Next Gen Lighting

[SuperDave]

Has anyone seen the new lighting systems that Champion is working on? Looks like the future in Reef lighting may be upon us.

LED systems that use less electricity, run cooler and last for years and years and years.

One can only hope that this line of research pans out.

Let us know what you think.

[Tim Marvin]

I'm not too keen on LED either. I am leaning toward T-5, but will probably try out the LED just to see.

[SoLiD]

Wow... Even then, they were having this discussion.

[LoneStar]

And the LED systems have come a long way since then too.

[DrMark]

Not far enough. A friend of mine here in Corpus, after two months of a solaris 72", is changing it out to dual 400w MH. SPS just barely surviving under the light. Lots of factors to consider and many lights different and flow, water quality, hight from water, tank depth, etc. But, I can tell you in his tank (tall) the light doesnt work. He has some coral from identical mother colonies that I do and there is major differences. He also was in contact with many people from RC expressing same thing. LPS and softies do fine, SPS (with some exceptions) seems to barely survive or worse. Out of curiosity, using same PAR meter I did measurements at equal depths on my two tanks with MH vs. his tank and the #'s were about 40-50% less with the solaris. Not scientific, but same meter on same day.
I was hoping for a different result for my future tanks. So, IMO not there yet.
mark

[wesheltonj]

I would have to disagree about LED's and SPS. I have a few in my tank and they are growing. In fact, one is popping up everywhere in my tank and growing and I have a 30" tall tank. I have one SPS frag at the bottom and its growing too, but very slowly. Could there be improvements, of course but they are there now. I think you are going to see more of these lights lht the market. Fauna Marin has one of these in production in Germany right now. It will not however be available in the USA they are busy with there dimmable T-5 unit right now.

[LoneStar]

I have been very happy with my LED fixture made by Elos. It has outperformed my expectations and then some.

[subsailor]

Those of you who like LED fixtures check out this thread

http://maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=48757