# Current Satellite LED Plus



## partsrep

Has anyone bought and used one of these new lights from Current? I'm interested to see how well they work and how wide the light is. I know some LED lights don't have enough width to light the entire tank front to back and was hoping these might be different. I love the storm effect with lightning. Very cool.

Watch the video for Current Satellite LED Plus


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## JimA

Interesting, wish they showed more of the light itself..


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## mhertzfeld

If anyone has a set of these please post. Wondering if a pair of them would be enough light for a 150g


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## Zyle

I too really like these, but honestly what most of these kind of systems lack are timers. Having the effects built in is great. Nothing beats showing off lightning and clouds in a tank, but you have to use the remote each time. Being able to schedule moonlights, sunrise/sunset, or even scheduling the dynamic effects would make these lights must buys and improve the hobby. These features exist on reef lighting, but those cost way too much and in freshwater we don't need the output they have.

If anyone spots a light that has the strong feature set like the current LED+, but with integrated scheduling/timers for reasonable prices let me know!


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## partsrep

If anyone spots a light that has the strong feature set like the current LED+, but with integrated scheduling/timers for reasonable prices let me know![/quote]


JimA said:


> Interesting, wish they showed more of the light itself..





Zyle said:


> I too really like these, but honestly what most of these kind of systems lack are timers. Having the effects built in is great. Nothing beats showing off lightning and clouds in a tank, but you have to use the remote each time. Being able to schedule moonlights, sunrise/sunset, or even scheduling the dynamic effects would make these lights must buys and improve the hobby. These features exist on reef lighting, but those cost way too much and in freshwater we don't need the output they have.


I completely agree. I want to know if one 48" light will be wide enough for my 75G. And yes, the timer feature would be awesome and I don't understand why the manufacturers don't do it. To have it programmed like Zyle mentions would be a simple task with today's technology and probably wouldn't cost that much either. Dedicated hobbyists would definitely buy it. I know I would.


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## Zyle

Well when I get out of my masters in compsci, chances are I'll get bored and do just that. Just need someone who's better with hardware


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## Randifer

I too would be very interested to know if anyone has these lights and what they think of them.

I'm researching lights for my new tank. it will be 72" long x 24" deep x 22" high.

I found the Current website and looked at all the different lights. Could not decide what was best for a freshwater Cichlid tank (no plants), so I e-mailed the tech guys at Current and asked for their opinion.

Told them I was looking at two 48" of the True Lumen Pro Diamond white and wanted to know if that would light my tank. They responded and said that the True Lumen Pros were the brightest of the lights they carry, but they recommended only one of those for the front of the tank and a second one (the Satellite LED or LED+) on the back of the tank for effects. I e-mailed back and said that I had planned on putting the two 48" lights side by side near the front and wanted to know if that would light the back too. They wrote back and said that for an even spread of light that I should consider running five (yes 5) of the 24" lights spread vertically at 2 ft intervals.

That would mean two transformers and two 3-way splitters... and depending on how I mounted them... it could be a pain just to feed the fish.

I'm considering doing my original idea of two 48" True Lumen Pros side by side on the front and one 48" Satellite LED (or LED+) centered at the back of the tank. All of that would run off of one power supply and I think it would light the tank well. But it would be costly to buy three 48" strips and there would be no way to run a timer so I can have the moonlight effect at night and the bright white light during the day. And I'm not sure how much of the LED+ effects I could see in my tank with the other two bright lights on.

If no one has used the Current lights... can anyone recommend a good set-up that would work on my size tank? I know you guys (and the fish) like the algae... but I was looking at LEDs because I personally like to keep it to a minimum.

Thanks!
Randy


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## Zyle

Here is how I have come to terms with the current lighting out there.

I came from having a Red Sea Max AIO reef tank. It was nice as the T5 lights were on a timer and it had Blue LEDs for night effect. If I'm not mistaken the blue LEDs were on 24/7. So now to the Current USA. They, like Marineland have LED fixtures that allow you to have "full" spectrum or flip the switch and you can have the blue only lights. This infuriates us as we want timing control to the change over. Well, here is what I'm doing. IGNORE THE FEATURE. Just, purchase the current usa or marineland led fixture and hook it up to a generic lamp fixture. Then buy some standalone LED moonlights and place them around. Those can be on 24/7 or opposite time of your main lights. This will give the effect/feature you want and honestly won't cost an arm and a leg.


