# Lighting



## sumthinfishy (Jan 26, 2013)

OK guys I've been gone for a while, but I am back with a question. I have over 20 tanks ranging from 20 gallon all the way up to 240 gallon. I am sick of messing around with the 25 different kinds of lights that I have to try to get the best color possible. I want to find a brand of LED that is best to bring out the overall full spectrum of colors regardless of what fish are in the tank. I'm not trying to grow plants and I don't care about price I just want to know what LED is best so I can buy a bunch of them in various sizes for my tanks . I'm not looking for "I've read or I've heard" but for experience with a particular brand and model of LED light . Thank u


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

You are asking for a particular brand and model of LED aquarium light fixture. OK. I'll tell you my experience of what works best - price no consideration, and a cheap way to get a decent LED light.

I have had over a dozen different brands and types of LED lighting over most of my 50 plus aquariums and I'm still using most of them. The brand I like the most because it holds up, has a great positive attachment to the tank, does not require a timer, and provides an ideal natural color register to enhance the fish and decor of the tank, is the AquaticLife EDGE LED. You do have to pay for quality, but with this brand, you get your money's worth. I have seven of these fixtures.It is all I have been buying since getting my first ones. I will probably replace more fixtures with this brand whenever I have to replace some other brand, or can budget the upgrade.

The best cheap LED light for aquariums is the four foot daylight shop light you can get at Costco periodically. It is not waterproof, so you have to protect the bulbs and the fixture from any moisture, spray, or fish splashes. It does a decent job of lighting up a 75 or 55 gallon aquarium, but it isn't really designed for this, so it has to hang over the four foot aquarium, or a row of smaller aquariums.


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## sumthinfishy (Jan 26, 2013)

Exactly the recommendation I was looking for. thank you


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## Pdxmonkeyboy (Oct 17, 2016)

I was meaning to post this anyways as I discovered a light that makes my fish look fantastic! 
I have gone the expensive route and decided to go the eBay route recently for some grow out tanks. Boy was I surprised! 
I have the following lights. all prices are for 4 foot lights. 
1. finnex fuge ray. Good light, decent power, dull color. paid around $80 
2. satelite plus pro. love the adjustability and different colors. best light by far for "relaxing in the living room" .. this sunset mode it has has great not so bright rotation of lights. I use it every night. $200+
3. ebay Beamswork 1w high output led. $70. very nice light, quality build, very bright. the blue night mode is nice, wish the blue was more powerful during the daytime. timer is extra and is $25 or so. 
4. and the dark horse... ebay aquaneat 48" .5 watt muktispectrum marine. This was one of those.. I'll just out it in the basement light purchases. It was $50 and I thought it would look cheesy as it has several different color lights and isn't adjustable. I took it out of the box and plugged it in.... WOW!!! I MEAN WOW!!! It's a 10,000k main light but has actinic, red and some purple in it. it's definately more marine looking but the fish look AMAZING!! The blues really pop!! The light is also plenty bright. I was so blown away I ordered another one. You can't even find a shop light for $50.

Finally, I am not one to buy cheap things. Your talking to a guy with a garage full of Ducati motorcycles but I am beginning to see a trend in aquaroum products. There are some great brands at decent prices, there are some great brands that are a complete ripoff, and there are some quality knock off brands. you have to understand that advertising costs money.. lots of it. 70% of Nikes yearly budget is advertising... are nikes good shoes? absolutely. are the 2x as better as the 1/2 priced competitor? not in my eyes. The aquaneat came in a plain brown box with no instructions. It is made of aluminum with the same attachment system as my $200 satelite. It has been sitting on top of an 81 degree aquarium with no lid and has no condensation inside.

led is THE way to go, unless your growing corals or sowmthing. The technology is not new at all. they are brighter, use way less power and put of next to no heat.

anywho.. I may make a video of the different lights as I was really blown away by the aquaneat. for $50 it is a no brainer IMO


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## CharlesMTF (Oct 20, 2003)

Great recommendations, thank you.

I have been out of the hobby for probably about 10 years or so, and just now coming back in. Getting everything for a new tank set up. These lights... can they sit on regular tank covers? Do they work best with one cover over another?


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## Pdxmonkeyboy (Oct 17, 2016)

they work with regular covers. they are narrow.. like 3-4 inches tops.

let us know which one you get and how you like it!!

I am sure you will be blown away by LEDs.


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## Trademark (Dec 31, 2016)

I,m interested in getting one of these. I looked at some videos and what I didn't like was the way they are raised above the glass by the stands or legs at the ends. Can they be installed flush to the glass top of the cover so the light doesn't escape and light up the rest of the room?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Trademark said:


> I,m interested in getting one of these. I looked at some videos and what I didn't like was the way they are raised above the glass by the stands or legs at the ends. Can they be installed flush to the glass top of the cover so the light doesn't escape and light up the rest of the room?


 The light from LED is more coherent than light from a fire or incandescent bulb. Instead of spreading in all directions, It is aimed toward the tank and doesn't shine into the room.


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## Trademark (Dec 31, 2016)

In the video I saw you can see the light shining on the walls


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Trademark said:


> In the video I saw you can see the light shining on the walls


I have most of my tanks converted to LED and I don't have this happening, except in models that imitate incandescent bulbs or fluorescent tubes.


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## wryan (Dec 6, 2015)

Trademark said:


> In the video I saw you can see the light shining on the walls


Didn't watch any videos ... but it could be what is properly termed "inter-object illumination" ... where the light reflected off one object illuminates another ... :wink:


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## Cyphound (Oct 20, 2014)

I agree with the original poster. When I got my first led light I did not like the light bleed. Don't know what previous lights you had however my old lights were t8 fluorescents in black. I gutted the fixture leaving only the shell and simply placed it over my LEDs. Problem solved.


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## Trademark (Dec 31, 2016)

Great idea cyphound, thanks much!!


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