Ok, so we add the cost of heating, lets also add the electricity a power head uses, the cost of salt, cost of water, cost of food...thats not what the initial post asked. Stop trying to make an argument out of nothing and stick to the cost of running a light.
How many of you have went back to halides or t5s
- Thread starter acrofragger
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Ok, so we add the cost of heating, lets also add the electricity a power head uses, the cost of salt, cost of water, cost of food...thats not what the initial post asked. Stop trying to make an argument out of nothing and stick to the cost of running a light.
this is me
I like turtles
I think any experienced reefer would know that pump, salt, water, cost of food, are not associated with the cost running LED vs. MH. But the cost of heaters and chiller will.
Pat02026
Non-member
I am not jumping in here to add fuel to the fire, since I stated back in the first few pages of this thread where I stand in the MH/T5/LED debate. I will say that in the grand scheme, if cost of any particular piece of equipment is a factor, then the system and the cost to run it should be considered as a whole. Lets face it, none of us are here participating in this conversation or forum for that matter, with a money tree growing in their yard.
There are reefers in this club who have even stated this clearly in the past that in the months that heat is a problem, they run LED. Call it frivolous to have two different lighting systems at your disposal to swap out for temperature stability, but for an experienced reefer who takes this into consideration and has had an established tank long enough to only run LED to "keep temp down", well then whats that say about their experience with LED if they are willing to switch right back to MH or T-5 after the hot months (which really are july/august, maybe some of june/september) For the potential stress of re-acclimation of lighting system as opposed to growth/health?
This post is in no way, shape or form dogging one method or the other as I think each option has its place. The bottom line is the question of who has gone from one to the other, or back again. I will say that while admittedly cheap (and initial cost of my ventur into LED was far more than my measily 250w de MH fwiw) I started with a DIY LED for about three months over my last tank. I switched to a 250w Halide, and while dealing with heat issues for two months out of the year (which is easily overcome by a 6" fan) in comparison to seeing corals merely "survive" under a DIY LED, they actually GREW substantially in prior three months under MH lighting.
There are reefers in this club who have even stated this clearly in the past that in the months that heat is a problem, they run LED. Call it frivolous to have two different lighting systems at your disposal to swap out for temperature stability, but for an experienced reefer who takes this into consideration and has had an established tank long enough to only run LED to "keep temp down", well then whats that say about their experience with LED if they are willing to switch right back to MH or T-5 after the hot months (which really are july/august, maybe some of june/september) For the potential stress of re-acclimation of lighting system as opposed to growth/health?
This post is in no way, shape or form dogging one method or the other as I think each option has its place. The bottom line is the question of who has gone from one to the other, or back again. I will say that while admittedly cheap (and initial cost of my ventur into LED was far more than my measily 250w de MH fwiw) I started with a DIY LED for about three months over my last tank. I switched to a 250w Halide, and while dealing with heat issues for two months out of the year (which is easily overcome by a 6" fan) in comparison to seeing corals merely "survive" under a DIY LED, they actually GREW substantially in prior three months under MH lighting.
Experience reefers can set up their systems so they dont boil because of a MH that is 20-24" from the tank.
I can throw any light on my tank, the temperature will not go over 81 during the summer. My system is all open, placed close to a window and a couple of $10 computer fans make a big difference. I also use 4 T5 bulbs, becausr they work and they do generate less heat.
LoveTheReef
Well-Known Member
Joys of debate Anyway, I think I'm going to bow out of this debate as more pressing matters have come up, and quite frankly this debate has gone for too long now, and it's going to start again next month or next to next month anyway lol
My finishing statement:
As mentioned before, different people will have different luck with different technologies. Forget leds, something as mechanical as a skimmer works differently for different people. I personally have had great growth under LEDs with all different LPS (acan bowerbanki, candycanes, favias, cyphastrea, lepastrea, elegance, wellso/trachyphyllia, scolys, blastos and the list goes on and on). I have a couple of very small cap and birdsnest frags that seem to be doing well under my LED lights as well (even though it's hard to meet flow requirements of LPS, zoas, acans, and SPS in the same 50 gallon bin) . In our personal tank, while it was being lit by CurrentUSA TrueLumen Pro leds, we had non stop growth in our Miami Hurricane chalice, green/orange caps, duncans, zoas, acans and montipora.