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## 150tk

Totally frustrated trying to research the best LED system for my 72x18x27 (African Cichlid / no plants) - marineland/current USA/Beamworks....???? As i have 3 sections to the top of the tk and use the aqueon versa covers, i was thinking that 3 x 24" units may be best way fwd as i can then maintain a section of the tank without taking all lighting down... What i hear but have not verified is that the switching for 3 units may not be common - ie, I would have to switch all 3 independantly...why?? similar issue to Randy's/Zyle's comments on timers... I would like to move into the 21st century and away from energy inefficient tubes but clearly the manuf's are not asking their customers what they want.... Any suggestions on best way fwd appreciated.. Andy


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## thevein

currently using this setup by current and I am pleased with it thus far. it is currently running on a 55gal and works great with the various features and settings. I also have a T5 setup by current on my 90gal. with regard to the LED on the 55gal, this is the size tank that i feel would be the max for one LED unit. for tanks that are 75gal or greater, i would recommend at least 2 units, which would bring you to an approximate equal cost for a T5 setup. Pros for LED vs my T5 setup would be.....LED is extremely low profile, energy efficient, no bulbs to replace, no overheating, easy to move, no creep to clean. Cons...may or may not need more than 1 unit for larger tanks (not 100% sure) but will know once i get the new 150gal in the next 2 months..........other than that, I can not find any cons as I would recommend these units for ease of use, low maintenance, and awesome weather effects. Hope this helps


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## Zyle

150tk, maxspect has an okay setup from what I can read on their site. They have a controller and a way of connecting multiple fixtures together. It seems the controller can even handle effects across all of them. However, major con will be the price of that setup. Anyways, just another company to research.


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## Morpheen

The technology does exist and is readily available, its just still pretty expensive.

I've been running the TMC Aquarays and also have their controller. It wasnt cheap, at around $500 for two lights & the controller for over my 75G but it is very nice. The controller controls the on/off times & the dimming/ramping of the lights for sunrise/sunsets. The lights grow plants very well, are extremely energy efficient at only drawing ~25W, they last a loooong time, and have a great warranty. To me, it was worth it.

The LED market segment is still relatively new and it is advancing extremely quickly. Every week or so you see a new player on the market and that just means more competition, which is driving prices down. You can see it already that the high end reef LED setups are already dropping in price as LED chips become cheaper to produce and supply increases. The freshwater LED market seems to be laging behind the Reef market a little with having QUALITY options available to us but it is getting better. Check out http://www.buildmyled.com/ They offer a pretty good product and have different options for how to control them include connecting to an Apex controller for the ultimate control


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## Ensorcelled

I actually just ran across these today online and boy does it sure make me want to toss my crappy SkyLED out the window! I am going to get my hands on the 48" fixture when I can because it looks pretty awesome! :drooling:


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## aceranch

I was planning on building a T5 fixture into the hood of my new 75gal. My wife recently discovered the Current USA set up at our LFS and she wants it. It should be in later this week. I had to do some retrofit router guess work to the hood I built but I should be OK. We are getting the 48-60" with the RGB for plants. I will post my thoughts once I get it going.


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## aceranch

We've finally received our LED from our LFS and it is very cool!! It's very low profile and the colors are amazing. I would recommend it to anyone who wants their tank to look great.


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## Ensorcelled

aceranch said:


> We've finally received our LED from our LFS and it is very cool!! It's very low profile and the colors are amazing. I would recommend it to anyone who wants their tank to look great.


Any chance on a video perhaps? I'm still wanting this fixture for both my tanks!


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## BryanR73

I had been using the current nova extreme t5 for several years on my 90 gallon tank. The dual 54 watt bulbs were more than sufficient for the java ferns and Anubias I have in there. I had been looking at the LEDs for some time now but it seemed the marineland plant was the only real option but I did not want to spend 400+. I recently saw the new current freshwater led+ and decided to go that direction. So far I could not be more pleased. The light output appears to be equal to or even superior to the t5, at least to my eyes. I love the different lighting options it allows and the ease of changing them with the remote. A timer would be nice, but I do like the option of controlling it myself. I used to have 4 moon light led links attached to a board behind my main light. Now I can change to three different levels of moon lighting with a simple touch. So far I would definitely recommend this fixture to anyone looking to make the change to LEDs.


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## ratbones86

These will be my next light investment for my next show tank.


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## cichlid-gal

Mine arrived in the mail Friday. It will be going on my new 125G upgrade tank for my West Africans. I can't wait to see it in action. It will be a little yet but I'll get some pics too.


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## Randifer

BryanR73 said:


> I had been using the current nova extreme t5 for several years on my 90 gallon tank. The dual 54 watt bulbs were more than sufficient for the java ferns and Anubias I have in there. I had been looking at the LEDs for some time now but it seemed the marineland plant was the only real option but I did not want to spend 400+. I recently saw the new current freshwater led+ and decided to go that direction. So far I could not be more pleased. The light output appears to be equal to or even superior to the t5, at least to my eyes. I love the different lighting options it allows and the ease of changing them with the remote. A timer would be nice, but I do like the option of controlling it myself. I used to have 4 moon light led links attached to a board behind my main light. Now I can change to three different levels of moon lighting with a simple touch. So far I would definitely recommend this fixture to anyone looking to make the change to LEDs.


I am trying to light a 72 x 24 x 22 tank (that has been ordered by not delivering for another week or two). My first thought was to get two of the 36" 12,000K Diamond White Pro Series strips. According to Current's website, those have the brightest output of any of the strips they sell. But then I pretty much decided on 2 of the 36" Satellite White/Blue LEDs -- not quite as bright, but I like the idea of the white/blue mixture for fish color. I don't have plants in the tank and I don't care to grow algae.

Question... Can the LED+ easily be set to a white/blue output? And do you have more than one light on the tank? If so... will the one remote control both strips at the same time?

Thanks!
Randy


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## BryanR73

Yes you can adjust the four colors to any level you want. If you want the reds and greens completely off you can do that and save the setting to one of the custom memory buttons. I think you will be very pleased by all the preset color options and the flexibility it offers in customizing your own. And I only have one of the 48"-60" fixtures on my tank.


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## Hap man

Randifer said:


> I too would be very interested to know if anyone has these lights and what they think of them.


I purchased two 36 inch units for my 125 - 6ft aquarium. I'm very happy with them. one remote will work both units if you put the sensors together. The only negative with two ( and the only reason I bought two was they didn't make a 72 inch unit ) is the lightning effect for each doesn't stay consistent with each other, which is no big it's still a cool effect it just lights up one side of the aquarium at times.


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## Randifer

Thanks for the info. I think i will go ahead and go with the LED+ since it will give me more options down the road. Since it is a 72" tank... i think i will go with the two 36" units like Hap man. Hap man... if not too much trouble... i would love to see a video of the lights working.

thanks!
Randy


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## Hap man

unfortunately i don't have a video camera. sorry, but if you go on utube and enter the name of the led's they have video there.


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## cichlid-gal

I put my 48" on my empty tank this morning and did a quick video...apologize for the reflections but the sun is coming up. Maybe I can get another video when its totally dark and try to get right in front of the tank...I'm off center a bit but it will give you an idea. And I went with the 48" because I like having some darker areas in the tank for hiding spots/rest areas for my fish.


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## Randifer

That was very cool... thank you for taking the time to do that. 

I think I am going to have to pick up 2 of these.

Randy


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## cichlid-gal

Seems to be a nice light for the price.


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## ratbones86

Boy i wanna get one and play around with the RBG controls and get the light perfect. This is a very neat led light. Thanks for doing that demo. You did a good job.


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## cichlid-gal

Thanks Randifer and ratbones


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## Bill V

I just got a 48 inch Satellite Plus this last Wed for my 55 gallon set up. Love it! What a drastic change from the old fluorescent tube. I really like the effects or rolling clouds and like customizing the output! It wasn't expensive either!!!


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## Skinny1

Just joined this forum and its really nice! I see all of you seem to be really happy with the satellite LED plus unit but no one thinks this unit can be timed to run the day phase and a moon phase and then a morning phase. I have a 75 gal tank that I'm planning on redesigning the whole tank soon. Especially after reading this site, this has been a great tool to help me make my cichlid tank healthier and a more natural looking tank. I like to time my lights, and now that I read about having your lights come on and go out more like the sun going down and coming up this is what I am after. So I was hoping this unit could do this on a timer or time the whole unit and this is possible with one of the programmable settings.


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## cichlid-gal

The unit has a hand held remote that has buttons on it with the different lighting options. I do not think you could program a timer to change the button/selection...that's the problem. Of course, you could use a timer simply for on and off function but which selection of lighting you have the tank set to would need to be done manually using the remote.


