MH and LED....OMG!

[FireWater]

Mine don't run at 100% so I am not sure what my drop is. My Sols haven't been up for 20 months and unfortunately you have hit on one of the drawbacks of led. It is still a new technology in reefs so it is changing rapidly. My Sols work perfect, but I want to see if the Vegas are that much better. One of the good things about the Vega is the fact that it is now truly interchangeable, so I can adjust to what ever I like by changing pucks. So even if it does start to lose par or pur or whatever I can replace pucks at a fraction of the cost.

And Chris, mine are not in the boxes. They are open and sitting next to the tank.

[FireWater]

yea i read that also, that if driven at 100% they start loose "power".

Metal halide make you sweat and your fat fingers slid on the keyboard? Are they loose and fixing to fall or do they lose power? Lol

[allan]

Loose power can be a dangerous thing indeed, losing power on the LEDs, now that's something else entirely.

3% over 10 years leaves you at 70%, right? Or 74% if the loss is related solely to the remaining efficiency. It doesn't really sound too bad either way.

At 5 years... Which seems to be far beyond what many stay with a particular set up leaves you at 85/86% efficiency.

A $200 400 MH set up, replacing bulbs annually at about $100 a bulb still puts you up at around 7 bills over five years or $1,200 at ten years.

I've got two led set ups now... And my MH are sitting off to the side waiting to be tagged in. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Big_Pun]

Metal halide make you sweat and your fat fingers slid on the keyboard? Are they loose and fixing to fall or do they lose power? Lol

up late working on projects for school and on 2 hours sleep. fyi red bull does not give you wings!

[350gt]

all these vegas floating around and all in boxes!


Its nice to have lights your completely happy with up and running and have lights that are supposed to be better sitting in there boxes just waiting to replace lights that don't need replacing.....

[350gt]

Lol my sols haven't even been up 6 months... :)

why would I worry about power loss? I don't plan to keep the Vegas 5 years...


And believe me I didn't buy LEDs for electricity savings... Even though I throw that out there... I buy them cause they work and they look way better than a MH bulb (IMO)...... Plus they do way more than turn on and off...

[Big_Pun]

Lol my sols haven't even been up 6 months... :)

why would I worry about power loss? I don't plan to keep the Vegas 5 years...


And believe me I didn't buy LEDs for electricity savings... Even though I throw that out there... I buy them cause they work and they look way better than a MH bulb (IMO)...... Plus they do way more than turn on and off...

OMG hes awake!!

[350gt]

Ya bro...

The planets aligned today with the pyramids in Giza.. Lol seriously they did.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/08/december-3rd-2012-planets-align-with-giza-pyramids-for-the-1st-time-in-2737-years-2454374.html

[rrasco]

Ya bro...

The planets aligned today with the pyramids in Giza.. Lol seriously they did.

http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/08/december-3rd-2012-planets-align-with-giza-pyramids-for-the-1st-time-in-2737-years-2454374.html

That is awesome.

[rrasco]

Dang it Tony. I thought it was real....

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/20/planetary-alignment-pyramid-scheme/#.ULzIT4Z9S9M

[350gt]

me too :/


now I can send that link to my wife and unscare her.... lol

[alton]

My lighting reps have told us that LEDs last 50,000 hours with a 3% drop off each year versus 10% and 25,000 hours with MH. Running at 100% did not come into the equation. What I am trying to find out is are they holding up to the 3%? What I have heard and seen they are definitely not holding up to the 50,00 hours. We installed 70 LED pole lights in El Paso at a Border Station (cost around $200,000) Now a year later the manufacture realizes they have a problem and wants us to change all of them out with new and improved fixtures.

[allan]

We have similar issues with the OR lamps. Now we're fixing to move led lamps into our field hospital. Should be good for human use though, as long as the entire frequency is available.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TwistedMind]

I use maxspect mazzara p led moduales. I never had a aquarium before and these are the first lights I used but, I am overall happy with them. Never having used MH I can't compare.

All of my LPS is alive, though growing slower than I thought it would, but again I have never done this before so who knows if it's lights or husbandry, or coral just grows slower than I thought it would.

I bought a pink ausie wall hammer from GC Reef about a month and a half ago and it has went from a dirty brownish peach color GC had it under their MH to a beautiful light pink tips with almost clear polyps in the time it has been in my tank.

