# Best LED fixture for shell-dweller tank?



## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

I just ordered a 15G tank online and plan to setup a shell-dweller tank.

My question is this: what is the best type of LED fixture for shell-dwellers? Is 6500k or 10000k better?

I was thinking of going with either the 24" beamswork freshwater bright (10k) or plant bright (6500k) fixture. Which one would be better for a 15G tank?

I've also considered the current satellite+ or monster ray fixtures, but they are quite a bit more. I may be willing to step up to the sat+ plus for this system, but probably not the monster ray.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

Will you be keeping any live plants?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Kanorin said:


> Will you be keeping any live plants?


I may eventually get a couple anubias or java ferns.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

Anubias and java fern do not demand much light. They will grow in most lighting setups. 6500k vs. 10000k comes down to a matter of preference on looks. I don't think one is "better" than another. I don't have LED lights, but can't you just switch out the bulbs (get both if they aren't very expensive)?


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

Kanorin said:


> Anubias and java fern do not demand much light. They will grow in most lighting setups. 6500k vs. 10000k comes down to a matter of preference on looks. I don't think one is "better" than another. I don't have LED lights, but can't you just switch out the bulbs (get both if they aren't very expensive)?


To me 6500k is a bit too green. 10,000k is a little more blue. Since multies (what i plan to get) have little blue specs on them i thought the 10k might do a better job showing that off.

Some of the more expensive lights let you swap out LEDs, but the one's I am looking at don't. I would have to buy two fixtures in order to test the lights. I guess I do have an 18" 6500k LED from the same company on another tank I could test on this setup. I may just order the 10k and compare the two. Thanks for the suggestion!


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

multies dont have little blue specs.. theyre striped in a brown egg shell type of color.. where are you seeing pics where they have anything more then a tiny bit of color? 10k lighting on shellie tanks tends to wash out photos, and kinda keep everything just a tad too pale. just my two cents, been down this road before. i really really like my current sat+ fixture and would highly reccomend it. *** had cheapo LED lights for going on 5 years and the cords seem to go bad faster then the fixtures lolz.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

anthraxx4200 said:


> multies dont have little blue specs.. theyre striped in a brown egg shell type of color.. where are you seeing pics where they have anything more then a tiny bit of color? 10k lighting on shellie tanks tends to wash out photos, and kinda keep everything just a tad too pale. just my two cents, been down this road before. i really really like my current sat+ fixture and would highly reccomend it. I've had cheapo LED lights for going on 5 years and the cords seem to go bad faster then the fixtures lolz.


I thought multies at least had blue around their eye? Maybe I was thinking of a different shell-dwller.

I'm really leaning towards the sat+ right now. Several ppl have recommended it and it seems like a nice fixture. I only wish it had separate timer controls for the moonlights and full spectrum lights. One nice thing about the beamswork timer ready models is that you can set a separate timer for both the moonlights (lunar lights on 6500k) and daylights.


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## anthraxx4200 (Aug 16, 2012)

oh ya they will have that same crescent moon thing underneath their eye, i can agree timers would be nice, but being able to change spectrum completely to your own tastes and do it via remote is just sweet . nightlights have never done that much for me, and its honestly just become a if i feel like turning them on type thing. after awhile the novelty definitely wears off  definitely go with what will work for you, just trying to give my opinion.


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

anthraxx4200 said:


> oh ya they will have that same crescent moon thing underneath their eye, i can agree timers would be nice, but being able to change spectrum completely to your own tastes and do it via remote is just sweet . nightlights have never done that much for me, and its honestly just become a if i feel like turning them on type thing. after awhile the novelty definitely wears off  definitely go with what will work for you, just trying to give my opinion.


Thanks, I will take that into consideration. Gathering other opinions is why I posted on this site!


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