LEDs for zoas - what do you know?

[A. Grandis]

I've got T5s today and will probably have it for a while, but I would love to hear from anyone that has a system running with LEDs and zoas.
Perhaps this could be a thread for future reference?

What did you have before?
What changes have you noticed?
Anything besides less heat?
Bad LEDs vs good LEDs?
Advantages of LEDs?
Please let us know your experiences...

Thanks,
Grandis.

[rogersb]

Good idea. I am also currently using t-5 and love them but we are in the process of buying a new home and with it comes an upgrade and I have been toying around with the idea of LEDs.

[KafudaFish]

5.5 gallon with PAR 38 bulb from rapid.

I am happy with it and glad I went with this vs. a T5 due to bulb replacement costs of $50/year.

I do get that MH shimmer that many people like due to surface agitation.

Only bad thing is taking pictures is very hard.

[650-IS350]

Although nice, from what I hear they give you the fake color look in your polyps that cannot be replicated in someone else's tank that doesn't use LEDs. Search in RC and other forums in regards to them.

[Ouscazz]

1. What did you have before?
2. What changes have you noticed?
3. Anything besides less heat?
4. Bad LEDs vs good LEDs?
5. Advantages of LEDs?

I've been using Maxspect Semi LEDs since december 2010.

1. T5's.
2. Boosted grow rate on all stonecorals, mushrooms and Zoa's.
3a. Shimmer, I just love the shimmer.
3b. Royal Blue light, it's a kind of magic in my tank.
4. No experience with bad LEDs
5a. No need to change tubes and MH bulbs every now and then.
5b. Good power efficiency

[AC2020x]

I've never kept any corals before but I recently set up a 29g (6 months ago) and built a LED fixture above it from RapidLED. I love the lights and so do my zoas that I got 3 weeks ago. They are armor of god zoas and they are definitly growing. I have had 1 large polyps grow out since I got it and 3-4 others that are in the process of growing out. Currently they seem to be doing great!

[organism]

What did you have before?

T5's

What changes have you noticed?
Anything besides less heat?

less power usage and that awesome halide shimmer effect that t5's don't have

Bad LEDs vs good LEDs?

diy from rapidled = good, 3:1 blue to white ratio = good, 1:1 blue to white ratio commercial fixtures = crap.

Advantages of LEDs?

Insane colors, no bulb changes, etc... Taking your time corals is a must though, LED's are so much stronger than people think.

[rysher]

I've got T5s today and will probably have it for a while, but I would love to hear from anyone that has a system running with LEDs and zoas.
Perhaps this could be a thread for future reference?

What did you have before?
T5 aquaticlife 4-39

What changes have you noticed?
colors and growth

Anything besides less heat?
shimmer

Bad LEDs vs good LEDs?
got the bridgelux and the light output is not as good as the cree's, got little to no growth. i think my problem was using the cheap drivers.

shifted to crees, color is stunning, i got unbelievable growth, every colony/frag i have sprouts babies here and there, multiplying like rabbits. i also had excellent growth with the T5's but not as good as the cree LED's.

Advantages of LEDs?
no spending $$$ on bulb replacement, next to zero heat, excellent shimmer, excellent growth, i can adjust the LED from 6500k to 20k.

my LED's simulate sunrise and sunset.
at 11am the actinic kicks ins tarting at 10% then slowly ramps up to 100% in 3 hrs, so i get full 100% at 1:30.
The white kicks in at 11:30starting at 10% and slowly ramps upto to 45% in 2.5hrs, so both the actinic and the whites are at at hi intensity from 1:30 - 6:30, this is 4hrs of intense light, with a par reading of 250+ in the sandbed.
At 6:30 both the blue and the whites slowly ramps down, the white ramps down from 45% to 10% then shuts off at 8:30, while the blues ramps down from 100% at 6:30 to 10% at 9:30pm and shuts off.

i also set my contrller to have a 50/50 chance of cloudcover/thunderstorms everyday, so the high intensity of 5hrs varies from day to day depending on the controller and the random number it generates to have the thunderstorms.

