Are you happy with your LED's???

[parkinsn]

Originally Posted by sphelps

To contradict MH and T5s have more options than blue and white and LED fixtures that are available today for the most part only offer blue and white, yes other colors are available but are they used in fixtures?.

Have you seen the Sfiligoi Genisis? They are using other colors in the same diode. The colors can be seen on the thread below. Now it doesnt look like you can run all the colors at the same time, however with a custom/modular light im sure you can.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1849626

As for cost saving to the owner, I had 6 54w T5HO's and 2 250w SE MH's replaceing bulbs twice a year is roughly $500 or more in 1 year. I assume that most people will keep their light for 3 years. A $2200 LED Vertex replacement for the light above, over 3 years will be paid off with approx. $1500 in lamps in 3 years + the energy saved. Not to mention that ballasts will start to fail in 3 or more years.

I have seen many tanks running LED on RC and other sites that are now pushing 3+ years with good SPS growth. No, they are not 5 years in like you say. I feel that there are enough case studys out there if you look for them to prove that LED is a viable solution. It still remains to see what fixtures will stick around as there is new ones every month. But there are a few names out there that have lasted a few years already.

[sphelps]

Yeap seen them and the price tag to match makes them out of the average budget. Like I said for the MOST part fixtures don't offer such options.

Also lets not get into specific examples of return as this will vary greatly for each idividual and therefore should be left up to them to decide if it's worth while. They certainly do have pay back periods but it will vary and the individual needs to decide if it will pay off or not, this was my only point but as an average I would say 5 years is fair.

Also I don't doubt the LED fixtures will last but my comments were more based on if people would still be happy with the purchase after several years as aspose to several months.

As for ballasts failing after 3 years, that's total BS and you know it.

[parkinsn]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Yeap seen them and the price tag to match makes them out of the average budget. Like I said for the MOST part fixtures don't offer such options.

Also lets not get into specific examples of return as this will vary greatly for each idividual and therefore should be left up to them to decide if it's worth while. They certainly do have pay back periods but it will vary and the individual needs to decide if it will pay off or not, this was my only point but as an average I would say 5 years is fair.

Also I don't doubt the LED fixtures will last but my comments were more based on if people would still be happy with the purchase after several years as aspose to several months.

As for ballasts failing after 3 years, that's total BS and you know it.

I dont think that the genisis is that out to lunch. All dependent on your application and budget of course. When you look at this model it is far less than the equvelant all in one or pendant.

http://www.aquaticselite.com/Product...ode=GE-LED-348

Or look at the Pacific Sun, more than likely your going to need a master and a slave to get the proper coverage and par on your tank. Depending on depth you may have to step up to the next wattage of these pendants.(based on a 48" tank)

http://www.conceptaquatics.ca/index....rp-master.html

Absolutly It will be up to the consumer to justify the upfront cost and if it will work for them or not. Is anyone really happy with their fixture in 5 years? Seeing all the technology change so rapidly from T12 to MH to T5 to LED, dont discount plasma as well, its hard to keep up. There will always be something newer and better that you will want to have.

Im not here to argue your point, I see what your saying. I'm on the fence still with LED. I would like to look in my crystal ball and see how they work and customer satisfaction in 5 years, but its broken right now. However that was not the point of this thread. Are you happy with your current store bought or DIY LED or not? I would like to hear on this thread or in PM from the few people that voted unhappy, as to why they are unhappy fixture type, system etc.

(I guess the ballast that I have seen fail were in my dreams... lol but that's not the point here)

[lastlight]

Scott I'd like to just chime in and say the banged-up old PFO you sold me is still rocking hard lol =)

I'm also still on the fence with LED. I enjoy the thread as I enjoy the other 10 new threads that are started daily. It should be noted that LED thread generation still lags new LED company generation. It's the gold rush!

[sphelps]

Kind of my point regarding people not being happy in general with equipment after so many years with new and better stuff always coming out. Since LEDs in general require you to keep them for about 5 years for the efficiency to pay off and the fact this specific technology continues to advance more rapidly than anything else it's something you really need to consider. It's also why I mentioned resale as continuously upgrading LED fixtures will not likely pay off financially.

As for the price of the fixture we discussed it is certainly cheaper than I expected as when they came out I recall pricing one out for around $4K. The price you linked is much more reasonable at $1600 however this is only a 120W fixture which I don't believe is ideal for sps in a 48" tank. The 240W verson is probably a better match for the average reef application which will cost you over $3K with the RGB option. If compared to other fixtures like the vertex in terms of wattage you'll see a bigger premium involved in going this route.

Also didn't mean to suggest products don't fail as pretty much anything can including LEDs. But to suggest ballasts will begin to fail after 3 years isn't accurate.

[parkinsn]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Scott I'd like to just chime in and say the banged-up old PFO you sold me is still rocking hard lol =)

I'm also still on the fence with LED. I enjoy the thread as I enjoy the other 10 new threads that are started daily. It should be noted that LED thread generation still lags new LED company generation. It's the gold rush!

I will show you banged up!! That thing is the exception, its built like a tank.

[gobytron]

Originally Posted by doch

Never thought of that. hahaha. Hey, it's an anonymous poll... somebody could admit it, but nobody would know it!

yeah...
except for the most important person of all....themselves.

[gobytron]

Originally Posted by Pirates_Gold

Perhaps, but then you would expect to see them being sold off too...and I don't see too many used LED fixtures for sale.

first off, there arent that many around and in reality, one would need to accept the error of their ways before putting the item up for sale...

even then, could you sell the item to someone else in good conscience?

[mark]

be nice of those who voted UNHAPPY stated why...

[nlreefguy]

I switched from 250 MH over my 50 gallon to 36 Cree XP LED's DIY. Totally happy with the looks of it, the dimmability and the flexibility of color combos. It grows my corals like nothing else and is upgradeable if I want. The only thing is that the colors of some of my corals changed when I went from MH to LED. Some for the better, some for the (in my eyes) worse. And when you turn those LED's on, you have to turn them way down because if you don't they'll burn some of your corals. Also, I love the fact that I no longer need to worry about heat and have my controller turning my MH on and off all day due to over-heating. Overall, I'm very happy - my tank has never looked better.