Switching to LED's, Need Info

Uh huh, that certainly sounds nice and all. Please excuse me for not taking your word for this, however there are a lot of unfounded marketing claims in this hobby.... How do I know that your companies cree royal blue is better than any other companies for example?

 

I hope you're not in advertising...

You need a fact check, stat. While the intent of your statement is true, it is not true for Rapid LED.

*Sidenote* I am in no way associated with Rapid.

 

(EDIT)
saw you adjusted your post so adjusting mine, not my company. look at the countless reviews I share with the online community. I am not some noob.
(edit)

Ask the others what BINs they are using

then use Cree's Spec sheets and compare up the bins to their respective spectrum graphs.

 

I'll offer proof:

I'll take a Royal Blue XR-E for example.

Note the CREE data sheet, page 3: http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/xlamp7090xr-e.pdf
You'll see the part number for Group 15 is XREROY-L1-0000-00A01. Group 15 is the Group with the highest PAR, and best suited for a reef tank.

Now check Rapid's site: CREE XR-E Royal Blue 3W LED on Star
Note the CREE part number in the Detailed Description. Same part number.

True, there's no guarantee on the Bin number (D3-D5), but explain how any supplier could guarantee that based on the part numbers listed on the CREE data-sheet, linked above.

 

highest par does not equal best performance.

because then you must define "performance"

Because does performance come from growth, coloration of corals or the eyes aesthetics on what it sees etc.

http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/xlamp7090xr-e_b&l.pdf

That will hopefully help you understand it a bit more on what I am talking about with binning. And thats what I was making point on is that theres no guarantee with other sellers on what group number they sell, most have no interest because they just sell, "leds". THAT is why I pointed out reefledlights because they do guarantee it.

Now, I do have a side buisness making custom LED taillights for motorcycles, thats partly why im an LED nerd. But every time I build a tail for a car or a motorcycle I only use LEDs that are binned together. If they are from separate batches they wont match up in colors.

 

You seem to make a good point about the bins. However, reading the documentation, CREE seem to sell kits, which are mixes of similar bins. Looking at the kits, the bins within the kits do seem to be quite similar. It's still unclear how you are determining that any slight published differences would provide better performance.

As you said, PAR does not necessarily mean growth etc... although it useful data on optimal specific wavelengths for growth is quite limited and varies significantly by organism. PAR and spectral plots are the best methods we have to identify appropriate lighting, however, there is still a tremendous amount of unknowns.

I'll give you that it does seem nice that they provide the specific bin though, but based on CREEs info, I am also still confused about how they can guarantee specific bins? I don't remember seeing any info stamped on my leds and it doesn't sound like CREE sells by the specific bin.

 

I currently have 4 Aqua Illumination units on my 6 foot 150 gallon tank @ 30" deep. They are outstanding and provide more than enough light for all of my corals and livestock.

I don't know about PAR values or anything else related to lighting, but I do know that these work as do all the other people that come to see my tank.

I am getting two more units in the next two weeks or so and I keep my lighting 9 inches above the water surface on custom risers.

Start up cost is very expensive, but in the long run the costs should/will drop as there will be less bulbs to replace.

Customer service with AI is outstanding as well.

 

I think I missed the kits being mixed bins. Even from a manufacturing stand point that would be almost work to do that. They get produced in massive quantites and then safely packaged not like skittles that get tossed together in the end. I need to reread it and see if thats an option for some reason but that doesn't make sense because manufacturers would want consistency in production.

Yup, spectrum was what I was pointing at EXACTLY you hit it


from what he said the cost is higher on the bin he orders. And he orders in massive quantity to get them. He has two massive tanks that I have seen and he has been able to test different LEDs to see what performs the best, Which other suppliers can say they test different LEDs over their tanks before recommending them? when he pointed that out to me its a very good point. Its like someone that sells forks and only eats with chopsticks.

I post up my reviews of products and vendors because I feel they deserve the attention they earned and they can help other people! I saw his tanks that are some of the oldest tanks running LEDs and picked his brain over all the silly details I love to learn.

 

Here is basically what I am looking at, I asked Rapidled(yes I am going with rapid) for the equivalent of putting a 720W MH fixture in leds above my 4X2X2 tank giving me a basic 6 watts per gallon(yes I know its not acurate to tell how good coral growth is but it is what I was told in the beginning.)

Rapid told me that 72LEDs=720watts

I was wondering though, are the Royal blues able to provide coral growth or are they just like actinic bulbs and do not provide growth. Also does the 72led's mean 72cool whites to provide growth?

If cool whites are the only thing that provide coral growth and not blue then my light setup will look like 72CW and 80RB

If the Cool Whites and Royal Blue provide coral growth then my setup will look like 40RB and 32CW

Which one is the correct pattern they are talking about because I am stumped, as I have never worked with LED before.

 

Would love to see a par test when your done! enjoy the switch to LEDs as the savings from electricity will roll in.

Def intrigued to see how those numbers line up.