Any One Using Led Lights On Here?

[mattlee]

tempted to get LED lights for the new tank. does any one run them at all?

do you use arcadia strips and do they run from a normal controller?

what sets do you have?

 

[curlyriff]

Not yet but I have just ordered 2 Arcadia AquaEco LED strips for £60 each including started and standard connection clips for hood. That is only for 537mm length but for every next length up add about £10 each time.


I have seen them in store. They look really good and give great colour and shimmer effect. Plus considering a T5 started, 2Nol T5 bulbs and 2No. Relfectors works out around £80-£100 its not far off the price of the LED system.

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[Joshwainwright]

Hmmm, I'm not too sure on LED's...

 

[Carlovel1]

I use LEDs on my MicroHabitat 8. Very powerful but also lots of algae.

 

[curlyriff]

Hmmm, I'm not too sure on LED's...

Why you nor sure on LED's? They give great light, cheaper to run, last longer. The only negitive is actual outlay but the Arcadia Aqua eco are not that bad really.

I use LEDs on my MicroHabitat 8. Very powerful but also lots of algae.

The LED's shouldn't give any more problems with algae than a standard light as they are brighter in a sense but the par rating isn't any higher. I can't really explain a guy who works for NASA explained allot on another forum about LED lighting.

I get allot of algae using a florecent bulb in a similar set up to your MicroHabitat. I think it has more to do with high intensity lighting to the distant and time the light is for the system.

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[Joshwainwright]

Are LED's actually any good for plants? I have no idea.

 

[curlyriff]

Yeah I saw a guy do a test with both T5's and LED's at the same par output and for whatever reason I don't know the LED actually gave better growth. This is why I wanted to try them out at the end on my planted tank in that test to see if it helps bush them out. I may get them and try them before dosing to see what difference the lighting makes rather than TPN+ as most people know thast TPN+ works.

There are allot more tanks now using LED. Even some marine guys are starting to really use LED to grow Corals with better growth than the standard T5HO units they used before. As long as your PAR is correct from my understanding I think that is the most critical point.

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[mattlee]

a shop i visited yesterday was running LED lights on their tanks and the colours looked really nice on the fish.

the fish looked superb and every colour stood out unlike T8's that can give a washed out look to some fish......



Adam. where did you order them from? ive had a scout round on the internet but just incase i missed a better deal... although i guess it sounds cheap due to the length. im needing lights for a 5ft set up.

 

[curlyriff]

I think Charterhouse Aquatics was cheapest I found for the 1150mm length at £99 a piece. That didn't seem to bad for the size. Thats where the 540mm were £60.

Although again if you work out ballast at £50 for two tubes, 2No. Bulbs @ 5ft would be around £25 a piece and relfectors are closer to £20 a piece that is £140 so not a huge gap in price considering the cost of running the units.

Hope that helps.

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[Joshwainwright]

I may consider buying some if I can find something decent on eBay

 

[Geoff-]

with LED lights as with fluorescents, the phosphor coating and thus the spectrum of light it emits is everything. if you are getting more light at the wavelength of the plants' peak sensitivity then they will grow better. it's hard to tell just by looking at them which LEDs are suitable, but a datasheet might help if it gives you a spectral graph.

 

[mattlee]

im not interested in plant growth as all my tank contain cichlids so plants are a no go.....

just wanted the best light to show off the fishes colours.

 

[tribalbrit]

I've just fitted some blue led's over my tank which come on when the main ligths turn off, they give a moonlight effect.
I bought them from my local electrical supplies £28 a metre,(50 led's) they come on a self adhesive strip and are water proof!
I just stuck them to the underside of my light unit above the tank.
They are available in a choice of colours and sold by the metre. You also need a driver which was £12 and will run several different strips if required.

 

[mattlee]

the led lights im asking about are the arcadia sets that replace the T8 or T5 tubes

 

[Joshwainwright]

Hmmm

Does anybody know of a decent supplier on eBay that sells the adhesive LEDs that are waterproof?