WARNING:
at first all my zoas shrunk, to itchy, bitsy, tiny polyps, i believe it was because of the intensity of the light. i set the white to 70% before i got someone to take a par reading on my tank. now i had thw whites turned down to 45%, all the zoas recovered and are spitting babies like rabbits.

ACCLIMATE, ACCLIMATE, ACCLIMATE...


the colors are just unbelievable, the zoas are like a stripper in a bachelor party!

[MikeandNicole]

I run a pair of AI sol blues over my 57g. Zoas look incredible and I have had great growth under them. My zoas have actually tolerated the light better than my SPS. Just have to position them correctly and you should be good to go.

[SoFloReefer]

I used a 400 watt halide and T5s previously. Neither compare to my DIY LEDs. The flexibility, the color, the best growth I've seen with my zoas, the dimmability. The list just goes on. For what people spend on their tanks, LEDs seem like a no brainer.

[A. Grandis]

Wow! I want to thank you all for the great response.
Lots of good info!!
Seems like LEDs are really good and better than any other available light for a reef system!!
I like the shimmering too. That is something I miss.
I though that we would need to change the bulbs after a while.

Please keep'em coming!!
I'm reading all the the way!
:thumbsup:

Grandis.

[AC2020x]

Seems like LEDs are really good and better than any other available light for a reef system!!

Grandis.

Although I would probably agree with this statement there are many who would not. Alot of people don't believe LED's can offer a full spectrum of light that corals need and crave. And that is why many people are hesitant to switch over to LED's. I have seen both tanks who have done great and better growing anything and also tanks where corals have lost alot of color when switching to LED's. I think their benefits however outweigh the possibility of this. Things such as Power saving, no replacement of bulbs, dimmable, sunrise/sunset color adjustment..... Pretty much you can make whatver you need as it fits your system the best.

Over time I've read lots of stuff on LED's esspecially over on the DIY forum.

[TampaSnooker]

Although nice, from what I hear they give you the fake color look in your polyps that cannot be replicated in someone else's tank that doesn't use LEDs. Search in RC and other forums in regards to them.

I buy a lot of stuff from tanks with overdriven 20K MH bulbs that don't look anything like it did once it hits my VHO's, T5's or LED's...

I just upgraded my 180 from a pair of VHO's (454, 50-50) with a 175W 14K MH to 4 SOL blue from AI. Lovin it. (I know that's not a ton of light, but my split aquascape lets it work very well.) Less heat, controllable color rendition, variable intensity... The zoa colors are so much better across the board - every color represented seems to pop much brighter. The only corals that don't look as good are red pocillipora and purple monti cap, but that's probably since I've been running so much more blue/royal than before - those ones never looked their best without very white light for me. It's only been a couple months, but I'd say growth is not an issue.

[explor3r]

I've got T5s today and will probably have it for a while, but I would love to hear from anyone that has a system running with LEDs and zoas.
Perhaps this could be a thread for future reference?

What did you have before?
What changes have you noticed?
Anything besides less heat?
Bad LEDs vs good LEDs?
Advantages of LEDs?
Please let us know your experiences...

Thanks,
Grandis.

Before..T5s ATI SUNPOWER, now AI sol super blue.

Changes umm lots I would say..to start with and mainly the color since I can play with the intensity of the light and can make the zoas glow or popped out.
I notice as well the algae growing in the glass is less I guess due to the temperature..Leds dont produce heat and more the AI have a great cooling fan.
I notice once I introduce a new zoa or paly to the tank they open almost imediatly.
Comparing bad Leds vs good Leds I can only speak for the good one..lol honestly the AI are just fantastic....I have 15 modules of them:D
In general LEDs are just incredible the coloration of the SPS is just out of this world, the details LEDs show on corals not other light can do it.ohh shimmer effect is a plus.
Energy efficient thats a big +A
Thunderstorms....another +A..
Rampage up to 299min I belive..anyways I set mine to 6o min rampage between timers...sunset/sunrise..
Let LEDs rock your reef!!!!!

