Sps growth. - mh vs LEDs

[ecam]

Guys. General poll here.

If some approached you and said their only goal is to grow colorful and thriving sps tank. And then asked you what lighting. What would you say?

 

[bhazard451]

Either will work when properly set up. LEDs are just much more difficult to get the response you want, compared to the plug and play nature of MH. Shadowing is also an issue with leds, where some parts of a coral don't get much light sometimes, due to its point source nature.

 

[piranhapat]

Combine both you can't lose...

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Just make sure that you research fact. A lot of people here will give you their opinions and opinions don't grow corals. Facts do.

 

[Moneymaks24]

MH is like a VCR
LEDs is like a DVR

Both will get the job done,except that one is newer technology
IMO newer is always better.

The only complain about LEDs is shadows but that's easily fixed w supplemental LEDs on the sides at an angle.

 

[jackson6745]

Guys. General poll here.

If some approached you and said their only goal is to grow colorful and thriving sps tank. And then asked you what lighting. What would you say?

I would tell them to copy the methods of the tanks that they admired most.

They problem is that a lot of guys will see LED's over a large established reef and expect similar results in a newer 50 gallon tank. LED's are very focused and will burn/fade your SPS unless your corals have a higher population of zooxanthellae.
I experienced this in my frag tank with an ecotech radion vs my display with 400w radium. I have a low nutrient level and my colors are normally a little light. The ecotech running 40% was cooking my SPS. The colors in my display remained good under the halide.

There are some exceptions to my experience and a lot of guys take pride in their reef equipment..... I am not looking to debate!

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I would tell them to copy the methods of the tanks that they admired most.

They problem is that a lot of guys will see LED's over a large established reef and expect similar results in a newer 50 gallon tank. LED's are very focused and will burn/fade your SPS unless your corals have a higher population of zooxanthellae.
I experienced this in my frag tank with an ecotech radion vs my display with 400w radium. I have a low nutrient level and my colors are normally a little light. The ecotech running 40% was cooking my SPS. The colors in my display remained good under the halide.

There are some exceptions to my experience and a lot of guys tank pride in their reef equipment..... I am not looking to debate!

Great information from a reefer with years of experience.

 

[prattreef]

I currently use LEDs myself and am quite happy with them, but in answer to your question, the way you intentionally asked it, I would say MH simply because it is such a tried and true method of lighting with solid data sets and decades of documented success.

 

[Arati]

I would say this.

I have run all 3 types of lights, and still do.

For best color I like t5 and it gives a nice even spread of light over the tank provides an ease of placement.

For rapid growth I Like MH and I think for over all sps heath there is just something about MH lighting that seems to give the corals .. comfort. If you want to bring in wild corals or damaged corals, MH is the light. color is good too if not for heat and energy use MH would be a no brainer.

LED I own a vertex with UV module and I have not been able to get it dialed in for sps. It does make lps and softies go crazy.

I would recommend for ht best sps a mixture of all. 150w DE pheonix 14k or radium 20k with ati blue plus T5 2 or 4. and a reef bright strip on the front of it for that extra pop. to be honest I run 2 reef brights because I like both led blue's.

 

[charliethetuna88]

I had 3-250 watt mh on my 300 which I loved .I recently changed lighting and went with 6 a360w kessils .so far I love the kessils to me this led is most visually comparable to my radium mh bulbs .so far my tanks going great .great growth.great color .sps are still holding there true colors ..its been about 3 months so far .I made my dicission based on my brothers 60 gallon cube with 1a350 kessil on it he had the tank set up for over a year with great results. So I figured I woukd give it a shot

 

[strgazr27]

Just make sure that you research fact. A lot of people here will give you their opinions and opinions don't grow corals. Facts do.

Correct but the FACT is LED's have not been used for 1/3 as long as MH's have so any data put forth is honestly short duration. MH is PROVEN for YEARS to give amazing growth and color. LED's are still hit and miss...In 2-3 years they may in fact be a 100% plug and play choice for growth and color but that is still not the norm.

 

[vio]

I would tell them to copy the methods of the tanks that they admired most.

They problem is that a lot of guys will see LED's over a large established reef and expect similar results in a newer 50 gallon tank. LED's are very focused and will burn/fade your SPS unless your corals have a higher population of zooxanthellae.
I experienced this in my frag tank with an ecotech radion vs my display with 400w radium. I have a low nutrient level and my colors are normally a little light. The ecotech running 40% was cooking my SPS. The colors in my display remained good under the halide.

There are some exceptions to my experience and a lot of guys take pride in their reef equipment..... I am not looking to debate!

+1, i miss the MH, just to add. if u pay the bill go LED.lol.

 

[jerl77]

I going to say t5 for the best results
Rotflmfao

 

[Reefcowboy]

I going to say t5 for the best results
Rotflmfao

T5 is the real deal. MH is maybe a bit better, and would be my choice if it wasnt the heat.
LEDs are nice to look at, but i dont trust any of them yet. I remember arguing with an employee at
Manhattan Aquariums about their sps being brown and never looking good. He was telling how much leds were better in his opinion and all the good stuff they bring. The tank they had the two radion pros looked always bad for some reason. No sps lasted there. They got tired of trying, and set up an sps tank with two 400w MHs. That store has only top notch equipment and know they would only switch because they realy got tired of trying.
I was talking to the owner of another store on 65th in BK, he is tempted to switch back to Mh, and doest do it because of the electric bill and because he spent too much on the led system he has now...

Not here to debate mine is better or those are better, or these guys dont know how to set up their lights on par, color, and all the stuff always comes to debate. Just saying it is happening. The led lights are changing repeatedly all the time. This shows there is still lots to be improved. I see myself eventually switching to led in the future. For now, im no way willing to risk the $ spent on my corals to that trial and error system...

God bless the ones that are doing well with them... You are not the majority.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

I currently use LEDs myself and am quite happy with them, but in answer to your question, the way you intentionally asked it, I would say MH simply because it is such a tried and true method of lighting with solid data sets and decades of documented success.

More great information from a reefer with YEARS of experience!