Plasma LEP - why wasn't it a big success ? - Page 3

dz6t · 06/20/2018, 09:40 AM

First of all, inexpensive light does not mean they produce lower quality crops. It is well known that you don’t need full spectrum light to produce high quality plants.
The video you shared was in a green house. The sun does the majority of the work.

Full spectrum properties are very important for medical imagine, if you wondering why universities are studying high CRI light source.

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oreo57 · 06/20/2018, 11:56 AM

Quote:

LEP is more efficient than high temperature MH lamps and much more stable. The lifetime is as much as 30,000-50,000 hours compared to the 2,000 to 4,000 of a MH. It has a better light quality and is more efficient than MH, but is it more efficient than HPS? No, it is not. Actually HPS is 1,5-2 times more efficient in generating photons than plasma light. But the HPS light quality is really bad. That sounds like a catch 22. Either you have good light and bad efficiency or good efficiency and bad light!

https://gardenculturemagazine.com/gr...a-grow-lights/

Old article.. Not sure about the UV thing as being "different" or why LEP is more full spectrum than MH.

https://waytogrow.net/blogs/articles...ing-technology

but if it is longer lasting, full spectrum, and more efficient WHY would growers use MH"s except for 1)familiarity and 2) refit costs..
Will have, as usual, little to do w/ "function"..

Assuming people act logically is usually the first mistake..

jestronix · 03/16/2019, 12:20 AM

Well it's six months later and finally getting the tank and Plasma dialled in

Without a control tank these are just the ramblings of my experience so far with using LEP.

One thing I have noticed is that these lights are powerful! By that I don't mean just PAR , I mean wide range continuous photons. I can't run them for more than 4 hours or sps will bleach and that's hanging it 15 inches off the water covering a 1m x 1m area. I adjusted my light hour by hour over a few months too. Now part of my problem was also low nutrient and crappy flow. Which I have adjusted and will again start to push the hours up again. To put it in prospective my 400w XM could run all day

around 8 hours

Second thing I have noticed is these lights are designed to grow plants so u need to run a big ATS to avoid angry tank algae, even with zero phosphate and nitrate. algae on the back wall now and then doesn't bother me too much.

Coral growth I would say is on par with when I ran my 400w. But less heat !

Bulb changes are a thing of the past

My goniporas have exploded! They are far far more expanded and deeper in colour. My Duncan and zoas seem fluffy too.

I'm probably still biased on LEP and have to prove some kind of I told ya ego trip

. But I'm impressed so far. My supporting lighting is 2 x Ai prime and a 40w DIY led.

Here's a quick shot of the tank, it's been a wild six months too after getting a bad bad batch of delivered NSW water and a big alk drop when the corals got hungry, low flow and super low nutrients caused issues too.

I lifted the Gonis off the glass as they started to grow onto the bottom.

tkeracer619 · 03/19/2019, 12:22 AM

Cool

Thanks for sharing!

dz6t · 04/06/2019, 10:13 PM

Great to see you still stick to plasma light and have good success.
Just wondering why you use led for support lighting? Isn’t the plasma lights are enough?

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jestronix · 04/04/2021, 05:13 PM

The supporting with led was more about the look and maybe the upper spectrum. I ended up going to T5 with led sup. Plasmas downfall is it emits too much uvb and uva for reef use. Some corals loved it, some hated it. Some didn’t mind it but turned brown. My thoughts are , shallow reef high par SPS love it, gonipora thrived with it. Everything else , brown or lost colour.

Plasma generated a lot of heat into the room, very little into the tank.

oreo57 · 04/04/2021, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jestronix

The supporting with led was more about the look and maybe the upper spectrum. I ended up going to T5 with led sup. Plasmas downfall is it emits too much uvb and uva for reef use. Some corals loved it, some hated it. Some didn’t mind it but turned brown. My thoughts are , shallow reef high par SPS love it, gonipora thrived with it. Everything else , brown or lost colour.

Plasma generated a lot of heat into the room, very little into the tank.

UV thing is surprising..
Wiki graphs don't show it but doesn't t go past part of uv a

03/16/2019, 12:20 AM	#53
jestronix Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 451	Well it's six months later and finally getting the tank and Plasma dialled in Without a control tank these are just the ramblings of my experience so far with using LEP. One thing I have noticed is that these lights are powerful! By that I don't mean just PAR , I mean wide range continuous photons. I can't run them for more than 4 hours or sps will bleach and that's hanging it 15 inches off the water covering a 1m x 1m area. I adjusted my light hour by hour over a few months too. Now part of my problem was also low nutrient and crappy flow. Which I have adjusted and will again start to push the hours up again. To put it in prospective my 400w XM could run all day around 8 hours Second thing I have noticed is these lights are designed to grow plants so u need to run a big ATS to avoid angry tank algae, even with zero phosphate and nitrate. algae on the back wall now and then doesn't bother me too much. Coral growth I would say is on par with when I ran my 400w. But less heat ! Bulb changes are a thing of the past My goniporas have exploded! They are far far more expanded and deeper in colour. My Duncan and zoas seem fluffy too. I'm probably still biased on LEP and have to prove some kind of I told ya ego trip. But I'm impressed so far. My supporting lighting is 2 x Ai prime and a 40w DIY led. Here's a quick shot of the tank, it's been a wild six months too after getting a bad bad batch of delivered NSW water and a big alk drop when the corals got hungry, low flow and super low nutrients caused issues too. I lifted the Gonis off the glass as they started to grow onto the bottom.

03/19/2019, 12:22 AM	#54
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	Cool Thanks for sharing! __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

04/06/2019, 10:13 PM	#55
dz6t Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Boston MA Posts: 414	Plasma LEP - why wasn't it a big success ? Great to see you still stick to plasma light and have good success. Just wondering why you use led for support lighting? Isn’t the plasma lights are enough? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

06/20/2018, 09:40 AM	#51
dz6t Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Boston MA Posts: 414	First of all, inexpensive light does not mean they produce lower quality crops. It is well known that you don’t need full spectrum light to produce high quality plants. The video you shared was in a green house. The sun does the majority of the work. Full spectrum properties are very important for medical imagine, if you wondering why universities are studying high CRI light source. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

04/04/2021, 05:13 PM	#56
jestronix Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 451	The supporting with led was more about the look and maybe the upper spectrum. I ended up going to T5 with led sup. Plasmas downfall is it emits too much uvb and uva for reef use. Some corals loved it, some hated it. Some didn’t mind it but turned brown. My thoughts are , shallow reef high par SPS love it, gonipora thrived with it. Everything else , brown or lost colour. Plasma generated a lot of heat into the room, very little into the tank.