[A. Grandis]

I do believe that with so many choices for the LEDs, if we get the right combination, it will be very efficient for the corals and zoas. The experiences here are a proof of that.
I've got only zoanthids here, so I'm thinking only about them, not hard corals.
There is lots to learn yet and every day someone comes with a new LED in the marked. That's good! I get confused with all the new stuff and kinda skeptical, at least.
I'm enjoying a lot reading about your experiences!
Please feel free to add your own pictures of your LEDs and even videos showing the thunders and so on...

I would love the shimmering and thunder effects!!!!

Here are some of the videos I've found:
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TFeOUZjBRyM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s__XwPhXhe0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-9xTAZpAqAc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Grandis.

[Dustin1300]

Thanks for the info guys:) I'm really wanting to pick up a couple EcoTech Radions for my frag tank to test it out against my MHs to see how they compare...

While I like the lightning mode I'm not so certain that it is good for the fish as it seems they could be seriously stressed if used often.

[TampaSnooker]

While I like the lightning mode I'm not so certain that it is good for the fish as it seems they could be seriously stressed if used often.

In FL on the flats, the fish still feed when the sky is flashing. I can see them from my hideout in the mangroves... However, having used the lightning mode the first month of owning AI's, I turned the frequency WAAAAAAYYYY down. It's just a fun gimmick. The fish don't care - nor do the corals from what I see. Perhaps new or epileptic fish would get distressed, but the older ones would just wonder what new idea you're testing...

[Dustin1300]

Thanks for the feedback Tampa:) I can't hardly wait to get tank going with some LEDs soon but this hobby is all about patience.

[A. Grandis]

I didn't know we can turn the frequency of the lightning down!
That's really good!
I don't think it would be of any advantage to use the lightning every single day, but that's our personal choice. I would do perhaps every 1 or 2 weeks.

The moon cycle is very nice.

Yeah, they'll begin to ship the Eco Tech Radions soon.

What about the clouds?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qcjdjSeKn38" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I also would like to hear from people that didn't like the LEDs, and why.
Perhaps that should have to do with the adaptation period from MH/T5s to the LEDs.
Every new light source needs to be very carefully changed and we all know that.

I really don't have time to search deep for the LEDs and appreciate all the "hands on" basic info here! Thanks!!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9FW2qCT2TD8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Cheers!!!!
Grandis

[rodneyri]

What did you have before?
Giesemann 2x250w MH + 4 T5HO
then to ATI Powermodule 8x54w


What changes have you noticed?
Zoas doing fine under the LED, growth rate and color the same as the other lights

Anything besides less heat?
got the shimmer back that i lost when going to ATI

Bad LEDs vs good LEDs?
Running Vertex illumina

Advantages of LEDs?
My power bill dropped, chiller does not come on...heater comes on now though

Im happy with the LEDs for my tank, the Zoas dont mind them either...the SPS paled out at first when the light changed over but are on their way back up again. Had LED for 4 months now

[Swanwillow]

I have a panorama over my 25 gallon. I have to say under the 'normal' lights they are the most true to color. What you'd see in sunlight. The second I go to moonlights though, its AMAZING the color pop on them.

[A. Grandis]

Ok, updates...

I've been searching a little more around the RC forums and...

More and more people regretting their LEDs and coming back to their T5s.
I guess it's only a matter of time for them to realize that their T5 fixtures cover more area, with a very good PAR, with the right bulb, and are a better choice for their reef system overall.

It is still very early to see how much LEDs can be good, I guess, and I believe that would be possible to see many more people coming back and taking their ATI PM fixtures out of their closets.

Please take a look and check it out...