I added a single polyp Darth Mal Paly a month ago and it is starting to form it's fourth head,
My Mary Jane paly went from a single polyp to 2 ~ 1 baby,
my armour of god went from one polyp to three polyps ~ 2 babys,
my frogspawn appears to have grown in the 5ish months it's been in the tank but it's still a single head and has less polyp extension but it's getting alot of direct light,
my other hammer i got from GC Reef had two heads that were just starting to split, and in 2 months it completed the split on one head and has started growing more skelaton while the other head is still filling in its split with skelaton.

My Rastas started off awesome and popped new heads like crazy but then a couple of the big polyps melted, and now it just looks sad but appears to be making a recovery. The melting coinsided with a nitrate spike to 100ppm.

My peach aussie lobo brain went from peach with bright neon green mouths to a red/purple color with neon green mouths , it is growing and currently engaged in warfare with some trash zoas i have sitting to close to it.

my green BTA fully expands in the morning and evening but midday during the brightest lighting it completly retracts into its foot and hides under it's overhang until the light chills out really ****ing off my clowns. Sadly the BTA is still really bleached despite being in my tank for 2 months.

I have officially killed 2 frags of birdsnest, one pink, one green with purple polyps, I have a third frag that is mostly dead but still has a very small part that has some polyps left so I am hoping it recovers.


Overall I think most of my problems are from lack of husbandry experiance. The hardy corals remain hardy, the finicky corals die. I can't definitivly say any of it has anythig to do with lights.

I started dosing organic carbon a week ago, hoping to get my nitrate down, its currently sitting at 40ppm.

[FireWater]

Alton, go in halves with me on a par meter and we will do the research on the new Vegas.

[Big_Pun]

Alton, go in halves with me on a par meter and we will do the research on the new Vegas.

par meter does not accuratley measure LED's. PAR Meters measure the spectrum associated with photosynthesis. The Royal Blue and Cree Cool White have a very nice 450nm spike which would give you a high PAR reading relative to a brighter light with a more even spectrum.

[alton]

par meter does not accuratley measure LED's

Chris I beg to differ, just because a light is very bright doesn't mean it produces the light used to grow plants and coral. Example: Marineland LED (we all agree bottom of the tree for LEDs) 4000 foot candles, but only a PAR reading of 200 at the top of the tank. I made the mistake of putting a green birdsnest up about 1/2 way in my 40 gallon breeder and it fried it, the ones on the bottom did fine. As a comparison my 250w MH= 2500 foot candles and a PAR reading of 1900. I am growing SPS on the sand with a PAR reading of 250 on the sand. My best looking coral including my frogspawn are on the sand or in PAR level of 300.What we are learning is maybe we don't need all that much PAR to grow SPS and other corals, but a light that is more stable like LEDs that don't start out at PAR reading of 2000 like some lights and then drop off in 8 months to 1000, but maybe 500 at the top and 100 on the sand but keeps thoses levels for several years without the up and down with some MH and Fluorescents?

[FireWater]

Alton just schooled Chris.

I don't argue about lighting and electricity with Alton.

[Big_Pun]

so why are there so many articles stating useing a par meter cannot accuratly read leds, due to the individual colors

[rrasco]

With LEDs, common practice is to measure PAR and add 20%, for royal blues. Although, what we would REALLY like to know about is PUR.

[FireWater]

Because those people refuse to accept led technology. Kind of like those that think metal halide are still the best.

[Big_Pun]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2033265

[Big_Pun]

Because those people refuse to accept led technology. Kind of like those that think metal halide are still the best.

how bout you read the article, doesnt sound like he debunks leds just the meters

[rrasco]

how bout you read the article, doesnt sound like he debunks leds just the meters

I'm confused as to what your argument is. Re-reading your post, it sounded like you were saying that the spike in wavelength would give inflated readings for LEDs, thus they are not accurate. Contrary to that, if you attempt to meter a wavelength heavy in blue (450ish), T5 or LED, then you actually get underestimated numbers.

[350gt]

I've read that par meters currently used cannot read LEDs correctly.....


who knows??...I like my lights they produce enought light, little electricity, no heat even in a canopy...

you all can stay with your prehistoric lighting...... :-P

[Big_Pun]

I'm confused as to what your argument is. Re-reading your post, it sounded like you were saying that the spike in wavelength would give inflated readings for LEDs, thus they are not accurate. Contrary to that, if you attempt to meter a wavelength heavy in blue (450ish), T5 or LED, then you actually get underestimated numbers.

yes your correct if using the appogee meter they have a chart that shows you error percentage at each nano meter so depending on color the error rate differs.

