Mh vs led

me & my baby · Feb 9, 2016

ok I used to run my all the time then I downsize to a 150 and switch to reef breeders LEDs . Had a bad battle with algae . We are tearing the tank down and redoing it . Now lighting is what I am working on now. I like the fact with MH it's a no brainier . With LEDs there is so many to choose from so many good and bad reviews on each brand . All the different adjustments with power . But no hear issue and not having to use my chiller is nice Just really at a loss. Any input from users of each would be great.

Pete polyp · Feb 9, 2016

No comparison at all between the two. Anyone who says led will compare to metal halide needs to put down the pipe.

nazzman · Feb 9, 2016

Love my halides. Switched to LED awhile back then went back to MH after just no comparison IMO

Davesgt · Feb 9, 2016

I believe it will be a debate on which look you like best and the convience you want. I have ran MH, T5, And leds and in my opinion I got really good growth with my metal halides and t5 the best when it came to SPS and my Acans. As for the best coloring Leds stepped it up tremendously on the color except for my acans. I recommend a good Led fixture for anyone going towards Lps and Soft corals, especially with the growth I get on my hammers and torchs since switching 5+ years ago.

me & my baby · Feb 9, 2016

I really mostly keep sps but will have some softies and lps

TheEngineer · Feb 9, 2016

The question of whether or not LED can grow a successful tank has been answered over and over again. The answer is yes. You will hear people swear up and down a blue streak that they went from MH to LED and had this or that trouble and switched back. Of course they had trouble! They went from a full spectrum light source to a slim spectrum one. It is well known that corals will produce an abundance of chlorophyll that is best suited to the spectrum of light they are getting.

If you have a MH putting out tons of light at 550nm and 575nm and then switch to an LED which is putting out most power at 450nm of course there will be a problem! The corals don't have enough cholophyll in that range to get the nutrients they need. If you let them adjust (and they survive that long) they will thrive just the same.

Here's a plot of MH power outputs. Notice the broad spectrum of light.

Now here's a Kessil A350. Notice the constrained nature of the light spectrum?

I am so tired of people saying LEDs don't work and they tried them after MH and switched back. AGH!!!! <rant over>

Davesgt · Feb 9, 2016

icecool2 said:
The question of whether or not LED can grow a successful tank has been answered over and over again. The answer is yes. You will hear people swear up and down a blue streak that they went from MH to LED and had this or that trouble and switched back. Of course they had trouble! They went from a full spectrum light source to a slim spectrum one. It is well known that corals will produce an abundance of chlorophyll that is best suited to the spectrum of light they are getting.

If you have a MH putting out tons of light at 550nm and 575nm and then switch to an LED which is putting out most power at 450nm of course there will be a problem! The corals don't have enough cholophyll in that range to get the nutrients they need. If you let them adjust (and they survive that long) they will thrive just the same.

Here's a plot of MH power outputs. Notice the broad spectrum of light.

Now here's a Kessil A350. Notice the constrained nature of the light spectrum?

I am so tired of people saying LEDs don't work and they tried them after MH and switched back. AGH!!!! <rant over>

I agree ive had no problems with Leds like I said ive noticed more growth with my lps and softies, I believe that my sps would have grown better if I would have just gave them more time, but I was switching over anyways

me & my baby · Feb 9, 2016

I know LEDs can grow sps my thing was the algae outbreak I had I never had with halides

Davesgt · Feb 9, 2016

What kind of Led where you using

TheEngineer · Feb 9, 2016

I can't comment on what caused the algae outbreak. I can tell you I've run LEDs since 2007 and I've never been able to attribute an algae problem to them.

TheEngineer · Feb 9, 2016

Davesgt said:
I agree ive had no problems with Leds like I said ive noticed more growth with my lps and softies, I believe that my sps would have grown better if I would have just gave them more time, but I was switching over anyways

Sorry, that wasn't directed at you (or anyone in particular). That was a general rant at the world

me & my baby · Feb 9, 2016

I was using the reef breeders LEDs I had 3 over my 150 cube

Davesgt · Feb 9, 2016

icecool2 said:
Sorry, that wasn't directed at you (or anyone in particular). That was a general rant at the world

No problem I agree it makes you want to scream when you hear that sometimes lol

Tegridy Reef · Feb 9, 2016

I had algae in my led tank to I turned down my reds and helped a little but I went to halides and love them so much more now I just use my LEDs for supplement blue lighting

Davesgt · Feb 9, 2016

I'm not real familiar with the Reef Breeders but I'm sure they are similar to the Reef Radiance Leds I have. I also have Multiple Ai fixtures, Kessil Leds, and the Reef Radiance leds as of right now, I have had Radions and Orphek in the past and With each fixture they are tremendously different. My Ai light, Kessils and Radions have gave me the overall best color growth and dependability and have never had and algae problems. The only reason I went away from Radions is because I like the Programming of The Ai and Kessil a lot better. Now with my reef radiance which is a great light I have noticed that I have to do more algae scrapping, is this because of the light, IDK, mostly becaseu they are over a frag tank which is usually more nutrient rich.

TheEngineer · Feb 9, 2016

I have suspected, but have absolutely nothing but my suspicions, that the algaes we fight with prefer the longer wavelength (redder) spectrum of light.

Davesgt · Feb 9, 2016

icecool2 said:
I have suspected, but have absolutely nothing but my suspicions, that the algaes we fight with prefer the longer wavelength (redder) spectrum of light.

I have noticed this also when I was first starting, ive turned my reds down just in case and have had no problems.

Oksana Kudina · Feb 9, 2016

Interesting. I had no problem with algae when switched to LED from MH, but I did have a problem with hair algae when we moved the tank. I used Marc Weiss Algae Magic. It is organic and takes time, but helps.