- Classic case of buyer's remorse. Lot's of lighting threads start similarly.
- A case of buyer's remorse starts with the information asymmetry of Caveat emptor.
(Both of those links are worth reading even if you know the terms already.)
As long as marketing remains the same in this segment, I think it's always going to be difficult for new users to pick something they will actually be happy with.
Most of the talk is about nonsense concepts such as "full spectrum" and "pop" while people know little or nothing about lux meters,
PI curves, lenses,
spot vs area lighting, nutrition, etc.
As a result of this focus, you have people using LED's just like they were halides (whether they liked halides or not), and doing so without the aid of a light meter. That's not a recipe for success
or happiness.
I've said it before: There's nothing wrong with spending $200/square foot to light your tank – there are awesome fixtures out there to be bought
or built – as long as you're aware of what you're spending the money on, and that you
can do it for $20/square foot.
Most dissatisfied folks don't seem to get that last part and instead try to associate sticker-price (high or low) and/or popularity with "best". You have to be aware of your options...which as I said is not easy for the uninitiated.
There are a few things that can help prevent or cure buyer's remorse....
A) Know that blue and white LED's of the absolute cheapest variety that merely turn
on in the morning and
off at night can make your corals happy and grow.
Happy and growing corals naturally look great.
Isn't this 90% of your goal? Maybe 100%?
B) Know that every other feature and color on a light fixture is for you and not the corals.
Sunrise/sunset is nice looking, and however goofy I think extra color looks I admit that there's a segment of folks that like it. All these things (and the rest) are fine, but extra.
Can this be much more than 10% of your goal?
C) Know the difference between area lighting and spot lighting.
Along with price, this lack of knowledge seems like it could be at the root of many cases of LED-dissatisfaction.
Start with a fixture that puts out the kind of light you will prefer!
- LED strips will be similar to T5 light.
- LED pucks, multi chips (e.g. Kessils) and china boxes are all more similar to metal halide light.
D) Last, but not least:
Use a light meter to make any lighting change.
Minimize changes in lighting intensity between changes in lighting setups.
There are $free lux meter apps that work well.
There are $15 handheld lux meters that work even better and are safer to use over your tank.
A PAR meter is great, but don't hold out on using a light meter at all just because you can't afford one.
