Looking forward to see the tank with the t5s !:biggrin:

Anytime. I actually have a 4' fixture over it now, just cleaning up mine and figuring out how to mount it.

Sounds like a plan... Prob not this coming week... Perhaps the following week... Will pm you then.

If you're looking for ideas I can show you how I hung mine
I prefer mine hanging with the stock kit so I can move it up and out of the way

I am looking to put up some ecoexotic panorama stops (RB) along side my halide to get the pop back

Any suggestion

I've got 4 of the Panorama Pro RGB's and the one touch controller. I have them to add some pop to my AI's. I initially thought they helped until I switched to Hydras. They might work with MH. If you do go that route get the reflectors and stay away from the garbage controller.

Ok. I'll try to see if lfs has one to try rather than buy it and hate it. I would def get the reflector

Thanks you

I switched from a Tek light T-5 to a Kessel LED last year and wouldn't go back just because I hated spending money on bulbs.

When we talk about LEDs, in my opinion the problem isn't that they do not promote photosynthesis as well as a halide/T5. As Dr. Sanjay Joshi said "a photon is a photon""... the problem is that they miss parts of the spectrum that are needed for reasons outside of photosynthesis. For example, it has always bothered me that the LED spectrum ends at 660 nm for most fixtures. I don't believe Cree or Phillips has an emitter above 660 nm, and if they do, it isn't in any mainstream aquarium fixture. Red light above 660 nm has long been known to play a critical role in the development of terrestrial plants. For example, the wavelength of light signals for "phototropism" - when a plant moves itself in response to changes in light directivity. Some plants are triggered by blue light, others by red.

Does light play non-photosynthetic roles in corals? I don't know for sure. Corals are very different from plants. But I do know for sure that some corals respond to light directivity... I'm sure pretty much every experienced hobbyist would agree. I have noticed Xenia and colt corals seem to "climb" towards light. I'm not an SPS-hobbyist... how do they respond to light directivity?

One year of growth from (mostly) frags under straight t5s:

http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/x...ps5b93b9dc.jpg

Brad, what are you doing for a bulb combination?

I've played with it a bunch over the weekend and found this combination one of the best. Spots 3 and 6 are on a different circuit, so the sunrise/sunset looks kinda washed, I miss the LED Royal Blue at point in the day...

--Front--
Blue+
Coral+
Blue+
Purple+
Aquablue Special
Blue+
Purple +
Blue+
--Back--

I'm not sure yet. I have 2 each of Blue+, Coral+, Purple+, and waiting for 2 back ordered Aquablue specials. In the interim, I have a couple of KZ 15k bulbs which I think look like garbage, so probably won't keep them in once the specials show up.
The blue+ take the 2 bulb circuit for the actinic effect, but I haven't really finalized the distribution. The light is still on my table waiting for 2 more fans. Currently I have a 4' unit resting on top of the tank between two SOLs. No idea what bulbs or age of bulbs, but anxious to get the new unit fired up.

I would do away with the Aquablue Specials and just get 2 more Blue +. The Aquablue Specials are like the Coral Plus except even whiter IMO. Your tank would look too white, unless you like that look. I run a 8 x 80w ATI with 5 - Blue Plus, 2 - Coral Plus and 1 - Purple Plus. It's still not super blue, but it is not completely white either. Just my opinion.

Same for me while the halide is doing things the radion only dreamed about I miss the RB
I ordered a RB led retro kit so hoping to have that soon

I just ordered some DIY RB LED kits for my ATI Fixture. I will be running a strip of RB off of both sides of my fixture. That way I get some additional PAR, along with the nice LED pop and shimmer.

I am using 2" wide extruded aluminim for heat sinks. I don't have a canopy so I need a nice clean look and this would be best.

I'll keep that in mind. It's what I have now, so I'll use it, but I'm sure things will change once I run it for a while. My only guide was the description for the bulbs :)
I do want to try and find a strip of blue LED that I can hook into my Apex for extra blue, some ramping and a bit of shimmer. Let me know how your add-ons work.

Sounds like all y'alls are feeling a little blue after switching from LEDS. I'm blue la-da-dee da-dee-da da-da-dee da-dee-da

and so it begins. before that which is just beginning has barely begun.:mrgreen:

No, it began before it begun! The plan was always to add a strip of LED, as I really do love the ramping ability. Choosing blue is simply a matter of providing an actinic type dimming effect.

I find it's a give and take relationship with this hobby. The RB is what I'll give up for the coverage I'm after. Tank seems quite a bit brighter though.

Brad, do you prefer a more white or blue look to a tank? The combination I choose is more white than a SOL Blue with 100% white and 80% on CB/RB. I'm very happy with it. I just hope the corals gain some coloration over the next while.

I prefer a more blue look, the SOLs were at 100% on both blue and 96% on white. I suppose I'll have to tune the color once I have it in place a while, or I'll get used to whatever color it gives :)

I tried 5 blue+, 2 Coral+ and 1 Purple+ and it was the best blue combination for me. Aquablue Special might not be your thing, it's quite a bit more yellow than coral+.

I figured more blue+ might give a nice color but not enough PAR. Maybe more coral+?

The blue + and coral + are actually very close in par.

Yep, apparently some guys go with 7 blue+ and 1 coral+ and still grow SPS on the sand.

:behindsofa:

Blue+ is where it's at! All you need from the other bulbs are the yellow and red spectrum imo.

