LEDs, T5s and MHs for zoas discussion. What are your thoughts?

[gus6464]

Look at this behemoth. It has a radius of 49". One of those can light a truly massive area.

https://www.hydrofarm.com/p/XT49HV

In a home frag tank setup with a 4ft shallow cube all you would need is a single 250W Radium. Show me another light with that efficiency, T5 included.

 

[reefwiser]

Yes I do have a Reefbrite. I wish everyone would work on thinking outside the box with LED's to get them to be fool proof lighting.
Right now hobbyist are getting all kinds of mixed signals as to mounting heights and schedules to use. I remember this happening years ago when MH and T5 lighting came into use. Hobbyist are left to their own devices as to how to run the lights. Publishing what wholesalers are doing has little bearing as to what a hobbyist does in their living room as gus6464 says.

 

[Jonty]

I heard that exotech gives the radions lights free to stores if that's the case hard for a store not install ?

 

[gus6464]

Don't think I will own a puck based LED ever again. Give me a massive grid of diodes with no secondary optics so there's no color banding. It sucks that the Sicce AM466 never caught on in the US and now all the new grid based units except for the CoralCare will cost an arm and a leg. Guess that's a good thing for Philips as they will pretty much have that market to themselves.

 

[WWC]

For those intrested we are keeping a radion/ t5 combo on some of the systems but the vast majority radions only, hope that helps.

 

[gus6464]

I heard that exotech gives the radions lights free to stores if that's the case hard for a store not install ?

I am sure the farm that's in the coral lab paper got all those radions for free so ecotech could publish their report.

 

[sde1500]

I am sure the farm that's in the coral lab paper got all those radions for free so ecotech could publish their report.

I mean, if a company wants to test and promote their product, not a bad thing to give it to some places for free to test no? Here's the thing though, a coral farm that relies on their corals growing in order to make a profit isn't just going to switch over all their lighting to something they don't think will work, just because they got the lights for free. Doing so would be very detrimental to their bottom line.

 

[gus6464]

I mean, if a company wants to test and promote their product, not a bad thing to give it to some places for free to test no? Here's the thing though, a coral farm that relies on their corals growing in order to make a profit isn't just going to switch over all their lighting to something they don't think will work, just because they got the lights for free. Doing so would be very detrimental to their bottom line.

Yes but it's one thing to say "Here at xxxx, we switched to radions because we knew they would offer the best of what's available in reef lighting." vs "Here at xxxx, we switched to radions because ecotech would give us a bunch of free units and if things worked out, publish a paper about it."

 

[revhtree]

I heard that exotech gives the radions lights free to stores if that's the case hard for a store not install ?

This is not true. They pay for the light, granted it's lower than retail.

 

[WWC]

This is not true. They pay for the light, granted it's lower than retail.

Amen!

 

[sde1500]

Yes but it's one thing to say "Here at xxxx, we switched to radions because we knew they would offer the best of what's available in reef lighting." vs "Here at xxxx, we switched to radions because ecotech would give us a bunch of free units and if things worked out, publish a paper about it."

Why though? Their well being relies on those lights growing corals well. If they couldn't grow corals well, they wouldn't use them. I don't see how getting them for free, or paying for them, affects the results.

 

[cmcoker]

Not sure where everyone lives but here in the Southern US, using halide can have a big effect on your air conditioning bill.
My buddy changed his metal halide schedule to run 6pm to 2am or something like that because of how much the halide s were heating the house, he ended up swapping to led only.
We get 100+degree days easily during the summer and trying to cool your house, and tank, while your lighting is heating it up certainly does have a factor in your electric bill, even if the metal halide vs led fixtures are consuming the same amount of electricity.
At a rate 0.05/kwh I was paying
$150 to cool a 900sqft townhouse, I don't want my lights making the AC run more. I cool my house 24/7, from March through about October we are using AC. I'm lucky if we get a few weeks a year that doesn't require some climate control in the house.
Now if I was up north I would probably look at halide cause the heat would probably help in the winter time.
I guess my point is the climate you live in can factor into the energy use/savings of your lighting.

 

[reefwiser]

My wife is the one that is in charge of cooling in my home. The MH never is an issue she who must be obeyed put forth long before MH that the house must Remain at 70 degrees at all times. Not 71 not 78 but 70 and it will be so. [emoji3]

 

[dricc]

In my house the wife has a noise decree.

 

[A. grandis]

They sure got a discount for the fixtures (are you kidding me!?!? Haha!). Of course!!!
Yeah the paper too. All that... Promotion. Business exchange. Normal!
They will save some money on electricity in regards to cooling and changing the bulbs.
The intensity of those LEDs have to be high at that height.

Well... the main thing here is that the QUALITY of light won't be the same, no matter what!!!
There is absolutely no comparison between MHs/T5s and those LEDs.

AND... if those LEDs are so great why not using only them????
Forget those T5s in the combo, right?

I'm very sorry to see such nice systems going south like that.

Sorry to say, but It's all about the money then!
All about the money...

The holding systems will have temporary colonies, but...
Good luck with the display systems in the long run!

Grandis.

 

[WWC]

They sure got a discount for the fixtures (are you kidding me!?!? Haha!). Of course!!!
Yeah the paper too. All that... Promotion. Business exchange. Normal!
They will save some money on electricity in regards to cooling and changing the bulbs.
The intensity of those LEDs have to be high at that height.

