Cheapo Led Strips?

[KkAaNnEe]

Nice reply KkAaNnEe...so can you grow plants under LED's? Yes you can. I have seen some nice tanks grown under normal LEDs. It's all about the footprint of the LED's and then PAR, but not many of us actually own a PAR meter, so go on plant growth alone.

Haha, I said they're not great, not you couldnt! lol. Was just thinking that on a 4 foot tank, its gonna cost a bit, might aswell get some T8s or something

 

[ian]

that's fair enough, i know TGM are telling people that LEDs are poor for growing plants and aren't stocking LED's at present. As we know, LED plates and Andy style lights do grow plants. In fact they are more powerful than most of the tubes we run!

 

[minnnt]

The LED's i have seen are £11 ish and consist of 120 LED's on a 4ft strip. I was considering two of these in a home made hood using some sort of reflectors whether it be tin foil, white plastic, white paint etc...

Here is a link to them on ebay.

http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120CM-120-LED-WHITE-Strip-Light-Aquariums-PLUG-UK-/270786031415?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item3f0c1aef37

If these aren't suitable then i will go down the T8 route i think.

 

[SuperColey1]

Firstly Ian has put up a shocking picture of my LED rig in it's infancy. Much more professional looking now in it's latest 'clothes'. Same electronics, same LED's but a newer housing. The electronics have been running since January 2009 and I expect a good few years out of it yet.

Here's a pic of 1.12WPG white LED over the same scape Ian has shown above:

Do LEDs grow plants well. My wallet says yes. Thats just Needle Fern (hence GreenNeedle) and thats £104 profit for just the ferns. That paid for the LED unit after only 6 months. The other plants paid for it's new 'clothing'. lol:

Do LED strips make for good moonlights. Subjective but IMO they don't. They are too blue. I (like the poster above) want a more realistic moonglow and therefore use 2 x 1ft cold Cathodes set into the same 'LED' Luminaire:

So LED does grow plants. Most definitely outperforms all the other current favourites of ligting options and saves you leccy. Here's a picture of the same 1.12WPG of LED 80cm (nearly 3ft above the water level. Thats 115cm above the substrate. Yes 1.12WPG it isn't a typing error, and remember this is after 2 years and 7 months of use so fluoros would be due for changing at his point of their use!!!:

So here's to LEDs and here's to much profit from plant growth

On the PO question on those light strips. I use the LED strips for decorative purposes in the lounge. As ambient glow lighting. they aren't going to suffice for actual tank lighting unless you use 40 strips for a tank my size which then outweighs the cost of doing it properly both in pocket from purchase and from energy use plus carbon footprint to produce all that plastic and rubber and copper etc.

They are good for this kind of thing though (my lounge.) These aren't just a fixed colour they are RGB and Ir remote controlled. You can select from loads of colours or have it fade through them all or flash through them all or with the box I've rigged them to they can strobe to the bass or just change colour to the bass :

LEDs rule guys but they are very very addictive!!!!

When I've finished the lounge and the newborn is settled in I may have a 'gathering' with an open invite to all as long as they bring crash mats and sleeping bags No disco with the bass sensitive lighting though. lol

Andy