[rrasco]

I've read that par meters currently used cannot read LEDs correctly.....

They can, they just drop out on the readings for the blues. The Apogee models do at least. So if you are getting 300 PAR on the sand with blues, then you have more like an estimated 360 APR.

[RayAllen]

This thread is still going, haha.

Like anything is this hobby. What works for one may not work for another. What one loves another may hate. Hell I know people who do not like the vortech Mps everyone raves about, to each their own.

Its is quite a good head scratcher though. I have no experience with LEDs except for moonlight. I do know when I was running my 3 1watt led bulbs on the 180g at night the corals would stay active a lot longer than any other moonlighting I had used in the passed. I have to say when they 1st came on to the seen I had my reservations, but Ive seen several amazing aquariums since then that are running all Leds. The same can be said about MH and T5.

Its a argument that has no end, so what is the point of this discussion other than to poke at one another. Have fun guys.

[FireWater]

how bout you read the article, doesnt sound like he debunks leds just the meters

Calm down over achiever.

Whether or not they read correctly at a given time should not relate to a measured drop in intensity or use over a period of time. If they are off by 25% today then they will be off by the same tomorrow. Using this will still give us a record of any aging and usefulness in the unit itself.

Now, if they are off by as much as 40% then I am getting some hellacious numbers on my sand bed from the Sols. When I first put them on I was getting 335 at the sand directly under the unit and 307 a foot away on the sand.

Now we can go back to the argument of par vs pur. Does it really matter? The lights we use work (led or mh) or we wouldn't still be having this discussion.

[FireWater]

Its a argument that has no end, so what is the point of this discussion other than to poke at one another. Have fun guys.

ok, you got me. And yes, I was having fun getting Chris flustered.

[rrasco]

Its is quite a good head scratcher though. I have no experience with LEDs except for moonlight. I do know when I was running my 3 1watt led bulbs on the 180g at night the corals would stay active a lot longer than any other moonlighting I had used in the passed. I have to say when they 1st came on to the seen I had my reservations, but Ive seen several amazing aquariums since then that are running all Leds. The same can be said about MH and T5.

I'm actually about to work on my programming to keep my blues on at 1/255 of max, so about 0.39%. I was worried it would produce too much light overnight and the corals would never get a 'rest'. I know you can have too much light overnight, but what about just a little usable light at night? What would the corals do? Stay open or close? I may just make a smaller moonlight strip instead though.

[Big_Pun]

yea i notice they do stay open with "moonlight" basically blue led's or in my case white and blue

[Big_Pun]

bottom line looks like you may have to replace your leds pucks sooner than expected, guess we will see when people have 5-6 year old sols

[350gt]

Lunar cycle on the ai sols has them dim some nights, bright on some, and off on a few.....

[Big_Pun]

look aquadome! still looks a lil disco-ee
http://reefbuilders.com/2012/12/03/build-my-led-video/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORV6LZpLGgI&feature=player_embedded&safety _mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

[Big_Pun]

that fixture didnt look very big for 10 bulb, so reflectors may not be individual also how old are bulbs in that fixture. lots of unknowns

[350gt]

Amazing, at 1/3 of the wattage...


Those LEDs look promising! Lol

[350gt]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/04/gezysy6y.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/04/4y7a6ava.jpg

[350gt]

All that par, 1/3 of wattage, no heat....



I choose led! I will deal with the disco effect, there are ways to minimize that....

[Big_Pun]

All that par, 1/3 of wattage, no heat....



I choose led! I will deal with the disco effect, there are ways to minimize that....

lol fixed by t5 ......

[rrasco]

I swat flies with hammers.

[allan]

I swat flies with hammers.

I glare at them sternly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[350gt]

lol fixed by t5 ......



There is other ways, but the t5s weren't placed there for disco effect, which I noticed later they did cover up the little I had. They were there to fill in the spectrum I felt was missing....
You can minimize the disco effect by lowering percents or the units themselves...



eitherway I will take all the power and everything else I mentioned in exchange for a little party on the sand bed....

cmon Chris you can't honestly say those corals didn't look better under the LEDs...

