Indoor grow lights for fish tanks - possible?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Delapool

AA Member
Site Team
Joined
Feb 7, 2013
Messages
16,731
Location
Perth, Australia
Looks legit, can you control colors individually? Don't think the pink hue would do much for aesthetics. .

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Hey, thanks for the reply. I keep expecting to get taken to task by Rivercats as I really have stuffed up my lights.

I still have the reef lights on there so I was thinking I could try to balance a bit. (man, I don't know how the lfs did it - the planted tank they had looked great. No algae, ran same reef lights for 10hrs and plants looked really good. All I have so far is no algae).

Actually thinking about it, that's a really good point. I like the box lights for convenience but could end up with a disco effect of blue lights, red lights, blue lights maybe. I asked about mounting the lights off the ceiling but no luck. Thanks again, will have another look.

Edit - will check on controllers.
 
They probably pumped it chalk full of co2, levels far to high for fish to live..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
They did have no fish in there too! Makes me wonder. These plants were great, some were a foot high and there was no algae at all.

Maybe I could make/get a box hood, open in the centre and the lights could sit on a mesh or something to mix better. So it would have the nice timber frame to look at but above the tank would be mesh. The lights would sit on the mesh and be higher and cooler. The lights would still be hidden a bit as the top of the tank is 6ft high now (on the stand). Thoughts? Would that be practical?
 
Practical?? Not terribly but if your options are limited than do what you gotta do. I'm just afraid it's going to be too overpowering with that pink hue..

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
We take all this stuff for granted in the states I suppose.. life without amazon....geesh. have you contacted dr. Foster and smith? See if they'll ship to you?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
That's an idea, I'll check them out. BML will ship but the cost is up there and I'd need to get an Australian to US wall plug which is doable but extra cost. Still if I got them at least I'd know the lights weren't an ongoing issue.

Apart from that site, there was another Australian site that does planted tank LED lights BUT their blue lights are the same for reef and planted. Which doesn't seem quite right to me? Also their lights won't fit under the hood so crossed them off the list.

Actually would anyone know if reefs and plants use same blue light spectrum?
 
Well I can report that the light has no dimmer although it's more like it looks dim enough as it. Construction seems ok'ish but I don't know how the metal frame would go on reef tanks. It just has that feel to it that it could get surface rust. Now to see if it actually grows anything.
 
Actually would anyone know if reefs and plants use same blue light spectrum?

The actinic blue that is popular for marine is useless for plants. However the 10k (more blue than red, but really just a white light) can be used for marine and plants too if bright enough. The red component of this white light is what the plants use the most. As you know, white light is composed of the rainbow colors. The problem with using red-only light is that it is not bright enough. The more red bulbs you put in your LED (if custom built) the dimmer and lower the PAR will be compared to white LED bulbs given same wattage LED bulbs.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Well I can report that the light has no dimmer although it's more like it looks dim enough as it. Construction seems ok'ish but I don't know how the metal frame would go on reef tanks. It just has that feel to it that it could get surface rust. Now to see if it actually grows anything.

Some fixtures (even cheap ones) may be made of aluminum instead of steel and therefore cannot rust.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
I am not sure whether higher PAR whiter light (10,000 K) is better than lower PAR reddish light (6700 K) or vice versa. I am sure there is a point when they balance each other out, I just don't know where that point is in terms of PAR.

For example the BML 10,000 K led delivers much more PAR than the BML 6,700 K but it's possible that the 6,7000 K is still better for plants despite lower PAR. I dunno...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
I am not sure whether higher PAR whiter light (10,000 K) is better than lower PAR reddish light (6700 K) or vice versa. I am sure there is a point when they balance each other out, I just don't know where that point is in terms of PAR.

For example the BML 10,000 K led delivers much more PAR than the BML 6,700 K but it's possible that the 6,7000 K is still better for plants despite lower PAR. I dunno...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app


I had tried it before in the build your own section of the BML website and found the red lights lost par very quickly compared to blues with increasing depth. Which is I think as you have above. It was interesting as my tank is 2.5 ft deep with a Perspex cover that I assume stops a bit of light. Even algae grows slowly.

I looked at another Australian website for LEDs but their blue reef light was also suggested for planted tanks (plus a separate red light) which I thought a bit odd trying to be a reef light and planted light at once but options here on led lights are limited.


Sooo, I went for this hydroponics light to try and boost my red lights. I did also wanted a light that would fit under the tank hood. This one does but the cord pokes up 2 inches and now I'm trying to find a cord that fits better...
 
Hope this posts - this is what happens when you have too much time on your hands! New light is white one in centre. In second pic you can see the redness in the centre I was warned on. Although if it grows anything I might learn to live with it. Reds in fish are now very, um red!

Ordered a right-angle kettle plug so the power cord doesn't shoot up into the air and I can get the hood back on.

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1410014949.552310.jpg

ImageUploadedByAquarium Advice1410015071.329638.jpg
 
Oh geez dela:) well... it'd certainly not yellow.. or green... or blue. . If only it was evenly distributed???? Mirrors????

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app
 
Oh geez dela:) well... it'd certainly not yellow.. or green... or blue. . If only it was evenly distributed???? Mirrors????

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Aquarium Advice mobile app


Like a disco ball mirror? :)

I know, I know - not so great.

I can dim the lights either side and the strip light balances it all out a bit but jeez, what a mess (and weight to).
 
The actinic blue that is popular for marine is useless for plants. However the 10k (more blue than red, but really just a white light) can be used for marine and plants too if bright enough. The red component of this white light is what the plants use the most. As you know, white light is composed of the rainbow colors. The problem with using red-only light is that it is not bright enough. The more red bulbs you put in your LED (if custom built) the dimmer and lower the PAR will be compared to white LED bulbs given same wattage LED bulbs.



Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Aquarium Advice mobile app

I think this shows your point out of interest. I've put the grow light into the DIY BML website. My tank is 30 inches deep (minus gravel but plus perspex covers). It has hardly any blue light. Past 2ft it seems to be saying I've lost half my light (sob). And as I understand it from what your saying above, the red light is important?


Custom LED Report
 
Yes the plants need red, either red as part of the white light or real red LEDs.

Is your grow light really that color? Looks more magenta than the pinkish hue that I am accustomed to seeing.
 
Back
Top Bottom