LED lights are not new to the hobby but it did take them a while to take get a foothold in the market. Now they seem to be becoming the preferred lighting solution for the majority of reef keepers due to the ease of maintenance. This, along with their integration with mobile apps and their ability to simulate the rising and the setting of the sun is what makes them such a popular choice.
Running costs due to the low wattage of LED has almost become inconsequential. Most importantly they have the ability to hold their own against T5’s and metal halide lighting. Many SPS keepers have fantastic colour and growth under LED light, of course depending on the make, model and water conditions.
The only complaint with LED is shadowing. Shadowing is essentially the direct light characteristics of the LED causing shadows beneath corals, whereas T5’s cast an overall light that has the ability to minimise shadowing. Although this shadowing has never been a concern for me using Ecotech Radions, or Red Sea ReefLEDS’s some reefers supplement their LED’s with T5 lighting to dispel the shadowing. The combination of both LED and T5 lighting is known as hybrid lighting.
Unlike metal halides and fluorescent lighting, they do not need to be replaced regularly as they do not lose intensity over time.
LED brands to consider are: Evergrow LED Lighting, LEDZeal Lighting, Maxspect Razor, TMC Luminair, Aquaray, Kessil, Echotech Radion and Red Sea ReefLED’s amongst others.