You get what you pay for, with anything, AI has a proven track record as well as radions, sure the evo may have 3w LEDs but what do we actually know of the quality of the lights, etc. having features like dimming or sun rise sun set etc, is very ideal and healthy for the tank stimulating all aspects of a day/night cycle, something you can't do with out a controller. Honestly, and please dont take this the wrong way, but I have seen a couple of threads from you in regards to Evo Leds, and I just want to say that if you are considering jumping into LEDs that you make the right choice the first time, so as not to waste money (potentially) I would personally go with a light that has testimonial from people you are familiar with to back it up. it looks like it would be more suited for planted/refugiums or little frag tanks if anything, but for a main display tank I would put your money to good use on a good light :) just my opinion though :wink:

As far as ive heard, there isn't any spectrum change. I called up Cree and talked to a tech about it before I built my unit and he said as long as you don't over heat them, the spectrum will stay the same. Basically the shortened down explanation of what he said was that the compound that is used to give an led there specific spectrum is stable as long as it isn't over heated. So if you burn your leds to hot they can have a spectrum change because of the compound breaking down into something else Like the zinc based compound used in blue breaks down into something that makes it kinda purple when it gets really hot.

They aren't really line halides or t5 which actually burn a compound to create the spectrum.

Just what I've heard anyways!

Intensity guys, this thread is about intensity :)

for one they don't say what kind of LEDs there using, if they are using Cree (or another good brand) then no difference, if they are using some of the cheep ones that use a coating to get the color then the coating will break down eventually and these ones will give you a spectrum shift. there has even been reports of the coating pealing off in places. so it basically comes down to how the LED is made. you get the expensive high quality that use the actually metal of the diode to give off the color you want and you get the cheep and sometimes expensive ones that use a cheep metal to give a blueish color and then coat the dome with colored phosphorus to tune the color to what they want.

Also you want to check into the power supply and if it can be controlled. there are cheaper power supplies that are not regulated as much so this can lead to early failure, and controllability adds cost (although not much)

and finally what is there heat sink and how is the temp managed, you can get systems that use a aluminum heat sink that is enough on there own then add fans as a back up, and you can get systems that if the fans fail your system will be cooked. allot of the companies now are using a heat sink material as the circuit board and mounting the bare LEDs directly to it. nothing wrong with this as long as it is rated for proper thermal dissipation, some companies will do this but use the cheapest material they can find then over size fans. So you really have to looking to the construction and parts used in the system.

Steve

:lalala:

dude, get this out of my thread!! :razz:

what your against informational posts now :wink:.

simple answer. yes you can do it but you will never be able to increase the intensity unless you drop the lights. but you have several options. the higher you lift your lights the tighter of a vewing angle you can use which gives you more par/intensity as a specific distance and better blending as your farther away. if this is the way you are leaning I would sugest going with something like the 50 watt LED cannons you could have a blue and white right against each other for perfect blending and you could probably recess them into cealing fixtures using optice to controld how big the spread is. I think that would be the coolest setup. no visable lights, just pots mounted into the celing and yet a tank that is still customizable in light color and intensity. you could use electronic dimmers/controlers that mount into a light switch housing and are controled by your computer. now quite trying to drag out of me what I have been working on ;)

Steve

What you should do is try placing them in various different spots and seeing what you like best.

I have an illumina 260 and run the whites at about 45% and both blue at 100%. I prefer the colour at this intensity, and the light is ridiculously bright once you get much higher, even at blue at 100%. Once the UV add ons become available I may add some, and add more that at that time so the spectrum stays pleasing to the eye.

:lol: sorry Brad