Lighting for Corals & Expenses

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alright i missed the t5 part my bad.. and i have a feeling t5s will be around for quite a while. and wow im pretty sure people could tell it was a joke. and its his choice in the long but he also needs to know about other options and that leds havent been around as long as others so its not as well known how well they will do..
 
The problem with LEDs are that they need to meet a better color temp. tolerance than what the majority of the population will be using them for.

Manufacturers arent going to put much effort into improving their LED tolerance unless reef tanks can rival every day people looking to simply illuminate a room. :)

LEDs that meet tight color tolerances will no doubt be costly to us, always. Thats just the way things go sadly. 5000k-8000k is just fine for the millions of people that will just be lighting up their kitchen. So thats millions compared to the thousands that will be lighting up their corals.

Simple solution...Get EVERYONE into reef tanking!:p

Matt
 
ilostnemo said:
i dont agree. lol
Click to expand...

Now I know how you "lostnemo" :lol!:

Joking aside, if it was a fish only tank you could probably get away with a hydrometer and set your SG to around 1.022. However, the OP has mentioned having a reef tank and even more specifically reference to sps. So I will say it again. A refractometer is a must.
 
ryshark said:
Now I know how you "lostnemo" :lol!:

Joking aside, if it was a fish only tank you could probably get away with a hydrometer and set your SG to around 1.022. However, the OP has mentioned having a reef tank and even more specifically reference to sps. So I will say it again. A refractometer is a must.
Click to expand...
haha, and well my reef has done fine with a hydrometer. and well that is true with sps. so this is the one time i will agree :)
 
I'm gonna need someone to confirm this, but the range of K doesnt fluctuate randomly. It is dependent on how much power you run through them. LEDs are made for dimming and being controlled and that is facilitated by the amount of power through them. When they are at full power their wavelength is stable.
 
MRG02D

Don't be so concerned about the color spectrum. Out of everything I have read from experienced reefers with pictures to prove their success, that is not an issue. In fact they are reported to look in the 20k range when you have the correct combo of white and blue.
IMO, recommending PC lighting is like recommending a VHS player.
 
ryshark said:
Don't be so concerned about the color spectrum. Out of everything I have read from experienced reefers with pictures to prove their success, that is not an issue. In fact they are reported to look in the 20k range when you have the correct combo of white and blue.
IMO, recommending PC lighting is like recommending a VHS player.
Click to expand...

must...give...more...repppp
it wont let meeee.
 
When I try to get some work done from home, I need to learn to stay off the internet. I've accomplished not a whole lot today... thanks guys lol
 
A potential issue with todays LED tech for reef lighting is that it will become a VHS down the road. :) No one will want to buy it off ya either, so youll be stuck wanting better and sticking the less (unless you have money).

Seems to me that investing in an LED setup for a 10g tank is a bit wasteful. Why spend nearly $200 on something for a tank that small? I know the trend is to go bigger and bigger on tanks. I dont see an LED setup meant for a 10g working well on a 55g.

Here is another issue with LEDs on a tank that small: If I am understanding correctly that LED color temp goes up as you near full power, then what happens when you find you have too much PAR (10g tank is shallow) and you need to decrease power? I am assuming that your color temp will drop down to the lower end. Possibly right where nuisance algae like it best? It may still be pleasing to our eyes (lots of blue will offset yellow easily) but wont the algae see the 5000k like its the only thing there?

LED lighting seems to be overkill for a small tank like this. I would still suggest t5 if SPS is desired and PC if no SPS is planned. PC will cost $65.00 and no doubt light up a 10g just fine. t5 may also be too much PAR, but will keep SPS happy.

If you have the cash to invest in a new tech like LED, then you might as well invest in a larger tank too so you dont cook everything.

Its like getting a Ferrari to go to the grocery store IMO...

Matt
 
mrg02d said:
A potential issue with todays LED tech for reef lighting is that it will become a VHS down the road. :) No one will want to buy it off ya either, so youll be stuck wanting better and sticking the less (unless you have money).

same can be said with any technology. someday kids will be tossing around blu-ray discs and have 1TB flash drives. doesnt mean its not worth experimenting with now.

Seems to me that investing in an LED setup for a 10g tank is a bit wasteful. Why spend nearly $200 on something for a tank that small? I know the trend is to go bigger and bigger on tanks. I dont see an LED setup meant for a 10g working well on a 55g.

I'm setting up 18 LEDs on a 12 gallon, purely as an experimental system. I needed a tank for college and i want to try and advance the knowledge in the community if i can. And if it's awesome, and i want to upgrade, all you have to do is unscrew them from the heatsink and screw them back in for a new config. If anything they are the most versatile lighting system out there. You cant put your 70w HQI to use over a new like 180g tank.

Here is another issue with LEDs on a tank that small: If I am understanding correctly that LED color temp goes up as you near full power, then what happens when you find you have too much PAR (10g tank is shallow) and you need to decrease power? I am assuming that your color temp will drop down to the lower end. Possibly right where nuisance algae like it best? It may still be pleasing to our eyes (lots of blue will offset yellow easily) but wont the algae see the 5000k like its the only thing there?

Like i said, im not sure. I thought thats how it worked but its nothing more then an educated guess. I would be interested in any finding you have on the subject. So far in all my reading there has been no mention of feeding nuisance algae, so i have to imagine we are overlooking something.
LED lighting seems to be overkill for a small tank like this. I would still suggest t5 if SPS is desired and PC if no SPS is planned. PC will cost $65.00 and no doubt light up a 10g just fine. t5 may also be too much PAR, but will keep SPS happy.

True, these would be fine, but he was specifically interested in LED even after these options were given to him.

If you have the cash to invest in a new tech like LED, then you might as well invest in a larger tank too so you dont cook everything.

I dont have room for a 55 gallon in an apartment, but i want a sick amount of SPS. Such is life.
Its like getting a Ferrari to go to the grocery store IMO...

Matt
Click to expand...


lol you really like your car analogies. If i had a ferrari, i would drive it like there was no tomorrow. even to the grocery store :)
 
A potential issue with todays LED tech for reef lighting is that it will become a VHS down the road. :) No one will want to buy it off ya either, so youll be stuck wanting better and sticking the less (unless you have money).
You can say that about anything, its like saying don't buy an LED or Plasma TV because someday nobody will buy it off you.

Seems to me that investing in an LED setup for a 10g tank is a bit wasteful. Why spend nearly $200 on something for a tank that small? I know the trend is to go bigger and bigger on tanks. I dont see an LED setup meant for a 10g working well on a 55g.
You could be right about this T5HO would work fine.

Here is another issue with LEDs on a tank that small: If I am understanding correctly that LED color temp goes up as you near full power, then what happens when you find you have too much PAR (10g tank is shallow) and you need to decrease power? I am assuming that your color temp will drop down to the lower end. Possibly right where nuisance algae like it best? It may still be pleasing to our eyes (lots of blue will offset yellow easily) but wont the algae see the 5000k like its the only thing there?
Good point, I don't know if anybody knows for sure yet.
LED lighting seems to be overkill for a small tank like this. I would still suggest t5 if SPS is desired and PC if no SPS is planned. PC will cost $65.00 and no doubt light up a 10g just fine. t5 may also be too much PAR, but will keep SPS happy.
OP did mention sps

If you have the cash to invest in a new tech like LED, then you might as well invest in a larger tank too so you dont cook everything.

Its like getting a Ferrari to go to the grocery store IMO...
I am loving the analogies in this thread
 
haha rysharkkk i winnnn. 3 minutes too slow suckaaa.

but really, its kinda scary how similar our posts are.
 
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