Anyway -- long story short, I personally have had a phenomenal experience with LEDs when it comes to growth and color, and continue to have the success. Whether its me doing something different, or a fluke, I don't know.
I personally believe all technologies are good as long as you know the pros and cons of each, and have one way or the other of working around them. I don't see ANY REASON for people to bash MH, T5s, or LEDs just because __________ (fill in the blank). There are a lot of people that have had good luck with all, so obviously the technology itself "works".
In the end you will believe what you want to believe, and nothing I or anyone else writes here is going to change that. "Maybe" if I record growth in our corals and post here ... but seeing how the video and experiment by Vivid aquariums has gone un-noticed even after being brought to attention, I don't see any reason why my experiments and results will change any minds
I'll play around and do some experiments regardless for the curious few.That's all folks!
dz6t
Acro Garden, BRS Sponsor
Just talked to someone oversea.
Good news is that there will be big improvements of LED technology coming to market with lower price point to make it a promising technology for our hobby.
The bottom line is that LED is improving rapidly.
It worth the wait. But we are still in the waiting game.
Good news is that there will be big improvements of LED technology coming to market with lower price point to make it a promising technology for our hobby.
The bottom line is that LED is improving rapidly.
It worth the wait. But we are still in the waiting game.
emaz
Non-member
Thanks for the info!
Turbosnail
Non-member
A post was removed for political comment. Political comments are not allowed outside the Soap Box.
STiTCH87
Saltwater OCD Victim
Agreed.
I have a 40g breeder with one Maxspect R420R on it. Cost me $475 free shipping and no bulbs to buy, free quality hanging kit too as well as tank mounts free (how many light companies do this, esp for this price?)
Perfect amount of lighting @ 75% with great spread, great coloration, great growth (including a few types of SPS, never tried more than what I have for SPS.)
I was originally going to go with a quality T5 unit.
Then I did the math.
I wanted a dimmable unit on preference only, also wanted 6 T5s so that I knew I had enough light entering the tank to keep anything I wanted.
ATI 24 inch dimmable 6-bulb T5 is what I saw.
$545 for the unit with shipping.
~$20 per bulb is another $120.
That's $685 start up cost, plus the yearly cost of bulb replacement, the bulb spectrum changing and growing algae, and the added heat into the tank (IDC what anyone says, i've had T5s for over a year and they DO warm the water considerably in small tanks. I think the people who say they don't have 75g+)
So then I found out about a light that was being released in a month after I got my tank. R420R.
$475 total with shipping, no bulbs to buy, no add-ons to buy, great spectrum, research put into it, able to achieve the proper spectrum corals need for proper health (proven by research again),
ability to dim, ability to fine tune coloration at the turn of a dial (easily mind you as well, 0-100%), and no unnecessary add-ons (no storm, rain, whatever modes, no "modes" at all actually)
And did I mention it's only as thick as a sharpie marker at it's thickest?
This made me decide to pre-order a brand new LED light technology that wasn't coming out for another month. Was I even slightly worried about it? NO!
I have a 5g pico with the cheapest LEDs you'll ever find. They're comparable to those LED strips ricers stick on the interiors of their cars.
And it has kept every coral i've ever tried in the pico except SPS and you know how difficult a pico is to keep as it is in the first place.
7 months later and i'm still not regretting LEDs.
Would I have been as happy if not happier with the original planned ATI unit if I had the extra cash? Very possibly.
There is no "right" or "wrong" just a "this is what I ended up doing and it worked for me".
EDIT: On an amusing side-note... 10 pages to this thread, and not even ONE post mentioned Power Compacts! :highly_amused: Even VHO was mentioned. Had to laugh at how even though most of us disagree with each other about LED/MH/T5/VHO, we can ATLEAST agree that none of us want PCs. =] See, we all CAN agree on something!
And to the few on here who still run PCs (I personally know a few), sorry, not meaning to put down your tank lighting.
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