Led Lighting Strips Article

[AK77]

I saw this article on Practical Fish Keeping Magazine's website, regarding LED lighting strips. I have a couple of these, although I think I have cheaper ones from ebay. These QE ones look brighter than mine. Anyhoo, have a read up here

 

[SkiFletch]

As long as you're only planning on using these for color modification and not planning on running your whole tank off them, they're good. These are NOT high-power LED lamps that can run a tank completely. Given the probable lamp spacing and wattages listed at the end of the article, they're only 1/4 or 1/2 watt LEDs. The real powerful ones that can compete with halides (given enough lamps) are the 3 and 5watt LEDs

 

[seffieuk]

These are NOT high-power LED lamps that can run a tank completely. Given the probable lamp spacing and wattages listed at the end of the article, they're only 1/4 or 1/2 watt LEDs. The real powerful ones that can compete with halides (given enough lamps) are the 3 and 5watt LEDs

oh heck, got all excited then!!

Seffie x

 

[Morri]

I have used the CREE LEDs these are the 3W version that most people use for self builds and froom what I have read these are the ones TMC are using in there new Lamp style moldule but with a £300 price tag per unit these are very expensive.

I built mine including the hood for about £200 still not cheap but the payback over 2 years use will be at a rough running cost of £3 a month

 

[Crazy fishes]

I would love to build my own LED unit but unfortunately electronics is not something I have had a lot of exposure to being a medical man. MIs and chest infections are a breeze but Daringlyton pairs and AND/OR gates blow my noggin'. I probably could learn the stuff and do it but it is finding the time and resources to put the thing together. Morri, you must feel a sense of achievement when you look at the light unit you built and the affect it has on helping your system to florish?! I am seriously looking at aquarays though but I loave to pay that hideous price tag. Mutantbigman was saying he is having much success with his although I think that they are in combination with t5 tubes as well. He mentioned keeping clams which is pretty interesting. Anyone tried SPS yet under the aquarays??

Kindest regards

Joe

 

[Crazy fishes]

As I assume that no one has tried I have purchased two strips of aquarays and going to get some SPS frags soon. Let the experiment begin.......

Regards

 

[seffieuk]

As I assume that no one has tried I have purchased two strips of aquarays and going to get some SPS frags soon. Let the experiment begin.......

Regards

Ben had some aquarays, but sold them - will be interested to see what you think

Seffie x

 

[ben1987]

i had 2 stips on a 3 footer. No where near enough light to consider acros imo. It would be like running a tank on 2 T5's was dissapointed with mine

 

[Morri]

The new TMC unit is a vast improvement as it is using the same LEDs as the self builds (Cree XR-E) but they have not used enough blues so even these need to be enhanced with some of the aquaray blues. self build still seems to be the best option according to a lot of diffrent experts.

I am pleased with my LEDs but only time will tell if the SPSs I have in mine do well or not

 

[Crazy fishes]

What you have to remember is the aquarays provide all their energy at a specific frequency; hence it can be equivalent to more powerful lighting units when it comes to PAR. I have to agree that it is slightly disappointing that TMC still haven't published PAR readings for their product and a comparison with other lighting sources.

Regards