Lights

[Kleko]

So ive been looking at lights, and reasearching different types. Ive found different web sites saying different things. I just wanted to know.
What lights are the best for corals?
Which lights run hot and which run cool?
What lights use allot of hydro?
What are the least expensive and most expensive.
And any other specs about them.
Thanks

 

[pulpfiction1]

this is one of those topics much like rodi water,everyone has a different opinion,i don't claim to understand what all or even most corals need as i myself am relatively new to keeping them,standard 24" deep tank should have a high output light like metal halide or HO-t5 or VHO-t5,now with LED i myself am using 3 units of  1 watt lights,each has 119 bulbs or diodes or whatever they like to be called,i like the look of 14,000K white with a mix of Actinic,mostly what you will need will greatly depend on the livestock you are or plan to be keeping,some needing higher doses of light while some will thrive with less lower in the tank,we do have a whole section on just this topic

http://www.thefragtank.ca/forum/index.php?board=20.0

another laymans read here might be helpfull

http://www.pet-expo.com/trivia/aquariums-lighting.htm

as far as cost, the sky is the limit,you need to decide what you need based on what you are keeping or are going to keep

 

[Gietz]

It all depends what corals you want to keep. I myself just run T5 HO 4x54watt and it does the trick for my LPS and my Xenia are growing so I must be doing something right

 

[Kleko]

If im going to spend the money, I want to spend it on a light type that is sufficient for the best of corls. I dont know if thats a stretch but Im open to your opinions. Thats what im here for, So basicaly I want the best lights that can do the best of corals generally. I know I wont be able to do everything under one type of light system.
Thanks

 

[Neopimp]

Briefly,  led are mst efficient, cheap tp run, not completely proven to thevsatisfaction of some people.
There are no bulb changes, no color drift, dimmable, more expensive start up costs unless DIY is your thing.  Spectrum based on the leds used in the fixture. Great shimmer efct

Metal halde are the goto lighting for coral keeping, most complete spectrum of ligt. Run hot,may need a chiller,  bulbs shiftband need to be changed emvery 6months to a year,  energy sucking, good shimmer effect.

pC just stay away from.

T5 are nice as well, more effecient than MH but not near the light output. So many bulbs are needed to keep the light loving corals, no shimmer effct, bulb changes same as MH, used for actinic supplementation wit led and MH setups.

Honestly googe reef lightin, get a casevof beerband spend the next 10 hours reading.

Myself, i went with the diy leds, 800 bucks to light my 5ft tank, no bulb changes, and completely customizable in the future if new leds come out. These lughts will last forever with onlya slight loss of intensity a decade later. 

See my build tread in te diy section of forum.

 

[Kleko]

I was thinking Leds, Are they second to metal halide for corals? and everything else the best except price?

 

[Neopimp]

LED are yet unproven to match or beat MH lights
I woudl think that it is possible to match but I am not sure that the LEDS are there yet to cover the entire spectrum...

But you figuer that at the depth of coral reefs there is not a lot of red light and the main spectrum is blue in color so I woudl think that the royal blue with blues and WHites woudl cover most of it.

Mr Saltwater tank started an LED comparison.. not sure what his conclusion was.

 

[TORX]

Mr Saltwaters last update was July 8th. They said that there was no noticable growth difference with the SPS under halide or LED. They ran an 8 week comparison and found no real differences. Keep in mind that the LED tank ran too clean for a while and may have hindered some growth.

They mainly state that if you go LED, you HAVE to go modular so you can upgrade and modify. They are not 100% convinced on a SPS only tank as they are stuck on halides and a 'if it isn't broke, don't fix it' train of thought, but highly recommend for mixed.

Mr. Saltwater Tank LED Experiment Update

[youtube]yoFVuAy5MNU[/youtube]

 

[TORX]

Just found another update on his site...


"At this point, I’m very tempted to get rid of the halide on the other side of my tank and replace it with a Radion. However, patient is a virtue so I’m holding off…for now. I also want to make sure this experiment gets ample time to run before I make a final decision."

Radion LED Lighting

[youtube]_-bnoLvdiYI[/youtube]

 

[Neopimp]

There is nothing more customizable than a DIY fixture where you can swap any led for another . Even after it gets built its still easy to do

 

[Darryl_V]

This light is too hot.

This light is too cold.

This light is dull.

This light is too bright.

This light is JUST RIGHT......ahhhhhh.

Sorry couldn't resist. 

 

[Kleko]

Seems like Led for me