LED Lighting?

[SaltwaterNoob17]

Is converting from T5s to LED lighting a good idea? I know LED lighting reduces heat output, noise, and your electric bill, but do they support corals as well as T5s do?

Currently, I run a Nova Extreme Pro with six 39-watt T5 (3 10,000Ks and 3 460nm actinics) on my 50 gallon, and I've been able to keep any coral I've tried with these lights. If I were to switch to LED lighting, how would I know what LED lighting system to buy that matches my current light output? For T5s you want about 5 watts per gallon; what's the rule of thumb with LED lighting?

Thanks.

 

[little_fish]

I dont think you want to pay for the LED lighting that currently is out there. The ones that i know of are around $3000 per strip and you need 4 or 5 strips.

I would just stick with the T5's until the costs come down.

 

[MushroomXombies]

+1....

Also, PAR is more important then watts per gallon. Are you using the bulbs that came with the Nova fixture? If so, replace them with some ATI bulbs, the difference in color and PAR will amaze you

 

[bjohanson1234]

WOW!!!!

I dont think they are 3000 anymore. Thats how much they were just 3 years ago. They are only like 350 now

Ecoray 60D High PAR LED Light | LED | PetSolutions

I dont know how many of these you would need, or even how good they are, but that seems to be the going rate for one around this size.

You can also DIY one and save some money.
Reef Led Lights Deluxe XR-E R2 LED Kits

 

[rdahlke1105]

I've noticed that the prices has gone down somewhat just since I started researching saltwater tanks. When I first started looking LED fixtures similar fixtures to what bjohanson showed were around 600 to 700.

 

[MushroomXombies]

WOW!!!!

I dont think they are 3000 anymore. Thats how much they were just 3 years ago. They are only like 350 now

Ecoray 60D High PAR LED Light | LED | PetSolutions

I dont know how many of these you would need, or even how good they are, but that seems to be the going rate for one around this size.

You can also DIY one and save some money.
Reef Led Lights Deluxe XR-E R2 LED Kits

A 50 gallon would need 3 of those units. They specified each unit puts out 500 Par at the center.

ATI T-5 bulb par

Sun Pro 357
Aquablue 336
Blue Plus 311

So, 6 ATI bulbs would put out more PAR than 3 of those units and would be $930.00 cheaper

 

[SaltwaterNoob17]

I dont think you want to pay for the LED lighting that currently is out there. The ones that i know of are around $3000 per strip and you need 4 or 5 strips.

I would just stick with the T5's until the costs come down.

Yeah, I know they're expensive, but like BJ said, they've come down in price a lot. A year ago I was looking at a LED fixture that would cost me $1400, but I saw one in the Foster and Smith magazine that I was flipping through for under $400. It's still a lot of money, but if it cuts down the electric bill and you don't have to replace the bulbs it's not a bad deal...

Reef Aquarium Lighting & LED Lights: Marineland Reef Capable LED Lighting System

Also, PAR is more important then watts per gallon. Are you using the bulbs that came with the Nova fixture? If so, replace them with some ATI bulbs, the difference in color and PAR will amaze you

I am using the bulbs that came with the Nova fixture. Can you explain PAR to me?

 

[Bifferwine]

Samantha -- I will be watching this thread closely. I have been throwing around the idea of switching from T5 to LEDs over my tank as well. My tank is thriving right now, but I'd like to see how it does with LEDs. If I happen to come into some extra money this year, I will be doing that.

 

[MushroomXombies]

PAR means Photosynthetically Active Radiation. In other words, light that is potentially useful to photosynthesis.

 

[rdahlke1105]

You know I read somewhere that LEDs penetrate the water better than the T5's. I'm trying to remember where I read it....

Edited to add: One thing with the LED's you have to look at the PUR not the PAR.

Here is a review on a spotlight LED that shows PUR ratings.

http://blog.captive-aquatics.com/ca...f-orpheks-pr-25-par38-led-spotlight.html#more

 

[SaltwaterNoob17]

Samantha -- I will be watching this thread closely. I have been throwing around the idea of switching from T5 to LEDs over my tank as well. My tank is thriving right now, but I'd like to see how it does with LEDs. If I happen to come into some extra money this year, I will be doing that.

Maybe you can be the guinea pig, Biff, and let me know how it works out for you ;)

 

[SaltwaterNoob17]

PAR means Photosynthetically Active Radiation. In other words, light that is potentially useful to photosynthesis.

Okay. Thanks! So...how much PAR do you want per gallon? What is ideal for reef-keeping?

 

[rdahlke1105]

Here is an article about LED lighting on Captive Aquatics.

Looking to Purchase LED Lighting? - Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

 

[SaltwaterNoob17]

You know I read somewhere that LEDs penetrate the water better than the T5's. I'm trying to remember where I read it....

Edited to add: One thing with the LED's you have to look at the PUR not the PAR.

Here is a review on a spotlight LED that shows PUR ratings.

Hands-on Preview of Orphek's PR-25 PAR38 LED Spotlight - Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

And, what is PUR??

 

[rdahlke1105]

"PUR stands for Photosynthetically Useable Radiation. PUR differs from PAR because the basic definition of PAR is any light in a specific frequency range. PUR is the usable portion of PAR, and different photosynthetic species will have a different PUR range to which they respond."

 

[rdahlke1105]

The last link I posted has embedded links to the differences.

 

[SaltwaterNoob17]

The last link I posted has embedded links to the differences.

I just saw that. Thanks for the link! :mrgreen:

 

[rdahlke1105]

It also states, "PUR is a much more useful way to compare LED lighting than any other method. Most LEDs emit excellent PAR, but often only ~50% of the PAR is PUR. The higher the PUR:PAR ratio (check the spectrograph!) the more effective the LED will be for lighting photosynthetic reef invertebrates."

 

[rdahlke1105]

I read a lot and from a lot of different sources. I saw that article before I purchased my tank. I helped me decide that I did want to go the LED route instead of MH.

 

[rdahlke1105]

This is another good article.

How to Choose and Compare LEDs - They're Not Metal Halides! - Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog