A suggestion for lighting comparisons: Real world tests.

[AZMSGT]

True testing of lighting would be valuable. I’ve been thinking I would like to see real world side by side comparison tests of lights. The set up I’m thinking of would avail it’s self to multiple types of lights as well as variations of lights. The set up I have in mind would be as follows:

1. a single long frag tank. Say 12” deep, 24” wide, 72” long. The water would flow free from one end to the other. However lighting would be divided into 3 sections separated by walls that light can’t penitrate.

2. the above tank would share water chemistry, sump everything. The only difference is the lighting sections.

3. The corals in the growth section would all be identical but various types. To allow equal comparison.

I would love to see LED tests first. Find the one LED light that is best for all, best for LPS, best for SPS. Then take these lights and test them against T-5, T-5/LED, then Halide.

Who better than BRS to create a real world light test system

 

[hart24601]

Would the systems have coral in equal PAR and spectrum (close as possible) between the lighting types or would it be based on power draw? AKA 20" away from 250W of Mh, 250W of LED, 250W of t5?

 

[randyBRS]

True testing of lighting would be valuable. I’ve been thinking I would like to see real world side by side comparison tests of lights. The set up I’m thinking of would avail it’s self to multiple types of lights as well as variations of lights. The set up I have in mind would be as follows:
1. a single long frag tank. Say 12” deep, 24” wide, 72” long. The water would flow free from one end to the other. However lighting would be divided into 3 sections separated by walls that light can’t penitrate.
2. the above tank would share water chemistry, sump everything. The only difference is the lighting sections.
3. The corals in the growth section would all be identical but various types. To allow equal comparison.
I would love to see LED tests first. Find the one LED light that is best for all, best for LPS, best for SPS. Then take these lights and test them against T-5, T-5/LED, then Halide.
Who better than BRS to create a real world light test system

This would be an awesome test!

 

[AZMSGT]

This would be an awesome test!

Thanks Randy, hopfully some day we will see you guys put this together. For obvious reasons it would be a long term test. It easily could take a year or more to do the testing properly.

 

[Randy Naylor]

It's nice to see comparisons of the lights. However all of the readings are taken at shallow depths so far. I have a 30" tank depth and wonder how it all changes as we go deeper.I'm building 225 gal reef tank, so this information would be very helpful.
Thank you, RandyN