L.E.D's

[redfishsc]

Your LFS is kinda right, but not totally.

 

In very shallow water (around 10m, ~30ft) the light spectrum is much more "full" and there is more red and orange/amber light represented, and this is what shallow water SPS corals tend to like. But they grow just fine under 20K halide bulbs that have nearly NO red light output at all.

 

 

Plus, coral seem to be amazing at photoadaptation. Just the fact that I can take a coral from one tank with a very blue 20K bulb and put it in a tank with a very warm, white looking 10K bulb (with careful light acclimation) it will frequently grow just fine in either tank. Just takes time to adapt.

 

 

I personally think that blue light is much more effective and efficient for us to give corals, and it looks great.

 

 

As for your LFS wanting to sell more T5s and halides, keep in mind that VERY VERY few LFS's actually sell full-monty LED arrays right now because few people are making GOOD ones.

 

Orbitek owns the patent on using LEDs over an aquarium and they ARE apparently aggressive with this lawsuit, so nobody legit other than a few importers are making LED arrays.

 

Thus most LFS will not be able to carry high-power LED arrays---- so many of them will use scare tactics to ward people away from stuff you can buy online (either DIY or high-power import stuff like Maxspect).

 

 

In this hobby, we should support our LFS but we should NEVER--- EVER--- wholesale believe everything they say. They are as prone to being wrong as anyone else-- just because they own a store doesn't make them an expert on everything they sell.

[blasterman]

Awhile back Sanjay Joshi did some spectral analysis on Reef halides - here's the link.

 

Now compare those harsh spikes of reef halides to a typical cool white Cree LED. Doeasn't matter which one - they all share a similiar response curve. From a comparitive standpoint the LED has a vastly smoother and more even spectrum than reef orientated halides or T5's.

 

If anything, the cool-white LED is wasting energy producing colors that have no benefit for photosynthesis, which is why we augment with royal blue, which matches the peaks found in halides and T5's.

 

LFS stores are hurting right now because they're not keeping up with technology and getting butchered by the online trade which skips them as a source of retail. So, retail stores will tell you anything to get you to buy something they are selling. I've yet to encounter one with even a basic concept of LED technology.

[Trick]

So does this mean that CW LED's shouldn't be used?

[Hans Dorn]

So does this mean that CW LED's shouldn't be used?

You could probably light your tank with blue LEDs alone. The whites are for your viewing pleasure

[Pyrocide]

Just as a statement of growth with strict LEDs only for SPS.

 

I have added about 6 different SPS corals since my replacing of MH with LEDs.

 

Since that time. my monti caps have gained .5 inch of growth in a solid month under LEDs. A valida i added a week after the monti has gained 4 new good size branches and almost every tip on it has new VISIBLE growth. A plug of sunset monti have completely grown over the entire plug and about .25 inch outwards on the rock it is stuck on, this was my first SPS I had under LEDs, the starting colony on the frag, about the size of a dime, if not smaller.

 

I currently have 12 CW and 12 RB on a 29. I am about to move to a 90G and am currently upgrading my light fixture to 48 LEDs, I am also considering creating a 8 TV strip to line my 36in fixture. My newest build is going to have cool blues, cool whites, royal blues and neutral whites. The violets and blues are for growth, and whites for brighting up the tank and not being blue.

 

I have only come across 2 LFS with LED fixture on disply in their store. Both are from Unique LEDs and ridiculously over priced. $2400 on a light sitting ontop of a 54 corner.

[lizardfish]

my coral are growing faster and coloring up better under leds. i did worry about the missing spectrum but now they have 420nm leds so with the right mix you can have full spectrum

[Brillig]

LED's are only one wavelength not a FULL SPECTRUM.

 

I see this poster has admitted his (?) mistake gratefully, so I don't want to jab, but it does seem here that (s)he is confusing LEDs with laser light.

[redfishsc]

I see this poster has admitted his (?) mistake gratefully, so I don't want to jab, but it does seem here that (s)he is confusing LEDs with laser light.

 

No--- they were confusing color temperature with spectrum and wavelength. Although I see where you'd get that idea.

