Quote:
Originally Posted by Bugsy
Anyone here have the new LED lights on their tanks??
I have been reading about these lights, the so called replacement oneday for MH. Just curious if anyone has them and what your opinion is using them on a reef tank.
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just a tidbit. they are not a "so called replacment" for mh, t5, ect.. they are a very viable alternative to them which can produce the same lighting levels if done right.
the reason you don't see a lot of premade LED lights is that one company holds a patent for the way there done which is preventing any other company from makeing a lighting system with a controler. which is why solaris went out of business. the only way areound this is by selling DIY kits or you can just buy all the parts your self and build one.
so if you want to get the output of a 250 watt HQI set up it can be done easy, you just need a good heat sink, good drivers, a wack of leds, and optics, and the skill to put it togeather. its not cheep to start off with but in the long run it works out to be very cheep.
for me to do a tank with a 12X30 opening I am looking at 400 to 600 bucks (closer to 600 porobably) but when you think about it I will have higher PAR levels than a 250watt HQI, no heat transfered to the water and no bulb cvhanged for 15 years?
if I were to do a 250 watt HQI on that tank it would cost me 300 to get started then 100/year for bulbs so there is 1000-1500 (10 to 15 years)
plus I would need a chiller so another 700.00 for a total of 200 to 2500.
but with the leds I am also getting infanate color as they are dimable and I can dim the white and the royal blue seperatly so I can pick the color I like, and if in a few days I decide I want it more white I can. Also the drivers I am looking at use a 0-10v signal for the dimming so if I wanted to put togeather a PLC, I could have simulated sunrise/sets with the colors shifting also. because I am using 4 drivers, I will b abvle to change the intensity in 1/2 the tank also so if I get new corals, I can place them on one side and dim it down and gradualy bring the light levels up over a week or so to get them used to the lighing levels I want.
the only problem is (and it maynot be a problem but rather a benifit) is you have to build everything, even your housing which can open the doors for some very creative looking lighting systems.
Steve