ilostnemo
Aquarium Advice Addict
id say no to the leds... id go with 18 inch t5s or pcs.
Do those LED kits include blue leds? Im betting those whites are 6500k and that means yellow looking tank. YUCK! Id make sure it includes blue leds that have good PAR. Seems to me that a PC light would cost much much less and provide more light than LEDs.
LEDs seem like the Hybrid cars...They are more efficient, yes but the regular gas cars cost so much less that they are the best still.
Will LEDs grow SPS corals? If not, then absolutely no reason to not go PC here with such a small tank.
You could build your own LED driver and save even more money. They arent all that hard to build either. Just a constant current driver that can put enough voltage across your LEDs to forward bias them. A beefy voltage regulator could be used. Some capable of several amps of current draw with a 37v operating voltage.
EDIT: Doesnt 6500k grow algae like nothing else? Seems to me these LED setups will likely have algae problems to deal with. Might just offset the benefit to having LEDs...
Matt
i dont agree. lol
Out of all the options, a PC light would be better? I really have to disagree. While its true, not much is known about LED's several things are known. When you do it right, you get about the same PAR as a HQI bulb at about half the wattage. They also have a lifespan of 50-80,000 hours or something before the spectrum shifts. Even at the low end, that 13 years of 10 hours a day. In the same span you would have to replace your PC bulbs over 75 times at 20 dollars a piece. yikes. Not to even mention how much they save you on electricity.
LEDs will grow just about anything, again provided its done correctly. Not to mention when he is done with this tank, he can pop off the LEDs and carry them over to a new project with ease.
I'm not sure about the LEDs in that package, and i havent looked at the spectrum chart in awhile, but i know they are not yellow, and do not grow algae like crazy.
id honestly want to see more success stories before i sink this much into lighting when i could get something alot cheaper and know it works for a fact
plus you have to spend the time putting it together. why not just go to flipping radioshack and buy leds from there? lol i mean really
Jimbo-Id have your back on the LED idea if they could guarantee a color temp. above 10000k or so. The tolerance given on the referenced LEDs is absolutely terrible. Thats too much money to spend on such uncertainty for me...
I most deffinately agree that if done right, the LED path is the best if they rival MH...They cost the most up front, but cost the least over years to come. One problem is that better things will come out before these LEDs need to be replaced. Sinking alot of money into something like that right now might be a bad idea for someone with little money to spend.
I plan to one day go LED, but will keep my t5's until better things come out. Now, when they can guarantee 12000k LEDs and offer than cheaper, I will be on board.
LEDs are the hybrid cars of today. Simply havent beat the competition yet.
Matt