Well... the main thing here is that the QUALITY of light won't be the same, no matter what!!!
There is absolutely no comparison between MHs/T5s and those LEDs.

AND... if those LEDs are so great why not using only them????
Forget those T5s in the combo, right?

I'm very sorry to see such nice systems going south like that.

Sorry to say, but It's all about the money then!
All about the money...

The holding systems will have temporary colonies, but...
Good luck with the display systems in the long run!

Grandis.

First off, forums are very much opinionated information, so thank you much for yours. In retrospect, as a company we made the observation that a quality led provided what we needed to get the job done. In saying that without naming any specific brand (considering we still get excellent results with maxspect, AI and Kessil, and Reefbrite) we set out to find a light to fit our specific needs on such a large scale. We made a decision as a company to go with Ecotech, not to say we don't use other lights because in fact we do, did we save a few dollars? Why yes we did, after all we bought quite a few, our apologies for trying to save some money. Fast forward, now we have a bunch of lights that we believe in.... what do we do next???? We grow corals and enjoy them because after all that's why we do this, because we love our job. So... guess what...to much dismay all lights work, and work well. Manipulate your system to fit it's environment and yup....corals grow AND have good color. Choose to believe what you read out there, that's cool because there is a lot to read, but after all, this is an opinionated rant. We have many many corals under a bunch of different lights they all work!!!!!!! If you want to know what WE do that happens to work for US, feel free to email to [email protected] I will be sure to help out with any questions you have.

 

[happyhourhero]

They sure got a discount for the fixtures (are you kidding me!?!? Haha!). Of course!!!
Yeah the paper too. All that... Promotion. Business exchange. Normal!
They will save some money on electricity in regards to cooling and changing the bulbs.
The intensity of those LEDs have to be high at that height.

Well... the main thing here is that the QUALITY of light won't be the same, no matter what!!!
There is absolutely no comparison between MHs/T5s and those LEDs.

AND... if those LEDs are so great why not using only them????
Forget those T5s in the combo, right?

I'm very sorry to see such nice systems going south like that.

Sorry to say, but It's all about the money then!
All about the money...

The holding systems will have temporary colonies, but...
Good luck with the display systems in the long run!

Grandis.

I can't believe you still sit here and try to claim people aren't getting results that are just as good, if not better than t5 and halides with LED. You have to just be trolling at this point right?

 

[ice28720]

hi all friend
Car HiD light 35w 20000k 3300 lux for coral tank ( ok or not ok ) ?

 

[A. grandis]

First off, forums are very much opinionated information, so thank you much for yours. In retrospect, as a company we made the observation that a quality led provided what we needed to get the job done. In saying that without naming any specific brand (considering we still get excellent results with maxspect, AI and Kessil, and Reefbrite) we set out to find a light to fit our specific needs on such a large scale. We made a decision as a company to go with Ecotech, not to say we don't use other lights because in fact we do, did we save a few dollars? Why yes we did, after all we bought quite a few, our apologies for trying to save some money. Fast forward, now we have a bunch of lights that we believe in.... what do we do next???? We grow corals and enjoy them because after all that's why we do this, because we love our job. So... guess what...to much dismay all lights work, and work well. Manipulate your system to fit it's environment and yup....corals grow AND have good color. Choose to believe what you read out there, that's cool because there is a lot to read, but after all, this is an opinionated rant. We have many many corals under a bunch of different lights they all work!!!!!!! If you want to know what WE do that happens to work for US, feel free to email to [email protected] I will be sure to help out with any questions you have.

Seriously... if you wanted to talk by email you wouldn't have posted here in the first place!!
Now we all want to hear from you. You posted and brought this thread alive again! Thanks for that!
I don't see anything wrong in exposing your thoughts here. Please do so!

You sound like I am personally against you some how. If you really think like that you are wrong! That's not true.

Yes, I have my own experiences and observations with LEDs, like many other people here and all over the world prefer to choose the more "traditional", which is actually much safer and trouble free way to lit our tanks.
I choose T5s for shallow tanks because they are the best, period!

We all understand and respect your choices with the business and set ups for the LEDs you are trying.
That's not our problem, but yours.

Your business with the LED companies is not ours! So forgive any of us for trying to figure out why you did such changes.
This is a forum for anyone interested and many people have their own opinion and expression.

I would think if you are "happy" with them and the "savings" they give you, please go ahead.
Have fun!

I thank you for posting here and feel free to update your personal observations.
But please don't try to promote those fixtures too much, because will sound ugly and that won't fool anyone here, so...

Please post your pictures and observations if you want...
This thread is for ANYONE to express their visions, feeling and experiences with the fixtures we like.
Talk to the other people too and let them know what needs to be known.

Enjoy the ride!

Aloha,
Grandis.

 

[A. grandis]

I can't believe you still sit here and try to claim people aren't getting results that are just as good, if not better than t5 and halides with LED. You have to just be trolling at this point right?

Not only me. Others too!
By the way... there are so many here just watching and ignoring because it's really ridiculous to try to proof a proven thing!!
Perhaps I should just ignore that WWC came here and I got an email (thread subscription) about it?
What would you do?
Are we all trolling?
Is WWC trolling too? They are the ones that resuscitate the thread!
Haha!
Grandis.