jelly
Well-Known Member
with LEDs being coming common are they really worth it. i know they save a lot on energy and a lot on heat. is the technology really there yet or will would you say in a few years it would be much more worth it?
are LEDs worth it
- Thread starter jelly
- Start date
- Tagged users None
CONSTANTNE
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2008
- Messages
- 191
- Reaction score
- 3
I was skeptical at first but running my Aquailluminations for 6-7 months now I would say they are worth it. Some people will have different opinions but for me less heat, no bulb changes, adjustability, and shimmer made it worth it. I did not lose one SPS from an ATI fixture.
FishScale
Active Member
Markpolo123
New Member
yes if you get the right one
ReefLEDLights
Valuable Member
+1
they are not all created equally.
check the link in my signature to the reefledlights forum here on reef2reef for proof of awesome. check previous customer builds.
AquaWorldPSC
Well-Known Member
+1 on getting a quality fixture and the right one for your tank needs
CONSTANTNE
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2008
- Messages
- 191
- Reaction score
- 3
Sorry AI fixture as in Aquaillumations. I had an ATI Sunpower T5 fixture in the past lol.
FLUSA
New Member
I have LED's and I love them....wish they didn't need the cooling fan's as they do make some noise. All my stuff seems to grow just fine and the tank looks great....I caution you however that most people have a bias toward what they have......
SoCaliReefin
Active Member
Yeah, those look awesome. Waiting to try out the 15k version. Did you get the 10k?
LittleDabOSalt
Active Member
When it comes to LEDs I believe the saying holds true " You get what you pay for". Looking for bargains in LEDs will not help but if your looking for quality and aren't afraid to spend the money for them then I believe they really are worth it.
Obviously not everyone can afford to go out and get these things at the drop of a hat but if your able do it. In my own opinion they really do make a difference.
Obviously not everyone can afford to go out and get these things at the drop of a hat but if your able do it. In my own opinion they really do make a difference.
Are leds there yet? Well they certainly can keep coral alive and there is no doubt about that. They can produce very good par numbers.
The thing is led fixtures are expensive still and led technologies are changing very rapidly and anything you buy now will be obsolete pretty fast.
Another issue is there are allot of crap fixtures out there and allot of them are coming for China. All leds are not created equally. Leds are used in alarm clock but they are not meant for illumination. Also leds require proper cooling or the light output on them degrades rapidly. The problem comes because allot of the fixture have no way to replace or upgrade leds unless you know how to solder.
Also leds are being overdriven in most of these fixture which reduces there life and one of the advantages of leds is long life.
Another advantage of leds is the ability to dim them. Nice dusk to dawn which is better than any other technology out there to light a reef.
I could write allot more on this topic but I am at work and rather busy right now. I hit most of the major points though.
Dave Polzin
The thing is led fixtures are expensive still and led technologies are changing very rapidly and anything you buy now will be obsolete pretty fast.
Another issue is there are allot of crap fixtures out there and allot of them are coming for China. All leds are not created equally. Leds are used in alarm clock but they are not meant for illumination. Also leds require proper cooling or the light output on them degrades rapidly. The problem comes because allot of the fixture have no way to replace or upgrade leds unless you know how to solder.
Also leds are being overdriven in most of these fixture which reduces there life and one of the advantages of leds is long life.
Another advantage of leds is the ability to dim them. Nice dusk to dawn which is better than any other technology out there to light a reef.
I could write allot more on this topic but I am at work and rather busy right now. I hit most of the major points though.
Dave Polzin
alot of the cons of leds you listed above can be remedied by building your own fixture. It reduces the cost significantly, allows easy replacement of leds, allows dimming manually or with a controller and allows you the choice of what leds to buy
bob
SethTheWineGuy
Community Member
Here's my experience
Aqua Illumination - THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY - Atlanta Reef Club Forums
Aqua Illumination - THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY - Atlanta Reef Club Forums
GR808
Well-Known Member
+1 bob
my leds aren't overdriven either. In fact, I have sufficient lighting and I am not even consuming half of the rated current on my drivers.
Gitsoe
Active Member
I have 2 15ks I really like the crisp color and the shimmer is a plus,
growth and color is there.
my tank is a mixed reef but mostly softies, Lps and some sps mainly monties
I've seen the 20 k and it's super blue!
also seen the 10ks they have a more MH look.
mistaflicksta
Community Member
99.9 percent of LEDs come from China. The ones that have made the cut are Cree and Bridgelux so what ever you go with atleast make shure they have one of these
