MH vs LED

you will be giving up a lot of heat transfer, bulb changes etc. As far as AI lights go I know they are the cadilac of led right now but I would seriously take a look at the new ones from reefkoi. basically half the cost and dimmable. sure you dont get the nifty control you would with the AI lights but everything I have been reading and the cost makes it hard to say no. I dont think you could build em for less. If iam able to make it to macna on sunday this is one booh I will be spending some time at.

 

I use LEDs on one tank and a 14k MH on my other tank, both have there advantages but in my opinion only one has disadvantages and thats the MH... I like the fact that you can dimm the LEDs to how you like them I also like the lower cost to operate the lights and the long lifespan and also the heat issue.. Dont get me wrong I love my MH setup but I also love the fact that I can do what I want with my LEDs.. I will be trading out my MH and switching to all LED's (when i can afford to)

 

I used to have some pretty powerful MH's on my 58. I had great coral growth, and great color and LOTS OF HEAT. I had to run a chiller and a fan and use a controller to make sure everything went as planned. One night it didn't, and I lost my whole tank to overheating. I switched to AI LED's, and I have geat coral growth, great color, and very little added heat. I missed my MH's for about an hour, and then I began loving the LED's. I don't want a DIY setup. I love that people want to do that, but I don't want that sort of set up. I know my AI units have resale value, and that they are dependable and have great support. They're an Iowa company, and I LOVE that too. You can talk to someone who you might already know when you call in. I love my AI's.

 

Also, ecotech is coming out with a new fixture that's supposed to be even better than ai's. They are showing it at macna this weekend.

 

I have been thinking about your setup. You may be able to get away with three lights mounted high above the tank. The big consideration would be LED lens angles on a high mounted fixture, and may dictate 45degree lenses rather than a broader 60degree lens. Are you going to MACNA this weekend? There are a lot of manufactured options going to be on display. I am leaving for MACNA in the morning (friday, saturday, and sunday) and won't be back until late each day. Drop me a line if you are going to MACNA.