Cheap Leds?

[KittyKat]

I'm currently working my way through clearing out my equipment and fishkeeping stuff, and I've come to realise that the hobby has been costing me quite a lot over the last few years as I've not had any income from breeding fish since I closed down my fishroom some years ago.
 
As some of you may know, I grow a lot of plants and aquarium lighting is one of my noticeable uses of electricity on a day-to-day basis. I grow primarily Anubias and other "low light" plants. At the moment, I'm using T5s with electronic ballasts to light these. Some of my lights are due for replacement soon, so I thought I'd have a look at LEDs.
 
Are "cheap" LED units a viable alternative for low-tech tanks? I'm looking at something like www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270940290009 as they're supposed to use only 12W rather than the around 30W that I currently use. What would you recommend?

 

[techen]

"Cheap" LEDs are fine for show and lighting a tank. But come growing plants they become less cheap and end up costing more than a T5 unit. But lowering the overall cost to run lights.
 
The problem when they say it uses 12watts is moreso what it draws out of the plug. Not the light output from the LEDS. So its insanely hard to tell what kind of light output they have. Being that they aren't as cheap as some of the LED's have seen. You should have no issue at all with a low tech set up and those lights so I'd go for it.
 
However moving into high tech and even medium I'd stick to T5s.

 

[KevM]

The Beamswork lights have a very good reputation. I've just bought one of their planted tank lights (the 4500 lumen, 6500k version) to light my Channa aurantimaculata tank. The one you're selling me a load of plants for on another forum, as it goes!

Anyway, I've only read good things about them, but I'd still go for the most powerful Beamswork model you can afford in your tank's size range. As Techen says, if you're you're doing anything above low-tech, you'd be better off with T5s, really. Fortunately, many of us are happy with our low-tech set-ups and can get by whilst spending less on the leccy bill.

As for other cheap LEDs, I'd say buyer beware. I've used all sorts from DIY cheap Chinese modules and clip-ons, to outdoor spot-lights. I've had varying levels of success with all of them but T5s always shone through as being completely superior. The closest I'd come to being happy before the Beamswork unit was with a custom-made unit full of 3W CREEs - it wasn't exactly low-tech but it was good value for money.

Just be careful because some of those units are only designed to view fish; I think you'd even struggle with the likes of Anubias spp. with those units. The ones designed for planted tanks will steer you right, though, I'd bet.