Transitioning to LEDs on My SPS Dominated 75

[Joe Knows Reefs]

So I took the plunge and got some new LED units from Nano-Box-Reef.com
They're local and the owner is a great guy. Every review has been positive and I've seen the lights in action several, several times so I went this route. They received a positive review on Reef Builders as well, so that aided in my decision too :wink:

Anyhow, I currently have 2x250w 20K Halides over my 75 which is supplemented by 2x110 VHO super actinics. I'll be swapping out for 2 of the 12" units which contain 24x3w LEDs.

I'm looking for some experience from those who have made a solid and successful transition and are now growing and coloring up their SPS. I've read a lot and I know to start slow, but I'm not sure how slow and so forth.

Thanks in advance

 

[mojo]

you can run the leds closer to the water than your halides which is a plus for par but can hinder spread if you need more than what 4 to 6 inches provides. I started with my leds at the height I wanted but reduced the light cycle down to 4 hours for a week then worked it back up to your normal cycle time.

 

[roshi719]

I switched to LED from 250 watt halide over a 75 about 4 months ago. Like Mojo did I started the lights where I wanted them at and cut the photoperiod down to a few hours a day then slowly ramped it back up. Coloration is awesome, and growth has been steady or a little better than before. I used to run 12 K reeflux bulbs in lumenbright reflectors now I have two of the 120 watt fixtures from Reef Filtration.

 

[CJO]

Do you have any way of renting/borrowing a PAR meter? That's the best way to start off right.

CJ

 

[my2girls]

I switched to LEDs on my 75g back in April from a 7 bulb T5. Unlike the above reefers, I dialed down the intensity instead of photo period. It can be done either way with success.

 

[Joe Knows Reefs]

Thanks everyone. I will try to get my hands on a PAR meter also to help out with this. How have your acros done with the LEDs?

 

[secretreefer]

tagging along with this one brutha. hope leds work out for you. i'm still running a triple threat. (leds, T5, halides) BTW. my sps high up seem to love the reefbrite i'm running. color is phenomenal.

 

[roshi719]

My acros have done very well with the LED's. Beware the par meter though as LED's actually put out about 20% more than what the par meter pics up.

 

[Mojoreef]

One big thing to beware of with LEDs when comparing them to MH's is that Mh's are a full spectrum bulb, so their par is across the whole 400mn to 700mn range. Leds are very specific, as in the par any particular led puts out is in a vary tight range.
So as an example here is a cree xp-e blue blub

and then one from a 10K MH

and then a T-5 bulb

So anyway you can see their is quite a difference in the wave ranges covered by different bulb types. So beware the par reading, as in most bulbs have par in alot of different color ranges and the LEDs have all their par in a much more narrow range. The reason this becomes important is that the zoox in corals will actively use light in the 425-475 range for growth and leds (blues, royal blues, whites and cool whites) all have their narrow ranges in that zone. So you are loading the zoox usuable light and not so much the light wave that flouresing pigments like to use.

Hope I didnt make that to muddy

Mike

 

[nixer]

One big thing to beware of with LEDs when comparing them to MH's is that Mh's are a full spectrum bulb, so their par is across the whole 400mn to 700mn range. Leds are very specific, as in the par any particular led puts out is in a vary tight range.
So as an example here is a cree xp-e blue blub

and then one from a 10K MH

and then a T-5 bulb

So anyway you can see their is quite a difference in the wave ranges covered by different bulb types. So beware the par reading, as in most bulbs have par in alot of different color ranges and the LEDs have all their par in a much more narrow range. The reason this becomes important is that the zoox in corals will actively use light in the 425-475 range for growth and leds (blues, royal blues, whites and cool whites) all have their narrow ranges in that zone. So you are loading the zoox usuable light and not so much the light wave that flouresing pigments like to use.

Hope I didnt make that to muddy

Mike

thats fine, but you do realize you just compared only a blue led to a 10k.
in all a blue led is SUPPOSED to be blue

 

[Mojoreef]

thats fine, but you do realize you just compared only a blue led to a 10k.
in all a blue led is SUPPOSED to be blue

I was just trying to show that leds operating in a tight wave range. So I will put up some more for you.

So here is a cool white

xp-r5 cool white

Royal blue

So with the whites and the blues you can see their in the same zone in regards to wave nm's When you add a green you add some wave in the low 500mn and then the reds would add a little mid 600's

hope thats better

Mojo

 

[Joe Knows Reefs]

That IS helpful...thanks Mojo!

 

[chestnud]

I know with my AI sols I slowly increased the intensity over a few weeks, started around white 20, blue 30, rb 30. Then increased by 5 percent every 5-7 days. The maxspects that I used on another tank didn't have optics, just more LEDs, and went over the tank 100 percent power and had no issues.