# Marineland Double Bright LED lights... which and how many?



## LittleRhys (May 14, 2011)

So I have what I guess is the standard 75g (48 long, 18 deep and 21 high). I've decided I want to get these LED lights for my mbuna tank I'm building up to. But... which ones? Which one should I get? One of the 48"? Two of one of the smaller ones? I just have no idea.

Thanks for any advice.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

I really don't know a lot about LED's, but I have a pair of LED tank hoods on a 55 G tank and I love em. Plenty of light and so easy to access the tank without the hassle of glass lids. I can open and close with one hand when the other is busy. They have a total of 45 LED's in each lid. I have mostly peacocks, and haps, rocks (not piled high) and some java fern, and it is well lit, without the 'spot light' effect that some people have had with LED lights. There is a small lighting gap at the top, between lids, and you have to manually switch from day to night effect lighting, but all told I'm very pleased.


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## smilepak (Aug 9, 2004)

I think I should piggy back on this thread since it is about LED.

I am interested in a set too. But want it to be able to attach it to my Canopy Hood. I believe the size is 48". Right now I have two bulb. White and Antic Blue. Not as bright as I would hope for, but serve the purpose.


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I recently sent back the Marineland double bright 36". Not nearly bright enough for a 40 breed for goodness sakes . . .


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## xxbenjamminxx (Jan 22, 2011)

i had them on my 75g and it didnt look bad at I thought. I was even growing Jungle Val and a Marimo Moss ball in there with them. I started with the 36 to 48" model and then got a good deal on the 18" model so I tossed that on there. If i were to to do it over again i would get 2 of the 24" ones so it covers the tank from end to end.


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

smilepak said:


> I am interested in a set too. But want it to be able to attach it to my Canopy Hood.


ThatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s the setup I have on my 55 gallon. I bought the 36Ã¢â‚¬Â


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## dinuma (Jul 21, 2011)

Cichlid tanks generally dont have plants so you can actually use any kind or intensity of lights that you please or find good enough to see the fish. Keep in mind that the brighter they are the easier to take pictures of your fish without an external flash.

The fish also do not require light so the lights on time can be kept very short (2 hours a day in mine).

LED lights are very bright for the wattage and power consumption. That is their main advantage.


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## misterted (Sep 12, 2003)

I have 2 of the larger ones on my 265 and I love them.
They have enough light and they have this shimmering effect that is really cool, just like in nature.

Yes there is a gap between the 2 but it's not that bad and you need to flick a switch to go from day to night mode.


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## dinuma (Jul 21, 2011)

I like what you've done with the lights. the tank has some nicely lit up spots and some darker ones that add character. if those are your filter up-take tubes i think they are a little high. lowering them will allow the detritus to to be sucked up to some extent. the lighting effectively hides the tubes quite well too.
way to go :thumb:


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## allierw (Apr 20, 2006)

I have been considering LED lights also. Anyone ever seen the single brights? Reviews on those aren't as great, but they are a lot cheaper...I was thinking about trying them on one tank and getting the double brights for another and comparing them. Worse case I have to return them.


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## dotbomb (Jan 5, 2011)

I have single brights on a 20g long. I wouldn't put them on anything much taller.


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## jrf (Nov 10, 2009)

dinuma said:


> I like what you've done with the lights. the tank has some nicely lit up spots and some darker ones that add character. if those are your filter up-take tubes i think they are a little high. lowering them will allow the detritus to to be sucked up to some extent. the lighting effectively hides the tubes quite well too.
> way to go :thumb:


Thanks for the compliments. Yes, they are intake tubes and they are a bit high up. To tell you the truth, I set it up that way because these were the first canisters IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve ever owned and I was a bit paranoid about having a leak while I wasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t around to notice it. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m not quite as paranoid about leaks anymore, but IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve left it like that because I clean the substrate more often than I clean the canister filters. So, in reality IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m removing more waste from the system this way than I would be if I were to lower the intakes to a Ã¢â‚¬Å"traditionalÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## CleoGerten (Nov 13, 2012)

They have a total of 45 LED's in each lid. I have mostly peacocks, and haps, rocks (not piled high) and some java fern, and it is well lit, without the 'spot light' effect that some people have had with LED lights.


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I just got my double brights in, I have mixed emotions. My cichlids don't have that color "pop". That they have when you use a 10k and actinic. On the other hand the shimmering effect and night mode is pretty cool. I'm wondering how much of a hassle it would be to return it to amazon.


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## jd_7655 (Jul 23, 2004)

I had x2 36" double brights on my 125. The shimmer was cool but not enough light for plants. Also as other said the lights don't bring out the colors of fish as much. I now have a twin tube flourecent fixture which I'm happy with.


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