Have LED's come along enough to warrant using them instead of the MH? I'm still torn...

[theclemsonkid]

I'm getting a nano reef tank started here soon, and I keep going back and forth on what to do about the lighting.
The tried and true hobbyist's still mostly swear by the metal halides, and obviously they have good results with a ton of power. I'd like to keep some clams and SPS, so power will be something I need to make sure I have enough of. They are cheaper from the start, but require frequent replacement, and the temperature swings can be pretty bad. I don't really feel like getting into a chiller, as I know those can be a pain in the butt. The color seems to usually always be good, and there isn't really anything you can't grow.
Now onto the LED's. I feel like they are the "iPad" of the lighting world. They are fairly new, and there seem to be people who live and die by them, and others who can't stand them. Obviously they cost more up front, and they don't seem to put our as much power as the MH. It seems like with the white and blue they really do make the corals pop more, although i've read from multiple people that you can only really keep softies. On the other hand, I see tanks on YouTube.com that are running LED's and have SPS and clams? So it's really he said, she said.
So my question to you...
Are you team LED, or are you team Metal Halides, and WHY?!?
Steer me in the right direction! Many thanks!

 

[siptang]

I'm very interested in this as well..
I have gotten a LED fixture as a birthday present from my wife couple of weeks ago and I'm still wondering about this.

 

[geoj]

I'm getting a nano reef tank started here soon, and I keep going back and forth on what to do about the lighting.

The tried and true hobbyist's still mostly swear by the metal halides, and obviously they have good results with a ton of power. I'd like to keep some clams and SPS, so power will be something I need to make sure I have enough of. They are cheaper from the start, but require frequent replacement, and the temperature swings can be pretty bad. I don't really feel like getting into a chiller, as I know those can be a pain in the butt. The color seems to usually always be good, and there isn't really anything you can't grow.

Now onto the LED's. I feel like they are the "iPad" of the lighting world. They are fairly new, and there seem to be people who live and die by them, and others who can't stand them. Obviously they cost more up front, and they don't seem to put our as much power as the MH. It seems like with the white and blue they really do make the corals pop more, although i've read from multiple people that you can only really keep softies. On the other hand, I see tanks on YouTube.com that are running LED's and have SPS and clams? So it's really he said, she said.

So my question to you...

Are you team LED, or are you team Metal Halides, and WHY?!?

Steer me in the right direction! Many thanks!
I am an LED lover...
I run 2 Aqua Illuminations SOL Super Blue Modular LEDs on a 60 cube at 12 inches above the water. LEDs set to W 30, B 50, RB 45 corals are moderate light like Frogspawn and Favites. I think the LEDs puts out more light then is need for the highest light requirements but one SOL Super Blue light does not spread wide enough to cover the whole 24x24 tank. One SOL Super Blue is like a 250 watt MH. What makes these worth the money is the control over the light output. With one SOL Super Blue set to W 70, B 50, RB 55 my large frogspawn started to bleach so I turned the light down. By turning the light down I lost coverage so I added a second and things are good to go now...
As for heat, with a SOL Super Blue set to W 70, B 50, RB 55, I can put my hand right on the LEDs blocking the light and leave it there all day. So it does not heat the tank. There is some heat that can be felt form the top but it is like putting your hand in your pocket on a cold day. :laughing:
So from my experience with this light it works as advertised.
Not all LEDs are equal, so you need to find a brand or build one that others have shown will work for your needs.

 

[acrylic51]

LEDs....You'll always have the old hard nosers that won't budge or refuse to compare facts, but LEDs produce as much and through advances more than a MH would, with less consumption, and a MH technically isn't 100% adjustable to the end users liking.....So many more advantages to LEDs than MH's IMHO......