Hey everyone!!! It's my first day on the site, but I've been a reef hobbyist for a year now.. This is the BIG question, "can you have successful growth AND coloration using LED's???" From what I've seen, most of the people keeping HIGH end sps use halides or T5.. Well, I've spent a fortune on radion pros because I love ecotech products, and ecosmart live is a great program.. I love how all their products integrate with each other.. I have a lot of high end acros, and they are stable but I'm hoping I didn't make a huge mistake buying LED when I was upgrading.. Any info on this topic would be MUCH appreciated!!
SPS and radion LED
- Thread starter reefkev
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blacktippr
Active Member
I've been running Radion pros gen3 for over a year, and growth and coloration is awesome.
Birddog
Hooked on Reefing
I have the G3 Pro as well with a custom program run through my Apex. I have Red Planet, ASD Rainbow Milli, RR Aussie Gold, GARF Bonsai, Hawkins Echinata, RMF Jareds Rainbow Milli, RR Red Wing, Oregon Tort and a bunch of other nice SPS. Peak intensity is 95% and although it took me several months to find the "sweet spot" my color and growth has exceeded my expectations.
Cool!! Making me feel a little better!! I think that's what it is, finding the "sweet spot.." I've gradually upped the max intensity to 85% from around 45 because I heard you could bleach corals quick.. It just seems like I always hear people talking of T5??
SunnyX
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Well, at the moment, in my own personal opinion, a setup of 100% T5 is still standard when it comes to SPS growth and color. A combo of MH/T5 is a close second. Many nowadays are using T5 along with LED in order to maximize color, coverage, and growth. I am still using MH along with T5 as I have plenty of units available for use. I have not yet tried LED nor plan on making the jump anytime soon. I simply cant justify the change based on the equipment I already have and what I have heard from trusted friends who went from LED back to Mh/T5.
I will say that I have seen some amazing LPS/ZOA setups with Radions.
Thank you,
SunnyX
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Hello,
There is no doubt that LED can grow and color sps. I was stating my own personal opinion, and the experiences of highly skilled reefer friends who have used LED and gone back to MH/T5. From what they have told me, the trouble with LED included growth patterns, corals basing out/not branching, and the inability to achieve certain pigments in corals. One of these days I'd love to try LED for myself, but for now it doesn't make sense for me to do so seeing that I have an abundance of MH and T5 components. It would take years to recoup the costs of switching to LED compared to what I have now.
While the energy savings, heat reduction, and lack of bulbs is nice I really can't make the jump and risk using an "inferior" light source. Not that LED is inferior, but that MH and T5 are still the best option for the majority of reefers, especially the ones new to the hobby.
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tqui
Active Member
agree with you SunnyX .. i've used t5 and mh before... as matter of fact, i was thinking of switching back to t5 not too long ago. However, i love the control-ability of of me LED as well as those benefits that you mentioned above.
but, switching to another fixture mean $$$$
-- and i like how my SPS are looking right now.
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SunnyX
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agree with you SunnyX .. i've used t5 and mh before... as matter of fact, i was thinking of switching back to t5 not too long ago. However, i love the control-ability of of me LED as well as those benefits that you mentioned above.
but, switching to another fixture mean $$$$
Lol, the controllability is what keeps me away from LED! I know that if I was able to manipulate the color and intensity I would always be messing with it.
But, one of these days I am going to try LED. I'm thinking once I have setup a large tank I will convert my smaller one into an LED lit system, comprised mainly mixed corals. 
scardall
2500 Club Member
I use Leds because of long term cost of this technology. Led technology is catching up to what is needed, when it comes to "PUR" etc. Unfortunately alot of other Led manufactures neglect PUR or consider it #2 to PAR. If money wasn't a factor I would have a combo of T5 and MH(15K) my self. I base some of my opinions from the Data I have read from this link:http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html
PS: If it works " for you" great but I say this with the Upmost Respect to All my fellow reefers etc out their. ( I Only want to help, NOT bash anyone on a personal level) When it comes to PUR your $100 chinese fixture does not cut it. Think about it this way,if it was that great than most everyone would be using them. Yes??? I know I would. Take Care All and thanks
PS: If it works " for you" great but I say this with the Upmost Respect to All my fellow reefers etc out their. ( I Only want to help, NOT bash anyone on a personal level) When it comes to PUR your $100 chinese fixture does not cut it. Think about it this way,if it was that great than most everyone would be using them. Yes??? I know I would. Take Care All and thanks
Diesel
ME=1, CANCER=0.