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## Randifer

I don't know for sure... but i believe that it remembers the last setting you used when the timer goes off. So when timer comes back on, you are still on that setting.
But I have not gotten mine yet to know... I read it in a post on another site.
Randy


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## Skinny1

Are you saying that I will still have to start a program everyday with the remote after the timer kicks the light on? Or after the timer kicks on the lights will the program selected the day before run when the light kicks on?


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## cichlid-gal

The light would turn on with the same setting with which it was turned off. It remembers the last setting. So if you had it set to sunrise/sunset when the timer shut if off at night, it would turn on with sunrise/sunset in the morning when the timer turned it on. Then you would need to manually set it to the lighting option you want it to run for the majority of the day and set it back to sunrise/sunset sometime before the timer kicked it off (if that is what you are wanting it to do).


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## Skinny1

Thanks! That really helps.


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## Randifer

My lights came in today. I hope to have the new set-up done this weekend. I'll let you know how they look once I get them on the tank.
Randy


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## Randifer

Ok... it's after 3:00 a.m. and I just finished getting the new tank set up.
I'm not sure what I think of the Current Satellite LED Plus. I wish they were a little brighter.
They may be fine on a 12" deep tank... but the back of my tank seems dark on the 18" tank.
Have not even played with the settings yet... just have the white as bright as they will go with a little blue added for color.
Running two 36" strips on a 72" tank.

Question: What do you folks think of adding one 48" bright white LED to the back of the tank (just behind the two 36" strips)?
Would that be enough to brighten up the tank? Or do you think that would still leave the two back corners dark making the tank look a little "off" ?

Randy





(sorry to post the same video in two differnt threads... but it applied to each)


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## cichlid-gal

It looks like plenty of light to me but I know some like lots more. I think it looks great!


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## Deeda

Randifer, I think the lighting looks just fine but as cichlid-girl said, everyone has a different perception when it comes to lighting.

I think the darkness you may be seeing is due to the dark section of the background you have and possibly the position of the very white THR. Maybe moving the rocks more toward the rear of the tank, stacking them higher (if possible), would help to reflect some of the light and eliminate the shadows you are seeing.


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## cichlid-gal

Here's a pic of my tank with the Current LED Plus light...I like the look of the tank and feel it is plenty of light. The edges are darker but this is a 48" light on a 6 foot tank.


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## Randifer

cichlid-gal said:


> Here's a pic of my tank with the Current LED Plus light...I like the look of the tank and feel it is plenty of light. The edges are darker but this is a 48" light on a 6 foot tank.


That does look nice. 
Part of my problem could be that it is a new set-up and my water is not crystal clear yet. Working on that now.

Randy


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## Frank H

Im wanting to pick up this light. Any new opinions?

Im putting it on a 55g (4 feet long, 21" high) and will be getting the 4 foot fixture.

Does it produce the shimmer affect? I have lots of water movement on the surface but my t5's don't make any shimmer and Id like to have some shimmer.

Will it be bright enough at the bottom of a 21" tank?


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## cichlid-gal

I still like this light alot. I bought a 2nd one while they were on sale (might still be...I'll PM you the vendor info FrankH). Shimmer effect is great but it also depends on the setting you use. There are so many options. And the light reaches the bottom of the tank very well.


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## Frank H

I really appreciate the message Cichlid-gal! Thanks! I ordered it and got an email that it left their facility already with tracking number. Great stuff!


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## cichlid-gal

Frank H said:


> I really appreciate the message Cichlid-gal! Thanks! I ordered it and got an email that it left their facility already with tracking number. Great stuff!


Glad I could help out :thumb:


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## Sleeves

I have 4 LED + strips on my 150 and love it


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## cichlid-gal

Sleeves said:


> I have 4 LED + strips on my 150 and love it


 :thumb:


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## b3w4r3

If these lights had a program-able timer to tank advantage of the different color options during the day they would be interesting. As it is the color selection just seems to be a novelty you play with for a few minutes, then pick a color and never touch it again.


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## walzon1

b3w4r3 said:


> If these lights had a program-able timer to tank advantage of the different color options during the day they would be interesting. As it is the color selection just seems to be a novelty you play with for a few minutes, then pick a color and never touch it again.


