# LED Lighting



## paullyrj21 (Jan 5, 2006)

Hi All

I'm looking to remove the standard flourescant lighting from my tank. Anyone out there familar with LED lighting? Pros/Cons?

I really like the dual options for sunlight & lunar lighting. I'm currently looking at two options unless someone has a better option:

*1) Marineland LED Double Bright Lighting System*
LED Lighting Features: 
17,000 Lifetime Hours 
Slim stylized lighting profile 
Illuminated by energy efficient LED's (75 Lumens per 1 watt LED)
(6) 1W Daylight LED's Totaling 450 Lumens 
(3) Lunar LED Lamps

Additional features: 
Three Mode On/Off Switch: Allows you to provide a variety of lighting profiles including daytime, lunar and off positions. 
Single Power Source: Low voltage power supply increases safety and peace of mind. Less cords, less clutter. 
Flexible Mounting System: Stylish yet adjustable mounting legs offer flexibility in tank sizes. Adjustable to fit tanks 18" to 24" wide. 
Polycarbonate Lens Shimmer Effect: Mimics underwater effect of sunlight

*2) Coralife Aqualight High Output T5 Fixtures*. 
They provide significantly more light than conventional fluorescent systems. High Output T5 lighting is an excellent choice for saltwater, reef, or freshwater tropical aquariums.

Low Profile Allows Aquarium to be Focal Point 
Adjustable Mounting Legs 
Includes 10,0000K Daylight and Actinic Blue Lamps 
Single Power Cord, Built In On/Off Switch 
Acrylic Splash Guard 
Available in 24Ã¢â‚¬Â


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

LED lighting is the way of the future. Give it a few years, and most new setups will have it. Right now the price is still very high, and not worth it for most people. T5 offers far better value for money. Personally I am still running T8 lighting on all of my tanks, and it does all I need it to do, including ensuring good plant growth.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

*LED lighting? Pros/Cons? *

PROS
Little to no heat generated.
Light emitters use minimum power.
Emitters last an incredibly long time.
Most all can be made Ã¢â‚¬Å"dimmableÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## nhra_20 (Mar 22, 2010)

I don't know if anyone has looked at the new marineland LED light fixture. But right now they have three sizes. They have expandable legs to adjust for different size tanks. And also include an lunar light for night time included. They last for up to 15,000 hours. How many T-5 or T-8 bulbs have you gone through in 15,000 hours? The largest one they are making right now is a 48" strip light, and it's $169 for it. Now I think that is even cheaper to buy than a glo T-5 light fixture. plus you add the cost of new bulbs. About pays for its self from the time you buy it. Just my opinion. Also three switches to make the lighting how you want it.

Oh yeah and the money the LED will save all of us lol


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## larry.beck (Jul 31, 2009)

I'm actually putting together the materials for my 100g acrylic tank and just ordered one of the 48" Marineland LED fixtures to try it out. I have LED lighting in my 55g canopy that I built and really like but I want a clean look on the 100g and hence no canopy - thought I'd give this unit a try. If it works it's very economical!


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Hope these lights work out for you.

My experiences with LED ended up lacking.
At best, they produced about half the light of a single tube, T5 fixture.
Until you get into the Ã¢â‚¬Å"upper tierÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## nhra_20 (Mar 22, 2010)

I know the guy at my LFS talked to a rep that brought one in and he said it was really bright. He is trying to get one to display in the store. Hope he does cause I really want to see one


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## zazz (Apr 5, 2008)

if the ammount of light is half of what is required then just double the leds.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

zazz said:


> if the ammount of light is half of what is required then just double the leds.


Seems logical, but does not work.
The light does not penetrate the water.
Doubling the number of strips only makes the same depth of water a bit brighter.

Link below will give you more LED info

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.p ... pic=200335


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## zazz (Apr 5, 2008)

KaiserSousay said:


> zazz said:
> 
> 
> > if the ammount of light is half of what is required then just double the leds.
> ...


read the thread..however not what i found.. i buy these led strips from my local car garage.. i bought one strip.. too dark!.. i bought another ..it was fine... i bought a third and the tank is on fire. You have to understand that what i am talking about is cheap leds but i have like hundreds of them ..seems like everyone is talking about a few high priced units but the way to go is high numbers of low value units working on the 12v system.

seems like i will have to take some photos to prove my point.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

* am talking about is cheap leds but i have like hundreds of them*

So was I.
140+LED, 48in, fully waterproofed, super bright white, LED strips.
Tried one first, then added another.
They were under $15(USD)each, and shipped from China.
Had a 12vdc, 1.3amp wall wart for power.
I really liked prov356`s description of the lighting. He called it "subdued". :lol: 
They gave a really nice lighting effect in a darkened room. Even gave shimmer look to the tank.
They were much better than any of the rope lights, or x-mas light strings for light output.
What they didn`t do, was give off the same amount of light a single bulb of fluorescent did.
I do think with a proper reflector and focusing lens they would have had better performance.
I had them as alternative lighting for a long time. 
In the evening, I would switch off the T5 and run the LED.
Bottom line, if you like your lights(seems you do), GREAT, for you.
There is no right or wrong here.
If you like the look, fine.
I thought mine were lacking.
But, to lead others to expect the currant crop of "cheap" LED strips to give the same sort of light we expect from fluorescents....
Well, it just didn`t happen for me.
**********
OP,
Looking forward to your take on the Marineland lights.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

larry.beck said:


> I'm actually putting together the materials for my 100g acrylic tank and just ordered one of the 48" Marineland LED fixtures to try it out. I have LED lighting in my 55g canopy that I built and really like but I want a clean look on the 100g and hence no canopy - thought I'd give this unit a try. If it works it's very economical!


Do you have this tank set up yet with the Marineland LED fixture yet? I'm interested in how it looks.


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## ucrazy51 (Jun 5, 2010)

Great info, thanks for helping me get some new info on lighting.
I haven't decided yet what kind to get yet.


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## krfhsf (Dec 25, 2008)

they work for me.

http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforums/s ... omparisons


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## larry.beck (Jul 31, 2009)

Deeda said:


> larry.beck said:
> 
> 
> > I'm actually putting together the materials for my 100g acrylic tank and just ordered one of the 48" Marineland LED fixtures to try it out. I have LED lighting in my 55g canopy that I built and really like but I want a clean look on the 100g and hence no canopy - thought I'd give this unit a try. If it works it's very economical!
> ...


I do. Plenty of light. More than I really want for my 55g, but should be just about right for my 100g. These are obviously the more high-powered LED's and they throw plenty of light into my tank.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks krfhsf, nice looking tanks.

larry.beck, thank you also for the response.

Do either of you have live plants in your tanks? I'm going to be doing Java Fern, Anubias & maybe Hygrophila Corymbosa (no CO2) in my 72"L x 18"W x 23"H 125G tank. I'm hoping the plants will do OK with the Marineland LED Double Bright fixtures, probably using two 36" fixtures to get full tank length coverage, though I'm toying with using three 18" fixtures because there is 3 separate glass canopies. Just trying to reduce electrical costs a bit & yet maintain low light plants.

Paullyrj21, did you decide on which lighting system you are going to use? Didn't mean to derail your thread.

Frank, I was seriously considering going with T5. Just can't decide which one to use. I will not have a canopy on this tank and am trying to maintain an uncluttered look with the lighting.


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## paradigmsk8er (Apr 13, 2009)

the LEDs provide more natural light, and are much more efficient. For me, the biggest drawback is the limited number of color temperatures you can choose from. Otherwise, I think I am going to be adding a Marine land 48" to my 100 gallon.


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## 702Cichlid (Feb 28, 2010)

If anyone has the marineland i was wondering about that 3 way switch. Are there two separate power plugs for the moonlight and daytime LEDs ? If so has anyone had a problem using a day/night timer on them or is that something that has to be done manually?


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## larry.beck (Jul 31, 2009)

There is only one plug and hence you can't use a timer to cycle daytime/nighttime. That's actually one of the few drawbacks to the design in my opinion. The other that comes to mind is that the blue lights are on in both positions which means they will get substantially more burn hours than the whites leading to quicker burnout.


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## angelover98 (Mar 3, 2004)

I have seen the Marineland LED system at my LFS. It does add a neat sparkle/shimmer to the water. I don't think it adequate by itself for a planted tank, but maybe as a supplemental fixture.


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2010)

Agree on that " Give it a while and the costs will drop dramatically, just like most all Ã¢â‚¬Å"cutting edgeÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2010)

The sale of *LED indoor outdoor lighting * is becoming more and more mainstream, being already a strong contender in the decoration and signage markets with strong performance of 
*LED decor* and *LED traffic light* .
For example, in * Outdoor lighting LED* we can highlight the *flood light LED* , the* garden lights LED* , the *LED yard lights* or the *LED underwater 
lights* . Regarding the *indoor lighting LED* it is reasonable to highlight the *ceiling LED recessed lamp* , the *LED wall mount * or the *flexible strip LED * and* fluorescent LED tube T8 * for *decor LED *.


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