LED Reef Lights

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Moose72

Moose72

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
57
Location
OKC, OK
Hi, I'm new to this site and I'm wondering what everyones thoughts are on led reef lights and whether or not they can sustain coral growth? I've been looking into building my own, but it's a big investment without knowing whether or not it will work, so if anyone has tried LEDs or knows anything about their ability in the reef system please let me know.
 
LED is the Best choice IMO because it gives off low heat and lots of light. I would say about 3 watts per gallon for LPS, zoos, leathers, mushrooms, polyps, and basically most corals. But I'd say 4 watts per gallon for SPS and Clams. I'd recommend checking the PAR on the fixture though. Anyway that's just my opinion. Hope that it helped.
 
Yeah it helps! I'm looking to build my own fixture though. I'm looking at using the Cree XR-E LEDs, it should be much cheaper than buying a fixture.
 
Do some searches for Ecoxotic panorama LEDs, I have them and love em. With LEDs, watts per gallon means nothing. If it did, none of my sps should be growing. Just do a search, I'm a true believer in them.
 
Yeah I've seen those reviews as well. Just keep in mind, American aquarium is the main distributor here in the US for aquaray and I've called their customer support, and if you grill the guy, he really, just repeats the aquabeam specs. I couldn't get a straight answer out of him. Also, I personally know someone how as a 75 gallon tank with aquabeam 600's, four of them, and he's not very impressed. Four is the recommended amount by American aquarium. I do know someone else who does love the aquabeam 1000 though, it's a little different of a comparison. On the other hand, I've had my Ecoxotic panoramas for around a year, and I'm very happy and impressed. Couldn't be happier. And trust me, if I wasn't, I would be the first to scream and squeal to everyone everywhere. Especially for the price. Just my experience, but I would love to hear other's experiences since LEDs are rapidly evolving.
 
Hmmm will definitely look into purchasing the aquabeam's as well then. I will also look into ecoxotic again
 
I love DIYs. And if you are looking to build one yourself without soldering much, go to here http://www.creativelightings.com/mobile/default.aspx#C1056 they have led pucks that come in strings of 20 but they do custom jobs so you could do 30. And each one is about 2.60. I'd get 13 white and 17 blue then you can hook them up on 1 12 DC power sources for 15. So that would be a total of $93. Cheap huh? Then you can Mount them on a cheap light fixtures which aquatraders.com sells. You can get one for under 50 with shipping so there's a cheap LED fixture for under 150. And each LED puck is about 3w so that's 90w. That should be great for a 55.
 
I have LED Reef lights, and i love them! I have a 48" and a 36" marineland reef light on my 75Gal, and my corals due better under them, then my old 4HO T5, and 2LO T5. My marineland LED REEF lights togeather put out a total of 6,000 Lums. Better then MH's, and 6T5's. And I never have to change a buld out. :)
 
that's not true at all. A single 400 watt halide puts out 40,000 lumens, and a single high output t5 lamp puts out 5000.
here is a graph to chew on:
img_1465302_0_f2f07bc3b7e2a00ff963b112cd10f62f.gif

Not all LED fixtures can support corals, even though they say they can.
i have heard good things about the aqua illuminations SOL fixtures.
 
do you have any idea how many lumens a 250W MH bulb puts out?
 
That's not true, who ever told you this or were ever your getting your information from is a dumb a**. A 150w MH will mabey put out 850Lums. But a 400w MH will be closer around 3000-3600Lums, no 40,000. This is what happens when one gets all there information from the Internet, from someone that does not know there own stuff. Mr X did you make that graph yourself in paint? One would figure, 40,000Lums on a 400w MH. LOL, nice joke.
 
All these website are lying? **** ya, it's people like yourself who fall for all this bs on the Internet. Then go around and buy it. It's to sell the product. Why would you buy a MH buld from a LFS, when you can get one better online. Check again, they probley don't even put out half the lums, nor are they as good for corals. It's prob the same as a 150w or 250w MH, around 1200 Lums and up. No 40,000. They can put this bs on the internet, because it's not the same product, and you don't know what it looks like intel you get it. That's it. Over all I would rather have my LED REEF lights then your over heating MH.




i think it's the other way around. YOU were the one who was misinformed.
Sorry you got screwed on those LED fixture
 
ENTER_NAME said:
All these website are lying? **** ya, it's people like yourself who fall for all this bs on the Internet. Then go around and buy it. It's to sell the product. Why would you buy a MH buld from a LFS, when you can get one better online. Check again, they probley don't even put out half the lums, nor are they as good for corals. It's prob the same as a 150w or 250w MH, around 1200 Lums and up. No 40,000. They can put this bs on the internet, because it's not the same product, and you don't know what it looks like intel you get it. That's it. Over all I would rather have my LED REEF lights then your over heating MH.
Click to expand...
 
ok. well then, show me the data that disproves all of the websites i posted. BTW, there is a thing called FRAUD, and FALSE ADVERTISING which are actually crimes. People stating that their product performs 20 x what it really does are guilty of this and are able to be prosecuted. Do you think companies like General electric, Sylvania, and Phillips would be willing to risk this for a few dollars?

Do you think it's possible that the people who sold you these fixtures could have lied to you?
Do you think this could be just information, posted to help folks who are considering reef lighting, and not a personal attack on you?

*edit* I've used lux meters on various lighting fixtures and have found the above data to be correct, just FYI.
 
Last edited:
These light bulbs from General electric, Sylvania, and Phillips are not true saltwater light bulbs sold in LFS. There for the K, is more likely a standard 67k not a 10k. This is were our confusion could be. I am thinking of a standard 10k saltwater light buld, compared to the 67k you are talking about. There diffrenet spectrums, there for the output of light is diffrent of an avarage 10k bulb, that I use.
 
the color temperature is not going to effect the lumen output that drastically.
it doesn't matter if they are sold in a pet store or home depot.
i'm still waiting for the data disproving my facts.
 
I did. The 67k, compared to my 10k bulb will produce different lums, because there diffrenet spectrums. Yes it does matter. One that's made for fish/corals and the other being the 67k lighting the outside of your house. There's a reason why 67k MH bulbs are not used in alot of saltwater tanks, because they help in algae growth.
 
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