Best mid range Aquarium LED light for color and intensity.

Stan510 · Dec 22, 2021

Just get down to it. I like the kind of lights that make colors pop. I don't want budget lights that are usually pale. But I'm never going to splurge for Fluvals $250 light or the other big names in that price and much more. I think around the $80-150 is max I would pay. It needs to be 48".
I've seen one no name called "USA Satellite" Then well known Beamswork. I want red to look RED! :ring:

Rocky998 · Dec 22, 2021

Stan510 said:
Just get down to it. I like the kind of lights that make colors pop. I don't want budget lights that are usually pale. But I'm never going to splurge for Fluvals $250 light or the other big names in that price and much more. I think around the $80-150 is max I would pay. It needs to be 48".
I've seen one no name called "USA Satellite" Then well known Beamswork. I want red to look RED!

Hygger... The hygger sunrise/sunset aquarium is really good. I have it on my tank and its the 24". Cost me maybe $50-60... I think the 48" is around $80

Oblio · Dec 22, 2021

I like my NICREW RGB +W 24/7 (2x36"). Decent control (10% increment for each channel) of each color and programmable. Only complaint is that the two units are not color matched. I think it was around $80 for both during Black Fri week. Plenty of intense light, I've had to dial back both intensity and duration from the default values.

FF_Member146894 · Dec 22, 2021

If you don't want to spend as much money as the fluval planted lights, but still want quality, I would go with a finnex planted+ ALC light (the ALC has the best value for the money and PAR output - also with important features like auto daylight cycle and the ability to change the individual RGB output)

this photo was taken under a finnex planted+ ALC (I have found that the light is also one of the best when it comes to the effect on the look of the tank)

Nicrew lights have bad light spread and usually end up with under half the amount of PAR when you get a few inches away from the center of the light
I expect that the hygger lights are the same quality as nicrews although I have never used or tested one

Rocky998 · Dec 22, 2021

One other thing... The hygger is a touch it and leave it, meaning you can set your local time, set the times you want it to come on AND what brightness it is at, at that time and not have to mess with it daily

Oblio · Dec 22, 2021

My NICREW seems to have a good spread. Here is a photo at Daylight setting 80% for all channels. The only variation is due to needing a substrate cleaning. Back of tank is black. While the lights are set and forget, cycling power requires clock to be reset even though it holds programming settings.

FF_Member146894 · Dec 22, 2021

Oblio said:
My NICREW seems to have a good spread. Here is a photo at Daylight setting 80% for all channels. The only variation is due to needing a substrate cleaning. Back of tank is black. While the lights are set and forget, cycling power requires clock to be reset even though it holds programming settings.

according to PAR data online and one member who actually tested it himself it had terrible light spread
how do you know it has good spread? do you have a PAR meter or some sort of intensity meter?

Oblio · Dec 22, 2021

realzalio said:
according to PAR data online and one member who actually tested it himself it had terrible light spread
how do you know it has good spread? do you have a PAR meter or some sort of intensity meter?

Which model did he test? I didn't see any intensity vs angle off boresite listed online for my model. What I have seen is reports that some lights from some manufacturers have a visible dimming from front to back, or a spotlight effect, mine has none, or none that I can readily discern.

As far as measurement, I actually plan to build a meter using a sensor (e.g. https://ams.com/documents/20143/36005/AS7341_DS000504_3-00.pdf/) and a microcontroller (ESP32 with WiFi/Blutooth) as I will likely hack these lights for a fun project. I would like to be able to calibrate the light and then be able to set it to 75% and know that it is at 75%. I will also be able to create a spectrograph.

FF_Member146894 · Dec 22, 2021

Oblio said:
Which model did he test? I didn't see any intensity vs angle off boresite listed online for my model. What I have seen is reports that some lights from some manufacturers have a visible dimming from front to back, or a spotlight effect, mine has none, or none that I can readily discern.

As far as measurement, I actually plan to build a meter using a sensor (e.g. https://ams.com/documents/20143/36005/AS7341_DS000504_3-00.pdf/) and a microcontroller (ESP32 with WiFi/Blutooth) as I will likely hack these lights for a fun project. I would like to be able to calibrate the light and then be able to set it to 75% and know that it is at 75%. I will also be able to create a spectrograph.

I'm not sure I remember which model he tested, but it might have been the classic or the skyled version (edit - I just found the thread again and it was the planted version - that's why I assume that all nicrew lights have bad spread, because three of their main models have big dropoff)
I have PAR data for both of those and they both have significant light dropoff the farther you get from the center
which model do you have?

Oblio · Dec 22, 2021

realzalio said:
I have PAR data for both of those and they both have significant light dropoff the farther you get from the center
which model do you have?

RGB +W 24/7

I couldn't find much data on it when I was light shopping. I considered the Finex but it was a bit more than I was willing to spend for my first LED light, especially since I need two lights to cover my 72" (it seems hard to find 72" lights, and that is a big light to replace if it fails). Most of the others were out of my price range, at least until I decide going hi-tech planted is for me.

FF_Member146894 · Dec 22, 2021

Oblio said:
RGB +W 24/7

I couldn't find much data on it when I was light shopping. I considered the Finex but it was a bit more than I was willing to spend for my first LED light, especially since I need two lights to cover my 72" (it seems hard to find 72" lights, and that is a big light to replace if it fails). Most of the others were out of my price range, at least until I decide going hi-tech planted is for me.

I've never heard of that model before
I guess the only way we'll find out is if you test it with a meter

Oblio · Dec 22, 2021

realzalio said:
I've never heard of that model before
I guess the only way we'll find out is if you test it with a meter

This was about all I could find. The 120 deg optical lense claim is pretty much useless without a corresponding beam-width intensity chart, or at least give a attenuation for that width (e.g. -3dBL), and ideally list that width for different wavelengths. Pretty easy to do, so this is obviously edited by the marketing department

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LB9QFZC/?tag=ff0d01-20

FishHobby99 · Dec 22, 2021

Stan510 said:
Just get down to it. I like the kind of lights that make colors pop. I don't want budget lights that are usually pale. But I'm never going to splurge for Fluvals $250 light or the other big names in that price and much more. I think around the $80-150 is max I would pay. It needs to be 48".
I've seen one no name called "USA Satellite" Then well known Beamswork. I want red to look RED!

Think I paid $140 for my Fluval Aquasky
For 48” tank. has nice easy to use app

Oblio · Dec 22, 2021

Does the Aquasky have Blutooth or WiFi?

From a non-optical standpoint, I really don't like the infrared interface in my NICREW. You have to point the control unit directly at the receiver, have the receiver pointed in the right direction, and point at the receiver you want to program (both are on the same tank). I'll modify this in the future, but for now it is a PITA.

FF_Member146894 · Dec 22, 2021

Oblio said:
Does the Aquasky have Blutooth or WiFi?

From a non-optical standpoint, I really don't like the infrared interface in my NICREW. You have to point the control unit directly at the receiver, have the receiver pointed in the right direction, and point at the receiver you want to program (both are on the same tank). I'll modify this in the future, but for now it is a PITA.

yes, it has bluetooth - in fact, it's the only way you can interact with the settings of the light and it's very annoying sometimes

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