Halides vs LED

As much as I like articles...My chiller runs 10 min in the summer daily, and only comes on sometimes in the winter. My bulbs have lasted 2 years, and are still going strong. My light bill did not change a bit when I added them. Don't believe everything you read.

 

Oh and by the way, I have seen many more articles about LED's catching on fire, than Halides

 

MH's are not a thing of the past, completely opposite of that. They are one of the best lighting options you can choose for a reef. They will continue to be for years to come, I'm sure of that. Backed with years & years of positive results. If you're worrying about your MH catching fire then you must have a really cheap brand as that should never be a concern with them if they are utilized correctly.

LED tech is here, yes, has it proven its consistency & worth over time in the hobby yet, no. I compare LEDs to Apple, constantly evolving, constant new fixtures, companies constantly trying to crack the code to what is a good baseline for all reef tanks. The fact that MH just chugs along, same as it ever was, shows you that it doesn't need to evolve as it's obviously proven to work & its results/consistency are undeniably positive across the board.

 

Yeah, that. ^

 

I guess it's now an old school trend for halides. But I stick with what I know works better... I'm sure you know what my vote was lol.

 

Hahahahaha.....Yup!

 

Yup, yup, hate to see vague opinions being stated as truth vs reality dictating proven experienced fact. But then again we are on the internet

 

I hate these thread, because they are sooooo vauge.... what is a "halide" and what is an "LED"? There is just so much diversity among "halides" and "LED" to make blanket statements that "halides are prove" or "LEDs are the future" is all just a bunch of crud...

There are good "prove" halide and halide confifurations (i.e. decent balast reflector, etc... matched to the tank) and plenty of crappy halides and halide setups.

There are also, lots of crappy LEDs and LEDs produce light, like anything else and can produce the same light. Now whether or not a manufacture chooses to use LEDs in such a way, or cheap out, or play marketing games etc... is a different issue.

Light is light, if you provide sufficient quantities of useful light, things grow and look pretty, if you don't, they don't....

 

I agree with some of what you're saying but my direct experience with a high-end LED fixture vs a very basic MH set-up leads me to my own conclusions on both techs.

The blanket statements are just going to be a norm for when you are on the net, opinions and experiences are always going to vary as does the equipment they use to draw those opinions.

I went headfirst into LED with an open mind and with excitement. At this point, I am still skeptical they are the future of reef lighting. And I still have my Radion hanging over my tank (until my original halide set-up gets to me) as we speak so I'm not biased. I just wanted to put my honest experiences with both out there so whoever may take whatever from it.

 

Over the years I've had halides, T5's & LEDs. They all have their pros & cons and in my opinion it all depends on preference and what you're trying to achieve, my preference is still T5's for primary lighting....If I had to choose between LEDs and Hallides, I would still go halides. LEDs have come a long way, but I'm not super impressed with results yet