Is it viable to use many high intensity LEDs to cover the spectrums required by plants for lighting your tank? I realize that LEDs are VERY expensive when considering high intensity LEDs but as they begin to have more widespread use as home lighting (Luxeon's lights for example developed in conjunction with Sandia nat. lab) the costs should quickly drop. LEDs offer a far greater lifespan, less heat, and more light emission per watt consumed versus fluorescent lighting (additionally they offer more versatility in the way in which your lighting can be arranged and can be controlled for full "dimmability" whereby you could emulate a sunrise by having the voltage gradually increase for the lighting array rather than suddenly bathing the fish in bright light all of a sudden).
The real question here is: Does anyone know whether or not there are arrays of LEDs or several separate LEDs a person could utilize to cover the appropriate light spectrum for allowing plants to grow?
The real question here is: Does anyone know whether or not there are arrays of LEDs or several separate LEDs a person could utilize to cover the appropriate light spectrum for allowing plants to grow?