reasonably priced. I am just leary that 1 watt LEDs have the power to drive down 24". I cannot find PAR specs yet.

[jcolletteiii]

I have the same reservation on anything made with 1 watt emitters. Have been thinking of buying a pre-built fixture (or number of them) for my new 135, but prices are still very high for whats out there, and PAR numbers are few and far between. I'm just going to build 2 60 emitter arrays with simple on-off functionality for now, then later on build a DIY controller for dawn/dusk. I'll have much more control over the amount of light and the cost will be MUCH lower than a comparable off the shelf system.

[Rands88]

I made a 24 x 3W array fully dimmable for my 29g biocube for a fraction of the cost of the commercial 1W versions my PAR is at or exceeds having a 250W MH over it without the consumption or heat.
I would make my own banks controllable by my APEX before I bought one of those.

[SnowManSnow]

I just don't trust LED yet. There have been too many "great" products that have been retailed over the last 4 or 5 years, and I can't think of any of them that have made it into the reefers "trustworthy bag o toys"

[dg3147]

I did a quick test to add "shimmer" and "pop" to my T5 set-up. check out my post on the topic.

in summary, the blue was great for night fluoresence, but one strip of white LED's did not add anything noticable. perhaps more strips would have helped.

[davocean]

I had the opportunity to beta test these, ran a 24" unit on my 60g solana for about 6mo.
For a mixed reef they are great, but as you mentioned, PAR does drop dramatically w/ depth.
It's getting there though, and the benefit I see w/ these units is the ability to add more banks, or R&R banks in the event one fails.
In many LED fixtures, they are a complete circuit, and if one LED fails, it overdrives the rest, and can cause a chain of burnouts according to what I've read.
I do like that these are independent banks each w/ their own ballast, and pop out easy.
As these evolve, there is the ability to add as needed, and w/ the stunner strips they offer the ability to adjust color is nice as well.
I would not use these for an all sps tank at this time, at least not a deep one, but it's getting there.
I have to say I was impressed w/ the quality of these units, and the flip up brackets are sweet.

[Santoki]

I think the apprehension with many commercial LED units stems from the fact that bells and whistles such as manual dimming to adjust color temp, etc... are not necessarily a good thing, since allowing end users to tweak end spectrum ends up compromising the output of the unit. As such, there are many inconsistencies in experiences ranging from disappointed to extremely happy. LED technology requires different approach in application, unlike metal halide, which has been around for a relatively long time.
A general rule of thumb when researching any LED unit should be based on tangible numbers, not unlike the gph number ratings on a water pump. It is disappointing these manufactures do not provide PAR, or spectral output documentation, as that is the only way a consumer can make an informed decision.
davocean, the chain burnout scenario would only apply if the chain were driven in parallel, something no DIY'ers, not to mention commercial companies should be doing.
The technology is more than ready. Hobbyists just have to be more informed.
This is a very informative, ongoing thread if anyone is really interested in LED reef lighting. You can also read my article on LED lighting in my "home page".
-Robert