Snake oil or sliced bread...

[MarineFlake]

You decide..The units aren't cheap but if their claims are true it could change the course of reef keeping..

http://www.solarisled.com/

 

[Innovator]

very interesting review and even moreso when there are some greater comparison/contrasts by skeptics

 

[ntswift]

I've heard about that before but I've never actually seen one in person or talked to anyone that has. Definately a sweet idea! Hurts my wallet just thinking about it though!

 

[loyalrogue]

Given the technology that's available it was only a matter of time.

Hmmmm... how easy and cheap do you think it would be to get a couple of hundred white and blue LEDs wired-up to a couple of power supplies and timers?
I see people on Ebay selling do-it-yourself moonlight LED kits for dirt cheap so obviously the parts aren't that big an investment...

While not as sophisticated as their fully dimmable computer controlled setup, I think you could easily make a basic 3-cord, 3-timer LED hood if you could find the right wavelength LEDs.
Maybe something like a layout of 200 daylight LEDs on one circuit, 200 actinic blue LEDs on a second circuit, and 20 "blue moon" LEDs on a third circuit, each with their own on/off timers?

I might have to start a new pet-project soon...

 

[roka64]

That looks very interesting! I was looking into the 72", that would hurt my wallet!

 

[ellisz]

We talked about these at a metting we had locally with Steven Pro. They are very expensive and the longevity of the leds will remain to be seen. I believe T5's and PC bulbs were supposed to revolutionize the industry with longer bulb life and intensity.

I believe they had a booth at MACNA with a PAR meter on a LED fixture and a PC/T5 fixture. The meters were not identical though.

The jury is still out.

 

[loyalrogue]

Here is an excellent and pretty detailed comparision of these LED arrays to Metal Halides: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/review2

 

[roka64]

So, how hard is it to replace the LEDs if there is a problem?
How much do they cost?
They only offer a 2 year warranty, but claim the LEDs will last for 11.4 years.
I mean there is definitely a savings of not having to purchase new bulbs every 6-9 months....but....
Loyalrogue, that was a great article.

 

[lando]

Very interesting. I am not ready to give up MH yet. the article in the link offered some sound data and it appeared to be a legit study, comparatively. However, i would like to see more data on actual coral growth rates under the different types of lights, controlling for all other tank parameters.

 

[english-nick]

For those interested in the DIY aspect with regards to LED lighting, there is a thread on reefcentral detailing a DIY nano-LED tank.

The guy ordered an immense quantity of led's from Hong Kong; soldered them all in to place (no easy feat as the numbers are mind boggling even on a nano tank), and then set up the tank. From what I remember, corals did survive under his lighting. Coraline did spread. I think his biggest hurddle to overcome was the small sive of the tank (8 gallon).

I'll try to find the link to his posts -- definitely an interesting read.

 

[english-nick]

here it is:

http://www.reefcentral.org/forums/showthread.php?s=772d2e7d2654270701a3edc55a119914&threadid=727139