I would say it is a novelty but not to play with for a few minutes. Most hobbyist are always changing rockscape, adding elements, removing elements why not change the lighting as well. It really changes up the feel just like changing the aquascape. I think that even if it had a programmable sunrise/sunset feature preset I might not even use it that much, I find myself changing the settings constantly just because I can.


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## JimA

I ended up returning mine, I think if it was all I had for a light or all the same on a tank it would be fine. I added it with two Beam works reefbrights and it didn't work for me. Great light for the price though. And I also would be the guy that found a setting I liked and left it. If I had 3 or 4 matching on my 8ft tank I bet it would be great!


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## Sleeves

walzon1 said:


> b3w4r3 said:
> 
> 
> 
> If these lights had a program-able timer to tank advantage of the different color options during the day they would be interesting. As it is the color selection just seems to be a novelty you play with for a few minutes, then pick a color and never touch it again.
> 
> 
> 
> I would say it is a novelty but not to play with for a few minutes. Most hobbyist are always changing rockscape, adding elements, removing elements why not change the lighting as well. It really changes up the feel just like changing the aquascape. I think that even if it had a programmable sunrise/sunset feature preset I might not even use it that much, I find myself changing the settings constantly just because I can.
Click to expand...

I completely aggree.... I play with the settings all the time. I like how it provides you with several memory buttons so if you find a scheme you like you can save it


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## k7gixxerguy

If anyone knows where the best pricing on these are, please pm me.


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## skurj

Got response from Current Usa support today on the ramp timer with the satellite plus:

Thank you for contacting Current-USA and inquiring about our Ramp Timers.
As it turns out the Satellite LED+ will work with the Ramp Timer, however only when the light is set at full power for all of the colors and not in a dimmed or dynamic mode.
It is not advised to dim the light or put the light in any dynamic modes while using the Ramp Timer in ramp/dim mode - doing so will cause a conflict and may cause the lights to strobe. 
Please let us know if you have any further questions.


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## pablo111

I'm using the Satellite LED plus.
Honestly, it's a bit of a gyp. It costs significantly more than a dual T5 setup which will light your fish just as effectively. For people not growing plants, I think it's a waste of money. 
I got suckered in by the storm effects too. I'll never use them. I imagine it would bother the fish. Overall I have to give this product a thumbs down. Not that bright to the naked eye, overpriced, equal to, but more expensive than a dual T5 setup.


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## JimA

pablo111 said:


> I'm using the Satellite LED plus.
> Honestly, it's a bit of a gyp. It costs significantly more than a dual T5 setup which will light your fish just as effectively. For people not growing plants, I think it's a waste of money.
> I got suckered in by the storm effects too. I'll never use them. I imagine it would bother the fish. Overall I have to give this product a thumbs down. Not that bright to the naked eye, overpriced, equal to, but more expensive than a dual T5 setup.


 One of the reasons I sent mine back! After my beamworks dies, if ever. I will be looking at the finnex brand,monster ray or similar?? They seem to be getting good reviews...


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## aquaticpa

I just got the 48" version today. On my 55 gallon tank, it looks great, just enough brightness on the brightest setting. On the 125 gallon, looks like I would need 2 of these to light up the front and back of the tank. I currently have the Deep Blue dual T5 fixture, and the Deep Blue light is a bit brighter. However, I would still need 2 of these to light up the whole width of the tank. For the cost of one Current LED, I could get 2 DB fixtures. I may keep the Current for my 55. I was also experimenting with what might work for my next possible tank - a tall 150 gallon (29" high I think). I was hoping this Current would work, but not so sure now.


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## CjCichlid

It all depends on how brightly lit you prefer your tank. I have the 48" fixture on my 135gal (72x18x25) and feel it is plenty bright enough. I actually usually dim it down a bit..

Here's a pic of my tank with the 6500k/rose pink setting selected, with the white LED's dimmed down a few clicks..


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## areuben

I'm in the CjCichlid camp - don't like very bright tanks - I'm not looking to do surgery in there. I used to have HO T5's - Hagen Glos which are a high quality setup - and quite honestly, the output was clinical looking - just not natural for a freshwater setup unless you were trying to mimic a shallow stream in full daylight. In most places where I have snorkeled in freshwater, go down about 6+ feet and the lighting is pretty diffused. Like CJ, I like a dimmer tank and usually run a light shorter than the tank itself so I can get some darker areas in the tank for those fish that prefer that and many do - let's not forget that in a fish only setup, the lighting is for our benefit and not really the need of our fish.
I now run dimmers on all my LED's.
We all have our tastes, however.


