LED which is the way to go?

[Bergis]

Could you tell me what the latest is or what you recommend for led lighting in a saltwater aquarium? I have a 130.
I understand there have been some advancements that LED is as good if not better than halides? I want it to take care of my fish, and soft and hard corals.

Jack

[nlgill13]

I personally like LEDs, they consume less power the MH's and produce less heat. Their seems to be a ton of different options out there. The big concern with LED's is the amount of light they can produce underneath the water.

I would suggest looking at PAR levels at 24" deep, and features like dimmable and if they can be controlled by a reef controller

[reefgeezer]

It really doesn't matter what type of bulb produces the light. The right spectrum and sufficient intensity are the characteristics that matter. The bulbs also have to make the tank look good to you.

When all the above are equal, total cost and heat production are big factors when comparing bulb types. FWIW, I replaced my halide/T5HO compo with LEDs. I like the look and the lack of heat... and look forward to using the saved $ to buy livestock.

[scarface70706]

i think some of you guys are missing his main question... The top two brands on LEDs on the market are ecotech and AI but I recommend ecotech's LEDs. IMO they are one of the best LEDs out there followed by aqua illuminations. LEDs are way better then MH & T5 setups. for one they run cooler then MH and use less electricity. these LEDs can grow sps, lps, softies, etc. so you shouldnt have a problem for your tank's needs. check them out on their websites and see for yourself. just remember with these two brands you get what you pay for. good luck.

[Reefing Newbie]

DIY LED lighting is pretty comparable to the prebuilt fixtures if done right. This probably isn't an option if you don't have the time or ability to work with this sort of thing. The good thing about DIY is the ability to make it YOUR own so it looks the way you want. I am going to be doing DIY in the next few months for my 125 and I am anxious to start getting the parts! They can also be cheaper than the pre-built fixtures if that is something of concern.

[nlgill13]

I went with Apollo Reef's....for their price range I haven't seen any others that can match them. Im sure DIY's can produce the same quality with the same dimmable drivers....just depends on whether you want to build your own or order some.

[reefSTC]

can't go wrong with AI

[jfingers8]

Love my Radions. AI is good, but not for SPS. For MOST people not all their SPS turn brown.

[D-Nak]

I suggest you check them all out in person -- at the LFS or someone's tank. The reason I say this was that I had planned to pick up LEDs to replace my halide and VHO combo, but when I actually saw the ones I was considering, I didn't like the way they looked. Since LEDs are a multi-point light source, the shimmer lines were very distracting. When looking at the sand bed, I could see the different colors of the LEDs. It had an almost dizzying effect. For this reason, I'm leaning towards LEDs arranged in tight clusters and a single lens, versus the LEDs that are spread out on a panel. I would like to keep my canopy on my tank, so I need an LED that can be mounted relatively low to the water surface. Some of the options available need to be hung high above the tank to allow for more spread, and diffuse the shimmer lines. In short -- there are many good options out there, but you'll need to do some research to figure out what best suits you and your tank.

[reefgeezer]

I would like to keep my canopy on my tank, so I need an LED that can be mounted relatively low to the water surface.

I modded my old Coralife fixture with Cree 3w LEDs. They are 8" off the surface with no optics. My tank is bare bottom so maybe I don't notice the shimmer lines or color shift so much. However, I really like the way the tank looks now and think the corals have better color.

[thegrun]

Love my Radions. AI is good, but not for SPS. For MOST people not all their SPS turn brown.

If you can afford Radion they are great because they offer a wide spectrum of colors. I've been using AI SOL Blues over my 50 gallon cube SPS dominated reef tank for 6 months and they work great. Browning out of bleaching is possible with any LED fixture. Brown-outs are usually a symptom of not enough light, bleaching is usually caused by too much light. Either of the fixtures mentioned could brown-out or bleach your corals. It's best to start with the light intensity low and slowly raise it to the desired setting.

[dwinter]

I like my maxspect mazarras, I don't think you will go wrong with the Radion or AI either. If you can look at them all in person like D-Nak said.

[nrbelk]

what about the kessil spot light LED lights?

[D-Nak]

what about the kessil spot light LED lights?

Kessils are great lights. I've seen them in action and the look nice. I plan to add a A150 when it arrives (I won it in a contest). I like the dense array and optics which provide a light spread closest to a halide. However, it doesn't have dimming capability or the ability to change the lighting spectrum like the Radion or AI fixtures, which need to be considering when pricing out your lighting system. Also, output has been compared to a 150 watt halide versus say, a Radion, which is rated closer to a 250 watt halide. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new A350 can do. No word on release date yet though. (If you look on their website, they have something called a "Tuna Blue" which I suspect is the code name for the A350 -- but that's just a guess!)

[nrbelk]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know the Kessil lights couldn't be dimmed or that the spectrum couldn't be modified.