Are LEDs really good until they quit working?

mfd574 · 12/30/2011, 02:12 AM

A MH bulb is only good for 1 year but it can still light an aquarium for years more. Is this the same concept for LEDs or does this rule not apply? I know that lasting for years is one of the big sellers for LEDs but do they stay the same or steadily decline over the year/years like all of our other optional lighting for reef tanks?
Thanks!!

areze · 12/30/2011, 12:57 PM

LEDs life is rated by the industry as the time it takes them to reach 50% brightness. It is its halflife of sorts, as in twice their life, it should be 25% brightness, and so on.

At what point the lights would be inadequate for your needs depends on your lighting requirements/oversupply available from the fixture(if your running your lights at 50% to start with, then you can just run them at *100% in 10 years and have the same net output, roughly speaking.

I am not aware of any significant spectrum shift like you might otherwise find with MHs.

12/30/2011, 02:12 AM	#1
mfd574 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Dakota Posts: 79	Are LEDs really good until they quit working? A MH bulb is only good for 1 year but it can still light an aquarium for years more. Is this the same concept for LEDs or does this rule not apply? I know that lasting for years is one of the big sellers for LEDs but do they stay the same or steadily decline over the year/years like all of our other optional lighting for reef tanks? Thanks!!

12/30/2011, 12:57 PM	#2
areze Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 4,048	LEDs life is rated by the industry as the time it takes them to reach 50% brightness. It is its halflife of sorts, as in twice their life, it should be 25% brightness, and so on. At what point the lights would be inadequate for your needs depends on your lighting requirements/oversupply available from the fixture(if your running your lights at 50% to start with, then you can just run them at *100% in 10 years and have the same net output, roughly speaking. I am not aware of any significant spectrum shift like you might otherwise find with MHs. __________________ current tanks:240g of wallet draining capacity.

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