Ok, let's hear it!

[sphelps]

I'm still confused what this thread is about and exactly what the purpose is.... Ditch LEDs for T5s then start a new thread to talk about putting LEDs back in the mix?? Is it just me or would it have been better just to add T5s retros to the LEDs

[Madreefer]

We're all confused. Could be the start of a corporation

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by sphelps

I'm still confused what this thread is about and exactly what the purpose is.... Ditch LEDs for T5s then start a new thread to talk about putting LEDs back in the mix?? Is it just me or would it have been better just to add T5s retros to the LEDs

No, not at all. T5 for main lighting, looking to add back the sunrise/sunset features of LED dimming. But barring that being possible, I prefer the T5 look to the LED.

[Doug]

It has a lot of purpose, besides the odd pile of gybrish posts.

Im still undecided between a Mitras, the 2080 or 6 bulb sunpower. I liked t-5s when I ran them before. Between all the guys changing on RC and Brad, who as mentioned, knows his sps, switching has me looking at other options.

Whats better than absorbing all the info in threads like this and on RC


Also imagine how many are reading it for info, that are not posting.

And most important, it has me posting again and thats good.....

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Doug

And most important, it has me posting again and thats good.....

your just lonley hey when we going to do coffee again, you need to show me your tank so I can see how your leds look.

Steve

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Aqua-Digital

Steve you are wrong, I am actually being a hobbyist that has played with LED's for years, funny I can join in on RC with the same thread and I am welcomed and my views taken as a hobbyist, but canreef, its a different breed.

not a different breed on canreef at all, it is actually tame compared to what RC used to be like before I stopped going there.

there are a few people who have been playing with LEDs for years, I started 12 years ago with 5 mm leds and have been experimenting ever sense, I have 3 different prototypes designs and a friend of mine who moved to china to oversee a Canadian manufacturing company has already worked out the build and costs to my spec's, but I will probably never have them brought in as I could never get away with selling a fixture that would be just as good if not better than anything out there for 1/3rd the cost. I have seen what happens to people who try bring in a high end produce at a sub bargain price from other producers and its not worth the hassle, but thats neither here nor there, my comment was not a personal attack at all but a observation that every time you get in a lighting discussion the thread turns into a discussion on how good the leds your company sells are. we all know that, canreef is a small board and gets saturated quickly.

I actually like what you have done for the "high end" market in Canada 15-20 years ago we were very limited on what we could get and hence if the archives still work you can find my posts on testing on lighting solutions for people who couldn't afford high end stuff. the weird thing is I had a 90 gal tank at the time and over 3 years I spend over 10000 on lighting and test equipment alone. at that point in time we didn't have a sanjay to tell us what lights works and what kind of output they had.

I have been semi out of the hobby myself for about 5 years, due to retiring, moving and a new job so I mostly just follow along or take the odd jab at Brad or Doug but lately I have been looking at my 1/2 finished tanks in the garage and testing to see if there is to much vibration from the train tracks in the basement to set up a new system, so my interest is once again peeked. I am sure your mitras would be a good LED for my needs but I think they have been priced out of the range of the average guy, but I get it your a high end product guy.

so take me with a grain of salt, I'm old and sometimes I just get tired of weeding through advertising to get to the meat and potatoes of the topic.
and trust me if I could aford it I would have a proflux and a 4 station dosing pump on this new setup.

Steve

[Doug]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

your just lonley hey when we going to do coffee again, you need to show me your tank so I can see how your leds look.

Steve

You dont know how true that is. And yes we need to do coffee again

[Aqua-Digital]

Originally Posted by Doug

Im more confused than when I started.....
.

Perfect, the plan worked then

[mike31154]

The thread lives on! Ok, so perhaps a bit of additional food for thought. I mentioned in an earlier post that T5HO tubes would eventually get more difficult to source, particularly those with the specific phosphors that benefit our hobby. And fine, if you're ok with that possibility, then you'll be in good shape for a few more years, perhaps even longer. However, if not mistaken, the USA gov't has pretty much legislated the old Ben Franklin filament bulb out of existence. In Canada we're usually a few years behind that type of stuff, but the US is arguably the biggest economy in the world & when Uncle Sam says you can't sell a normal light bulb here anymore, manufacturers take notice!

I'm just guessing, but I have the feeling that fluorescent lamps, with their mercury content will come under the same scrutiny fairly soon, once LEDs have been accepted for general household use. And that's happening at a very quick pace. I can recall only a year or two ago, the LED bulb shelf at your local hardware store was pretty minimal, if there even was one. Mind you, LEDs are not totally clean either unless they're using lead free solder, but mercury is nasty stuff & released whenever a fluorescent tube bursts. The lead in solder connections is more or less contained as a solid and is easier to recycle & reuse.

So for you folks with the banks of T5HOs over your tanks and those considering a return to that technology, be careful with them & please do dispose of them properly. Don't just toss them into the trash, even the broken ones.

[Aqua-Digital]

You highlight an accurate point, in Europe, I think it is by 2016 that Fluorescent tubes will be banned. GHL mentioned this to us a while back, not followed up with the story since to be honest.