Impact of LEDs

[Detour]

I wasn't sure where to start this thread - but with may moving to or having experimented with LED lighting on our systems, I thought I would start a thread where we could summarize what livestock seemed to react to the change - both good and bad.

Feel free to share your experiences - include a brief summary of the lighting change to LEDs, any other environment considerations, and what livestock you observed reacted (not just to the overall adjustment - but had an noticeable change after the adjustment period).

TANK OVERVIEW - 120 DT - 4x2x2

OLD LIGHTING - in canopy, 2 150w MH, 2 T5HO, supplemental compact actinic

NEW LIGHTING - 4 AI LED modules, mounted in canopy

STOCK - NOTED IMPACT

• RBTA - positive - brighter color, more profuse bubbles
• open brain - positive - brighter color, greater inflation
• Aussie Ellegance - negative - continued recession, then polyp bail out
• red lobo - negative - continued recession
• orange wall hammer - negative - did well with lower levels of blues, but when we started to adjust the blues higher, it started to recede - coupled with irratation from a nearby toadstool, developed brown jelly

ADDTIONAL NOTES
Our adjustment period was very slow. We started our AI units at 15% white and gradually increased to 50% white over a course of 4 months. Over the course of that time, the blues were about 2/3 the level of the whites. We didn't bring up the blue more until we had white levels at about 40%, and then we gradually increased the blues to be the same as white, and then a bit highter. Perhaps slower than some corals would have preferred - but we didn't burn anything in our tank and our previous lighting setup was using 18 month old bubls - we we knew we needed to start lower than if we had new bulbs. We have a variety of other livestock, some of which reacted to the adjustment period, but for the most part, after becoming adjusted to the new lighting, aren't showing any major difference in color, growth, or behavior. Having PAR meter would have helpful to confirm our old light levels so as to start our LEDs at a slightly lower level.

[Mike]

It is almost counterintuitive but it seems like you need fewer emitter or wider optics than a lot of people (myself included) believed. You can get rediculous readings with 40 degree optics and that is with the lighting source 14 inches above a 24" tank. I think the key is these need to be more customizable. That is why there are so many people going the DIY way. You can control emiiter placement, optics, and the number of each type of emitter in terms of wavelength. I have 395nm UV's in my sey up and love them.

[creefer]

Interesting. I have been reading a good deal about LED and decided on a Maxspect G2-110 for my Solanal 20 x 20 x 20. The Maxspect does not come with optics however they have recently released them and they are customizable. I have little in the tank now so I can comment on growth. The tank is quite new. However I am interested to play with the optics so I can adjust mounting height on the fixture. I agree with Mike in that the key is most definitely customized options for each situation which is really achieved with a combination of different optics and wave lengths. As I said, I'm running the stock fixture with no change in emitters or optics. It will take many months to really evaluate it considering the tank is new. One thing is for sure, the aesthetics of the LED are pretty outstanding imo.

[Steven Pro]

Do you have any pictures?

[creefer]

Do you have any pictures?

If you're talking to me, there are pics here that are from the tank about a month ago when I got the lights.

[Mike]

Steven,

Here is a picture of one fixture I built. I went a little heavier on the blue end because of where this was going to go in terms of live stock.

[creefer]

Nice. I was going to go DIY when I built mine. Decided against it considering I'm not the greatest with electrical work to begin with. Maybe in the future.

[Mike]

It is not as hard as you would think. Just takes time and patience to do. If you an solder you can do this.

[creefer]

That's good to know....

I will plan on DIY for my next tank.....don't know when that will be, but I know there will be another.

[Mike]

I think it gives you more control that way