Going back to halide after 4+ years with LED

[deedubz]

I talked to a Hamilton rep and he said they be seen an uptick in the 14k bulb sales.

I was running Hamilton 14k over my 55 and loved them. I had to break the tank down(long story) and wanted to try their 20k over my 180 when it gets here. While I'm sure I'll like them too, I can always switch back to the 14k if I don't

 

[Centerline]

I was out of the hobby for over a decade. Excited by all of the LED options available when I got back in a couple years back. After a year of futzing around with LED's, I picked up a 250w hamilton for my 60g cube. I upgraded to a larger tank, and went with T5's. Either way, I just don't think LED's are quite 'there' yet. Yes, you can grow corals with LEDs, but if you look at initial costs (especially on a larger tank!) and coral health... I'd still choose Halides or T5's. Some of the combo T5/LED's are interesting, but the prices!

Eventually, LED's are going to surpass other lighting choices... It's inevitable. I just don't think they're quite 'there' yet. Imagine an LED video projector... a full blown LED projector, inverted over your aquarium, with a controller that allows you to replicate a bright sun moving across a brilliant blue sky, add in a few drifting clouds, perhaps a storm once in a while, a moon that matches phase, motion, and duration... with the color matching and blending that is available on today's LED TV's. It'd be incredible.

Just re read this. Hope you applied for a provisional patent on that! What a fantastic idea with the sun, moon, etc.

 

[deedubz]

I was running Hamilton 14k over my 55 and loved them. I had to break the tank down(long story) and wanted to try their 20k over my 180 when it gets here. While I'm sure I'll like them too, I can always switch back to the 14k if I don't

Guess I should add that my fixture had 4 t5 bulbs too.

 

[Centerline]

I was running Hamilton 14k over my 55 and loved them. I had to break the tank down(long story) and wanted to try their 20k over my 180 when it gets here. While I'm sure I'll like them too, I can always switch back to the 14k if I don't

The mogul bases 20k has a very nice look to it. Buddy down the street runs 3 of them and nothing else on a 220. Crazy crazy tank.

 

[Centerline]

Guess I should add that my fixture had 4 t5 bulbs too.

Spectra?

 

[deedubz]

Spectra?

Went with an odyssea initially until it caught fire about a month in. Fortunately I was home.. I promptly replaced it with a Hamilton Cebu sun. Brs had them on sale last March or so

 

[Centerline]

Went with an odyssea initially until it caught fire about a month in. Fortunately I was home.. I promptly replaced it with a Hamilton Cebu sun. Brs had them on sale last March or so

Those Hamilton reflectors are excellent. Ive owned several - most recently I scored one of the Hamilton Caymen Sun combos with a M80 ballast. Very surprised that it come with a 20k Radium for $350! Great lights.

 

[shred5]

Went with an odyssea initially until it caught fire about a month in. Fortunately I was home.. I promptly replaced it with a Hamilton Cebu sun. Brs had them on sale last March or so

I do not know how they are still in business with how many of them have caught fire.

 

[deedubz]

Those Hamilton reflectors are excellent. Ive owned several - most recently I scored one of the Hamilton Caymen Sun combos with a M80 ballast. Very surprised that it come with a 20k Radium for $350! Great lights.

I love mine. The fans have gotten a bit loud after a year so I'm going to replace them before the upgrade, but otherwise I have no complaints

 

[deedubz]

I do not know how they are still in business with how many of them have caught fire.

That's the thing.. I'd read it was a thing of the past. I was new to the hobby and I thought I could cut that corner. I don't know if mine was refurbished, an older model that sat on a shelf for a while, or they're still just that dangerous. Regardless, thank God I was home

 

[vio]

NO more LEDs for me, try many , just bleach SPS like pop corn , LEDs wont fail but drivers ,controllers yes, i may be wrong but looks like all the Spectrum colors , light speed etc, is control by the paint (epoxy paint ) over the chip , they start G1,G2,G3,G4 were they go ? G 20 ? they keep experiment whit OUR $, i run 3 x 400 W Radium ( 20.000 K ) + 3 T5 (80 W) as supplement. LEDs may need 10 more years to beat M.H. or T5.lol

 

[KJoFan]

Were you the choice which setup would you choose, mounted in a canopy on a 150g 60x24x24 setup:

2x Reefbrite 15" pendants w/Reefbrite dimmable ballasts
or
2x Lumenmax Elite fixtuers w/Lumatek Select-a-watt 250-400w ballasts

 

[bif24701]

I’m actually back to strictly LED. I’m teally liking the Kessil AP700. I was Having an issue with GHA. I turned Off the T5s and after 6 weeks things are looking good. Growth and coloration has improved a little. Problems exist with every system. I did Find MH much easier. I found growth and coloration superior. I’m currently enjoying a happy medium. Simplicity, heat, and expense, a sacrifice for what I was Once able to produce with MH/T5.

That’s me. If not for the huge amount of heat and the extra power usage (more power to light the light + more power to cool the house) I would have MH absolutely. But as you say I also couldn’t go without that shimmer and I like how Kessils look. I find my growth is pretty good and colors. LED also really pop the fluorescence in coral.

