LEDs and SPS coral

I created a thread back in March of this year and it seemd to get quite a bit of attention.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-lighting/effects-led-sps-corals-105878.html

I would like to continue with this topic. What else do you want to see? Is there something you are still not sure about? What more would you like to know? This could either be about LEDs or SPS coral growth/health/coloration, in general.

I will be doing more researching and adding to what I have written thus far.

I was back and forth for some time but as of now, I plan to go with LEDs and I have a particular fixture in mind to do the testing on.

 

bump.

 

I use a par38 bulb and when i've had good growth so far (its only been a few weeks since i added the sps) and great polyp extention all day long. I've also never had an MH so i have no personal experience to compare it to that.

 

Based on my very limited anecdotal evidence, it seems to me corals behave a little differently under modern LED's. I don't mean to start a fight about better or worse, I think that is nonsense; if you look carefully though, it looks like growth may be different.

1. Is that true?
2. Why?

I think these could be really interesting questions with the potential to teach us a lot about corals.

 

Thanks for participating

Very interesting question. What do you think is different about the grwoth? Is it growth pattern? Rate? Coloration? Do you think it is different - as in better or worse?

Btw, I will be sure to use everyone's questions in my research and will quote them at the beginning of a specific topic; an answer, or rather, my results, are to follow.

 

I haven't had MH either. But I have certainly seen promising results from some of the better quality LED lamps. I think it is this that I want to be sure to focus on more. I want to know the whys and hows of what's happening.

 

I plan on trying to put this to bed somewhat in about 6 months after I'm up and running on my new set up. I plan on setting up a frag tank hooked into my main system that has a 250w radium MH on one side and an Aqua Illuminations Sol Blue LED on the other. In addition to growing out a variety of frags, I plan to take a few different types of corals and put a frag of each under each light. I will be mounting a camera outside the tank to do a time lapse video of the the growth.

In the mean time, it's LEDs for me in my SPS tank.

 

I'll be watching that, rocketman. Can't wait. I don't doubt capabilities of LEDs. It's more that I want to know how exactly it works - I think I am more into the coral growth in general - rather than just a battle b/w kinds of lighting.

 

5 1/2 Months Later:


Need I say more?

 

im running a par38 over my 8 gal atm, its been about a week, so i cant really say much about growth, but i'll let you know.