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Unread 12/29/2008, 08:24 AM   #326
WaterKeeper
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Since this thread is now floating about I thouht I might add two recent updates on LED lights-

Quote:
Originally posted by Ed Reef
Well LED shine down like a spot light - very precise so the moment you have a overhang or corals above, the bottom don't get any lights anymore. However, those corals that are hit with this 'spotlight' will do well, even SPS so you do have to planned your scape very carefully.

No heat is transmitted out so that's cool and some saving in energy but a lot of upfront investment for this...

Light spread is limited (as it acts like a spot light) but if you do intend to go with AI, it's much better as the set-up is modular so you can add a few of them to your set-up and inter connect them.

Colors options are great and so is the option for sunset/sunrise setting...really cool but there are way to get the same effect with Mh/T5 combo or T5 without blowing out so much $$ IMO

Overall I hear of some good comments on AI but was badly burn when I used the Solaris I4 series but FWIW, their new Solaris I5 is made-in-US

There is a guy in Zeovit forum that's using AI quite successfully...

Hope that's helps....

Let me know if you want more insight into LED
and from the same thread

Quote:
Originally posted by wmilas
My input on the lighting, mostly from the research I went through a few months back, and I went through ALOT:

* LED's just don't have the output, YET. If you group enough of them they do, but its still not cost effective. I called a couple engineering buddies in that field and they are telling me its going to be another 18 months (moores law?) minimum before they become cost effective in California (where I don't live). It will be multiples of 18 months before they become cost effective in places like Illinois. (.13 kwh)

At the end of the day, besides the "coolness factor" You can either get the par you want with MH or with MH/actinics, or go all T5. Either way will do it cheaper than LED.

* I have a 10 foot tank. I looked at peoples tanks that were 10 feet and 5 feet to see what they were doing. If you go to Reefgeek.com you CAN get all the bulbs in 5 foot sections. You have several options. Get a 5 foot fixture, or a 4 foot fixture. If you have the time you get more bang for the buck building the fixture out of icecap SLR's. You can choose to run the bulbs overdriven or not. If you overdrive the bulbs you lessen their life and shift the color output because of the higher energy.

On a 10 foot tank I opted to go with 2 4 footers for practical purposes. IT easier not to have them jammed together (inwall tank and one short side is viewable) along with the fact that the fixtures I picked were 12 bulbers and have a tendency to burn the bajesus out of stuff. I wanted small "holes" to put more light sensitive corals.

So if I were you I would either:

1) Build a slr kit if the mounting isn't going to be viewable and you have the room for a bulky light rack and you have the time.

2) Buy a non overdriven 5 foot pendant if you have the $. Your only real options in the US are Geisman and Sfigoli. ATI is rumored to make one for US consumptions but I've never seen it for sale .

3) Buy a 4 foot pendant if you cant do #1 and don't want to spend the cash on #2.

Notice I did not mention MH's. I like the flexibility of being able to change you color in increments with t5's and being able to bring on banks separately for sunrise and sunset. The granularity is much smaller in engineering speak. Plus IMHO if you run MH's you need to run supplemental VHO actinics anyways, so why not just run the T5's? The only reason I see to run MH's is the easier mounting options of them, the smaller pendants, and the shimmer if you like that kind of thing.

Anyways thats my analysis.



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Unread 12/29/2008, 10:52 AM   #327
The Grim Reefer
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I will get excited about LEDs when the manufacturers post comparative numbers using a named lamp and reflector as well as distance from the fixture.

This deal of saying the LED's produce as much light as a 20K halide is a load of crap. There are some pretty pathetic 20K halides out there.

Give me a comparison of a XM 20K 250 running in a PFO parallel reflector 20" from the fixture THEN I'll THINK ABOUT IT.


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Unread 11/25/2009, 04:12 PM   #328
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Unread 05/22/2010, 09:37 AM   #329
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freeskier98 View Post
Its an old MH reflector turned upside down....
adds in the light penetration to my corals
BTW i added the salt and my school of 15 nemos yesterday. But about half of them are napping on the sand... they sleepy


keep it up waterkeeper, youve helped a lot over the past few months =)

Is this guy serious?.... like wow....


