LEDs... Too many options...

[Tihsho]

So I'm the guy who was use to running 3 150w HQI's on a 180 with a set of T5-HO's for actinic accents. It's obvious now that wattage per gallon has been trumped by lumens. So with that in mind, I'm aiming the new setup to be LED's, more efficient and less on the utilities bill.

So with that said, choices choices choices... A friend recommended AI's SOL unit and from what he has setup it sounds perfect! But then I got caught up looking at CAD Lighting's units... I like housing of the CADs and the option for legs, but how do they compare? I have yet to find a fair comparison of each product. Any owners want to lay out their experiences?

 

[SoCaliReefin]

What are your tank dims? And what are you keeping?

 

[Eynonreefer]

Have you even giving thought of the Apollo Reef LED. I have 2 of these units over my 90 and love them. Customer service is great. For instance I purchased 20K fixtures about 3 months ago from a store here in PA. After some time I had wished I went with the 14K fixture. Well Apollo Reed LED's is based about 35 mins from my house and after speaking with The owner he told me to take my fixture to the shop and he replaced some of the blues with whites to bring me to the 14-15K look I wanted. I do have to say that I was impressed with the workmanship, and quality of this unit, it's very well buillt and no corners cut. I'm not sure if AI or CADs, or ReefKoi would do this for a customer, something to check into and think about in your choice of fixtures. Just my 2 cents on the subject.

 

[pmrossetti]

are we allowed to mention Apollo here?

 

[Eynonreefer]

Why not it's a brand sold by one of the R2R sponsors? What's the problem?

 

[pmrossetti]

my thread trying to compare them with the Evos got locked.
Evo people went ballistic.

 

[jaytizzle]

Best value for your money is DIY, hands down! If an idiot like me can build my own fixture, you can too!

 

[wld1783]

Best value for your money is DIY, hands down! If an idiot like me can build my own fixture, you can too!

With DIY you can choose the best of the best...+1

pmrosossetti

It seems the evo folks and the apo folks went to war...on this site as every site we sponsor, our opinions will only be fact and or our best analysis as reef keepers.

Until the dust settles we are recommending DIY and staying out of this one.

But as a last word will say both do grow coral....

Bill

 

[Tihsho]

I do get a kick out of DIY, but once it's made it's made is the problem. I don't want to go through the headache of making the DIY build modular. I know AI lights are modular units, plus they have a controller that's great when it comes to settings and timing. If I could run their controller and have a modular light setup for less then $350 I'd consider it.

 

[jaytizzle]

Not that much of a headache, really. I made mine modular easily. Solderless connectors and thermal grease as opposed to soldering your own connections and using thermal adhesive. And FWIW, my DIY is far more powerful than even the new AI Phoenix (I based it off of their design but did 6 pucks instead of 4 or 2 like the AI Nano).

 

[wld1783]

I do get a kick out of DIY, but once it's made it's made is the problem. I don't want to go through the headache of making the DIY build modular. I know AI lights are modular units, plus they have a controller that's great when it comes to settings and timing. If I could run their controller and have a modular light setup for less then $350 I'd consider it.

The DIY kits have come a long way from gluing and soldering.

The BJB solderless connectors and other solderless options make it very easy. One could add an extra row of LEDs in less 30 minutes.


Bill

 

[shred5]

So I'm the guy who was use to running 3 150w HQI's on a 180 with a set of T5-HO's for actinic accents. It's obvious now that wattage per gallon has been trumped by lumens. So with that in mind, I'm aiming the new setup to be LED's, more efficient and less on the utilities bill.

Watts per gallon was never a good Idea Because each type of lighting is different and puts out different amount of light per watts. Lumens is just as bad. First of all coral do not see watts, lumens, footcandles lux, etc, they use par.

Dave Polzin

 

[Tihsho]

So whats the calculation for par?

 

[shred5]

So whats the calculation for par?

There is not calculation, its measured.. Par is Photo-synthetically active radiation and is light between 400 and 700 nm... It is used for photosynthesis.. The stuff listed above is how the human eye perceives light. Corals have no eyes.

That also one of the reasons I laugh when someone says I can see that this light is much brighter than my last. What we perceive as brighter is not the same as corals. Human eyes see certain colors as brighter. Some light that appears really bright to a human does not mean it produces much par at all…


Dave Polzin

 

[Tihsho]

I'm guessing some DIY kits are sold by PAR specifics? Otherwise other non labeled LED's are a shot in the dark unless you have an apparatus to measure the level?

 

[shred5]

Well very rare that anyone testS The par of their fixtures. Usually it takes someone like Sanjay to test them..

Ok with leds being so popular there are good ones and bad leds. Just because a fixtures says led on it does not even mean it can produce enough light to keep a reef tank. As long as you select a good unit with good leds and proper cooling you should be fine par wise.

As for cad lights they build some ok tanks but their are better manufactures of lights out there. You mention the aqua illumination ai sol, they have a pretty good reputation. Right now there are so many led fixtures comming out it is really hard to keep up which ones are good or bad.

I am no equipment expert nor do I keep up on all the fixtures out there. I do understand lighting very well and work in the lighting industry non aquarium related.

Dave Polzin

 

[wld1783]

Tisho

shred5 is 100% right on using PAR over other measurements.

One other thing to consider is optics. Different optics will improve the PAR by focusing the light some are more efficient than others.

Also with PAR, older meters may give a lower reading than actual when under LEDs. Here is a link that may help Optics Evaluation ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting ReefLEDLights | LED Aquarium Lighting

This was an older fixture I built for a LFS with Cree XR-E LEDs and snap on optics.

The newer generation XP-E and XP-G LEDs with more efficient optics offer even more PAR.

Generally 48-60 Cree XP series LEDs will give you the PAR as a 400 watt MH and cover around 24"x36". We measured our Radium with a reeflux reflector at 426 PAR.

This is subjective as Sanjay has proven different MH Bulbs and Reflectors offer a wide range of PAR as do different LEDs and Optics but its a place to start.

At MACNA our 12" demo fixture with 30 Cree XP-E LEDs and Carclo Optics gave us 330 PAR at 24" driven at 700mA

Bill

 

[Tihsho]

How are you controlling the power? Are you guys using an LED driver or just a power source that has an output regulated by a potentiometer?

 

[wld1783]

How are you controlling the power? Are you guys using an LED driver or just a power source that has an output regulated by a potentiometer?

A constant current driver works best. For the XP-E 700mA in the norm.

Bill