DIY Converting from MH to LED! RAPID LED

i would suggest keeping at least one MH.. they put off way more than any LED's can do.

but with that said i love my LEDs

 

Ive thought about this but I dont want to keep any Halides running for now. I am confident this will be sufficient lighting for my tank but if something comes up I always have my halides.

 

i know that i can grow sps with my ecoxotic panorama pro led modules, but i also feel like if i added a MH it would be a big boost.

people with RBTA that run LED's say that once they add the MH the RBTA moves right under the light and becomes super happy. I think it's just the added warmth or extra available PAR. Again I'm a huge newb compared to most of the people on 3reef, but this is just from IME

 

I'd put my AI SOL's up against any MH light par for par....i bet my LEDs win...lol

 

Leds often leads to photo inhibition from to much par. Spectrum may not be as favorable, but par is non issue.

Diy leds could have way more par. So long as you put enough of them on the heat sink. You could fit way more than we usually put i'm sure.

 

i recently turned up my intensity of my LED's it's at about 80% now. I just don't know the differences I guess between 50%-100% and then a nice 250w or even a 400w MH

Seems like all the really magnificent tanks I've seen usually run 2x400w MH with supplemental T5's

I think Saintsfan is doing a build where he has crammed a whole ton of LED's into his heat sink and it looks really good and very bright. I definitely think LED"s are the way to go but I think having the right amount maybe even overkilling would be a good thing with LEDs

 

Same with my Radions.

 

Thanks for the info. I have an RBTA that is scaring the wits out of me when it moves around in my SPS dominated tank. He is directly under two Acros and seems to like it there. This is of course directly under a halide. I am hoping though the LEDs will be more than enough to light the reef and give me the PAR needed.

 

I believe that 24 3 watt Cree LEDs at 80 percent power are comparable to a 250 watt halide. But I may be mistaken about that. I will have 12 blue, 12 white, and 3 UV LEDs on each heatsink. 3 heatsinks total.

 

Yeh my AI SOLs have 24 3w crees...and at 100% I'd put them in the ring against a 400W MH...and I my SOLs STILL might come out victorious in par...