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Unread 05/22/2010, 09:41 AM   #330
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Grim Reefer View Post
I will get excited about LEDs when the manufacturers post comparative numbers using a named lamp and reflector as well as distance from the fixture.

This deal of saying the LED's produce as much light as a 20K halide is a load of crap. There are some pretty pathetic 20K halides out there.

Give me a comparison of a XM 20K 250 running in a PFO parallel reflector 20" from the fixture THEN I'll THINK ABOUT IT.
Some grave robber digs up this old thread and I see this post. Funny stuff. I just completed my first LED fixture


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Unread 08/17/2010, 08:08 AM   #331
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Grim Reefer View Post
Some grave robber digs up this old thread and I see this post. Funny stuff. I just completed my first LED fixture
Back from the dead. How is the LED fixture you made?


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Unread 08/17/2010, 10:21 AM   #332
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thrlride View Post
Back from the dead. How is the LED fixture you made?
I still don't have the tank set up but the fixture should give me PAR in the 150's or better at the bottom, does 170's with no water in the tank.

This is what the dirty tank looks like empty with the lights on




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Unread 08/18/2010, 12:25 PM   #333
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Those puppies seem to peak near 420nm!


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Unread 08/18/2010, 12:44 PM   #334
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It's a mix of 52 royal blues that peak around 450, 8 Warm Whites that or probably around 3000K and 24 6500K Cool Whites but they are the higher output XPG emitters so make things a lot brighter. The look isn't as blue as the pic shows, I'd guess somewhere between a 15K and strong blue 20K halide.


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Unread 12/01/2012, 08:22 PM   #335
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Freeskier98 View Post
Question:

I just finished cyclying my tank and everything checks out fine
tmp 80
nitrate 0
amonia 0
nitrite 0

took a month too.

Is it safe to add the salt now?
Bump.........what a bummer!


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Unread 12/01/2012, 08:26 PM   #336
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Not sure why this question is in a 5 year old lighting thread


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Unread 12/01/2012, 10:01 PM   #337
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Post padding LOL.


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Unread 03/19/2014, 11:07 AM   #338
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Time for a Lighting update. Lighting moves on. Experts, Share your knowledge please about the newer LEDs and their progress.


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Unread 03/19/2014, 03:13 PM   #339
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I;'m being sold on LED's more and more every day. different people have different ideas on color balance but if you want max par per your watt of power they are there. When Grim built his fixture 4 years ago it was hard to find LED that gave more than 80 Lumns per Watt. Today there are loads out there pushing the 140 limns range. Bot Philips and Cree have some in research pushing 200 lumns per watt and claim they will available to the public by year end.


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Unread 04/26/2014, 04:40 PM   #340
chon
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LEDs

I see a lot of LEDs for sell now and have been thinking of geting one for my tank. dose any one know about them or if they are any good.


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Unread 04/28/2014, 12:11 PM   #341
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I have gone to all LED's after about 3 years of experimenting with them. Every time CREE comes out wth a new series they get better and better for the DIY builder. Out of the commercial systems out there there is such a mix between outright garbage and fantastic systems it is unbelievable. But unfortunately price is not any indication of quality as far as your Corals are concerned. You can get a $200 system that will outperform some of the $800 systems, and you can get a $600 system that will preform the $1200 systems. Be aware of the extra bells and whistles like multichannel dimming and moon light phases that add price to the fixture without adding any value to the corals. Make sure they are using quality LED's And keep in mind that a 10 LED's running at 1/2 watt each may be more power efficient than 1 LED running at 6 watts but the cost to build the system is probably 5 times more.

Personal experience is a well designed balance of LED's will guve you the same results if not better than HO T-5's running twice the Wattage without, additional cost of regular T-5 bulb replacements. and when you switched form Metal Hides to T-5's you probably already saw the savings on electricity already.

Note if you PAR minded I have no problem getting 200 PAR on the substrate of 24" tall tanks at roughly 2 Watts per gallon with the latest LED's. Some day I suspect it will imprive to be able to do this at 1 Watt per Gallon.


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Unread 04/28/2014, 12:33 PM   #342
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I think a new thread should have been started. This one is NINE YEARS OLD


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