[FireWater]

Don't get pulled in Tony. It's a trap dude.


293 posts and 30 pages. I can't remember anything else that got this response since Ace set up a tank.

[alton]

Those are some nice PAR levels that you guys posted under the water( I thought PAR meters did not work for LED?) As far as Reef Central post, they still argue that you do not need a grounding probe for a GFCI to work correctly in our aquariums, I proved that one wrong at our MAAST meeting at Elegant Reef. I think some of you over looked the 4000 foot candles that that one - 1 watt led produces which burned my coral. A footcandle meter measures the brightness, but a PAR meter measures the usefulness of it?

[Reefnub]

17825

[hobogato]

nice growth pic! coloration is great too

[Reefnub]

When tank started on left and 1y6m later on the right and has been led the whole time. Proof is in the pudding, colors will come later. Don't be scare to turn to dark side

[Reefnub]

Thanks, if people Doubt growth here it is my tank is prime example of a led tank that never saw t-5 or halides.leds will only get better and yes a lot of people will upgrade a lot in the beginning trying to find what works for them. Jump aboard aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggg

[Reefnub]

I need someone to donate a 120g rimless to color stick foundation as soon as possible.lol

[Big_Pun]

that wasn't the lil apogee meter hobbiest buy, that looked a lot more expensive. again the company is not going to go full out and state all facts. also some coral did look a lil dull under led. the nem for sure.

[rrasco]

After I build my AI clone, we can do a case study with it on your tank. If all goes as planned, I'll even have interchangeable pucks, so we can test various colors.

I do agree, I think it was the nem, did look a little dull.

[Big_Pun]

After I build my AI clone, we can do a case study with it on your tank. If all goes as planned, I'll even have interchangeable pucks, so we can test various colors.

I do agree, I think it was the nem, did look a little dull.

nah not touching my tank, if it's not broke dont fix it!

[rrasco]

We don't have to, we can do it on another tank. I just wanted you to see against your equipment so you knew all the details. I didn't mean for the long run, just for 10 minutes to see the numbers. I'm not letting you keep my new fixture. LOL

[Reefnub]

I'd like to see the how that vega would color up that halide tank lol

[rrasco]

I thought this thread needed more pictures. Quick comparison shots from today and 10/19.

Taken 10/19
17838

Taken 12/3
17839

10/19
17837

12/3
17840

[rrasco]

10/19
17842

12/3
17843

10/19
17841

12/3
17844

[rrasco]

No good comparisons for these.

1785217853

[Reefnub]

Nice growth here are some more this is 10 months of growth

[Reefnub]

12 months

[rrasco]

Reefnub, you're doing something right other than lighting. LOL

[FireWater]

Here is a shot of an unknown coral I picked up at ER. It was a nice shade of tan when I got it and this is how it looks now. I have other shots of coral in my build thread as well.

17857

[Reefnub]

Thanks rrasco, this tank has been pretty good to me I thank gfo and bio pellets lol.wow firewater that coral looks good and see some growth tips. Where are the growth shots from some if these halide guys.

[350gt]

No one is doubting growth from the halide guys....

But color will never compare ;)

[FireWater]

I wish I kept a better record of growth through pics. One of the things I promised myself I would do better this time.

[Big_Pun]

oh growth shots!! ok ok

[FireWater]

Starting on page 29 and 30 of my build thread are some pics. I sold Randy a frag of lovelli that was bigger than my original colony.

[350gt]

Who was it that asked if I could grow SPS on the sand bed......


well I wish a had a photo to prove that this guy started out as a piece 1/2-1" big. He broke off while I was cleaning the tank.... I glued him to a plug to see what would happen.. He was on the actual sand but my goby covered him in sand like he does anything on that side of the tank.....

Eitherway this is about a month later after picking him up off the bed and putting him in the little frag stand thats sits a 1" or 2 off the sand bed..

NOVEMBER 15

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_4284.jpg

TONIGHT

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8876.jpg

[350gt]

It was a piece from this colony

May 29th

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_3260.jpg

Tonight

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8867.jpg

not the best pic, lights were dimming down for the night....

[350gt]

This guy I got as a freebie from another member during a trade....