Great info about "old style" VHO t12s X HO t5s, plus a LED X T5 info.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=19552974&posted=1#post19552974

Back to T5s from LEDs!
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2088194

This is an update and to try help others to take their decisions about buying their fixtures...
Time tells! And we probably still need more time for the LEDs to perform better than T5s...

Cheers.
Grandis.

[Swanwillow]

I still have LEDs. I still love them. The zoanthis are multiplying like mad (except the ones I want to, of course, just like a normal tank)

[rndmcnflct]

More and more people regretting their LEDs and coming back to their T5s.
I guess it's only a matter of time for them to realize that their T5 fixtures cover more area, with a very good PAR, with the right bulb, and are a better choice for their reef system overall.Funny then that not a single person in this thread has said that. Do you own stock in a T5 company or what?

[A. Grandis]

Funny then that not a single person in this thread has said that. Do you own stock in a T5 company or what?

LOL!!
Yeap, I know. It's funny. I'm just trying to figure out what is really worthy!
Do you have anything else to add to the thread?
Thanks.

Grandis.

[A. Grandis]

I still have LEDs. I still love them. The zoanthis are multiplying like mad (except the ones I want to, of course, just like a normal tank)

Not fire the LEDs and make you feel bad. Far from that.
If they are growing and you like them, that's fine.
I actually would love to hear even better things from people that have used both (LEDs and T5s), for a comparison.
No sence to change my ATI PM for LEDs if they aren't better, right?

Thanks very much. :)

Grandis.

[marsnakeman]

From looking at one of my friends tanks. He has had T5's for years and just added an led system (not sure the type) but in less then a month his zoa's have grown more then the have in over a year. This is what won me over and reason I am starting my new tank with leds from that start since it will be a zoa only tank.

[A. Grandis]

Yeah,
As many others reported, at the beginning of this thread, there are many zoa keepers with good reports for their LEDs with zoas.
If they grow faster and look healthier, what can one say?!?
I guess depends from tank to tank?
Or depends on the spectrum choices or the type of fixtures?

Well, still time will tell.
The facts will come sooner or later.

Hope this thread can collaborate for all of the zoa keepers, at least.

The more people post about their experiences the better will be for all!
It's a lot of money to just try out. One needs to know what to look for.

I appreciate very much the info was posted before!!!
Hope there is more to come from zoa keepers. :thumbsup:

Grandis.

[Patzig]

subscribing

[mgargiullo]

Par matters. If you go cheap on LEDs you'll be unhappy. The three watt Crees don't penetrate very deep without lenses.

I grabbed a pair of P30 pendants from blue moon aquatics... Damn... What a difference. It's a 30watt LED in the center surrounded by a bunch of royal blue chips with lenses... Amazing! I'll never go back to Ts or MH.

[GIT RITE]

I have been keeping several different Zoas along with some Sps and a single maxima under a 21 pcs Cree DIY Led setup over a BC 14 for a while and I can't complain. I won't jump out there and say my growth exploded but the color is excellent and everything is growing. The main drive for me to change over to LEDs was heat and energy savings, the only thing I don't particularly like about them is the disco effect because the LED system is based off of different color LEDs, whereas a halide is one point light source, so i.e. no disco effect....but in the other hand you can't dim a halide as you can LEDs...... Just my 2 cents.....

[A. Grandis]

Some nice added info...
Please keep'em coming.
That is my intention with this thread!

Grandis

[~RuSh~]

I had just set up a 10g nano and only had T5's. I bought a Marineland Reef Capable LED fixture. Obviously upgrading from just T5's to LED's I got an increase in growth. What I did not like was the color output. The MRC LED's only have 3 blue LED's... so the color output is very bright and warm... It kind of washes out the color in a lot of zoas IMO. The worst part is that you can't change the ratio.

If I were going to do it again, I would probably do DIY LED's and add a lot more blue. I think the growth is there, but I don't know about the color just yet.

