Sustainability Under LED's

[The Saltwater Kid]

Okay, I have this guy on my local club page who is saying that he is doubting the long-term sustainability of corals...especially SPS...under LED only lighting. He's saying that he's read studies which are saying that while corals initially do well under LED's that long term (2 years or more) they don't do as well as under T5's. I say that I've seen tanks with SPS under LED only lighting and they look amazing but he's saying show me a tank like that of krystof tyrcsof at 2+ years of LED only lighting and he'll admit it can be successfully done so now is your chance...show me some of your 2+ year old tanks (especially SPS) that have been kept under LED only lighting so I can have some proof to show him that LED's do work well long term!!!

 

[46gReef]

I wish I could, just switched to LED's less than a year ago.....

 

[Slayer311]

Having experianced this first hand, I have to agree with your friend. After 1 year I have lost about 20% of my colonies that thrived under T5's. I believe it has a lot to do with shading of the LED's which leads to STN at the base of larger acros and this hurts them. I recently added 2 T5 bulbs for suplamentation and am already noticing coral health improvement, more polyp extensions and color brightening. Not saying it can't be done, but in my personal opinion I do not believe LEDs are 100% there yet. I think they rock with a bit of help and sometehing along the lines of the Hyperian S will be a great balance.

 

[ritter6788]

I'm starting my third year of leds. I'm not Reef Spotlight or TOTM material but it's not my lighting's fault. Anyone doubting that LEDs can support corals is wrong. Even the highest, light needing organisms can thrive under leds. The knock against LEDs is that some don't get the same color as MH. There is no doubting the growth or the ability of corals to thrive under leds.

 

[ultramafic]

I'm really disapointed in my LEDs. they looked great when i first put them over my tank, except that most of the colors started to look grean instead of reds yellows blues purples. now all of the brightness in my sps is just the same green, except for my orange digi and red monti. I thought maybe it'd just take some time to adjust to the new lights but after 4 months everything looks worse. I'd return them but the vendor said they won't take them back after 4 months.