I almost threw it as it would never get happy under my 150 watt MH fixture...... I thought it was a goner at one point, so glad I held on to it, its one of my favorites.....
under MH and un happy May 29

(look at the dull bland looking sunset monti in the back, look at it on the next page under LEDS and happy)

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_3302.jpg

November 9th.... I couldnt get a pic today as the lights were almost out. It is almost half way down in my tank under the center brace glass...... so more than 2' under the AI SOLS.....

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8811.jpg

[350gt]

now chris.... hows this for club light!!!!!!.... forget disco!

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8880.jpg


http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8874.jpg

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8872.jpg

http://i712.photobucket.com/albums/ww125/gsrt5/IMG_8870.jpg

[Big_Pun]

if I post growth pic I'll hear about what I dose and yada yada. so I'll pass on this one.

[350gt]

I wouldnt do that... its a bring what you brung type a deal.... but you have to have a comparison pic to give a timeline for growth........ Mine is all dated on my MAC so I know exactly what day and what I was wearing that day, or what i wasnt wearing..... :shades:

[350gt]

But I don't dose.....

' change water and that's it!!!....


imagine if I did....

[Big_Pun]

But I don't dose.....

' change water and that's it!!!....


imagine if I did....

you would over dose, I do a water change once a month or every other month and only 25g. my coral take a lot out of my system so I make it up. I test everything I dose so it's not some magic juice that makes coral grow. it's a very intense process of trial and error and testing.

[350gt]

I would.... I don't have the patience for all that...

[FireWater]

I am the same as Tony, I do not dose as the whole point of this set up was simplicity and I feel adding all the different dosers defeats that purpose. I also don't trust myself to remember to dose on a regular basis.

[alton]

I only dose a little around Christmas, 1 part Vodka and 3 parts orange juice. For my tank I use a two part only when calcium levels drop below 420. Other than that water changes fixes everything

[Big_Pun]

first pic is blue milli in center in march 28t right after I set up the 150. the other pics are from Emily lil photo shoot last week. I had to move it to back of tank because it was taking up too much room up front. rock work hasn't changed but you can see the height it's at right now compared march

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/04/eda9a2e5.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/04/asamuquh.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/12/04/5u4e8ysu.jpg

[allan]

Tony, those are some nice pictures. I wish I could snap them like that. Kind of looks like hubble photos of jupiter's moons or other deep space images.

[Reefnub]

Looking good Bigpun I wish I had less rock in my tank and more room for sps growth. Live and learn this is my 1st sps tank anyways I would do alot of things differently.

[Big_Pun]

Looking good Bigpun I wish I had less rock in my tank and more room for sps growth. Live and learn this is my 1st sps tank anyways I would do alot of things differently.

this tank was setup after 3 years of other tanks, so i all ready made all the mistakes and knew what direction this tank was going.

[FireWater]

We have all made the same decisions and mistakes in building. I took everything I learned from my own mistakes and learned from others mistakes and planned my last tank. While my 120 has some flaws I am very happy with the end product.

[350gt]

Tony, those are some nice pictures. I wish I could snap them like that. Kind of looks like hubble photos of jupiter's moons or other deep space images.

thanks Allan

I enjoy the view every night...... No editing of photos, they shine like that sun up and at sun down...

[350gt]

this tank was setup after 3 years of other tanks, so i all ready made all the mistakes and knew what direction this tank was going.


Tell me about it, this is my 1st....


wish I could start all over

[rrasco]

yea i notice they do stay open with "moonlight" basically blue led's or in my case white and blue

I ended up changing my programming to keep my blues on at just about 0.4%. I was worried it would be too much light because there are 48 blues. Corals closed up for the most part but they did stay out a little longer than usual. I barely slept last night thinking I was killing something, but dare I say some corals look even better today than they usually do. It was nice to actually see in the tank this morning without a flashlight too.

[Reefnub]

If I pull out some of my sps and pull out half my rock and reinstall sps do you think there would be some ill affects

[Big_Pun]

it's funny how y'all think I'm anti led, I have 9 blue, 9 white LEDs for moonlight and my fuge light is a marine land hide away LEDs . see I found a use for them

[Big_Pun]

oh yea my moon lights stay on till 6 am blues, whites off after 2 hours. emily keeps her blues at 15% and her coral seem to like it, corals in both tanks stay open ready to feed all night.

