L E D vs MH ???

raul_vvr

raul_vvr

New member
Hi, everyone

- who likes which?
- And why?

I have DIY LEDs I like them but I feel I can get better growth.
 
I like both. However Mh is the closest thing to the sun light. Yes LEDs are a close second. It's preference really. Coming from a Nursery an plant background. MH IMO are better. But not better for the electric bill. T5's are nice as well but to get the correct light reading it has to be damn close to the object if trying to grow.


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If my choice was mh or led id stay with my led my growth is great color is good can be better but still good now the best colors were from t5 i still thing growth is better with led though . Although when i had t5 i wasnt dosing so that might factor in . I tried mh for two weeks runs to hot chiller was always on . My ac in apt was working over time aint nobody gotz time fo that lol. I left t5 because of price of bulbs and trying to remember to change em that was tough i forget everything . If i could find a nice t5 fuxture at decent price i may switch back who knows
 
jeffy said:
I like both. However Mh is the closest thing to the sun light. Yes LEDs are a close second. It's preference really. Coming from a Nursery an plant background. MH IMO are better. But not better for the electric bill. T5's are nice as well but to get the correct light reading it has to be damn close to the object if trying to grow.


Sent from my Russian submarine
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Man, that's what hear and read, but LFS says leds are better. Like I said I feel I can get more growth I get it but I have seen nice tanks with MH.
 
madjoe said:
If my choice was mh or led id stay with my led my growth is great color is good can be better but still good now the best colors were from t5 i still thing growth is better with led though . Although when i had t5 i wasnt dosing so that might factor in . I tried mh for two weeks runs to hot chiller was always on . My ac in apt was working over time aint nobody gotz time fo that lol. I left t5 because of price of bulbs and trying to remember to change em that was tough i forget everything . If i could find a nice t5 fuxture at decent price i may switch back who knows
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When I first had my tank I had T5 and to this day I miss them, am handy so I can make my own fixture. When I had T5 I bought a arco that was tan with T5 it was turning blue, when I switched to LED it stopped turning blue :( , I added more LEDs to my fixture but I just don't know :(
 
raul_vvr said:
Man, that's what hear and read, but LFS says leds are better. Like I said I feel I can get more growth I get it but I have seen nice tanks with MH.
Click to expand...

Most people won't run metal halide's due to the cost and how much heat they put out. It becomes a different aspect in marine life then plant life.. We have the technology now for LEDs as far as cost with LEDs it's phenomenal it barely puts out a lot of heat and it makes a lot of the colors pop. Personally if I was growing coral I would have a metal halide on The space I was growing in. Obviously that would be a separate tank. Yes you probably can't achieve the same thing with LEDs however they have to be very reliable. The light spectrum must hit the area and object.


Sent from my Russian submarine
 
raul_vvr said:
When I first had my tank I had T5 and to this day I miss them, am handy so I can make my own fixture. When I had T5 I bought a arco that was tan with T5 it was turning blue, when I switched to LED it stopped turning blue :( , I added more LEDs to my fixture but I just don't know :(
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Ive been playing with my leds for yrs now changing bulbs/spectrum i have not found a combo thats makes everything the best it can be most will look great few look like poop change some bulbs sometimes the poop ones look little better but the the good ones look worst im pretty happy with what i have now corals look good i know they can be better but now the fish look really good to so its a fair trade i guess until i decide ti switch back prob is t5 has no shimmer and i like the led shimmer lol
 
I've always been a firm believer in halides. That's all I run but after talking with Adam at battlecorals and seeing his tanks I may try leds. Led technology has come a long way. Imo it's hard to beat the look of halides but leds are a close 2nd

ANARCHY
 
anarchy said:
I've always been a firm believer in halides. That's all I run but after talking with Adam at battlecorals and seeing his tanks I may try leds. Led technology has come a long way. Imo it's hard to beat the look of halides but leds are a close 2nd

ANARCHY
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What led fixture Adam had? I didn't stop by his house for long...
 
I got best color with T5. I like LED for customability. I tried Metal halide for awhile and alot of my SPS turned green for some reason. So my ranking is
1. T5
2. LED
3. MH

I am currently using LEDs.


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ColaAddict said:
I got best color with T5. I like LED for customability. I tried Metal halide for awhile and alot of my SPS turned green for some reason. So my ranking is
1. T5
2. LED
3. MH

I am currently using LEDs.


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Hey Cola have any updated pics of your tank with LEDs?


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rockhead said:
Hey Cola have any updated pics of your tank with LEDs?


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Not currently. I have to clean up tank before pics. Glass dirty. I've been really busy working and setting up an LPS tank. Been neglecting my main tank. I had a bit of alk issue and stn'd some of my smooth skinned acro.
Also, what I hate about LEDs is it's very hard to get good pics with the LEDs.

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raul_vvr said:
Hi, everyone

- who likes which?
- And why?

I have DIY LEDs I like them but I feel I can get better growth.
Click to expand...

Loaded Question...

Which LED?

Binned 5 watt Cree LEDs is my first choice.
MH/T5 second choice
3 watt Bridgelux knockoffs last choice.

Not all LEDs produce the same spectrum and some knockoffs misrepresent their spectrum.

Also acclimation is important. You know when you have to replace MH...When a cheap LED fixture fails then you have to start from scratch acclimating the corals to the new fixture unless its exactly the same.

A quality LED Fixture will last years. I'm going on 6 with my DIY

Bill
 
Everyone, thank you for your input. I think am going to make a MH and LED combo this summer when I work in the weekends a lot in my shop
 
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