Lighting suggestions (Beamswork?)

[Auratus]

Old timer here, joined about 15 years ago, haven't posted in about 6 years!!! Time flies

I recently upgraded my 5ft 100 gallon to a 6ft 125 and I need new lighting. I'm wanting to switch to LED from T5 and I've read mixed reviews on Beamswork lights.

I see a new 2016 release called the FSpec light that has red and green leds added in. Anyone have this light?
My other option is the older model with just white and actinic led.
I've also been looking at Satellite Plus but I'm looking for cheaper because I plan to upgrade to a larger tank again in the future
Any input would be great, are the red/green LEDs really necessary?

 

[BettaBettas]

ive never had red/green led's in any of my led light setups, I mostly make my own led lights since I can add what colors I want for contrast in the tank. but with the led lights I do have that I haven't made myself, they are white and blue for every one of them, including the finnex 24/7 planted *highly recommend* also welcome back!

 

[StevenF]

"Any input would be great, are the red/green LEDs really necessary?"

if you have high CRI lets red and green light should not be needed. What is CRI? it stands for Color Rendering Index. A CRI of 100 will have all the wavelengths (colors) of light in visible spectrum. Thats about 300 individual colors (assuming 1nm is one color). With all the colors available an object in 100 CRI light will look the same as it would outside in sunlight. If the object was under light of a CRI of 1 the object would appear very different than it would outside.

LED only come in one color. To get white a blue 465nm LED is covered with a phosphor that converts most of the blue to all the other color. Cheep white LED typically have a lower CRI number. Most LED lamps have a CRI of 70 to just alove 80. High CRI LED lamps will have are CRI eat a minimum of 90 and a max of about 96 and will cost more. Most white LEDs including high CRI are week in the blue violete portion of the spectrum. Low CRI LEDs may also be weak in the red spectrum

Most manufactures don't list the CRI number The only reason I can see to add green is to compensate for white LEDs week in green light. Although plants can use the entire visual spectrum the photosynthesis is most efficient at blue and red. Adding red and blue wavelengths typically is beneficial to plants. ActinicLeds are in violet reason of the spectrum and are a good addition to white LEDs.

I have never used Beamswork LED lamps and i didn't see a CRI number listed. I don't see any issues with the red and actinic less. However the green LEDs to me may mean low CRI white lights. Adding individual single color LEDs will help using a better white phosphor would be better.