[Reefnub]

I want more room and don't have the money to upgrade

[Reefnub]

Whoop it posted 2 pic sorry

[hobogato]

you will probably get a bit of an algae cycle, but it is doable. you will need to run carbon if you arent and change it out often. you will also need to do some extra water changing and run you skimmer a bit wet until things settle down.


If I pull out some of my sps and pull out half my rock and reinstall sps do you think there would be some ill affects

[Reefnub]

I can handle that cool thanks

[g-ray]

Lol just saw this post... LEDs may be my next investment...

[SoLiD]

Holy Jesus... the Old MH Versus LED argument... It will never end. lol

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd285/SoLiDST33L/AI-MH1.jpg

[350gt]

^^^^ best of both worlds^^^^

[Big_Pun]

^^^^ best of both worlds^^^^

rather have AI's than those MH on those reflectors. wasting light with those reflectors

[Texreefer]

Most of us are just trying to light an aquarium and NOT a football stadium

Holy Jesus... the Old MH Versus LED argument... It will never end. lol

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd285/SoLiDST33L/AI-MH1.jpg

[Texreefer]

My corals were used to LEDS already and I have been running my Vegas at a high %,, white in the 60-70 range and blues in the 80-90 range... I have been lowering them a bit every week and getting much better color from my corals.. I will probably settle in the high 50s for white and in the 70-80 range for blues.. greens and reds always stay about 10% below whites

[350gt]

Exactly how I had my sols, usually white was 30% less then the blues...... Better color that way.


I temporarily got one of my Vegas up last night...... It's about 8-10" awl, my opinions soon.... I kept the settings the same as my sols but left the greens and red below 20% until I figure this all out...

[350gt]

rather have AI's than those MH on those reflectors. wasting light with those reflectors


So MH have to have the best reflectors to be useful?????????????????




And you would choose led over a mh on a crappy reflector?????????

[Big_Pun]

so your ai's dont have lenses? its the same concept as a mh with reflectors. would you rather have a diy with no lenses on your tank or a mh on a lumenbright

[rrasco]

My blues are on higher than my whites. Blues outnumber whites 2:1. Dusk, dawn, and moonlight is all blue though. I like it that way.

[rrasco]

Are these optics or reflectors? I can't tell if the reflector has an optic inside it from this.

http://reefbuilders.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/ai-vega-opened-up/img_1776.jpg

[350gt]

so your ai's dont have lenses? its the same concept as a mh with reflectors. would you rather have a diy with no lenses on your tank or a mh on a lumenbright


Oh.... I thought mh was superior in any shape or form....

[Big_Pun]

pretty sure those are the optics

[350gt]

Rrasco, ur welcome to stop by today..... I took one sol down..

[Big_Pun]

Oh.... I thought mh was superior in any shape or form....

well answer the first question would you run the AI without lenses, isnt led superior in every way?

[Big_Pun]

http://www.aquaillumination.com/sol/performance.html

[350gt]

Nope it's good in growth, great in color....

I've never swayed from my opinions.... Unlike you.

[Big_Pun]

theres a right way and a wrong way to do things, i would rather do it right. if that ment a nice led fixture from a company who has put the R&D over a crappy reflector that throws light everywhere. so i dont see how i swayed from my opinion. if i had choice between vega, radion, and lumen bright fixture i would still choose MH and lumen bright fixture

[350gt]

Could swear I have a text from you somewhere saying you wanted the radion pros...lol


Eitherway i feel you on buying the best of the best...


I chose AI cause I was happy with the sols, and I like to have parts readily available. Ai being completely modular makes them the best for upgrading and the quick fix......

[Big_Pun]

last ones I sent where along the lines of @&$&& @&$?( LEDs I'm getting lumenbright fixture after all the daily bashing of mh and chris

[350gt]

Well Chris I sent you this link in a text

http://reefbuilders.com/2012/11/01/coral-wholesalers-leds/


maybe not now but eventually all distributors will be under LEDs, it only makes sense for them..... What would u do then?

[SoLiD]

^^^^ best of both worlds^^^^


rather have AI's than those MH on those reflectors. wasting light with those reflectors

It was just a something I was messing with. Those reflectors were the only ones I could butcher down to fit over my tank. The total length is only 36 inches. You try squeezing 5 light sources in that tight of a space and you take what you can get. :shades:

[FireWater]

I would have loved to see that set up working. Had to be impressive and over kill all at the same time.