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## Sparrow19

Seems to be a lot of conflicting thoughts on these. Few love it, few don't. Getting my new tank in a few weeks and looking to buy these. Anyone have any other info to offer?

My tank: 210 gallon with built in overflows. 72x24x29 I'm planning to probably get 2 of the 36". I'm curious how well it will light the bottom and the lower back. I will be using sand, so it will be a lighter color which will help reflect the light I think.

If anyone has a good place to pick these up at please pm me. Lower price is always good, ha.


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## lumuj

For everyone who's gotten this light, can you please update your reviews. Now that you had it for quite some time now, are the bells and whistles still worth the money spent?


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## pablo111

I haven't used any of the special lighting modes once. I just have it on orange mode since I have orange fish. Leave it there all the time. 
I used the remote once to show off to a friend but that was it.


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## Sparrow19

What I am drawn to most I think is the ability to set the RGB color to make it the exact tone that I want. Versus having to just deal with whatever another light might put out.


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## CjCichlid

Sparrow, like I stated earlier it really depends on personal preference, how bright do you like your tank? Two 36" fixtures would be more than enough for your tank IMO and it should give you good even coverage.

A quick, general review..

My 48" Current Sat+ fixture replaced a 48" Beamswork Freshwater Bright fixture. The Sat+ is quite a bit brighter and shows off the fish's colors (especially warmer colors) much better since it's RGB and not just white and blue. One thing to note is that the white LED's in the Sat+ are 6500k which resembles natural sunlight. It is not that crisp, clean white that the 10K LEDs emit that are used in the Marineland and Beamswork fixtures (however Beamswork does now offer fixtures with 6500k LEDs I believe).

As for all the different settings.. I use them quite frequently. I like to use the different moonlight settings, as well as the dawn/dusk setting. I also like the fact that I can adjust the amount of each color that is emitted and save it under one of the customized presets. For example, I don't like how a lot of green makes the tank look so I customize the full spectrum setting and dim down the green..


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## Sparrow19

Yep, and I think that is what I want out of it. Extreme bright is nice, but for not that much more, I think these look best.


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## pablo111

I can't believe some of you guys actually like this light fixture. IMO it has been a total gip. I would have been better served by a dual T5 system, I think.


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## pix4c

I had the sat + on my 75 it's not bright enough from front to back even though cichlids don't need bright light it didn't look good at all, I'm going to order a led light from Build My LEDs I want one with a slight blue tint, the 48" they have will light up a standard 75 from front to back


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## CjCichlid

Hah.. It simply comes down to personal preference, and I personally, do not prefer to have to wear sunglasses when viewing my tank. I am more than satisfied with the fixture.

For those of you who like your tanks brighter and whiter than an operating room.. or are looking to grow high light demanding plants.. you may want to look elsewhere.. :roll:


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## Sparrow19

My main concern is if it can reach the bottom of a 29" high tank. Would be getting 2 36" for a 72x24x29


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## cichlid-gal

Sparrow19 said:


> My main concern is if it can reach the bottom of a 29" high tank. Would be getting 2 36" for a 72x24x29


I think they have pretty good light penetration. It just depends on the coverage of the tank you are wanting. Here's an updated pic of my tank...7 months later...still doing fine but I don't have high light plants and I'm happy with the light it gives me. It's all what you are looking for...there are lights that brighten the tank better if that's what you want and grow plants better if that is what you want. You just have to know what you are looking for. This is a good reasonably priced light and it gives good lighting options and coverage. It's not a plant light or a reef light. Those are totally different. Many cichlid owners run lights as bright as reef tanks...I've had that and I like this better.


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## cichlid-gal

This is my other 125G tank ... it also now has a Current LED Plus on it...I like it










Again..both of my lights are 48" lights on 72" tanks.


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## Sparrow19

Thanks for posting those. So you have 1 48" on a 72" tank. How tall/deep is it? Do you think the light would be a lot brighter if you used 2 36" or maybe about the same? Have you dialed down the brightness at all?

I want my tank to be nice and bright, but more importantly very clear, crisp.. but not so bright its blinding


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## cichlid-gal

I mostly use the "orange" button selection which is not the brightest setting because I like the more natural lighting. My tanks are 23 3/8 high or 24" they say. So you would have 5 more inches of depth. I think the tank would be brighter if it had more coverage and a different light setting on but as I said, the light is not as bright as say my Odyssea T5 Quad or my Finnex Ray2.


