Lighting question.

[Fish are friends]

I have a Aqua one twin t8 light fitting and I want to upgrade it to a LED set up. I can buy a LED light but I was thinking about changing the T8 fluorecent tubes for LED tubes and keep the existing light housing. Would the led tubes be sufficient or would it just be better to replace everything.

 

[Colin_T]

LED lights require LED light units and don't normally work in Fluorescent light units.

 

[Essjay]

There are retrofit LED tubes which can be put in te place that fluorescents sit. But there is a difference. The LEDs don't use the fluorescent's power supply, they have their own. They susually have plastic end caps or sleeves which have pins like fluorescent tubes and these are used only to hold the LED tube in place. The power cable which supplied the fluorescent tubes must not be plugged into the mains.

Examples of retrofit tubes:

Superfish Retro LED Light | Fish | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Superfish Retro LED Light | Fish at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

Leddy Tube RETROFIT - Aquael

www.aquael-aquarium.co.uk

 

[luke33]

I have a Aqua one twin t8 light fitting and I want to upgrade it to a LED set up. I can buy a LED light but I was thinking about changing the T8 fluorecent tubes for LED tubes and keep the existing light housing. Would the led tubes be sufficient or would it just be better to replace everything.

I have used the t5 led tube's in a florescent t5 fixture in marine tanks, but that is just to get the blue pop, not so much for intensity. If you get them you should be able to check out to see what the reflectors look like on the led's. Then you can see what kelvin they are as well, i would bet they work. Do you have a link to what your talking about specifically?

 

[Fish are friends]

I bought a Superfish retro let t8 tube. The light comes with end caps that just screw onto the ends of the light fitting and the led light slots into the holders attached to the end caps. The led light has its own power source and switchso can be used separately too. So far the tank brightens up well.. will see over the next week how the plants react.

 

[luke33]

I bought a Superfish retro let t8 tube. The light comes with end caps that just screw onto the ends of the light fitting and the led light slots into the holders attached to the end caps. The led light has its own power source and switchso can be used separately too. So far the tank brightens up well.. will see over the next week how the plants react.

Got it, i was actually thinking about led tube's that you just put in your actual fixture that do not have a driver to plug in. I used these type's in t5 fixtures that worked well, very efficient.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HPDZGBW/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[Essjay]

Google only finds that brand in the UK on Amazon (out of stock) and Ebay (import from the US). But it looks like a good choice for US members.

I had forgotten that Arcadia make that type of LED tube but they can only be used where the original fluorescent light has a magnetic ballast. They can't be used where the ballast is electronic. When I was looking for LED replacements I couldn't use them as my tank had an electronic ballast which is why they slipped my mind

I have the AquaEl retrofit tubes.

 

[luke33]

They were really getting popular over here in the US a few years back for t5 fixture's. I had a few driven by eballasts in an ATI fixture. Looks like they are rare to find now.