We all post as foremost on own experiences, right!!
As for me I used MH and T5 as in that time only the Space program was using LED's oh and the Star Wars and Star Trek movies
By the Time Ecotech came around with their first Radion I got excited and got me four Gen 1, from there on Ecotech kinda liked my tank and Patrick wanted me on the beta program............ all the newest Ecotech candy ended up on my door step from gen2 up to gen3 pro's.
The lights were awesome in color control but I couldn't get them dialed in for better growth as I experienced with T5 and MH.
After 3.5 years I couldn't stand it and got my self the ATI 60" hybrid 8 bulb.
It took about 3 months for my SPS to adjust completely, some faster than others but my growth exploded.
I still run radions Gen2 on one of my frag tanks and yet corals grow better under the T5's than my radions.
Let me be clear the Radions ain't bad lights and are one of the best if not the best LED you can run over a reef tank (IMO)
It's all up to you what to expect long term.
As for me I used MH and T5 as in that time only the Space program was using LED's oh and the Star Wars and Star Trek movies
By the Time Ecotech came around with their first Radion I got excited and got me four Gen 1, from there on Ecotech kinda liked my tank and Patrick wanted me on the beta program............ all the newest Ecotech candy ended up on my door step from gen2 up to gen3 pro's.
The lights were awesome in color control but I couldn't get them dialed in for better growth as I experienced with T5 and MH.
After 3.5 years I couldn't stand it and got my self the ATI 60" hybrid 8 bulb.
It took about 3 months for my SPS to adjust completely, some faster than others but my growth exploded.
I still run radions Gen2 on one of my frag tanks and yet corals grow better under the T5's than my radions.
Let me be clear the Radions ain't bad lights and are one of the best if not the best LED you can run over a reef tank (IMO)
It's all up to you what to expect long term.
Reefer93105
Active Member
The Radions Pro G3 does the job for me, growth wise and colorwise. I was using two 400W Radium bulbs over my 180g for many years and setting up a 300g tank with four of these is out of the question. With LEDs its a matter of coral placement and having enough light coverage over the corals. The issue with LEDs is shadowing. They are more spotlight in a sense compared to T5s and Halides which spreads the light more all over. What leaned me towards LED is controllability and not having to deal with the heat, chiller, bulb changes, and electric bill. Also not hearing the wife complain about the humidity in the house during summer. LOL
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SunnyX
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All great points. If I were to run LED I would have to use T5 for supplements in order to combat the shadowing which has caused issues for many SPS keepers.
Ideally I'd use an LED spotlight and light the tank like so many Japanese reefers have done over the years. The LED spotlights have their advantages as you can highlight certain corals, colors, and areas of the aquarium. It's not very cost effective, but the effect is beautiful.
Ideally I'd use an LED spotlight and light the tank like so many Japanese reefers have done over the years. The LED spotlights have their advantages as you can highlight certain corals, colors, and areas of the aquarium. It's not very cost effective, but the effect is beautiful.
I am working with the Radions right now. Because MH and T5 are going a way due to the energy act of 2007. incandescents and nearly all halides no longer meet the efficiency per watt standards. So I am learning how to grow corals with Radions just like I did when we where learning what MH bulb to use and what T5's to use back in the day. I use Nav's custom schedule the best one for Radion's right now.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/121589/Nav Sig900 4-2-14.etg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/121589/Nav Sig900 4-2-14.etg
mcarroll
10K Club member
You must be getting bulbs and electricity for free.
Otherwise there's no way T5 stacks up in favor of LED.
Usually for the cost of one set of bulbs and maybe the years power bill you can build an LED fixture that is superior. And not that you would ever do it, but that means you could build and throw away an LED fixture every single year and still come out ahead of the costs of running T5.
Like you, I am not completely convinced of the superiority of one over the other, but LEDs win hands down on every other front and in my experience they are at least as good for color and growth even if they are not better.