On another note, in some of my research for a more satisfying color output I've had a lot of suggestions for Stunner strips. I may look into those for a Christmas gift for myself. :D

[A. Grandis]

Thanks ~RuSh~!

Yep, I think most of us already know that the wormer the spectrum, the better is the zoas' growth. There are many people here talking about the growth using their new LEDs and that could be because they are coming from the "traditional" bluer tanks with T5s. Lots of Blue Plus bulbs and less 6500Ks playing... maybe not?

It would be wonderful to hear more from people that noticed better growth with their LEDs with the approximate spectrum/wattage when coming from other light source. Just because the comparison needs to be fair, or at least close to each other. That will help a lot to know if the LEDs are really what makes them grow more or the change of spectrum and light focus over the tank.
Perhaps the better growth comes from the directed light and warmer spectrum.

That also will help us to make smart decisions when buying new LEDs.

We need to remember that many today, again, have their blue T5 tanks. It is obvious that when they change to warmer spectrum the growth will increase. If they change to warmer T5 bulbs the growth will increase too!!! GE6500K and KZ New Generation are known for that.

I do believe that the directed light from the LEDs on the market will increase some growth too (focus from lenses), depending on position of the zoas, the PAR and the power on the zoas, receive from the light. The different brand LED fixtures alone play a lot with the PAR values/distribution because of their design/number of bulbs/quality/spectrum balance/lenses/different abilities.

Please take a look at this interesting thread about Ecotech Radion vs AquaIllumination SOL vs Vertex Illumina, for more !!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2088048&page=4

A more uniform light, like T5 tubes, will disperse the light quality with a more uniform spread, as we know so well.
That is also true when compared with LEDs and with MH.

My experiences with the great growth under MH in the past was because of the concentrated wattage + day light MH bulbs (2 X 250W 6500K) and supplemental actinics looong ago. The energy from the bulb was great and the spectrum helped a lot!!! I would imagine that LEDs would act very similar, with much less heat. And many would have to agree with that, I guess.

A comparison like: coming from: 6500K+ actinic03 (50%50% ratio) T5s, going to LEDs 50%-50% also would be good to hear about.

I do love to see some shimmering! Like the dimmers too and even the lightning!!

Let us learn more about them...

Grandis.

[PinkDamsel]

I switched from 50/50 CF to a BoostLED PAR30 4royal blue/1cool white a year ago. Because my tank is so shallow (9" - it's a 3 gallon pico), I did a prolonged acclimation. Results are mixed:

- LOVE the shimmer & look of the tank.

- Growth. Until recently I've had little or no growth on zoas, in fact slowly receding polyps on the smaller ones. However, I'm pretty certain this was from lack of feeding rather than light because I've been feeding more in the past 3 months and the palys are now growing and the remaining zoa colonies seem to have stabilized (they're either still not growing or doing so very slowly). Other types of corals have also responded w. strong growth to the feeding.

Color:
- Instant fluorescent green on many corals, such as Eagle Eye skirts, very cool.

- I had hoped that some PinkGold palys that had always been a dull gray-pink with no sparkle would "color up" under the LEDs, but that did not happen. However, since their recent growth explosion (1 polyp became 6 in 2 months) I am seeing faint sparkles for the first time, although still not as colorful as I see in pictures. I also recently lowered the light several inches, so can't say if it's the food, increased light, or a combination.

- I purchased several paly frags last spring that came from T5 tanks, and their colors initially persisted several weeks, but then slowly dulled and browned in my tank (although growth is good since the feeding & they otherwise look healthy). Some were a pretty lime green, others a light pink. They definitely are not bleached, they've gotten darker. Nuc Greens (from a MH tank) are occasionally that pretty bright green, but usually dull brown-green; the polyps are also smaller than normal for NGs, so I don't think they need MORE light.

- All orange palys & zoas maintain good saturated orange color.