[Big_Pun]

It was just a something I was messing with. Those reflectors were the only ones I could butcher down to fit over my tank. The total length is only 36 inches. You try squeezing 5 light sources in that tight of a space and you take what you can get. :shades:

dude your crazy!! on a 3 foot tank, this should be very intresting, so how is the light cycle going to work. are you going to use whites at all on AI's, what bulbs are you running on the MH.

[350gt]

On a 3'???? Lol that's not crazy, that's nuttz... Lol


I would of thought with the awesomeness spread of MH, you could get away with one... Lol

i know 2 ai sols would have been enough..

[Big_Pun]

i need to get pics of my buddy nicks 65dsa tank. one lumenbright with 400w bulb, great looking sps tank.

solid has enough light for a 215 brick tank lol

[jcnkt_ellis]

I have a quick question for those switching from sol to vega...I was looking at the link posted a couple of pages back: http://www.aquaillumination.com/sol/performance.html (http://www.aquaillumination.com/sol/performance.html) and it gives the spectrum output of the sol and if you follow the product link the spectrum output of the vega. The light intensity for the lower wavelengths for the vega is barely measurable on their graph and is miniscule compared to the intensity on the two different sols. So, why the switch if you're wanting increased output in the lower wavelengths?

[350gt]

I have a quick question for those switching from sol to vega...I was looking at the link posted a couple of pages back: http://www.aquaillumination.com/sol/performance.html (http://www.aquaillumination.com/sol/performance.html) and it gives the spectrum output of the sol and if you follow the product link the spectrum output of the vega. The light intensity for the lower wavelengths for the vega is barely measurable on their graph and is miniscule compared to the intensity on the two different sols. So, why the switch if you're wanting increased output in the lower wavelengths?





Good question.... Lol


I don't think the graph on the sol is correct..... I've seen others where green and reds are barely measurable... Which is why I supplemented mine.... Hoping to not have to with the vega.

[alton]

The more I re-read this the more I thought I should delete it

[350gt]

Never mind...

[alton]

Sometimes we look at charts and graphs too much. I ran 12K Reeflux lamps for years before switching to Radium. Looking at the different charts and graphs on the internet of these lamps they suck, but yet I had no problem growing all types of coral, plus I loved the color.

Maybe people can post why they dropped the SOL for the new Vega?

[350gt]

Well I bought my sols used with money I had saved up for the radians.... I wasn't too happy with the color of just the 2 blues and 1 white...I am hoping with 3 added colors I can dumped the t5s....Did I need to upgrade? No the sols were working perfect..... I am actually dreading having to playing with finding the right spectrum, can't wait till they release director to address my only issues.

[FireWater]

I am pretty much the same as Tony on this one. I was and am very happy with the Sols. My only complaint has always been wanting a little more out of the colors. My tank pops now, but don't we always want a little more?
I am hoping with the added green and red I will get that extra little something.

[350gt]

No John cause a text from Chris that we should be completely happy with our expensive led fixtures....


Says the guy that just got his fixture in march and wants another....


why fix what isn't broke? Oh to tweak, exactly what we are doing....

[350gt]

Oh and I supposedly hate MH....


Which I don't, I stated that a few pages back in case anyone else thinks so..


i just prefer the colors and the pop provided by LEDs, colors that no MH light can provide even with supplementation, well maybe that is unless you supplement with LEDs...... Which I also said awhile back, "best of both worlds".....

[jcnkt_ellis]

Thank you for the responses. Alton, I do rely a lot on he charts right now because I'm fairly new to figuring out and understanding the math/science behind the light output. I currently run MH but with led supplements instead of T5s and have thought of fully switching to led at a later date. Looking at the charts alone, I'd go with the sol blue plus over the vega and that's where the question originated from.

[350gt]

I have both and will leave one vega on my tank with the 2 sols until my rails and hanging kit come in... I was sent the wrong ones.. But I will play with color and spectrum....


i wasn't blown away with the vega, cause I really was digging the sols...

[350gt]

I wanted to swap my sols to all 70 degree optics and lower them.... Figure I'm doing that with my Vegas but get a little more in form of eye candy with getting to blend in the right color..

[Big_Pun]

I have both and will leave one vega on my tank with the 2 sols until my rails and hanging kit come in... I was sent the wrong ones.. But I will play with color and spectrum....


i wasn't blown away with the vega, cause I really was digging the sols...