 

[Centerline]

Were you the choice which setup would you choose, mounted in a canopy on a 150g 60x24x24 setup:

2x Reefbrite 15" pendants w/Reefbrite dimmable ballasts
or
2x Lumenmax Elite fixtuers w/Lumatek Select-a-watt 250-400w ballasts

I would go with the Lumenmax and Select-a-watt. You may find in the future that you want a little more light or a little less light as your tank grows out. AND those Lumenmax reflectors are awesome. Additionally I have three of the select-a-watt ballasts that are several years old and still kicking. The Reefbright stuff looks great too and I'm sure they are fine products.

 

[Vwluv10338]

I was a MH guy for almost 20 years before switching to LED only about 3 years ago. Many of the claims on both sides are piffle. My energy costs are lower now because I don't have to run a chiller, but they aren't that much lower. I haven't frankly had any issue growing corals under both kinds of lights. Some look better under halide, others better under LED. Mostly they just look different. I personally prefer the look under LED, but that's just me.

I'm currently beginning a lighting bake off in my frag tank, with LED on one side and MH on the other with PAR equivalence. Interested to see what differences result. If I deem MH to be my preference I'll switch back in a flash. I don't expect that to happen, but who knows. Will let you know in 2 years.

You said two years and it’s been three. Looking for info on how your frag tank experiment went?

 

[ca1ore]

You said two years and it’s been three. Looking for info on how your frag tank experiment went?

Mostly there was very little difference. A couple of corals did better under MH; others better under LED. Reinforced for me that there’s no point in going back.

 

[Vwluv10338]

Mostly there was very little difference. A couple of corals did better under MH; others better under LED. Reinforced for me that there’s no point in going back.

Kind of disappointing but good data none the less. I’m trying to decide what to do on my 4’ 120g. I struggled a bit without a par meter but love the features so it’s a love/hate thing with LEDs. I kind of miss the old days of set it and forget it halide. I was running 150w and 250w hqi over a 30” 58g back in the day. Real live rock and halides made it seem easy. Now I started with dry rock and infinite settings on LEDs and I’m struggling.
I have two Reefi UNOs on preorder and thinking of sticking a 250w hqi that I have in between them and run it for like 4 hours a day and ramp the UNOs. Maybe add T5 and just have all the things

 

[cilyjr]

Wow I've not looked at this thread in some time.
I got divorced ( sold that house to my ex) and moved across the country to California I rented for a year and have been running a 40b on, guess what? 2 hydra 26hds and.... Though I still feel many things grow slower, I've pretty much took a 180 turn on this.

I'm in the process of setting up a 120 and will be using the 2 hydras in a hybrid t5 fixture.
So it will be 2x hydra 26 with 4x 48 inch t5. I'll leave the option to add a 3rd hydra should I feel the need.

Because of the temperature here halides would require a chiller here and I don't run one.

 

[samparker]

Wow I've not looked at this thread in some time.
I got divorced ( sold that house to my ex) and moved across the country to California I rented for a year and have been running a 40b on, guess what? 2 hydra 26hds and.... Though I still feel many things grow slower, I've pretty much took a 180 turn on this.

I'm in the process of setting up a 120 and will be using the 2 hydras in a hybrid t5 fixture.
So it will be 2x hydra 26 with 4x 48 inch t5. I'll leave the option to add a 3rd hydra should I feel the need.

Because of the temperature here halides would require a chiller here and I don't run one.

Check out Philips Coral Care. I just set my new tank up with them and cannot believe they are LED. The most halide/T5 looking LED ever!!!

 

[rtparty]

A month ago I would never imagine I would be heading back to halides but the proof is in the pudding for me.

Got to talk to Tullio over at Reef Brite for a couple hours and had a very good conversation about halides, LEDs and even T5s. Everything I have known in my gut for years was confirmed. LEDs are good lights but to this day, they are still compared to halides. My tanks under LEDs have never come close to the halide days yet my water and flow may be better than it has ever been. I bet I have spent thousands of hours reading, watching, studying, talking to industry leaders about water and flow, understanding the chemistry in our tanks, and how that is playing out. I can't even count how many RHF articles I have read and re-read at this point. I keep my tanks as stable as I can and yet, my older tanks were so much better. I didn't know 80% of what I do now.

I will be creating a new build thread for my planned upgrade and will go into more of this there but the short of it is this...my tanks are in my basement. It is 64-68F almost year round. The Reef Brite halides run cooler (usually because they aren't being overdriven and Tullio's design is better) than older halides and this has been confirmed by multiple YouTubers and commenters here on R2R. Any heat from them is actually very welcome for me. The truth is 250w of halides or 250w of LEDs is still 250w. The LED's heat just goes into the heatsink and into your room. If the halides heat up my tank a little more, good. It means my heaters run less.

It would take me over $4000 to light my planned 72x36x24 with good LEDs. I was leaning very heavily towards the Straton and Coral Care with Radions in third. No matter what anybody says or what a PAR meter says, the most successful LED lit tanks all have more than the recommended amount. Sometimes twice as many as the recommendation.

(As a side note, I currently run G5 Pros over my tank. They are great LEDs but they aren't halides. They don't glow like halides. Doesn't make them bad lights at all. I just prefer something different and believe my corals will appreciate the halides more.)

So add me to the growing list of those going back to halides...again. LOL I may never quit tinkering with equipment as I truly enjoy that aspect of this hobby.