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## Sparrow19

Yeah, these looked a little orange, so I figured you had it orange heavy. I'm just torn on what to get. I've seen the Current Plus and they look great. Finnex Ray looks great as well as the Beamswork.

So I have no clue how these will look on my tank and everyone has differing opinions, ha. Wish some local places had these to see live.


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## illinois9er

Now seeing that single 48 on that 125 makes me want to rethink my strategy lol. I was going to go with a pair of 36s to get the whole length of the tank but now I'm not so sure.


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## skurj

I have a6ft tank and I also like the 48" light on it. Not the same light but I actually want a little bit of shade in the back corners. You can also suspend the light as well if you wanted more coverage from a shorter light.

I should add! with a 2ft tank front to back you could even go 2 rows of lights.. 1 across the front another across the back for even more coverage.


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## Sparrow19

well I think I'm going to get 2 36".. then could always add a smaller one in the back, but I'm sure these will be sufficient.


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## ViTxLz

pablo111 said:


> I can't believe some of you guys actually like this light fixture. IMO it has been a total gip. I would have been better served by a dual T5 system, I think.


 Everyone has there personal preference on lights. And most led lights or any lights for that matter you are stuck with one setting you can only change from off, all-on or moon lights on a marineland feature, where this light you can change color, intensity, there are effects. Its more bang for the buck and all the prices *** seen on this feature compared to others is a little bit less or the same. And it has a longer life expectancy than the marineland fixtures if i remember correctly


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## JAyliffe

Well I just bought one for my 250 gallon, it just arrived today  so I will be playing with it when I get home and can give direct comparison to the old dual T5HO that's currently in place.


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## Sparrow19

JAyliffe said:


> Well I just bought one for my 250 gallon, it just arrived today  so I will be playing with it when I get home and can give direct comparison to the old dual T5HO that's currently in place.


Please post pictures if you can, or even a video. I'd be very interested how it lights it for you. Thank you..!


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## GTZ

Let's see some reviews guys. This thread will eventually get buried for those interested in these lights.
http://cichlid-forum.com/reviews/view_p ... hp?id=1681


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## aquaticpa

aquaticpa said:


> I just got the 48" version today. On my 55 gallon tank, it looks great, just enough brightness on the brightest setting. On the 125 gallon, looks like I would need 2 of these to light up the front and back of the tank. I currently have the Deep Blue dual T5 fixture, and the Deep Blue light is a bit brighter. However, I would still need 2 of these to light up the whole width of the tank. For the cost of one Current LED, I could get 2 DB fixtures. I may keep the Current for my 55. I was also experimenting with what might work for my next possible tank - a tall 150 gallon (29" high I think). I was hoping this Current would work, but not so sure now.


As a follow up to my first post, after having the chance to use this light all week: I really like this light overall; love the ability to use the remote to change settings, dim or brighten the lights, find a color combo that suits me, etc., all right from my couch. Also being able to turn the light completely off is great. It is plenty bright for my 55 gallon, I don't always use the brightest settings but I like having the option to brighten it up. The lighting effects are cool for a while, but won't use too often, and I wouldn't buy it just for these effects. However the other preset buttons I do use depending on how I want the tank to look.

On my 125 gallon, I still prefer my T5 for brightness and price, but the cons are: I can't turn off the moonlights without unplugging (this is annoying as I usually turn off all lights overnight), no colors to play with. So for a 125 gallon or larger, I think the brightness is just a question of personal preference and hard to judge without seeing it for yourself. My fish are all small right now, so as they grow I probably won't pay as much attention to the brightness. For the 55 gallon the Current is perfect for me.


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## aquaticpa

And let me add, for the price, the Current LED is a great value compared to others.


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## cichlid-gal

GTZ said:


> Let's see some reviews guys. This thread will eventually get buried for those interested in these lights.
> http://cichlid-forum.com/reviews/view_p ... hp?id=1681


done ... thanks GTZ!


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## GTZ

cichlid-gal said:


> GTZ said:
> 
> 
> 
> Let's see some reviews guys. This thread will eventually get buried for those interested in these lights.
> http://cichlid-forum.com/reviews/view_p ... hp?id=1681
> 
> 
> 
> done ... thanks GTZ!
Click to expand...

