Help with LED Switch

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 11, 2012

Hey guys - its time to replace the bulbs on my tank.

Its a 125g tank, and Im running 2x 250w MH's, and 2x 160w VHO.

This is going to cost me a lot of money, probably almost $400.

That, paired with the at least $100 I could get for this fixture leaves me with some money.

Im not seeing the kind of growth that I would like to see in my tank with my current setup, and there are things I could change (pull my glass lids - although the mess it would make on my lights I dont think is worth it) and replace the bulbs (which I think are 14k) with ones that are 12k.

I hate the look of most DIY fixtures, the light looks super fake, and I dont want that. Its a mixed reef, but the top crest is all SPS, and Id like to see those things start to grow a little faster.

I want something that is tried and true, some fixtures have been out there long enough that we should be seeing almost fully developed tanks from people like aqua illuminations etc.

Any help at all is appreciated, I need a direction to go in. Thanks

Young Frankenstein · Jun 11, 2012

anemone keeper sells them, there is allot of vendors here that sell LED fixtures.

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 11, 2012

Already got a message from anemone keeper. I realize that his first batch of fixtures just went out - but any opinions or ideas on that product? I am very tempted to move in that direction.

I also can get a pretty good deal on AI fixtures.

Thanks

SeahorseKeeper · Jun 11, 2012

You only want to spend $400?

I have the maxspect mazarra p-series and I absolutely love the lights. Also, I like the fact that it is easy to replace the LED's if they burn out. Also, coralvue has treated me very well with their customer service.

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 11, 2012

No Im saying I have $400 in cash to start playing around with...now is the time to do it, instead of replacing bulbs and then going to LED later.

Links to pictures of your tank would be sweet.

How long have you had the fixture?

What has growth been like?

Anything that seemed to die or stop growing under your LED's?

Thanks

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 12, 2012

Bump. Recommendations people!

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 13, 2012

Bump again.

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 19, 2012

Anyone with a review or an opinion on the reef filtration fixture or the reefbreeders fixture please respond.

I am considering either two reef filtrations or four reef breeders it seems.

Thanks

Reef Breeders · Jun 19, 2012

You would only need 3 of our fixtures, the fourth would avoid the center brace, but 3 would do just fine, just be sure to put the middle one close to the brace.

Steelerfan747 · Jun 19, 2012

I would say go for it if you can. Leds are the way of the future plus have shown to provide great growth. Please let me know if that ability to get ai at a good deal is available to be swung my way,.

TulsaTye · Jun 19, 2012

Evolution LED from REEFKOI.COM

mcarroll · Jun 19, 2012

Depending on how you want to install or finish it, you could roll your own Gu10 based LED fixture (likewhat I'm running my SPS reef on) for as little as $750. The parts are all commonly available and installation is super simple as they are AC powered just like a regular lamp. There's info on my Reef2reef blog if you want to check into it.

AquaIlluminations would still be my top choice of the fully integrated solution providers. Though I'm not familiar with any of them, the sponsors here should be pretty acceptable as well. The technology is established IMO, you just have to pick the shape you want it in.

Whatever route you take, it's almost sure to be awesome compared to maintaining a halide (or florescent) system.

-Matt

kingfisherfleshy · Jun 19, 2012

TulsaTye said:
Evolution LED from REEFKOI.COM

We can add them to the conversation - but I need recommendations. Which unit, how many for my tank.

I also need some evidence that these are working. Are you running this unit? Do you have any growth pictures? What did good with those LED's and what struggled?

Give me all the information you can on your expereince with that unit please.

mcarroll said:
Depending on how you want to install or finish it, you could roll your own Gu10 based LED fixture (likewhat I'm running my SPS reef on) for as little as $750. The parts are all commonly available and installation is super simple as they are AC powered just like a regular lamp. There's info on my Reef2reef blog if you want to check into it.

AquaIlluminations would still be my top choice of the fully integrated solution providers. Though I'm not familiar with any of them, the sponsors here should be pretty acceptable as well. The technology is established IMO, you just have to pick the shape you want it in.

Whatever route you take, it's almost sure to be awesome compared to maintaining a halide (or florescent) system.

-Matt

Looking into your blog now.

It seems to me that I am going to go with one of the two I mentioned, either the reef filtration unit or the reefbuilders unit.

We can add reefkoi in there, but havent heard much from there, so I am really going to need some peopel to step in and start talking...which this thread hasnt seemed to get anyone doing on anything.

Really looking now for people with opinions on one of those three fixtures, as the AI unit's markup wasnt that great, so the discount the store was willing to give me (wholesale) was still pretty much a rip.

I plan on keeping my 2x 4300nm 160w VHO along with whatever else I decide to get.