I've been wondering if it's a spectra issue w. the royal blue/cool white combo not having some wavelengths necessary for the corals to synthesize certain pigments. Next week am getting a new PAR30 w. 2 rb + 1 blue + 1 neutral white + 1 cw and am looking forward to see if that makes a difference as it will be less blue plus include some warmer spectra.

As you can probably tell, I'm a newbie and kinda thrashing around a bit.

[Cptn Spaulding]

+1 on most people who hate on LEDs is because of poor coral placement and light adjustment. I love my 20k PAR38s. Polyps have never looked better

[Turbomesodon]

I started my aquarium at home 7 months ago. I´ve been using LEDS since first day and, specially with actinic ones, zoanthus look marvellous. I use them at work too and i´m completely astonished by them.

So many fantastic colours, as Cream said once.

[A. Grandis]

It would be wonderful if everyone here would also post their details about their systems, like: photoperiod, type of fixtures, how much percent for their LEDs, changing from,...
Just like the others did at the beginning of this thread.

If you want to post one or two pictures of your system too... :)

Thanks all!

Grandis.

[maxvan1]

Fluval Edge 'Experiment tank' (im doin all kinds of crazy experiments) This particular guy has been under LEDWholesalers par38 (12w blue/white) bulb, Two 4-watt (4x1W) 7,000k MR16 bulbs, and two Walmart LED 2.6w (overpowered to 2.8w) desk lamps. I also use 52LED 10degree spotlights to keep certain corals on a 24hr photoperoid....


The results speak for themselves ---

http://i1046.photobucket.com/albums/b468/maxvan1/2011-12-02_23-38-42_HDR.jpg



I swear by the walmart desk lamps.:lolspin:

[A. Grandis]

24hour photoperiod for corals is not what it should be.
Why do you do that?

Grandis.

[dano83]

Stick with t5's in my opinion. I have had 2 LED setups(crees) and was not impressed. The shimmer is cool for about 5 minutes then it just gets extremely annoying. It's like a constant thunderstorm. Plus, nobody knows what the long term effects are of LED's. They say the crees last 10 years but realistically they might last 5. If you buy the manufactured setups I guess you just throw them away at the end of their life? If you have a DIY setup with 60 crees then you have to spend 300 bucks(60x$5) plus tons of time to swap them all out. Seems like a waste of time just to jump on the bandwagon. Pics of my last setup. 60 crees ran by inventronics driver and RK alc.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g248/danbaker83/Picture002.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g248/danbaker83/Picture006.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g248/danbaker83/fish064.jpg

[maxvan1]

24hour photoperiod for corals is not what it should be.
Why do you do that?

Grandis.

Only one coral is under 24 hours (I use a the 52LED spotlight). Just for fun on this one because I like to take pictures at night :lolspin:


Just out of curiousity what SHOULD the photoperoid be? (I mean obviously matching the sun is the easiest answer --- but than again we dont have the sun above our tank...)

[TampaSnooker]

5-8 hours is plenty but you can cheat that up with dusk/dawn changes in intensity. Corals, like plants need dark time to burn off the glucose produced by photosynthesis.

The sun doesn't punch a lot of light down to corals until 9 or 10 in the morning and it starts to really taper off around 4ish in the afternoon. Less in the winter; more in the summer.

[A. Grandis]

Only one coral is under 24 hours (I use a the 52LED spotlight). Just for fun on this one because I like to take pictures at night :lolspin:


Just out of curiousity what SHOULD the photoperoid be? (I mean obviously matching the sun is the easiest answer --- but than again we dont have the sun above our tank...)

;) You know.

Grandis.

[A. Grandis]

Stick with t5's in my opinion. I have had 2 LED setups(crees) and was not impressed. The shimmer is cool for about 5 minutes then it just gets extremely annoying. It's like a constant thunderstorm. Plus, nobody knows what the long term effects are of LED's. They say the crees last 10 years but realistically they might last 5. If you buy the manufactured setups I guess you just throw them away at the end of their life? If you have a DIY setup with 60 crees then you have to spend 300 bucks(60x$5) plus tons of time to swap them all out. Seems like a waste of time just to jump on the bandwagon. Pics of my last setup. 60 crees ran by inventronics driver and RK alc.