No, no, thank YOU! 
We, and by we I mean Ripple, are doing our best to get newer products added to the reviews section so feel free to submit a product if it's not showing up in a search.


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## giorgian

I just received two 36" fir my 125-gallon. I like them a lot. No trouble taking the legs off so they sit flush on the top. A lot of choices with the different settings. Can be very bright if you want. The moon settings spook my Mbunas. The lights seem well made. The cloud effects and other effects are very subtle. Would like it to be able to program a timer as so many others have mentioned. Looking forward to the electricity savings.


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## aquaticpa

giorgian said:


> I just received two 36" fir my 125-gallon. I like them a lot. No trouble taking the legs off so they sit flush on the top. A lot of choices with the different settings. Can be very bright if you want. The moon settings spook my Mbunas. The lights seem well made. The cloud effects and other effects are very subtle. Would like it to be able to program a timer as so many others have mentioned. Looking forward to the electricity savings.


The moonlight setting spooks my Mbuna as well! They immediately run for cover. No other setting seems to do that.


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## Sparrow19

Well I decided to save money and went with a much cheaper Beamswork.
LEDs Count: 190
3300 Lumens
152x 10,000K LED
38x Actinic 460nm LED


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## JAyliffe

I posted an early review as well, I am so glad I bought the fixture! I have a couple of challenges to overcome due to the size and placement of my tank but lighting the full depth of the tank isn't one of them (it's 32 inches to the bottom). I have to work out a suitable height to suspend the light fixture above the tank to improve the front to back spread of the lights and also need to position the remote sensor so I can use the remote at a distance. That's because my tank is behind a wall and the remote doesn't penetrate sheetrock at all well. Right now I have to put it right against the front of the tank just below the sensor for it to work. I'll be slipping the sensor (carefully) between the tank and the wall so it's on the outside and works, thankfully there's a reasonable length of wire provided so I should be able to raise the fixture above the tank and still get the sensor exposed.


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## Filet O Fish

Got mine coming FedEx today. Will post a vid when I can shoot one at night.

JAy, got a vid of your tank? I'd like to see it. :fish:


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## GorgeDad

Have seen several folks comment on the desire to program the effects. Don't know if that's possible but Current does sell a timer that automatically does the dawn/dusk thing when turning on and off. Then the light would do for the remainder of the time whatever setting you've left the light on. I use a different timer but can provide another thumbs up for the Satellite LED Plus, which I love!


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## 3000GT

So, I've been thinking about getting one or two of these fixtures for my 60 gallon, but I had heard that they might be coming out with a new version in early 2014 that would allow for timed switching between the modes (e.g. programmed to start with the dawn setting then go to the preferred setting then to moon setting at night). I contacted Current and this was their response:

We are planning on releasing a version of the Satellite + that will include a controller. Right now we have a tentative release time frame of sometime this fall. If you are in more immediate need of a full spectrum light for a planted aquarium, our sister company Ecoxotic released the E-Series. It is a full spectrum LED light with 8,000k whites and RGB LED's. It has a controller that allows each color to be adjusted, daylight and moonlight programs, and dynamic fade options such as cloud cover and lightning. We have included a link to the E-Series below for you to review.

http://www.ecoxotic.com/e-series-led.html

It's more expensive than the current satellite plus fixtures, but it might be a better fit for some people. I'll probably just get the current model. I just can't decide if I should get two 24"s or one 48" for my 48" tank. The tank now has two hoods and a separating bar in the middle.


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## hisplaceresort1

...coolest...thing...ever... thank you 3000GT for that latest link. savin' my pennies for it now... would like to know if anyone puts this on a 72" tank w/ no center braces, and how they chose to do it... thanks!


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## Filet O Fish

hisplaceresort1 said:


> ...coolest...thing...ever... thank you 3000GT for that latest link. savin' my pennies for it now... would like to know if anyone puts this on a 72" tank w/ no center braces, and how they chose to do it... thanks!


Holy moly! Anyway, I would just attempt to hang it from the ceiling above... I don't believe they make one that extends to 72"


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## dshuld

New here and while I haven't built this yet myself because I just got my light yesterday.....for those looking to "automate" the light functions you may want to check this thread out. There's a few different versions of coding in there some with the lightning mode some with out, and others with temp probe coding so it will control the light as well as tell temps of the tank(s).

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showt ... ht=arduino


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