Return them!

[350gt]

Lol I haven't even seen them at full power yet... Lol
Lol even though i am not blown away, I still prefer them over mh anyday!

[Zack]

I wanted to swap my sols to all 70 degree optics and lower them.... Figure I'm doing that with my Vegas but get a little more in form of eye candy with getting to blend in the right color..
What optics are you currently using?

[350gt]

I have a mixture, 40s over the sand bed and 70s on the rocks....

With the 70s I hope to lower them to at least 6" off the water, if I spotlight, which I doubt I will add a 4th unit.

[Zack]

How many 70 degree optics do you have that your not using?

I'm curious if they fit onto your standard cree or bridgelux leds.

[350gt]

I have to check I will sale these sols with stock configuration and optics on the side...

[alton]

Well hopefully the Vegas are the perfect LED fixture because I am getting ready to drain my 29 in my office, move everything over to my 65 and put it at work. I would like to use just one LED fixture that I would love the color it puts out. I will end up keeping most of the corals in the center leaving the out about 6" on each side without corals or just GSP.

[Texreefer]

Took this pic today while whites were at about 48% and blues were int he 70s..
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o258/itili/IMG_2207.jpg

[Zack]

what sand are you using?

[Big_Pun]

Took this pic today while whites were at about 48% and blues were int he 70s..
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o258/itili/IMG_2207.jpg

rics look sweet. what kind of chalice is that in top corner of pic.

[Texreefer]

It has no name... it is much more pink than this pic shows but the green coloring is very accurate. It is one of my favorites..I accidentally fragged a tiny piece and gave it to someone, otherwise this has never been fragged.

[350gt]

Nice COLORS!!..... Lol

[Big_Pun]

Oh and I supposedly hate MH....


Which I don't, I stated that a few pages back in case anyone else thinks so..


i just prefer the colors and the pop provided by LEDs, colors that no MH light can provide even with supplementation, well maybe that is unless you supplement with LEDs...... Which I also said awhile back, "best of both worlds".....

lol I like how you say you don't hate them but bash them right after that statement lmao

so you have plans for mh in future?? next tank mh??

[Big_Pun]

It has no name... it is much more pink than this pic shows but the green coloring is very accurate. It is one of my favorites..I accidentally fragged a tiny piece and gave it to someone, otherwise this has never been fragged.

I like that green in it, looks good

[FireWater]

Well hopefully the Vegas are the perfect LED fixture because I am getting ready to drain my 29 in my office, move everything over to my 65 and put it at work. I would like to use just one LED fixture that I would love the color it puts out. I will end up keeping most of the corals in the center leaving the out about 6" on each side without corals or just GSP.

Standard 65 Alton? You are going to be pushing it with just one fixture. Unless you plan it perfect like you mentioned above.
You are more than welcome to swing by this weekend and check my Vegas out. I should have them hung by Sunday night.
I also keep going back to the Orphek line of fixtures. They were one of the originators of the UV in reef led.

[FireWater]

Colors look good Mike. It is funny how the exact same acan looks different in my tank vs yours.

[Reefnub]

Colors look great! Did you stick the camera in the water for that pic? Take more please show more

[Texreefer]

No, I had the pumps off that is straight down... I have many others but I don't want to make Chris any more jealous

Colors look great! Did you stick the camera in the water for that pic? Take more please show more

[350gt]

Post them, would like to see...

[Big_Pun]

No, I had the pumps off that is straight down... I have many others but I don't want to make Chris any more jealous

nah that couldn't happen, only of your old tank but I'm getting there !

[SoLiD]

I'm pretty sure I posted this a while back.
Radium 250W bulb running at 175W
http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd285/SoLiDST33L/TANK-FTSLIGHTS.jpg

[Big_Pun]

great tank!! any plans to upgrade tank?

[350gt]

:applause:Now thats a tank:applause:

[Zack]

Holy jesus that's beautiful. What size tank is that?

[Reefnub]

Love the acan carpet lol

[SoLiD]

It's a simple Aqueon 40 Breeder. The tank was the least expensive part in my build. When I lived in a house I had a 120 and a 156, but now that I live in an apartment a 40 is the biggest I can move without any help from anyone. I've thought of going bigger, but I'm almost at my limit in this size.

[grouch]

Awsome those acans are amazing !!!