 

 

A well made laser might be a sweet way to kill aiptasia. hmmmm..... off to go browse candlepowerforums... got an idea

[h3llphyre]

A well made laser might be a sweet way to kill aiptasia. hmmmm..... off to go browse candlepowerforums... got an idea

 

Look up "Laser Mosquito Killer". Some awesome stuff.

[doctaq]

i saw that, the most expensive possible solution to the problem most common to the poorest areas..kinda like the south park cure for aids

[redfishsc]

I'm still thinking a very strong blue laser would melt an aiptasia. Perhaps even through the glass.

 

Then again maybe I've seen too much Star Trek.

[lizardfish]

if a red led is underwater almost tuching a acro it will bleach a spot so a laser that can light a match cant should kill them right?

 

if a red led is underwater almost tuching a acro it will bleach a spot so a laser that can light a match should kill them right?

[Pilg0re]

if a red led is underwater almost tuching a acro it will bleach a spot so a laser that can light a match cant should kill them right?

 

if a red led is underwater almost tuching a acro it will bleach a spot so a laser that can light a match should kill them right?

 

uhhh what?

[Trick]

a laser that can light a match can kill aptasia. thats what he's trying to say.

[sirbiggstixx]

^+1

 

Get ready for the sh*t storm.

 

They work just as well, or better, as any other lighting.

 

So let me guess, you wrote this without doing any real world experiments and just looked at a sheet of paper and made this conclusion?

 

what would you recommend on a 30 gallon..how many would i need..i have a power compact 2x55 10000k daylights/other actinid..also a coralife t5 ho 1x31 10000k daylight and 1x31 actinic..thanks..always wanted to try leds..have heard good things about them and a few negs about them..keep me posted thanks..

[Zeadon]

i just want to point out (incase no one has done so already). You CAN peak at 460nm but you CAN'T peak at 6500k.

 

460nm is a one wavelength

 

6500k represents a ratio of the MANY different wavelengths, to give a specific colour. so to say that it is peaking at 6500k doesn't make sense.

[ReggieF]

This thread should be closed.

[h3llphyre]

i saw that, the most expensive possible solution to the problem most common to the poorest areas..kinda like the south park cure for aids

 

Yeah, but it's AWESOME. Plus, while it's working, you get to yell "PEW PEW PEW"

[Hans Dorn]

i just want to point out (incase no one has done so already). You CAN peak at 460nm but you CAN'T peak at 6500k.

 

460nm is a one wavelength

 

6500k represents a ratio of the MANY different wavelengths, to give a specific colour. so to say that it is peaking at 6500k doesn't make sense.

6500K peaks at 445.81nm

 

 

 

[doctaq]

you can have a peak at 6700k, my reefbrites which represent all of led technology told me so

[redfishsc]

To the original post here--

 

 

You manned up and confessed the mistake, and I applaud that. But you're going to get nutcases and posers who can't read a thread through---- they're still going to be bashing you.

 

Maybe edit your first post some at the opening line like this:

 

EDIT: I stand corrected on the information below-- thanks----

[cptbjorn]

but OP has to be thoroughly berated and bashed until the thread dies naturally, i just don't see how that would work without the bashing.

[ReggieF]

but OP has to be thoroughly berated and bashed until the thread dies naturally, i just don't see how that would work without the bashing.

He should be praising LEDs now that he knows that they are more of a full spectrum light than MH and that's what he was saying was so great about MH...

 

However, it is pretty impressive to see that MH peaks near 450 nm and still appears as bright as they do to our eyes. Given that we can't see this lower frequency light nearly as well as green and red, yet they still appear very bright is pretty impressive.

[doctaq]

but OP has to be thoroughly berated and bashed until the thread dies naturally, i just don't see how that would work without the bashing.

 

you know how in left4dead after all the survivors are down the game is over but the zombies keep stomping you?

[redfishsc]

However, it is pretty impressive to see that MH peaks near 450 nm and still appears as bright as they do to our eyes. Given that we can't see this lower frequency light nearly as well as green and red, yet they still appear very bright is pretty impressive.

 

 

To my eye, some of the 20K bulbs like Radiums and XM-20Ks look pitifully dim.