Forgot to answer... sorry.
Thanks very much, dano83!
Good thoughts!!!
:thumbsup:

Grandis.

[ejdustin]

I was running MH untill about 6 months ago and then switched to LED. I am using 2 ecorays mounted about 18 inches above my tank about 18 inches apart. My blues are on for 12 hours a day with whites on 4 hours. I get excellent coverage with a nice variety in spectrum for different coral placement. From my experience I couldn't be happier. My zoos have taken off in growth and the colors are amazing. Some of the zoos were almost bland before but now they pop in the tank. The lights will last way longer with no bulb replacement, in addition to saving costs on electric every month. After two yeas or so the LEDs will pay for themselves. Also way less heat, during he summer I was running fans with the MH now I don't have to. Anyway thats my experience and opinion, I would recommend LED to anyone.

[rodneyri]

For my systems over the past 3 years, I started with giesemann infinity MH +T5 combo, had that for over two years and loved the look with the phoenix globes, but power was getting to me...so tossed up between ATI and LED, chose ATI because the LED I wanted was kinda expensive. Kept the ATI for 6 weeks and dumped it and got a Vertex Illumina LED which ive had now for 5 months on my tank.

Reason for dumping the ATI, didnt like the flat look of the light produced, it was bright yes but missed the crisp look from single point light source. the LED is great...MH still is brighter to the eye but sticking with the Illumina

http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/45345607.jpg

http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/lightschedule0612112.jpg

http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/018-1.jpg

http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/010-1.jpg
http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/031.jpg
http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/zoos.jpg
http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/008-1.jpg
http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/014-1.jpg
http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo21/rodney_ri/014.jpg

[Zoomadness]

So I have Dragon's eye Zoa's in 1 tank with M.H and T5's that are doing great, I fragged this colony twice and placed one in another tank with Marineland Reefcapable L.E.D's and left the other colony in the main tank with the M.H and T5's and I have to say, the growth has been less than impressive. I would say the growth is 50% less than the M.H's, I am running XM 10,000k bulbs which are like steroids for your corals. I really want the L.E.D's to work, but I am not sold on the Marineland. I hear in about 5 years there will be stunning L.E.D's on the marked for a fraction of the cost of today's L.E.D's.

[A. Grandis]

Thanks!!

Most of the zoa keepers like the LEDs a lot, ejdustin.

Nice aussie zoa shots, rodneyri. :thumbsup:
I'm glad you're happy with your LEDs!

Zoomadness: the Marineland is a weak LEd fixture, I assume.
5 years from now I believe that all of us will have LEDs over our tanks. Or maybe not... Perhaps LEDs will be obsolete? We won't know until then.

There is a new fixture also (Tek Wave) that will change the course of the
way to lit our systems and that is the VHO T5s.
The only bad thing about them is the extra heat IMO. The Tek fixture is great and if/when ATI comes with their own VHO T5 fixture there will be another fever among the reefers!! :bounce3: <- zoa jumping!

Back to LEDs...
I would like to hear more about the differences on the zoas with the spectrum choices with LEDs. Anyone have played with the color channels and have anything to add?

Thanks again for the great info, enriching the thread!!!

Grandis.

[Ralimore]

I've never kept any corals before but I recently set up a 29g (6 months ago) and built a LED fixture above it from RapidLED. I love the lights and so do my zoas that I got 3 weeks ago. They are armor of god zoas and they are definitly growing. I have had 1 large polyps grow out since I got it and 3-4 others that are in the process of growing out. Currently they seem to be doing great!
Just what leds did you use. what colors and wattage?

[organism]

Dude that post is from 4 years ago.