~Tony

And it's done. LEDs off, ATI T5 on. Found a couple extra Blue+, so just waiting for the 6 daytime bulbs to fire up to see what it looks like. Room looks different without the giant canopy on the tank :)

YAAAAY :mrgreen:

Pics!! Also, see you again at your first bulb change. :lol:

Ya, I'll get some pics. As for bulb change, it's cheaper than MH and that's never really been a concern of mine. I figure it's the cost of having nice coral.
Keeping things in perspective, I spend enough for bulbs each month at sbux, so bulbs every 10 months isn't a biggie :)

Only people I see ditching LED are those that opted for cheap units that don't have the technology to replicate T5 or MH.

You get what you pay for with technology. Its a shame as we are seeing these people fall out of love with LED for the totally wrong reasons, and why it is so important to invest in something that ultimately will pay off.

Disco ball fixtures and spot lighting LED's are going to never be a win factor in the long term.

The cheaper fixtures are giving the LED industry a bad name and that really is a shame.

Without getting all commercial, I believe there are only two fixtures out there that can actually do what an LED is supposed to do.

I did a write up on this on RC on a similar thread.

When you make the investment it pays off! Proven!

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/1...4d5f2d48_b.jpg

Michael, to be fair to all LEDs, I didn't much care for the Mitras either :). Sure, they're probably a bit better than AI or Radions, but still not up to speed with MH or, as I'm seeing now, even T5.
I love many features of LED, and my coral was amazing even under the cheapo AI's, but I can get more amazing out of a different light source.
This will always be a topic where people disagree and defend their preferred technology, so everyone should just use what works best for their tank. Right now, I'm really liking the T5 colors.

I will be the honest 100% not just because we distribute them, you are the first ever anywhere to say that about the Mitras, Thats truly not a defense comment but fact.

Here is one sample
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...mitras&page=43

But not to take this off track, my guess is it just was not dialed in.

Its not about colour either it is also about the health of the corals, thats where cheaper LED fixtures long term let people down and they revert back

100% agree :)

pay more attn to the forums. It people like myself with radion and mitras and hydras that are switching to t5 or halides.

Myself ran the led train for two years and ime color and growth are no where near led.

So please tell me how a $1200 mitras pays off compared to a $400 halide. Fact is halides are "proven". Fact is that led has been taking off with yet more advance on the way. One day I believe that they will be at par with t5 or halides but not just yet.
I think also the producers are also seeing this. If not the power module probably would have not Ben released
The trend that I am seeing is distributors backing what they sell and the most expensive ones at that. It hard for you as a distributor to support a item that you know longer carry.

$999 to be precise ;)

The mitras has been shown many times to equal both the power and the growth of a MH, furthermore you have infinite adjustments to the spectra without having to change a bulb, (as you do of course with other full spectrum LED`s Like Radion another fine fixture)you also have the ability to properly dim the fixture with the built in (only available on Mitras) Linear dimming technology, no thats not the same as digital dimming.

Then of course there is the electrical power saving.

As for tanks under mitras

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...wpost&t=101801

The Mitras was specifically designed to take on MH and T5 in one fixture, this is what you pay for.

But I dont want this to be Mitras Vs all of a sudden, as Aquattro said there will be fans in both camps, all i will say is if you are going to take the leap into LED then spend the money and it will pay you back, try and do it on the cheap, I do not see that it will.

Before I jump back into led I think I'll wait a year or two to see what advancements come. I'm sure the manufacturer still hold some tricks up their sleeves

:lol: Lets not get to the power saving and cost benefit returns. Steve did his calculation with electricity savings and I did the cost benefit returns a lot of time over here so I will start pasting them to prove that particular line is just a false advertisement (to some degree) :razz: Wondering why? With halides, your heater runs less; with LED, your heater runs more and the total consumption gets quite close to each other Steve did the calculation few months back in a similar thread ;) And about bulb replacement and electricity savings and the initial investment....it would take almost 5 years or more depending on the high end fixture to get even with MH/T5HO. Raise your hands who has been using the same "commercial" fixture for even the last 2/3 years atleast! :smile: DIY fixtures are a whole new horizon and I won't get there.

About "cheap" fixtures. Like Nick already mentioned, people with all forms of LEDs are moving away, be it AI, be it Radion, be it mitra. Infact, I have seen more happy faces using evergrow LEDs than a radion pro. Come on their power factor for the power supply is around 0.6! That's the crapiest AC-DC converter; even a 10 year old with basic knowledge of capacitor and inductor would be able to pull out a AC-DC converter close to 1!

And about mitras. I won't say anything :) I love the ability of that fixture; GHL knows how to utilize LED on reefs - that's for sure. But I hate the packaging. Fishes don't wear sunglasses! Get realistic...maybe that's holding me back from getting it? Oh wait...its the $1000 price tag = almost 7 years of my bulb replacement. Damn!

My only thought to that is, with this sort of technology there will always be advances, it comes down to when you or the next person feels most comfortable taking that leap.

My original point can be summed up as thus, and a short version of my post on RC. If you did not get what you hoped out of LED, this does not mean all LED`s will fail you, the most likely reason is the technology that was not employed into the fixture that you invested in, so my point is, spend as much as you can and you will more than likely get what you hoped for.

There is no argument to be made for saying higher priced fixtures are just profiteering, look through the forums, where do you see most the success stories? There is no market left in this industry for overpriced non worthy items, manufacturers now have to sell at bare minimums to even bring their product to market. So if it is more expensive you can be sure it is due to the cost of manufacturing that fixture.

My closing statement is - Don't put all LED's in the same basket if the one you tried failed you, invest in the ones that have the proven technology to deliver.